Dear friends,

Why is it so difficult to find an affordable "starter" home to buy across much of California? Because decades ago, cities made it illegal to build more homes in single-family zones -- and the supply of new starter homes disappeared.

That's why the median home price in both Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area area is now over $1 million.

But YIMBYs aren't sitting around while our friends, family, and neighbors are being priced out of our communities. By co-sponsoring SB 1123 by Sen. Anna Caballero, we're working to make it faster, cheaper, and easier to build homes the average Californian can afford -- in our communities, and in our neighborhoods.

California YIMBY and community housing advocates are mobilizing to change state law to build more affordable starter homes – and help more Californians achieve the dream of homeownership. Last year, we helped pass Sen. Caballero's SB 684 to help get more starter homes built. But the bill needs some fixes to get construction underway in the neighborhoods that need it most.

SB 1123 updates SB 684 to make it legal to build up to 10 homes on vacant lots in areas that currently only allow a single house per lot. By legalizing these types of starter homes near jobs, schools, transit, and other amenities, and streamlining the approval process, SB 1123 could unleash a wave of affordable homeownership opportunities in communities across our state.

This bill is up for a key vote in the State Assembly in the coming days. Will you send a message urging your Assemblymember to vote YES on SB 1123 and help get more starter homes built -- and help renew the California dream of homeownership?

SEND A MESSAGE >>

Exclusionary single-family zoning hurts everyone in California, especially people of color. This kind of zoning was created over 100 years ago to maintain residential segregation and "whites-only" neighborhoods.

Here in the 21st century, single-family zoning continues to exacerbate the racial wealth gap. It locks Californians out of opportunities to buy a home at a price they can afford – a crucial step toward building wealth and securing a future for one’s family.

SB 1123 expands SB 684 to allow more homes to be built on vacant lots in single family zones, creating more affordable homeownership opportunities in neighborhoods that have traditionally excluded lower- and middle-income families and communities of color.

SB 1123 has passed the State Senate and made it through several key committees in the Assembly. But we can’t take anything for granted, especially since the provision allowing SB 684 to be used on vacant lots in single family zones got stripped from that bill last year. We need your help to ensure it passes this year.

Send a message: Tell your state legislator to vote YES on SB 1123!

Thank you for taking action for housing abundance in California.

Matthew

Matthew Lewis
Communications Director
California YIMBY

California YIMBY is a movement dedicated to ending our state’s housing crisis and building a more inclusive, affordable, and accessible state for ALL Californians. If you were forwarded this email, you can join our movement here. DONATE NOW » Want to keep track of housing issues and the YIMBY movement? Sign up for the HomeWork, our newsletter here.

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