Governor Jerry Brown has signed a package of 15 bills intended to drive down California’s high housing costs, but not without throwing a little shade at the people who worked to get the measures to his desk.
Capital Public Radio’s Ben Adler reports on Friday's signing ceremony. One after another, state and local elected officials decried California’s exorbitant housing costs – and the 50 years of policies that led to this point. Then came Governor Brown’s turn to speak:
"Look, all those rules were passed by people like you," Brown told the officials.
Brown pointed to state laws and city ordinances that set building requirements from energy efficiency to insulation.
"It’s all good! But as I always say, too many goods create a bad. So now you’re trying to clean up some of the bad. But it is a lot of good too. So that’s the paradox," Brown said.
The new laws raise money for affordable housing subsidies … and streamline regulations that have driven up private-sector development costs.
For details on the housing bills, visit Capital Public Radio for a breakdown.