Brian Jaffe

There have been a lot of falsely claimed “huge wins” for CA housing policy over the last five years, but I think this actually is one! 🏡🥑

Big news indeed and a breath of fresh air to see a major legacy environmental organization see dense transit-rich housing for what it is: a key part of decarbonization and a climate-resilient future. NIMBYs are finally losing their ability to hide behind “environmentalism”.

We are closer than ever to the long-prophesied exemption from CEQA (endless environmental review) for infill housing development. This is key to stop the endless delays and litigation associated with development in California.

Just putting this out there...

I've had a few interactions recently with front-line employees in the federal government, specifically at the VA and the IRS. In each case, the person on the other end of the phone was knowledgeable, polite, and helpful. And generally they get zero thanks from anyone.

Are California housing politics changing? Wiener's third transit housing bill clears Senate for first time SB 79 would force cities to allow dense housing construction near transit stations.

Good article summarizing the state of housing debate in California.

www.axios.com/local/san-di...

Josh Becker stood up to major SF Peninsula NIMBYs with his yes vote. She could have done the same to her NIMBYs but instead caved.

I know... that was a big disappointment. Thought she'd have courage.

SB 79 just passed the CA State Senate with minimum required votes.

A lot of senators took hard votes tonight, stood up to a lot of NIMBY pressure, to legalize housing where it matters most. Change is hard, but change CAN happen.

I think they keep the vote open for any senators who were absent to vote later, but not totally sure.

Legislators should look to Sacramento as a test case on housing reform | Opinion “Our infill and transit-oriented housing strategy is working extremely well for Sacramento’s affordability and climate goals.”

As we advance big housing reforms — including my bill to allow more homes near transit & @buffywicks.bsky.social bill to exempt infill housing from CEQA — we can look to Sacramento as an example of what happens when a city takes housing production seriously: Lower costs & the sky doesn’t fall.

I called Senator Ben Allen (916)651-4024
& said that I a constituent in 90278 with 2 nearby areas (bus depot and rail station) that would be upzoned by SB 79. I wholeheartedly support more housing there. For my parents who aged out of driving, for me when/if I live that long, for my child.

This is a pretty balanced overview of AB 609, a bill that would make it easier to build large housing projects within already urbanized areas.

Want a Bay Area starter home? In these 59 cities, it’ll cost you at least $1 million A recent Zillow analysis found 59 Bay Area cities where starter homes cost at least $1 million, highlighting affordability challenges for buyers.

The typical starter home (the average price in the bottom 1/3 of all homes) in 59 of 101 Bay Area cities now costs more than $1 million.

For generations, the Bay Area has been a land of economic opportunity, but only if people can afford to live here.

www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Interesting… any specifics you remember? Allowing transit agencies to develop is a great way to fund transit.

This is big. Even in its pared down form, SB 79 represents the kind of big reform needed to actually make a dent in our housing deficit.

It is time for big solutions to big problems.

Any action yet on SB 79?

As a Marin resident... I agree! (We're not all NIMBYs here... just a lot of us 🙃)

I think SMART should still be in - there are 42 daily trains on weekdays.

The future of CA politics is pro-housing.

So frustrating. Seems like a really good idea.

We’re at that point in the CA legislative calendar when promising housing bills either get killed in a random committee or amended into irrelevance. It happens *every* year. And we wonder why we can’t solve the housing crisis.

If you look closely, SB-79 (Sen. Wiener's transit-oriented upzoning bill) is already shrinking in scope. In its latest change, the highest tier of upzoning now only applies to "Urban Transit Counties" - those with 15 or more rail transit stations. Will it be able to pass AND keep any broad upzoning?

California promised to boost mental health in schools. One key program is behind schedule Only 14 school districts and county offices of education have begun billing for behavioral health services under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Fee Schedule Program, according to ...

“Key program is behind schedule” is a bad cliche for California government. We have to change the political culture of California so that promises actually mean something.

calmatters.org/health/menta...

Truly crazy story… but also inspiring to have scientists looking for novel solutions to an age old danger.

Unprecedented vote shows Dems fractured over housing policy Two consecutive committee chairs got overruled by their members, signifying a growing rift among California Democrats about housing.

calmatters.org/housing/2025...

Some activists say SB 79 would hurt affordable housing and cause displacement…

➡️ “The bulk of studies that have looked into the question have found that new market-rate housing reduces neighborhood rents and tends to ease displacement pressures.”

✅ Great fact check @CalMatters.org!!

SB 79 is *exactly* the kind of big housing bill California needs.

Past housing bills have been lots of bluster & very little impact. If SB 79 passes without exempting most of the state (as was done with SB 9, SB 684, etc. in years past) it will actually make a huge difference for housing in CA.

California school data project fulfills a campaign promise Newsom made | Opinion The new Cradle-to Career dashboard could make schools more accountable to parents and taxpayers by showing where high school students land after graduation.

Public data is very important (mostly for researchers to determine what is and isn’t working). In a moment when the federal government is trying to hide or destroy public data, we should applaud state governments going the other way.

calmatters.org/commentary/2...

More of this! 🔥

Transit-oriented development (TOD; dense housing near transit stops) would be a huge win for climate, massively reducing greenhouse emissions from commuters.

So why are environmental groups either neutral or opposing SB 79, which would be the biggest TOD reform in the history of California?