What’s behind the Bay Area’s push to add 441,000 new homes by 2031?

By ETHAN VARIAN
Can the Bay Area build its way out of a deepening housing crisis? Should it?

Many experts and officials say constructing more homes — and a lot of them — is the only way to meet the region’s increasingly dire housing needs for people of all incomes.

Between now and 2031, state regulators are insisting the Bay Area add over 441,000 new homes of all kinds — a roughly 15% increase in the region’s total housing stock.

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Need for local control

After reading the guest opinion by Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou, I wanted to express my gratitude that she is encouraging Californians to support Our Neighborhood Voices.com. I only recently discovered this organization whose mission is to bring back single-family zoning and local control over land use.

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The Currys have the right to speak out

Basketball legend Steph Curry recently sent a letter to local officials expressing concerns about how a new housing development near his Atherton home could impact the safety and privacy of his family.

Social media swarmed at once. “How dare he,” was the collective response on Twitter, Facebook and beyond.

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California has a big housing deadline on Wednesday — and most Bay Area cities aren’t prepared

By John King

When Feb. 1 arrives and Bay Area cities and counties are required to have state-approved plans showing how they will build more housing in the next eight years, this much is certain: Most will miss the deadline.
As for what that means, all bets are off.

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How the state of California is screwing San Francisco on housing

by Tim Redmond

I have been talking to folks at the City Planning Department to follow up on my analysis of the numbers in the Housing Element, and after a good amount of research, I think can fairly conclude the following:
The state, thanks to the likes of Sen. Scott Wiener, has totally screwed San Francisco.
Here’s what’s really going on:

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