California's construction defect liability system was supposed to protect consumers. But a new report suggests it has become a barrier, preventing middle-income families from buying condos and townhomes in California’s expensive cities:

“We have to get past ‘I think it’s ugly,’ and [the project] stops. I want to live in a city where architects can dream. If you don’t let that happen, you end up with lowest-common-denominator buildings.” - @mateosfo.bsky.social on the density bonus project proposal at SF's Marina Safeway.

Congratulations to our friends in Illinois for passing major parking reforms!

Portland has kept homeownership attainable for middle-class families by broadly legalizing townhomes on single family lots. While California has made progress on this with SB 684 and 1123, more work remains to be done.

Yes In My Backyard wrapped just dropped! Head on over to Instagram to see our #1 message, our most memorable moment, our top track, and our top housing wins of 2025 -- all powered by YIMBYs across California!

California YIMBY is thrilled to announce our first round of endorsements for the 2026 Senate elections, which are in this thread by district number. If you want to support our political work, please donate to the California YIMBY Victory Fund, which you can do here:

California YIMBY is thrilled to announce our first round of endorsements for the 2026 Senate elections, which are in this thread by district number. If you want to support our political work, please donate to the California YIMBY Victory Fund, which you can do here:

California YIMBY is pleased to endorse Malia Cohen for Controller.

California YIMBY is thrilled to announce our first round of endorsements for the 2026 Assembly election, which are in this thread by district number. If you want to support our political work, please donate to the California YIMBY Victory Fund, which you can do here:

If policymakers want to preserve older, rent-controlled housing stock, they should permit lots of new market rate housing.

Housing is good and we should build more of it in the places people want to live.

1.) The first is my alma mater, @cayimby.bsky.social. They scored a huge win this year with the passage of SB 79, Scott Wiener's transit-oriented development bill. But there's still much more work to do to end California's housing crisis. secure.actblue.com/donate/victo...

Come Downtown to this party, it will be lit!

SoCal: we are having a victory party THIS THURSDAY in Los Angeles. Come through! cayimby.org/2025-la-vict...

New vacancy chain paper:

“The vacated homes were substantially cheaper than the new units and spanned diverse locations and housing types.” When people move into new housing developments, they free up space in older housing. This is good for housing affordability and availability.

In case you missed it, the recording of last week's @ternerhousing.bsky.social panel discussion on new state housing laws for 2026 is now online. ternercenter.berkeley.edu/blog/underst...

NEW PAPER w/ @cselmendorf.bsky.social & @jkalla.bsky.social: An under-appreciated reason why voters oppose dense new housing, especially in less-dense neighborhoods: they think it looks ugly and want to prevent that, even in other neighborhoods. Some of what we think is NIMBYism might not be!

"Brian Hanlon, chief executive of California YIMBY, a group that pushes for more housing, referred to the builder’s remedy as 'the NIMBY sword of Damocles.' Just the threat of it has prompted cities to accept more housing than they had in decades."

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the San Diego Legislative Town Hall. Your energy, ideas, and commitment made the conversation productive and the day a real success.

California YIMBY proudly congratulates Senator Monique Limón on making history as the first Latina and first mother to serve as the State Senate’s President pro Tempore.

“By halting the development of new homes and fighting the state’s attempts to reform zoning, L.A. officials risk repeating mistakes from the past — only this time, with half a million more people needing a place to live.”

"'Places with tons of high-paying jobs and a massive housing shortage, they’re not going to do that themselves,' @hanlon.bsky.social says. 'You need to do that at a higher level.'"

Great piece about where the post-SB 79 housing policy conversation is headed: reducing costs, speeding permitting, easing financing, and making new apartment buildings more beautiful for the neighbors and livable for their residents.

We need to build more homes in the places people want to live.

Parking was one of the more controversial aspects to Portland's Residential Infill Project. This newly built triplex at SE 16th & Morrison is a good example of how eliminating parking requirements allowed a mature tree to be saved. www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/...

Though they are usually well intentioned, unfunded inclusionary zoning requirements make housing less affordable by increasing the cost of building new homes, which worsens the housing shortage and drives up rents.

An incomplete list of cities where housing abundance was a major campaign issue & pro-housing candidates held or expanded majorities: - Bozeman, MT - Cambridge, MA - Durham, NC - Kalispell, MT - Littleton, CO - Manchester, NH - Missoula, MT - Salt Lake City, UT - Seattle, WA - Wilmington, NC 💪

Yesterday's other big theme, besides how much the electorate hates Trump, is that voters really want more housing built.

Some good news for housing in California:

The average impact fee on a multifamily unit in California is $21,703, nearly triple the national average of $8,034. cayimby.org/reports/the-...

The Bee wrote an article about @cayimby.bsky.social's San Francisco Victory Party! www.sacbee.com/news/politic...

If you don’t have tickets yet, you can get them online and show us your receipt at the door. See you soon!

There’s still time to grab a ticket to our SF victory party on Thursday! secure.actblue.com/donate/sfvp-...

California YIMBY is having our big annual party this Thursday and YOU are invited. Come through! secure.actblue.com/donate/sfvp-...

Come to this party, all of the cool kids will be there

Palo Alto just released a financial feasibility analysis of development in its downtown. Key takeaways: -Nothing is feasible under current market conditions -Removing impact fees—which are over $100/square foot and ~15% of TOTAL cost for midrise housing—would have a huge impact

Back in 2023 we helped pass AB 835, a single stair reform study bill. That study is almost done, and we need your help to make sure the final report is grounded in sound evidence by emailing a public comment. It’ll only take a minute, and it makes a real difference!

Sacramento: we are hosting a happy hour TONIGHT from 5:30-7:30 PM at Smic's Bar. Come through! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

San Francisco: we are having a party next Thursday and you should come! secure.actblue.com/donate/sfvp-...

"It's a moment of validation. It's a moment of celebration," said Matthew Lewis, communications director for California YIMBY. "And really, it's a moment for the work to get started in actually implementing these laws."

“Nolan Gray, California YIMBY's senior director of legislation joined California Politics 360 to talk about the state's progress in reaching the goal, and how the new legislation could help.”

“The bill signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom allows more types of housing around public transit. The city of San Diego has already been moving in that direction, but, as NBC 7’s Joey Safchik reports, this could reshape housing plans in other parts of the county.”

join us for an emergency transit-oriented victory celebration at Temescal Brewing in Oakland at 3pm on Saturday the 11th. (Temescal is one of the neighborhoods that really needed this upzoning!)

SB 79 is now law. This is a HUGE victory and a monumental step toward a California that is abundant and affordable. Congrats to @cayimby.bsky.social, @scottwiener.bsky.social, and @gavinnewsom.bsky.social for getting this done. 👏 🏆

In case you missed it, Governor @governor.ca.gov signed every one of @cayimby.bsky.social 's priority sponsored bills today. SB 79 was the whale. But there are a ton of big, important bills that went in alongside. Check out Nolan's thread for details.

"Many jurisdictions continue to play cute with ADU policy, and impose rules contrary to state law. SB 9 will bring that practice to an end.” - @hanlon.bsky.social

“California has over 16.2 million residents who speak a language other than English at home—yet our state housing guides are only in English,” said @hanlon.bsky.social. “Californians who lack fluency in English will now better understand their rights under state law.”

“A growing number of Californians realize that they can directly contribute to the housing needs of their families, or of their communities, by converting parts of their homes into ADUs,” said California YIMBY CEO @hanlon.bsky.social.