California housing targets largely unmet

United States — California's eight-year housing planning cycle, overseen by the administration of Governor Gavin Newsom, has reached its halfway point for much of the state, including all of Southern United States — California. Data submitted to the United States — California Department of Housing and Community Development shows that fewer than a third of cities and counties are on track to permit enough market-rate ('above moderate') housing, and only 32 jurisdictions (less than 6%) are on track to meet their 'very low' income targets. Only five jurisdictions—Plumas, Napa, Yolo, and Mono counties, plus the town of Placerville—are permitting at a pace to hit all four income targets. The state's total planning target is nearly 2.5 million units over eight years, but annual construction remains just above 100,000 homes. Affordable housing construction is hampered by a lack of public subsidies after a 2018 bond ran dry, and developers and advocates are hoping voters will approve an $11.25 billion state bond in November. A 2017 state law requires jurisdictions that are halfway through their planning cycle but have not permitted at least half their targets for above-moderate, low-, and very low-income housing to fast-track most apartment and condo projects; of the 212 Southern United States — California cities and counties that crossed the halfway point this year, all but four are now subject to this streamlining law. However, the law has only green-lit 27,961 units since 2018, far short of the need.