Build, Baby, Build? California’s Hottest Races Are Battles About Housing.
In late September, a Los Angeles Times poll of that city’s mayoral race showed the upstart candidate, LA city councilmember Nithya Raman, up 11 points over incumbent mayor Karen Bass. It was a shocker. But what was really interesting was Bass’ response. Asked about the poll, Bass touted the more than 10,000 units of affordable […]
California's mayoral race in Los Angeles saw upstart candidate Nithya Raman gain an 11-point lead over incumbent mayor Karen Bass, with Bass boasting about 10,000 affordable housing units built during her time in office. Raman, an MIT-educated urban planner, has made building more housing her campaign's central focus, criticizing Bass for not building enough.
Bass, however, softened her stance on housing after facing backlash from wealthier, whiter neighborhoods on the city's west side. In San Francisco, where rents have risen by 25% this year and a one-bedroom apartment costs about $4,000 a month, state Sen. Scott Wiener is running against city Supervisor Connie Chan for a congressional seat held by Nancy Pelosi since Ronald Reagan's presidency.
Wiener, known for his ability to pass laws requiring communities to build more homes, has been pushing for more housing, while Chan has a history of voting against housing and transit-related laws in San Francisco. The state of California faces a housing deficit, with estimates ranging from tens of thousands of units to 3 million, and 1.5 million households paying more than half their income in rent.
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