When will Democratic lawmakers make California more affordable? Later, leaders say

by Yue Stella Yu

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

In December, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas assigned his members an “urgent” task: Make California cheaper to live in.

Click Here to Subscribe to the California Political Review

“Californians are deeply anxious. They are anxious about our state’s cost of living,” he told his colleagues in the wake of an election where concerns about the economy were top of mind for voters. “We must chart a new path forward and renew the California dream by focusing on affordability.”

Five months later, the state Legislature has little to show for it.

Just last week, Rivas announced four new “select committees” tasked with pitching ideas to lower the cost of housing, fuel, child care and food, but they won’t meet until June, and Rivas did not specify when he expects legislation from the committees. Some of the lawmakers assigned to chair them say they want to develop “practical” solutions but did not articulate what those would be. 

Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, has also backed a slate of measures, most of which aim to ease restrictions on housing construction, but few have reached the Assembly floor for a vote.

Similarly, Senate Democrats unveiled just three legislative proposals as their “opening salvo” to affordability last week, focusing on reducing energy costs, increasing housing supplies and boosting job training. 

While the Legislature is just starting to zoom in on affordability, prices are rising rapidly as a result of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policies and groceries could get more expensive.

Economic justice advocates argue that Californians need immediate relief. Anya Svanoe, communications director for the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, said renters are still feeling the pinch. 

“Putting together a committee that comes together months from now that won’t even do anything until the following year does not seem to me that (lawmakers) are treating it with real urgency,” she said.

Democratic leaders told CalMatters good policies take time to develop. They noted that lawmakers had to shift their focus earlier this year to Los Angeles wildfire victims and counter Trump’s policies, and it took time to onboard freshman lawmakers. 

“I have never been one to simply do something to get clicks or make headlines. I want substance and impact,” Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire said in an interview. “My philosophy is: Do it right, not fast.” 

Rivas spokesperson Nick Miller also said the select committees — essentially working groups established to tackle niche policies — will allow lawmakers to gather more public input and drill down on specific issues during the summer recess without feeling swamped by the regular legislative schedule.

Some analysts are skeptical that any proposals could actually make California more affordable, anyway. Garry South, a longtime Democratic strategist, said affordability is a problem “too large for legislative solution,” especially when compounded by Trump’s tariff policies.

“It’s political optics to some degree,” South said. “(The bills) all sound good on the surface, but I don’t think there’s any predictability that if any of them pass, or all pass, that all of a sudden we are going to be out of the housing crisis in California.”

Tackling the ‘biggest cost drivers’

Rivas said that the select committees will tackle the “biggest cost drivers for Californians.” 

The committees will focus on four areas: Lowering the cost of child care for babies to 3 year-olds; making food more affordable and enrolling more people in CalFresh, the state’s food stamp program; exploring financing options for affordable housing; and examining the effectiveness of the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a clean energy incentive program that some argue could raise gas prices. 

Click here to read the full article in CalMatters