The world is divided between supply skeptics who believe high hard costs are an intractable problem and those that have looked at US codes and buildings in other developed countries.

Someone should explain supply and demand to him in terms he'd understand (cocaine)

Seven years ago, the environmental organization I work for declined to support statewide upzoning near transit in California (SB827). This year, we co-sponsored SB79, that bill's successor. The lane is open for anyone who wants to take it, but climate funders getting onboard would be a big help.

Walked into #YIMBYTown a few minutes late this morning was immediately greeted by the entire 600+ person crowd booing at Daryl Fairweather’s mention of Prop 13. These are definitely my people.

In 1991 I was sleeping in my car. I charmed a landlord and signed a lease for a $400 a month studio in the Mission. I want San Francisco to again welcome misfits. Build housing.

And there it is! #SB79, Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill to legalize multifamily housing near major public transit stops across California, just passed the state assembly! We are one vote away from the most significant shift in land-use policy California has ever seen!

It’s finally here! #SB79, Senator Scott Wiener’s bill to legalize multifamily housing near major public transit stops across California, is now up on the floor of the state assembly!

Peninsula folks: SB 79 will be heard in the assembly *today*! It goes back to the senate after for a final vote. Make sure Senator Becker knows that you support legalizing housing near transit -- call his office now and urge him to vote yes! District: (650) 233-2724

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

A bill proposed Monday night, just days before the end of the legislative session, would punch a very small hole in a landmark housing law passed earlier this year that appears to apply to one (1) proposed apartment building in the incoming Senate leader's district. calmatters.org/politics/202...

Is the incoming leader of the California senate sneakily trying to kill a proposed 250 unit apartment building in Santa Barbara via a budget trailer bill? It certainly seems like it! 🧵

To put this loan amount in perspective: California is spending $500 million to widen a 10-mile stretch of Highway 37 in the northern Bay Area (through a wetland, no less). But $750 million to save the *entire* Bay Area’s transit systems is apparently infeasible.

What a fantastic development. Historical icon Amoeba Music will build housing on its site and remain a music store (and preserve the famous People's Park mural). Pretty A+ all around. Thankfully, no CEQA for infill means this project can't be fucked with. www.berkeleyside.org/2025/08/28/a...

It's not just that she admitted this, but that she cited it as a *positive example* of LA meeting community needs and why local control is good! Completely insane!

Why is the rent so damn high in LA? Simple economics: the demand for housing is extremely high and our housing supply is extremely low.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee comes out in support of SB 79! “SB 79 provides essential statewide standards and tools to ensure that all communities do their part in addressing California's housing shortage, while advancing our shared climate and equity goals.”

BIG news: The California Democratic Party just endorsed @scottwiener.bsky.social’s landmark housing bill #SB79, which legalizes multifamily homes near major public transit statewide! This marks a major shift in state politics: California Dems are *finally* embracing a party that builds!

The City of LA, embarrassingly, voted yesterday to oppose #SB79 (legalizing housing near transit). Watch this incredible rebuttal from @cd4losangeles.bsky.social, where she says that the city isn't acting in good faith to address the housing crisis, & that state intervention has been necessary.

“Los Angeles leaders are once again demonstrating their cowardice and failing their own constituents who desperately need more housing—and they’re doing it at the behest of LA’s wealthiest, most entitled voters, who have consistently blocked progress on housing affordability.” - @hanlon.bsky.social

As someone born and raised here: it's the NIMBYs. Always has been.

Real ones remember when Nazarian, then in the California legislature, argued on the assembly floor that SB9 would indeed lower housing prices by increasing supply -- and that this was a *bad* thing for his constituents

Zohran’s citibike numbers make me feel like we need to start demanding bike share stats from our politicians in the same way we demand tax returns

The SamTrans board just voted to opt in to the regional transit funding measure with SB63! With a condition that it have some sort of accountability over the funding, not specifying the details. A couple of dozen transit riders spoke in favor; business and labor leaders spoke and write in favor.

Evening, folks! I'm currently attending a meeting of Santa Monica NIMBY group Northeast Neighbors. I normally wouldn't tweet a small-ish meeting like this, but they have a special guest on to talk about housing: State Senator Aisha Wahab! Grab some 🍿, 🧵 starts here!

