Council Shares Insights with Latino Caucus of County Government Group on California’s Affordability Challenge

Affordability—or lack thereof–was the hot topic for the Latino Caucus of the California State Association of Counties, which held its annual conference in San Jose last week. Bay Area Council Senior Vice President Matt Regan was a featured speaker at the Latino Caucus session where he shared insights on the cost drivers of housing in California versus other states and why California builds so little housing for sale at a price point working families can afford. The high cost of energy and fuel in California was also discussed at length as well as the resulting loss of so many jobs in the manufacturing sector. 

The political philosophy of scarcity that helps create California’s high costs had few friends in the room and we welcomed finding common ground with the members of the Latino Caucus. Caucus members were also complimentary of a landmark report released by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute in June that examined the huge economic impacts in California of mass deportations.