By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the keynote speaker at “A Conference on Housing” in Sacramento on Feb. 24, says solving California’s housing crisis at all levels — and providing affordable, environmentally responsible homes for low-income families and communities of color — can go hand in hand.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the keynote speaker at “A Conference on Housing” in Sacramento on Feb. 24, says solving California’s housing crisis at all levels — and providing affordable, environmentally responsible homes for low-income families and communities of color — can go hand in hand.
“A Conference on Housing,” hosted by Capitol Weekly and the University of California Student and Policy Center, was held Feb. 24, 2026, in Sacramento and featured in-depth discussions on California housing policy. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Wicks, widely recognized as a leading legislative champion for housing production and affordability, delivered her remarks at the one-day event organized by Capitol Weekly and the University of California Student and Policy Center.
“I think we can do so in a way that still respects our environmental values,” Wicks said in her keynote remarks.
The conference explored solutions focused on increasing supply, improving financing, and addressing labor shortages to make housing more affordable and accessible. It included policy experts, industry representatives, academic researchers, and state lawmakers with deep knowledge of California’s housing crisis.
The event comes amid ongoing legislative efforts to tackle California’s housing shortage, which disproportionately impacts low-income Asian, Black, and Latino households.
Wicks told California Black Media (CBM) that there is “not a single bullet to solve the housing crisis,” but the solutions require building for all income levels, including affordable housing for low-income residents and middle-income, market-rate housing for professionals.
“I think we fundamentally need 2.5 million homes,” Wicks told CBM. “We need low-income subsidized, we need the missing middle, the market rate, we need multi-family, single-family, and workforce housing. We need the all-above strategy. We need to be creative around that approach.”
Last year, Wicks introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 1021 to accelerate the construction of affordable housing for educators and school employees on land owned by local educational agencies (LEAs).
Co-authored with Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), the bill streamlines development, provides property tax exemptions, and eases California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements to tackle recruitment challenges. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10, 2025.
“You look at Oakland. There are so few Black teachers serving a diverse student body, in part because of the housing crisis. We can’t keep teachers because of the housing crisis,” Wicks said. “I think it’s an all-above strategy that we really need to embrace.”
According to an October 2024 report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), approximately 35% to 37% of Black households in California own their homes — a rate significantly lower than the state’s overall homeownership rate of around 55% to 56%.
This rate has shown little growth over the past decade, placing it among the lowest for Black homeownership in the U.S. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) reported that for the entire 2010s, the state’s Black homeownership rate was lower than it was in the 1960s, “when it was completely legal to discriminate against Black homebuyers,” the report stated.
Black Californians frequently rent rather than own, with a homeownership rate of about 41% compared to 68% for White residents. This gap reflects the lasting impact of systemic racism, including historical redlining and lower generational wealth.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) is an outspoken proponent of increasing housing supply and improving homeownership rates for Black Californians through several legislative initiatives she has introduced.
McKinnor, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), noted that California has some of the most expensive rental costs in the nation. Citing real estate brokerage Redfin, she reported that in April 2025, median rents were $3,417 in San Francisco; $3,285 in Los Angeles; $3,116 in San Diego; and $3,011 in San Jose.
“We can solve California’s housing crisis through partnerships between government, developers, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations,” McKinnor stated.
“By harnessing the innovative will of Californians, necessary public and private investments, and a legislature and governor truly committed to solving the housing crisis, I am confident that we can help all Californians find a safe and affordable place to call home,” she added.
At the conference, Wicks said she is awaiting results for the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 (AB 736), a proposed $10 billion bond measure designed to fund the construction and preservation of affordable housing.
AB 736, authored by Wicks, requires approval by California voters on the June 2026 ballot. The legislation aims to fund affordable housing to address the state’s severe shortage.
“I’m done with bill-signing ceremonies,” Wicks said at the conference. “I want ribbon cuttings, because ribbon cuttings mean we’re actually moving people into homes. I’m done with all the performative bulls*t.”
