Solutions

EASY VOLUNTEER ACTION

REQUEST A VOLUNTEER CARD — YOU’LL GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WITH A PDF ATTACHED

You’ll receive a non-paywalled link or PDF of an article to look through — search for the information on the form. If you find a community leader, organization, website, contact info — this all helps us with outreach to expand our network. it also helps us understand the concerns different groups are focused on.

A PDF card like this is a 15 minute commitment

There are hundreds of newly formed organizations out there — All of the information collected gets us closer to finding our allies!

You can easily continue participating by clicking on the “would you like another action card” at the end of the form.

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There are a few more questions, but basically it’s this simple.

STABILIZE AND CREATE AFFORDABILITY

What WAKE UP CA is For:

California needs more housing working people and retirees can afford.

A reality under current state law

Current rules limit what local governments can require from applicants seeking density bonus incentives. In Schreiber v. City of Los Angeles (2021), the court reinforced that density bonus applicants are not required to provide detailed financial pro formas to justify incentives and waivers, and cities cannot condition review on extra studies beyond what state law allows. This makes “it doesn’t pencil” claims harder for the public to verify.

Solutions that actually produce affordability:

1) Protect the affordable homes we already have

Preserve rent-controlled and naturally lower-cost housing, prevent displacement, and fund repairs and safety upgrades so existing homes stay livable.

2) Build naturally lower-cost “middle” housing

Support small apartments, courtyard buildings, duplexes, ADUs, and 3 to 5 story homes with clear, objective standards so compliant projects can move quickly.

3) Use public land and existing buildings to lower costs

Put public land near jobs and services to work for affordability, and convert underused buildings when it is faster and cheaper than new construction, with local oversight.

4) Make affordable housing cheaper to build

Simplify the funding maze, standardize requirements, and reduce avoidable delay so public dollars produce more homes, not more paperwork.

5) Target help to the people with the greatest need

Pair new housing with direct support for extremely low-income households so affordability is real, not theoretical.

6) A fair deal for public concessions

When government grants major concessions, extra height, density, parking reductions, streamlined approvals, the public should get a proportional return in affordability. If someone claims higher affordability is “infeasible,” that claim should be backed by standardized, publicly understandable information.

What we’re asking Sacramento to change:

Require standardized disclosure for major incentive requests and clearly authorize an applicant-funded independent peer review process for infeasibility claims. Big giveaways should come with real transparency.

How we measure success

Who is it for, what does it cost per home, how fast will people move in, and what safety and infrastructure standards must be met first.

SOURCES:

1. Gov. Code § 65915 (official statute)

2. Schreiber v. City of Los Angeles (2021) (case summary or reputable law firm explainer linked to the case)

3. LSE I³ Working Paper 159 (2026) (primary research)

4. HUD Worst Case Housing Needs (2025) (primary federal report)

5. NLIHC Summary Page (Gap 2025)

6. Terner Center “Reducing the Complexity in California’s Affordable Housing Finance System”

7. Further reading: 48Hills summary of the study