It's Monday. California officials are cracking down on enforcing the state's housing laws. |
 | | Houses under construction at The Preserve in Chino.Philip Cheung for The New York Times |
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As California's legislative session drew to a close last month, lawmakers approved two major bills aimed at transforming malls, office buildings and parking lots into housing. Affordable housing advocates cheered the measures, which could result in millions more homes in the Golden State. |
The last six years have played out this way in Sacramento, with each session ending with a flurry of new laws devised to increase housing. California's housing crisis is dire — we have some of the nation's highest rents and more than 100,000 people living on our streets — and state leaders are increasingly trying to tackle the problem through legislation. |
But new housing laws don't always work exactly as lawmakers would hope. |
Last year, after the Legislature passed a new law allowing duplexes across the state, dozens of cities adopted ordinances that discouraged such units by tacking on numerous standards. (Among the creative requirements: a covered porch, the signature of an archaeologist, the highest level of energy efficiency and an automatic garage door.) |
 | | A tent encampment in Skid Row in Los Angeles in 2019. Mario Tama/Getty Images |
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The state attorney general, Rob Bonta, said that when he was an assemblyman, he assumed that the housing laws he and his colleagues passed would actually be implemented. But often they weren't. |
"One of the first things I asked my team when I got into my seat a little over a year ago is, 'What are we doing to enforce housing laws in the state of California?'" Bonta told me. "They're not advice." |
As my colleague Conor Dougherty and I recently reported, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials are stepping up enforcement of the housing laws that are already on the books. |
In November, Bonta created a Housing Strike Force to target local governments that don't comply with state laws. The state's Department of Housing and Community Development has been sending letters to local governments telling them that they are out of compliance with state regulations. In August, the agency announced a first-of-its-kind investigation into San Francisco's notoriously complex development process. |
The reasons are practical, but also political. Voters are more frustrated than ever with the state's housing crisis. Both Bonta and Newsom are up for re-election in the fall. |
 | | Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks wrote one of the two main housing bills passed by the Legislature last month.Jason Henry for The New York Times |
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"When I ran in 2018, it was a vulnerability to be an unapologetically pro-housing candidate," said Buffy Wicks, a Democratic assemblywoman from Oakland who wrote one of the two main housing bills passed by the Legislature last month. |
"Now it is absolutely an asset," she told Conor. "I get up on the floor of the Assembly and I say, 10 times a week, 'We have to build more housing in our communities; all of our communities need more housing; we need low-income, middle-income, market rate.' You couldn't do that in a comfortable way four years ago." |
 | | Representative Karen Bass and Rick Caruso at the Los Angeles mayoral debate in March.Genaro Molina/EPA, via Shutterstock |
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- Mayoral race: With less than two months until Election Day, U.S.C. has become a running thread in a race between Representative Karen Bass and Rick Caruso — both U.S.C. alumni — for Los Angeles's next mayor, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Shut down: The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can continue shutting down a Northern California prison that was supposed to be closed in June, a judge ruled this week, The Los Angeles Times reports.
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- Church fire: The Victory Baptist Church, a neighborhood landmark in South Los Angeles with political and historical significance, was destroyed by a fire on Sunday morning, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Monkeypox: Officials are investigating the death of a person who had been diagnosed with monkeypox to see if the illness was a contributing cause of death.
- Tropical storm: The remnants of Tropical Storm Kay may cause thunderstorms and flooding in Southern California early this week, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Gun theft: Two firearms were stolen from the home of Representative Karen Bass, The Associated Press reports.
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- Waste treatment: A final analysis is pending that will help the county Board of Supervisors pick a winner among three finalist proposals for waste treatment options, Bakersfield reports.
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 | | David Malosh for The New York Times |
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 | | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, San Diego.John Francis Peters for The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Cheryl Brierton, who lives in San Diego: |
"It is a wonderful treat to listen to open rehearsals at the magnificent outdoor Rady Shell concert venue along the San Diego Bay. I love experiencing how conductor Rafael Payare's directions to the members of the San Diego Symphony brings out the best in a musical score, while I enjoy the views and cool breezes." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
 | | Brandon Scott Photo Company |
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And before you go, some good news |
In the summer of 2017, Meredith Davis and Elliott Poppel, both living in San Francisco, connected on the League, a dating app. |
But they didn't meet in person until after a show where the comedian Aziz Ansari read their messages on the app aloud. |
Thanks for reading. We'll be back tomorrow. |
Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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