Gray argues that California’s housing debacle, with median home prices more than eight times the state median household income, effectively shuts out all but the wealthiest from homeownership. An estimated 102,000 residents left the state in 2022 alone, primarily relocating to more affordable red states like Texas, with some surveys suggesting that these new arrivals may even lean more conservative than their new neighbors.
Despite efforts by a small group of pro-housing Democratic legislators to address these affordability issues by reducing zoning restrictions and streamlining permitting, change has been slow and often stalled by other party members. Meanwhile, figures like Governor Gavin Newsom, eyeing higher office, remain focused on progressive causes, seeming to miss the urgent need to address the cost-of-living crisis directly.
While Harris isn’t solely to blame for California’s housing issues—both parties have a hand in the state’s zoning restrictions—California’s enduring affordability crisis under long-term Democratic control now stands as a high-profile liability for the party. If they’re going to avoid a repeat of 2024’s defeat, Democrats might do well to focus on fixing California’s housing woes before 2028.