We are living in the dumbest possible timeline imaginable www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

San Mateo folks: there's a neighborhood meeting tonight on the 869 unit Concar Passage project, which has been in the works since 2018. If you want to join in and support, the zoom info is below! Link: us02web.zoom.us/j/94471725553 Passcode: 611554

All American politics is massive giveaways to landed gentry. When you suggest this is a bad thing, you are told landed gentry is what every American aspires to be and that you’re killing little old ladies who own their homes.

It's not that I think aesthetics don't matter, but a) they are subjective, b) I really don't give a shit when we have a crippling housing shortage, and c) like my man Sam Moss says, dumb soft costs make it harder to build cool shit www.sfexaminer.com/news/housing...

Gen Z didn’t get the same shot at affordable housing that older generations did. But if you're a renter, you bring something powerful to the table: lived experience. Run for office—and fight for housing policies that actually work for us.

I am calling for a total and complete shutdown of the environmental movement until we can figure out what the hell is going on here

SB79, Senator Scott Wiener’s bill to legalize new multifamily housing near transit stops in California, advances out of assembly local government committee 6 to 1! Huge!

SB 445 has passed the Assembly Local Government committee. Asm. Wilson and Carillo spoke at length about their support for California High Speed Rail and the need to prioritize making it work better. Now headed to the Utilities Committee this afternoon, where further amendments are expected.

Afternoon, folks! I’m in Sacramento today at one of the last committee hearings for SB79, Senator Wiener’s new bill to legalize new multifamily housing around public transit stations!

Happy Saturday, folks! As is tradition, I'm at a meeting of statewide NIMBY group Livable California. Today's discussion will focus on freaking out about statewide upzoning legislation (SB79) and CEQA reform. Grab some🍿, 🧵 starts here!

Everything about this moment is just so fucking *stupid*. Every time I read the words "Big Beautiful Bill" I just want to bash my head against a wall. The cruelty is unimaginable and atrocious but the stupidity of it all adds an extra layer that is just truly maddening.

A truly historic day in California: a clean CEQA exemption for environmentally friendly infill housing has just passed the California legislature via the budget bill! No other way to put it: this is the most transformative positive shift in land use policy in this state of the last 50 years!

A truly historic day in California: a clean CEQA exemption for environmentally friendly infill housing has just passed the California legislature via the budget bill! No other way to put it: this is the most transformative positive shift in land use policy in this state of the last 50 years!

It's done!! On a unanimous council vote, and after 6+ years, countless hours of public comment, and more than 40 community meetings... ...Berkeley has *officially* ended single-family only zoning and legalized multifamily housing citywide!!!

Happy Thursday, folks! I'm spending my evening (virtually) in Berkeley, where the City Council will *finally* vote on the Middle Housing Ordinance to legalize duplexes, fourplexes & small apartments in most neighborhoods throughout the city. Grab some 🍿, 🧵 starts here!

It turns out that people like (and will vote for!) smart, passionate, energetic candidates who run joyful campaigns centered around actually solving the day to day issues they struggle with, regardless of what the establishment tells them they should want. Who could’ve imagined?

There is a very good chance that the man who said all of the below (Zohran Mamdani) is going to become the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City, and I am so incredibly here for it

Our budget agreement with the Governor is now public. We fully protected public transportation funding — reversing all proposed cuts — & fully protected the $750M loan to Bay Area transit systems we previously agreed to with the Assembly. 🧵

Yet again, feels like a lot of untold tragedy is going to occur because a bunch of people believed and then elected an inveterate liar with no impulse control who surrounds himself with sycophants. We find ourselves in dark times and so many people will pay for that other than those responsible

Well this aged like milk

the founding fathers were very clear that you’re supposed to lie to Congress by presenting them misleading intelligence estimates to get their permission to go to war under false pretenses

All the urbanists hearing Zohran talking about how New York City needs to start building as many homes per capita as Tokyo and Jersey City during the mayoral debate

focusing just on padilla for a moment (and not on noem)—dems are starting to get more comfortable in taking loud and performative (complimentary) action in opposition to the administration

This is so much funnier when you realize that the city he's talking about becoming a "failed third world nation" here is *Santa Monica*

If you've never heard of marine heat waves, now is the time to pay attention. Driven by climate change, these increasingly frequent and extreme ocean temperature events, like “the Blob” in the North Pacific, are devastating marine life, disrupting fisheries, and impacting weather patterns. 🌊

Fox News rn