California’s housing shortage worsened by wildfires

Before wildfires struck earlier this year in northern California, the state already was struggling to provide housing for a growing population. Now, following the Camp Fire in Butte County, as well as four others in the past 14 months, thousands of Californians who lost their homes can find nowhere to live.

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.

Older Americans could face lack of affordable housing in years to come

Households headed by Americans in their 70s, 80s and 90s are expected to dramatically increase in the coming years, and the nation’s housing market is unprepared, according to a study from The Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies (JCHS).

California, a rich state, is also among the nation’s poorest

Factoring in living costs, nearly 20 percent of Californians were living below the poverty line in 2015, 2016 and 2017, making the state the poorest in the country. The national average of Americans living in poverty those same years was 14 percent.

Housing affordability impacts western Nevada workers

Despite its booming economy, western Nevada is having difficulty filling jobs as housing affordability declines. In the Reno-Sparks area, jobs are plentiful but the average price of a single-family home is $400,000. Rents aren’t much better, at about $1,300 per month.