cawacko
Well-known member
I know housing isn’t discussed much here, but politically this shows why California’s population has slightly shrunk and why largely red states that allow more development are gaining population along with EC votes and House seats.
California’s housing shortage is forcing some residents to look elsewhere for homes, contributing to its declining population. And when it comes to a critical aspect of the housing market — the number of permits issued for new construction — the state trails behind much of the rest of the country.
Most states are permitting more housing units relative to their populations than California, according to a Chronicle analysis of U.S. Census data from the past decade. From 2013 through 2022, California counties and cities approved just over a million housing units for a rate of roughly 2,600 per 100,000 residents. That’s notably lower than the nationwide rate of 3,900. A little over 13 million units were permitted in the U.S. overall during this period.
California’s rate of newly permitted units is below that of 36 other states. Utah and Idaho had the highest rates for the last decade, at 7,600 and 7,100 — more than twice California’s rate.
California had a higher rate than some other well-populated states. Pennsylvania and New York had rates of just 2,100 and 1,900 per 100,000 residents, respectively.
Though it can take many years for units to get built after receiving approval, tracking building permits provides an early indicator of privately-owned homes that will likely be constructed, according to the Census Bureau.
Over the past year, California has continued to lag behind most of the nation. Its cities and counties issued permits for about 130,000 housing units from the beginning of 2022 through February 2023. With a rate of roughly 330 per 100,000 residents, the state ranked lower than 38 others.
“California does a very bad job at permitting a sufficient amount of housing,” said Sarah Karlinsky, a housing policy advisor at SPUR, a San Francisco think tank. California’s environmental law is often misused to delay housing projects by forcing a lengthy review process, deterring home production in the state, she said.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/overdose-drug-deaths-17867234.php
California has ramped up its housing approvals in recent years, Census Bureau data shows. From 2018 through 2022, housing authorities in the state issued permits for more than 560,000 units, a 20% increase from the prior five years. Not every state saw such gains; New York saw new housing permits decrease by 6% between the same periods.
But California trails much of the rest of the country even in this measure. The United States as a whole approved 33% more housing units in 2018-2022 than 2013-2017. Several other states had far larger increases: Arizona permitted 73% more housing units while Florida authorized 72% more units, a sign that construction in those states may be recovering from the 2008 housing crash more quickly.
Those states’ growth is probably due at least partially to their job growth, according to Matthew Roland, an assistant dean for University at Buffalo’s real estate development program. He also said their construction rules are also easier for developers to navigate than in New York or California.
“We’re both in, probably, more highly regulated states overall,” Roland added.
California lawmakers have passed several bills in recent years making it easier for developers to build housing, particularly in cities the state determines aren’t doing enough to encourage — or are actively resisting — construction. The state’s housing agency lists many Bay Area cities, including San Jose and Hayward, as failing to meet its requirements.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to build 2.5 million housing units between 2022 and 2030, a goal that would require the state to construct homes at more than twice its current rate. He has supported reducing barriers that have made it more challenging and expensive to build homes, with the state Legislature currently considering multiple bills that would fast-track certain housing projects.
This data shows one huge reason California’s housing shortage is at crisis levels
California agencies have issued permits for more units in recent years, but many other states saw much larger jumps.
California’s housing shortage is forcing some residents to look elsewhere for homes, contributing to its declining population. And when it comes to a critical aspect of the housing market — the number of permits issued for new construction — the state trails behind much of the rest of the country.
Most states are permitting more housing units relative to their populations than California, according to a Chronicle analysis of U.S. Census data from the past decade. From 2013 through 2022, California counties and cities approved just over a million housing units for a rate of roughly 2,600 per 100,000 residents. That’s notably lower than the nationwide rate of 3,900. A little over 13 million units were permitted in the U.S. overall during this period.
California’s rate of newly permitted units is below that of 36 other states. Utah and Idaho had the highest rates for the last decade, at 7,600 and 7,100 — more than twice California’s rate.
California had a higher rate than some other well-populated states. Pennsylvania and New York had rates of just 2,100 and 1,900 per 100,000 residents, respectively.
Though it can take many years for units to get built after receiving approval, tracking building permits provides an early indicator of privately-owned homes that will likely be constructed, according to the Census Bureau.
Over the past year, California has continued to lag behind most of the nation. Its cities and counties issued permits for about 130,000 housing units from the beginning of 2022 through February 2023. With a rate of roughly 330 per 100,000 residents, the state ranked lower than 38 others.
“California does a very bad job at permitting a sufficient amount of housing,” said Sarah Karlinsky, a housing policy advisor at SPUR, a San Francisco think tank. California’s environmental law is often misused to delay housing projects by forcing a lengthy review process, deterring home production in the state, she said.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/overdose-drug-deaths-17867234.php
California has ramped up its housing approvals in recent years, Census Bureau data shows. From 2018 through 2022, housing authorities in the state issued permits for more than 560,000 units, a 20% increase from the prior five years. Not every state saw such gains; New York saw new housing permits decrease by 6% between the same periods.
But California trails much of the rest of the country even in this measure. The United States as a whole approved 33% more housing units in 2018-2022 than 2013-2017. Several other states had far larger increases: Arizona permitted 73% more housing units while Florida authorized 72% more units, a sign that construction in those states may be recovering from the 2008 housing crash more quickly.
Those states’ growth is probably due at least partially to their job growth, according to Matthew Roland, an assistant dean for University at Buffalo’s real estate development program. He also said their construction rules are also easier for developers to navigate than in New York or California.
“We’re both in, probably, more highly regulated states overall,” Roland added.
California lawmakers have passed several bills in recent years making it easier for developers to build housing, particularly in cities the state determines aren’t doing enough to encourage — or are actively resisting — construction. The state’s housing agency lists many Bay Area cities, including San Jose and Hayward, as failing to meet its requirements.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to build 2.5 million housing units between 2022 and 2030, a goal that would require the state to construct homes at more than twice its current rate. He has supported reducing barriers that have made it more challenging and expensive to build homes, with the state Legislature currently considering multiple bills that would fast-track certain housing projects.