Housing

California Democrats affirm that housing is a fundamental human right that has become unachievable for too many Californians. In order to guarantee this right, the California Democratic Party supports policies to increase housing production to meet population demands, champion effective and compassionate solutions on homelessness, affirm the protection of tenant rights, prioritize the creation and preservation of affordable housing, and promote the American Dream of homeownership. 

In order to address the housing crisis, California Democrats will:

Homelessness and Supportive Services

1. Promote comprehensive homelessness solutions that treat the unhoused with dignity and respect, including direct shelter, job placement, mental health services, supportive housing with continuum-of-care, and designated safe shelter with medical and social support; and,
2. Support rental assistance programs for low-income households to keep them housing secure;

Tenant Rights and Protections

1. Advance efforts to protect tenants from harassment, displacement, and rising rents by strengthening affordability and eviction protections, rent control/stabilization, and tenant education programs;
2. Urge expanded opportunities for local authorities to enforce housing protections, the preservation rent-controlled housing, and the public purchase of at-risk units; and,
3. Champion measures that guarantee tenant rights to organize, collectively bargain, and exercise first refusal on property sales, while ensuring transparency through rent and eviction data;

Housing Development and Policy

1. Promote building more housing at all levels of affordability through investments in a diversity of housing types, including missing middle housing, publicly owned housing, social housing, and housing that meets the needs of individuals, families, students, and multi-generational households;
2. Support removing barriers to housing construction by streamlining approvals and reducing fees, while ensuring the payment of prevailing wage, the use of a skilled and trained workforce, and/or the incorporation of project labor agreements; and, 
3. Encourage land use planning that promotes smart growth, builds energy-efficient and sustainable housing near public transportation and jobs, and allows multi-family residential uses in high opportunity areas and single-family neighborhoods.

Homeownership and Property Rights

1. Support programs that provide financing assistance for first-time and first-generation homebuyers;
2. Support efforts to protect homeowners from abuse of eminent domain and predatory lending, guarantee a homestead floor in bankruptcy, and ensure safe, secure, and healthy neighborhoods for both renters and owners; and,
3. Encourage policies to guarantee access to affordable and reliable homeowner’s insurance by reducing risk.

Finance and Infrastructure Support

1. Support public banking to provide low-interest loans for small businesses, farmers, land trusts, and cooperative housing groups, fostering community reinvestment and infrastructure development;
2. Encourage establishing local government-based loans to improve and sustain rental property belonging to small property owners; and,
3. Promote affordable housing policies such as funded inclusionary zoning, limits on speculative practices like second-home tax breaks and excessive short-term rentals, removing barriers to building multifamily ownership housing, and the enforcement of fair housing laws across all jurisdictions.