By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 8, 2021 Adequate housing in California has become a nightmare for many Californians. It is estimated California needs 100,000 additional units per year, on top of the typical 100,000 to 140,000 units built each year. Thus far this has proven to be an elusive target for the Newsom Administration which has focused on making the incentive to build a lost cause. Higher buildings around transport hubs, rent control, and unrelenting regulation serve to stifle any attempt to incentivize the construction of new housing units. Shortage of housing, high regulatory costs, and rent control are driving the cost of existing units through the roof in major population centers, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento. Even smaller urban areas are feeling the pinch when near major employers. The average price for a house in California is beyond reach for a majority of its population. The median single family house in California has broken the $800,000 mark and continues to rise. The Newson administration has done nothing to change that direction, in fact much of what has been done only exacerbates the problem. When Newsom's answer to the crisis is centered around rent control, low income housing, and no end to restrictive regulation, there is no profit motive for builders to build. When taxes, growing environmental restrictions, and rising building costs are added to the mix, the incentive to build grows weaker and further escalates the cost of housing and rent. While campaigning for governor, Newsom promised to make way for 3.5 million houses to be built in seven years, or 500,000 houses per year. Unfortunately nothing even remotely has come to pass. Newsom's magic wand failed to produce much beyond what typically was being built and the crisis continued. California has a huge homeless population, which coupled with 7.1 million Californians living in poverty, the idea any of those folks can pony up $800,000 for a house is non exsistant. Rental units can range for a two bedroom apartment from $750 per month in Alpine County to well over $5,000 per month in San Francisco. Not much chance for many low income or even mid level income Californians to afford those prices. Housing under Neswom has become a play ground for high level earners or the rich. Prices for homes in even rural areas have seen an explosive rise and rents were quick to follow. Thus far Newsom has made no progress in changing that dynamic, and clearly has made things much worse. Heavily dependent on Union funding for campaign purposes, legislation that may have tempered California's housing crisis have not born fruit and are unlikely to do so as long as Newson reigns supreme in Sacramento. In every way thus far Gavin Newsom has more than earned his title of an "empty suit". It is hard to imagine a governor in the long and storied history of the State of California that has whiffed on so many fronts. With regard to housing, even places that should have no difficulty housing its population are experiencing the same crisis found in urban centers. The poor, homeless, and low income people are facing the brunt of Newsom's lack of action and will continue to do so. As medium income and even some higher earning individuals and families have begun to flee the State for greener pastures and more affordable housing, it would seem that Newsom would recognize his failings and make an effort to change course. That as yet does not have appeared to have entered his world. When you are politically connected and wealthy, the "little people" in the State have only value at election time. That's when he rolls out the promises he never intends to keep.