Harder Gets the State to Act, Lower Housing Costs for Middle Class Families

WASHINGTON – Last week, Representative Josh Harder sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to immediately sign Senate Bill (SB) 6, the Middle-Class Housing Act, into law. Today, the bill was signed into law, cutting red tape for Central Valley families.

Over the past ten years, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties have experienced the largest increase in home values across the state of California. Stanislaus home prices have risen by 122% since 2010. San Joaquin home prices have risen 115% since 2010. The State of California currently ranks 49^th out of 50 states for housing affordability.

“I remember when it was $700 for a one bedroom in Tracy. Now it’s more than $2,000 and climbing every year. Middle class families in our community just can’t keep up,” said Rep. Harder. “That’s why signing SB6 was so important and why I wrote to the Governor personally urging him take action. Today is a good day for middle class families across the Valley. We’re making homes more affordable by cutting red tape and building more homes.”

The Middle-Class Housing Act cuts red tape by no longer requiring developers to go through a lengthy and unnecessary bureaucratic rezoning process in order to build residential units on commercial corridors. This bill not only makes it easier to build much-needed housing on property currently used for parking, offices, and retail, but it also reduces the time associated with construction. By making SB 6 state law, the state will finally give developers the flexibility to build residential homes in under-utilized commercial zones. The Middle-Class Housing Act was originally introduced by Senators Caballero, Eggman, and Rubio.

Read the letter below and online here.

Dear Governor Newsom,

I write today to urge immediate action on Senate Bill (SB) 6, the Middle-Class Housing Act, introduced by Senators Caballero, Eggman, and Rubio.

California is in the midst of a crippling housing crisis. The state’s shortage of affordable housing units and its growing homeless population demand urgent action. Not only does California lead the nation in housing underproduction with a reported deficit of 978,000 homes, but it is also ranked 49th across the country for housing affordability. Too many of our neighbors are being priced out of the communities they grew up in. Over the past ten years, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties have experienced the largest increase in home values across the state of California. That’s simply unacceptable.

The Middle-Class Housing Act provides a solution for our communities. I applaud Senators Caballero, Eggman and Rubio for their work on this issue. Their bill, SB 6, cuts red tape by no longer requiring developers to go through a lengthy and unnecessary bureaucratic rezoning process in order to build residential units on commercial corridors. This bill not only makes it easier to build much-needed housing on property currently used for parking, offices, and retail, but it also reduces the time associated with construction. By making SB 6 state law, we will finally give developers the flexibility to build residential homes in under-utilized commercial zones.

Thank you for your timely attention to this critical matter.

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