Kamala Harris puts housing on the agenda

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Aug 26, 2024 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook

By Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte

Presented by 

Amazon

Vice President Kamala Harris points at the COP28 United Nations climate summit.

Vice President Kamala Harris points at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai in December 2023. | Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images

THE BUZZ: YES IN DEMOCRATS’ BACK YARD — Leaders of a Bay Area-born housing movement are taking a victory lap a decade in the making.

In Chicago last week, Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders seized on the theme that America's housing crisis is a supply-side problem worsened by local regulations that make it difficult to build enough new homes.

Harris’ spotlight on housing, rare for a presidential campaign, was a breakout moment for lawmakers and activists aligned with the YIMBY, or Yes in My Back Yard, cause — a movement sparked in San Francisco by activists frustrated by the city’s soaring rents and tight housing market.

“We are here, are on the agenda,” said Laura Foote, executive director of the national advocacy group YIMBY Action and a longtime San Francisco-based housing activist.

Harris’ embrace of policies to accelerate housing production, like easing local planning restrictions, were undoubtedly shaped by her background as a Californian and former San Francisco resident who's aligned with moderate Democratic groups that have pushed for such changes. Harris has also pledged to spur the construction of three million new homes.

The reaction from housing-development advocates was electric when Harris vowed, in the biggest speech of her life, to “end America's housing shortage.” It was a nod to the central thesis of the YIMBY movement, that the housing affordability crisis is fundamentally due to a lack of supply.

Former President Barack Obama brought the same message to the Democratic National Convention stage, saying zoning and land use reforms are needed to “clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that make it harder to build homes.”

State Sen. Scott Wiener, one of the movement’s longest allies, said the convention was a “cloud nine” moment for him and other lawmakers who've spent years promoting contentious legislation in Sacramento to streamline housing development.

“The root of this problem is that we have a shortage of homes, and Kamala said that word,” Wiener said.

Harris’ pro-housing mantra creates another stark contrast with Trump, who’s accused Democrats of leading a “war on America's suburbs” by trying to limit zoning for single-family homes. He’s previously vowed to preserve local control over housing decisions.

But deep fractures also exist within the Democratic Party. The movement to speed up housing production has been met with significant resistance in California, on multiple fronts: from San Francisco progressives, who cast it as too pro-developer, to environmentalists and labor unions, who are wary of cutting hard-fought regulations that serve as a check on projects.

Just this summer, the California Legislature gutted a handful of bills aimed at making it easier to build housing in urban areas along the coast — a pointed example of the hurdles YIMBY-backed legislation often still faces in Sacramento.

Rudy Gonzalez, secretary-treasurer of the SF Building and Construction Trades Council, said he expects any pro-housing policies Harris backs will be more labor-friendly and focused on affordable, subsidized housing than what YIMBY-aligned lawmakers have passed in California.

“I understand why people would want to take a victory lap,” said Gonzalez, a frequent critic of the movement. “But I think we should be a little more humble. We’re talking about building housing that everyday people can afford.”

YIMBY-aligned Californians are trying to help Harris capitalize on the issue. Rep. Robert Garcia, Wiener and Foote will be part of a “YIMBYs for Harris” organizing call on Wednesday. Other speakers include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

 

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CAMPAIGN YEAR

Google headquarters is pictured in Mountain View, California.

Google offices | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

DONOR DOLLARS — Much has been made about the Silicon Valley players supporting former President Donald Trump, but just over a month into her campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be winning back California tech donors.

As POLITICO’s Catherine Allen reports, Harris’ presidential campaign is drawing from a reservoir of her former big-dollar donors who hadn’t given when President Joe Biden was leading the ticket.

After Biden withdrew on July 21, Harris raised more than $59 million from individuals nationally for the remainder of July, and over 20 percent of it — $12.5 million — came from California, according to a POLITICO analysis of her campaign’s itemized donors, released Tuesday in Federal Election Commission filings. Itemized donations typically reflect campaign funders who have given more than $200.

The tech industry plays a notable role in Harris’ support from her home state. Employees at Google and its parent company Alphabet ($262,000) made up the largest tech contributions, followed by Apple ($170,000) and Meta ($81,000).

