California bill to increase farm worker housing advances

California Assembly committee members, this month, debated the Farm Worker Housing Act of 2019, allowing the legislation to advance to more legislative review.

California legislators focus on housing

California’s housing crisis took center stage during the first week of the state’s new legislative session. Two Northern California Democrats believe there is a need to incentivize rural and urban planners to approve new housing projects by establishing a replacement tool for redevelopment agencies.

Affordable housing remains an urgent national problem

Many economists agree that cities across the country are not building enough affordable homes; according to the National Association of Home Builders, construction companies nationwide will fall short some 400,000 homes as they try to keep up with population growth. In this context, housing advocacy groups are urging lawmakers to ease building restrictions.

Some California residents still in drought conditions

Californians in the Central Valley still struggle with effects from the five-year drought. For some, that means dry wells and a high price tag to repair or replace them.
In Fresno County one resident’s well went dry two years ago and she’d been refilling 25 gallon jugs at a friend’s house until last year when Self-Help Enterprises helped her access a refillable water tank for household water use. The tank is provided through a state-funded program for emergency drinking water assistance.

Despite California’s severe housing shortage, lawmakers limit construction

California lawmakers have softened a bill that called for more housing construction in a state that has a severe affordable home shortage.

Senate Bill 828 mandated that cities and counties set aside land for twice as much housing units as needed to make up for years of too little construction. But California legislators amended the bill