Although Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills this month to combat the emergency housing crisis after defeating the recall, the sluggish start for housing developers to ramp up production may take a while.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated California's housing crisis; Newsom's bill signing abolished California's 100-year plus old zoning ordinances that are among the most restrictive in the most progressive cities, revealing the true underlining of structural racism for many decades.

In this episode of News Too Real, producer host, Julia Dudley Najieb reviews part 1 from Ethnic Media Services (EMS) briefing this month: California housing crisis continues as Gov. Newsom signs several bills this month to begin to combat the calamity.

Speakers featured in the EMS briefing took a look at the implications of COVID-19 on housing equality and community development, how opportunity and restrictive zoning laws are closely connected, and policies and legislation to increase affordable housing stock.
These featured experts included, Carolina Reid, associate professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Faculty Research Advisor for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation; Samir Gambhir, program manager for the Equity Metrics Program at the Othering and Belonging Institute; Ned Resnikoff, policy manager for the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at University of California San Francisco. Finally Matthew Lewis, Communications Director at California Yimby, is a YIMBY homeowner who believes there’s plenty of room on his block for more neighbors.