The Promise and Limits of California's Housing Reform

California's recent wave of pro-housing legislation has opened the door for more development on single-family lots and urban infill sites, but how much progress have we really made?  Shane Phillips (UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to trace California's evolving policy landscape, from accessory dwelling units to long-overdue CEQA reform. The conversation moves from the success of recent ADU regulations to the barriers slowing smaller-scale infill and condo development. Cost structures, ownership models, and building standards all shape housing supply. Phillips and Green discuss how policy could better balance affordability, density, and quality of life across Southern California. Highlights include: - Why recent ADU laws succeeded where earlier reforms fell short. - Potential condo liability reforms to encourage smaller-scale housing ownership. - How construction costs constrain "missing middle" infill. - The trade-offs of eliminating single-room occupancy housing in US cities. - How ownership models shape neighborhood attitudes and investment. More Lusk Perspectives UCLA Housing Voice Podcast