{"id":286928,"date":"2026-04-26T15:21:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T15:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/286928\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T15:21:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T15:21:13","slug":"california-governor-candidates-race-to-claim-pro-housing-mantle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/286928\/","title":{"rendered":"California governor candidates race to claim pro-housing mantle"},"content":{"rendered":"

As California\u2019s housing crisis<\/a> continues to dominate state politics, candidates for governor<\/a> are increasingly positioning themselves as pro-housing, a shift driven in part by the growing influence of the Yes In My Backyard movement.<\/p>\n

Leading candidates to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom are leaning into the issue after a year when affordability dominated at the ballot box and lawmakers passed major legislation to speed up housing production.<\/p>\n

Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for housing advocacy group California YIMBY, said differences among the leading Democratic candidates largely come down to \u201cdegrees of nuance\u201d in their housing plans. Some focus on streamlining permits, while others emphasize zoning changes, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it all comes back to the core message, which is we really have to do as much as we can to unleash as much supply as possible,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n

The last time California had an open governor\u2019s race in 2018, the more than decade-old YIMBY movement was still in its early days. What began as efforts to pressure local city councils to approve new homes has since evolved into a network of regional and statewide organizations advocating for denser housing in urban areas.<\/p>\n

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat who has authored several YIMBY-backed bills in recent years, said the state\u2019s housing crisis had metastasized to a level that required \u201creal grassroots energy\u201d to solve.<\/p>\n

\"DemocraticDemocratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, left, talks with Democratic state Sen. John Laird at the Capitol, in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo\/Rich Pedroncelli, File)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sort of lent itself to like, OK, we have to organize, we have to push our elected officials, we have to provide the counterbalance to the inertia in order to break through and create the change we want to see,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I think that is the underpinning of the YIMBY movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wicks said the type of housing YIMBYs advocate for has also evolved. When she first ran for her Assembly seat in 2018, it was \u201cstill very taboo\u201d to support anything beyond affordable housing. Now, she said, state leaders recognize the need for an \u201call-of-the-above approach\u201d that includes market-rate housing and so-called \u201cmissing middle\u201d homes.<\/p>\n

That shift is now reflected in the governor\u2019s race, where most candidates are \u201cpretty aggressive\u201d in supporting an all-of-the-above strategy, she said.<\/p>\n

While candidates broadly agree that the state needs more housing, they differ on how to get there.<\/p>\n

Sarah Anzia, a professor of public policy and political science at UC Berkeley, said the issue remains politically \u201ctricky,\u201d as candidates \u201cdon\u2019t want to upset folks who want to keep their city the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is that to worry about, but I think now it\u2019s bad enough that there has been success at the state level that I think gubernatorial candidates really do want to take and have to take this seriously,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Anzia said YIMBYs have also faced opposition from some environmental groups and labor organizations \u2014 particularly the building trades \u2014 meaning the next governor will still have to \u201cfigure out how to balance everybody\u2019s needs and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, for YIMBY advocates, the prominence of housing in the governor\u2019s race marks a significant shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf things go the way they seem to be going, we\u2019re going to have candidates competing for governor who really, really want to win the votes of the state\u2019s YIMBYs and the pro-housing movement,\u201d Lewis of California YMIBY said. \u201cThat\u2019s a great position for us to be in, and I think it speaks very well of the progress we\u2019ve made and honestly, the progress that the legislature has made.\u201d<\/p>\n

So where do the candidates stand on housing?<\/p>\n

Steve Hilton<\/p>\n

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, wants to cut red tape and cap fees, including limiting the number of public hearings required for development projects. His plan focuses heavily on expanding suburbs and criticizes \u201cplanning biases\u201d that favor dense housing in urban areas over single-family homes \u2014 a key tenet of YIMBYism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to end the war on single-family homes so that we can build the housing we need for young families,\u201d Hilton said during a debate last week. \u201cWe need more starter homes in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said he wants to reduce environmental regulations and curb what he described as \u201cexploitative union lawsuits\u201d that block housing projects and drive up costs.<\/p>\n

His plan calls for eliminating zoning rules that incentivize density as a condition for streamlined permitting, as well as removing urban growth boundaries that limit suburban expansion.<\/p>\n

Chad Bianco<\/p>\n

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, said at a debate last week that \u201cCalifornia state government created the housing problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that we can\u2019t afford a house,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s that builders can\u2019t afford to build a house because of the over-excessive regulations on our building industry, along with every other business and industry in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bianco said he would remove many of those regulations on his first day in office.<\/p>\n

His campaign website offers few other details, but says he would expedite approvals, eliminate the California environmental law that requires development reviews and incentivize developers to build in the state. He also opposes efforts to weaken Proposition 13.<\/p>\n

Tom Steyer<\/p>\n

Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, a Democrat, said in written responses that he has supported several bills aligned with YIMBY priorities and that the governor \u201cshould work with any group that is serious about building housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to Senate Bill 79, which makes it easier to build multifamily housing near transit, along with recent changes to environmental law, as examples of where state intervention is needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019ve learned anything in the past few years from successes in housing policy, it is the power of a governor willing to hold local cities unwilling to build more homes accountable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Steyer\u2019s plan focuses on underlying challenges such as high financing costs, slow construction and limited land. He proposes creating a state revolving loan fund to provide low-interest financing and investing in factory-built housing to speed construction.<\/p>\n