Andrew Byrnes, a Silicon Valley-based attorney and campaign bundler for Harris, said the only other time he’s seen this kind of mobilization was for Barack Obama. And Harris has additional tech cred. “Obama was not a Californian like Kamala is.”

This time, he said, her campaign “seems to be on the verge of a movement.”

“A pillar of the campaign, I think, will be significant engagement and enthusiasm from the people that have known her longest,” Byrnes said. “Because she is from here, many of those people are in tech.”

 

Coming into view: the Harris-Walz Economic Platform - POLITICO reporters are back from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with fresh intel and insights into the emerging Harris-Walz economic agenda. Join us for a POLITICO Pro subscriber briefing on Wednesday, August 28th. Register for the Event.

 
 
STATE CAPITOL

IMMIGRATION TENSIONS — Legislators are prepared to pass a first-in-the-nation proposal that could make undocumented immigrants eligible for up to $150,000 in state-supported home loans just as immigration has become an incendiary topic in the presidential election.

As POLITICO’s Eric He reports this morning, the loan program, called California Dream for All, provides 20 percent in down payment assistance, up to $150,000. It is a shared appreciation loan in which the only interest the homebuyer pays would be 15 or 20 percent of the home’s increase in value upon selling the property, depending on their income level.

The program has received state funding but is also run by the California Housing Finance Agency, which generates revenue through mortgage loans and not from taxpayers.

The measure to make undocumented immigrants eligible for the program, authored by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, specifies applicants must meet requirements set by the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, including having a taxpayer identification number or social security number to apply for a loan, which means they’re taxpayers.

“It isn’t given out willy nilly to just anybody,” Democratic Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes said at the June hearing.

Read more here on how California could be the first state to help undocumented immigrants purchase homes.

 

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ON THE AGENDA

FLOOR SESH — The Assembly and the Senate convene at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Expect floor sessions all this week as lawmakers scramble to pass bills before Saturday night’s deadline.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

QUIET ON CLIMATE — California climate crusaders who attended last week's Democratic National Convention are unbothered by the fact that their presidential candidate barely talked about climate change. Read about why they’re fine with coasting on vibes in Friday’s California Climate.

Top Talkers

NPR over the weekend published a two-part investigation into the sexual harassment allegations that landed at the center of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s political world. The series, by investigative correspondent Tom Dreisbach, features never-before-seen deposition tapes, internal emails, and documents. Part one. Part two. (NPR)

As Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepts the Democratic nomination, her home state of California is at an inflection point. If she loses, the state will face a power vacuum unlike anything it’s seen in recent memory, whereas a victory would give California unprecedented influence. (POLITICO)

Trump allies are trying to energize him as he struggles to adapt to Harris’ campaign. (The Washington Post)

 

DON’T MISS OUR AI & TECH SUMMIT: Join POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit for exclusive interviews and conversations with senior tech leaders, lawmakers, officials and stakeholders about where the rising energy around global competition — and the sense of potential around AI and restoring American tech knowhow — is driving tech policy and investment. REGISTER HERE.

 
 
AROUND THE STATE

— California isn’t technically delaying an oil well protection law, but Newsom has cut the funding to enforce it (CalMatters)

— The Raiders and the Warriors are gone and the A’s are leaving, but teams in lesser-known leagues are trying to fill the void in Oakland. (New York Times)

— Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is facing increasing calls to resign amid a federal probe. (Los Angeles Times)

— San Francisco’s long relationship with the social media site formerly known as Twitter is nearly over — and city officials are far from heartbroken. (New York Times)

PLAYBOOKERS

PEOPLE MOVES — Adriana Bankston will be an inaugural AAAS STPF/ASGCT congressional policy fellow, starting in September. She was previously principal legislative analyst with UC’s office for federal governmental relations, where she advocated for its research priorities in Washington.

BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Sunday): Jack Trent-Dorfman, field representative for Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel…

(was Saturday): Andrew Byrnes, principal of Byrnes Impact…Courtney Dal Porto, information officer for the state treasurer… Rachell Owen-Reinwald, external affairs officer for the state treasurer…

 (was Thursday): Stuart A. GraiwerAdlai W. Wertman

WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.

 

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