Residential Housing

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Senate Bill 9's Underwhelming First Year Shouldn't Be a Surprise; It Was by Design

In 2021, the California state Legislature passed legislation allowing a streamlined pathway for homeowners to produce duplexes and split lots. But a year after the law took effect, the resulting housing production pipeline looks to be trivial. Why has the law that some were convinced would make the sky fall barely registered?

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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To Help African Americans Gain Generational Wealth, Look to the Housing Market

African American families have significantly less wealth than White families, even after reaching the middle class. Home ownership is, for the vast majority of Americans, the primary vehicle for accruing wealth, and passing it down through generations. This is a crucial time for policymakers to consider policies that focus on improving home ownership rates for African Americans.

Jessica Welburn Paige

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Protests in China, Negotiating with Russia, L.A.'s 'Mansion Tax': RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on protests in China amid the government's zero-COVID policy, the potential harm in negotiating with Russia, building more affordable housing in Los Angeles, and more.

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Measure ULA Reflects the Wrong Lessons from Proposition HHH

Los Angeles voters approved the so-called “mansion tax,” Measure ULA, which proponents suggested will raise funds for about 26,000 new units of affordable housing over the next decade. But a key labor provision casts doubt on that optimistic projection.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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Santa Monica's 'Builder's Remedy' Experiment Holds Lessons for the Region

More than 124 municipalities across Southern California are struggling to meet their state housing allocations. When Santa Monica fell out of compliance with state housing law, this triggered what is known as the ”builder's remedy“ and created a revealing natural experiment.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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Los Angeles Mayoral Debate Misleads on Approaches to Homelessness

They may not mean to, but Los Angeles politicians continue to imply that there is a primary “fix” for homelessness, be it temporary shelters or permanent supportive housing. But those are just pieces of a very complex puzzle. The region needs a robust continuum of care. Although some efforts exist, they have not been scaled up to meet the need.

Sarah B. Hunter

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How Can Commercial Buildings Become Needed Housing?

Adaptive reuse has tremendous promise for making a dent in Southern California's housing shortage, but realizing its full potential will require thoughtful and timely policymaking.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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California Needs 1.2 Million New Homes. How Will It Get There?

Voluntary incentives foster increased production of affordable housing, while mandates alone increase the cost of producing housing, dampening both market-rate and affordable housing production. It is well past time to acknowledge the evidence and focus on the adoption of voluntary programs that incentivize the rapid creation of dense, infill housing available at both affordable and market rents.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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Employing Insurgency in Ukraine, U.S. Hospital Prices, Reaching the Middle Class: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how insurgency could give Ukraine an edge over Russia, repurposing commercial buildings to help address L.A.’s housing crisis, Americans’ options for reaching the middle class, and more.

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Supporting Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children, L.A. Housing, Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on educating and supporting undocumented and asylum-seeking children in U.S. schools, what drives America's adversaries to use military forces, and measuring the compounding effects of racism.

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Renters' Last Chance for Pandemic Aid Before Evictions Resume

The pandemic has battered Los Angeles renters, and a new wave of pain is coming with the moratorium on evictions ending September 30. But this housing crisis doesn't have to turn into a new homelessness crisis. Californians with incomes below 80 percent of their area's median are eligible to receive funds from the COVID-19 Rent Relief program.

George Zuo @GeorgeWZuo

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Unemployment Insurance, Domestic Extremists, Housing Insecurity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on what the pandemic has revealed about America's unemployment system, why stopping domestic extremism will be difficult, how housing insecurity may affect sleep, and more.

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Your Personal Information Could End Up in the Hands of Foreign Investors

If you've ever rented a property, you may have wondered what happens to the sensitive information on your application. Recent concerns over the foreign harvesting of personal information for questionable purposes should worry everyone.

Marcus Dillistone, Ryan Andrew Brown, et al.

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Reopenining Schools, Affordable Housing, Unemployment: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the debate about reopening schools, how a decline in commercial real estate demand could help address the housing crisis, challenges facing the U.S. unemployment system, and more.

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Declining Commercial Real Estate Demand May Provide an Opportunity to Help Address California's Housing Crisis

The pandemic has led to an estimated 175,000 business closures this spring. And an estimated 40 percent of employed people are working from home full-time. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reallocate portions of the built environment toward the urgent demand for affordable housing.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward