CA housing crisis conference: optimism and skepticism
Panelists grappled with California’s housing crisis Tuesday at Capitol Weekly’s first conference of 2026, painting a discouraging picture of the current state of affairs in the Golden State. Panels explored permitting reform, the impact of environmental concerns and new ideas for addressing affordability, punctuated by a keynote address from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who acknowledged the loads of work that still needs to be done but also sounded an optimistic note that things could improve in California.