Xavier Becerra<\/p>\n

Former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, has offered limited details publicly about his housing plan but said at a recent debate that he wants to streamline regulations and reduce fees that make projects financially infeasible.<\/p>\n

He said the state should \u201cbuild smart\u201d by increasing housing near transit and expanding down payment assistance programs.<\/p>\n

Becerra, who previously served as California\u2019s attorney general and sued cities over housing law violations, said he would prioritize \u201cshovel-ready\u201d projects in his first 100 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just need a little kick over the finish line,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Katie Porter<\/p>\n

Porter, a Democrat who has met with several YIMBY groups, said the state needs to speed up housing production while addressing project costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to recognize that we do have things that are getting permitted or could be pursued, but are not because the projects don\u2019t pencil out,\u201d she said about costs at a meeting with South Bay YIMBYs.<\/p>\n

Porter has also emphasized innovation in construction, including off-site manufacturing, 3D printing and climate-resilient materials. She said the state may need to use public land, such as excess school or Caltrans properties, to support deeply affordable housing.<\/p>\n

\"DemocraticDemocratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter meets with a group of local YIMBY advocates to discuss housing issues at San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0
\nMatt Mahan<\/p>\n

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a Democrat, focuses on cutting taxes, streamlining approvals and reducing what he calls \u201cjunk lawsuits\u201d that increase housing costs in his housing plan.<\/p>\n

At a recent YIMBY Action event, he said the state continues to add layers of regulation that slow development.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur legislature\u2019s done a lot of great work, but I still run into assembly members who will come back to their districts with their newsletter like, \u2018I got 19 bills signed by the governor this year,’\u201d he told the crowd of YIMBYs. \u201cWell, hold on, did that actually yield better outcomes or did it actually add more process?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mahan has proposed requiring local governments to process permits within 30 days and making factory-built housing a central part of the state\u2019s strategy. He also plans to cut taxes and fees statewide by setting a cap for all urban housing.<\/p>\n

Antonio Villaraigosa<\/p>\n

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, said he considers himself \u201cpart of the YIMBY movement\u201d and credited the group with pushing state leaders to focus on housing production.<\/p>\n

His plan includes expanding laws that streamline affordable housing, strengthening tenant protections and investing in Community Land Trusts to keep housing affordable long term.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy plan is about results, not rhetoric,\u201d Villaraigosa said. \u201cWhile others keep adding layers of policy that slow things down, I\u2019m focused on cutting red tape through programs like a California Housing Acceleration Act, forcing accountability and building housing at the scale California actually needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Villaraigosa also wants to launch a building trades workforce initiative, expanding construction apprenticeships and creating a \u201cHard Hat to Homeowner\u201d pathway that would offer graduates enhanced down payment assistance.<\/p>\n

Tony Thurmond<\/p>\n

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, has centered his housing plan on using surplus school land for development, an effort he has already begun in his current role through legislation and state initiatives.<\/p>\n

Thurmond said there are roughly 75,000 acres of school land that could be developed, potentially yielding 2.3 million housing units.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s painfully obvious that California must build more housing and fast,\u201d he said in a video posted to social media last year. \u201cWe need creative solutions to be able to meet our urgent housing needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has also called for expanding down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As California\u2019s housing crisis continues to dominate state politics, candidates for governor are increasingly positioning themselves as pro-housing,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286929,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[37945,380,389,85621,2647,184,764,387,7,47501,9,8,400,390,391,392,8816,6836,332,393,383,394,2955,49640,1011,1336,181,17030,190,2648,2649,191,194,100,143,195,395,7912,2650,13,388,976,101,396,88,2651,397,197,198,94685,200,2653,203,398,43205,1689,399],"class_list":["post-286928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-2026-election","tag-affordable-housing","tag-alameda-county","tag-alamo","tag-antioch","tag-bay-area","tag-berkeley","tag-business","tag-california","tag-california-governor-election","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-california-politics","tag-central-contra-costa","tag-concord","tag-contra-costa-county","tag-daly-city","tag-danville","tag-east-bay","tag-east-contra-costa","tag-economy","tag-fremont","tag-hayward","tag-hercules","tag-housing","tag-housing-crisis","tag-latest-headlines","tag-livermore","tag-los-gatos","tag-martinez","tag-menlo-park","tag-milpitas","tag-mountain-view","tag-news","tag-oakland","tag-palo-alto","tag-peninsula","tag-pittsburg","tag-pleasanton","tag-politics","tag-real-estate","tag-richmond","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-county","tag-san-jose","tag-san-mateo","tag-san-mateo-county","tag-santa-clara","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-social-alert","tag-south-bay","tag-south-san-francisco","tag-sunnyvale","tag-tri-valley","tag-union-city","tag-walnut-creek","tag-west-contra-costa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}