California housing affordability reaches 10-year low

In a decade-long trajectory, increasing home prices and higher interest rates are limiting Californian’s ability to buy a home, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Water storage projects in California to receive $2.7 billion in funding

The California Water Commission approved $2.7 billion to fund water storage projects across the state. Whether any will be built is another matter, however. The plan is to award water bond funding based on strict guidelines that many of the projects may not meet.

Rents are rising, and are doubly difficult for minority tenants

Fewer rentals are within reach for many Americans, but for black and Hispanic would-be tenants, it is even harder to find affordable housing. According to the real estate website Zillow, an “affordable” dwelling is one requiring the tenant pay 30 percent or less of median monthly income for rent.

Sinking ground and arsenic in California’s water seem related

For nearly 20 years, California’s Central Valley residents have grappled with arsenic in their tap water at levels that can cause cancer and other diseases. Now, researchers are suggesting that the state’s ground is sinking, and that this could be exacerbating the arsenic levels.

Regulatory costs hinder affordable housing construction

Local regulatory costs and delays at times amount to nearly 50 percent of the cost to build a single-family home.