California Must Change Housing Approach

18% of CA households can afford a median-priced single-family home, per a state REALTOR® group.
New homes approved in 2024 were near 102,000, about 10,000 fewer than the year prior.
First half of 2025 permitting was ↓16% vs the 37-year average pace.
Author says VMT rules add fees outside urban areas, pushing costly high-density housing and penalizing some buyers.
VMT could add hundreds of thousands per unit; author urges 2026 reforms with homebuilders to boost supply.