Housing prices in California have skyrocketed and too many families are being left behind by a system that rewards greed and makes it too complex to build more housing that is affordable. Last year, I passed a law protecting California renters from unfair evictions and large rent increases. This was an important step forward in addressing the cost of housing. However, it is clear that we must take more action to build affordable housing statewide in order to meaningfully bring down housing costs. It's clear the costs of building new housing in our state are too high. I wrote and passed a law that required a statewide report on fees assessed by counties and cities on those who propose building new housing. Following the first report, it was clear that these fees weren’t just high, they actually prevented many housing projects from moving forward. This year, I worked to propose a package of new laws that would spur new housing production and lower the costs associated with building new housing. I am committed to continuing to reduce the cost of housing development and I have put forward new proposals that ensure cost reduction while maintaining robust environmental and safety protections. 

As a member of the Legislative Delta Caucus, balancing the many competing uses of water in California is always central in my mind. We must consider the needs of large urban water agencies, the farmers that provide our food, our unique and irreplaceable ecosystems, and the people and wildlife that inhabit them. I have always worked to take a balanced approach, informed by science, when making decisions about water.  I supported the expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, which serves my district, as a cost effective and low-impact way to ensure a reliable water source for the East Bay Area. I have also participated in discussions with the Governor about the future of the Delta tunnels project, and how to protect and preserve the Delta’s unique environment and culture.  

To reach our ambitious carbon reduction goals, we cannot approach issues like housing, transportation, and transit as separate, unconnected issues. Because the transportation sector accounts for approximately forty percent of California's greenhouse gas emissions, housing and transportation policy is climate policy. That is why I have passed legislation to streamline the construction of housing near existing transit stations, and legislation to require the Air Resources Board to have annual meetings with the Department of Housing and Community Development in order to coordinate on policy. In the future, I plan to introduce legislation that will encourage the construction of infill housing so that people can live near where they work, reducing long commutes which are a primary source of both carbon and particulate pollution.

In almost all cases, prevention is vastly more effective than remediation. I believe that strong investment in our youth, including in their education, their communities, and their economic opportunity, will ultimately be the most successful way to reduce the costs of incarceration. For those that are already incarcerated, there must be a program of true rehabilitation, as well as a path towards reintegration into society. Recidivism is one of the main cost drivers in the prison system, which is why it is so important that we are preparing inmates to succeed when they have served their time. To this end I recently supported legislation to allow inmates who served on CDCR fire crews to work as firefighters when they finish their sentence.