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to the Democratic National Convention stage, saying zoning and land use reforms are needed to “clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that make it harder to build homes.”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. GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
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