Newsom Throws in the Towel on Homelessness

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A quick note before we get to the substance today’s post: I’m on the latest episode of Neon Liberalism, the podcast hosted by Liberal Currents associate editor Samantha Hancox-Li. I’m a fan of both Hancox-Li’s work in particular and Liberal Currents in general, so this conversation was a real pleasure. The topic of our conversation was hyperlocalism and the housing shortage, but we ended up going a bit further afield than that near the end.

If you enjoyed the conversation, you should consider subscribing to Liberal Currents and supporting a purveyor of high-quality independent opinion journalism. (Obviously, please also consider a paid subscription to this newsletter if you don’t already have one.)

And now, on with the show.

This is going to be another post where I heap opprobrium on Gavin Newsom. But before I get to that, I do need to give credit where credit is due: last week, the governor came out in favor of two much-needed reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act. SB 607 (Wiener) is the more complex of the two bills, but essentially it would make the CEQA review process a bit more efficient and less needlessly convoluted. AB 609 (Wicks) builds on an existing CEQA exemption for infill housing projects, making it more workable in the process.

Thank you @governor.ca.gov Newsom for proposing to include @buffywicks.bsky.social's AB 609 and @scottwiener.bsky.social's SB 607, exempting infill housing from CEQA, in the budget! The Governor's message today was strong:

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— California YIMBY (@cayimby.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 12:16 PM

If I understand Newsom correctly, then his administration will be incorporating SB 607 and AB 609 into what’s called a trailer bill — essentially one of the budget implementation bills that the legislature must enact alongside the actual budget bill. That should make it easier to get the CEQA reforms that Wicks and Wiener have proposed through the legislature intact.

Last week I dinged Newsom for his passivity when it comes to getting pro-housing bills through the legislature. His embrace of SB 607 and AB 609 is a welcome exception; given the timing, I can only assume he read last week’s newsletter, panicked, and decided to change course. The power I exercise through this newsletter is truly a solemn responsibility.

Having said all that, I have further grievances. Let’s get to those, shall we?

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