California is in the midst of both a severe housing shortage and a climate crisis. More than half of all Californians struggle to afford housing, and we need to build at least 2.5 million new housing units by 2030 to avoid serious human and economic consequences. Our housing shortage is a result of a history of deliberately racist policies that stop smaller, more naturally affordable homes from being built near jobs, transit, and walkable communities. These same policies have encouraged decades of “greenfield” development on the state’s agricultural and natural lands. These development patterns force Californians further into remote areas with long, polluting, commutes to find housing they can afford – increasingly in areas that put them in the path of wildfires, flooding, and other climate-related disasters.

Where we build our desperately needed housing determines whether we will meet our climate goals as a state. Personal car trips are 40% of all GHG emissions in California, and the only category of emissions that continues to rise. How we choose to grow (or not grow) our communities determines whether we continue to disproportionately put lower income Californians and communities of color in harm’s way. In order to create choice for Californians we need to make it easier, cheaper, and faster to build smaller and less expensive homes in our existing communities.

To further our goal of abundant climate safe homes, Prosperity California co-leads the Alliance for Climate and Housing Solutions with Greenbelt Alliance.

California can combat our severe housing shortage and meet critical climate goals. Learn more at www.housingclimatealliance.org.