Event Coverage
First-Ever Virtual Legislative Day Held Tuesday
The first-ever virtual California Association of REALTORS® Legislative Day kicked off Tuesday with welcome remarks from 2021 President Dave Walsh, 2021 President-elect Otto Catrina and other C.A.R. officials who underlined the urgency of increasing the state's housing supply and addressing barriers to homeownership.
"Closing the homeownership gap is essential to closing the generational wealth gap in our country," said Walsh.
California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed REALTORS® and lamented that the twin crises of housing affordability and homelessness have dominated state's political conversations for decades, even before the pandemic. While the state has made great strides with Projects Roomkey and Homekey, Newsom said there is still a lot more to do.
"At the end of the day, the fundamental truth is we need to simply build more housing at all income levels," said Newsom.
Newsom indicated this can only be done by a combination of subsidies, political will, and a dose of accountability across the spectrum. "I consider the REALTORS® key partners in this work."
The Governor thanked REALTORS® for their partnership and said he looked forward to pushing the pandemic behind so the state could reset its key priorities to solve the housing and homeless crises.
There were also greetings from California's Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (CA Senate District 39), Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (CA Assembly District 48) and California State Senate minority leader Scott Wilk (CA Senate District 21), who pledged their commitment to housing for all.
"The pandemic has now intensified the need for housing affordability, access and opportunity," said Atkins.
Rubio related her personal story as an immigrant and said it has given her a genuine understanding of the daily struggles and barriers immigrants and working families face. She pledged support for immigrant families, small businesses and their workers.
Wilk underlined the need to make California a safe and affordable place to call home for generations to come. He said he worries his own children cannot afford to live in California. "This is a very real problem that affects every single California family... REALTORS® can make a difference in meeting the housing challenge."
Legislative Day gave members an opportunity to meet virtually with their legislators and discussed C.A.R. hot issues (see article in Government Affairs). Later C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer interviewed political columnist Dan Walters. Walters analyzed Governor Newsom's handling of the pandemic and shared his own views on state politics and the future of California's housing situation and economy.
Walters said currently the housing problem boils down to local governments' power over land use and whether the state can initiate policies that will make them more receptive to housing construction. He also noted housing affordability is a very intractable problem which crosses many other issues.
Walters warned of the emergence of a two-tier society of which the overclass are whites and Asians and the underclass are blacks and Latinos due to discrepancies in education, family income. This is only made worse by the pandemic. He stressed job creation leads to opportunity, but "the prosperity gap is widening" and he is not sure the problem can be solved anytime soon.
Some of the many other highlights of Legislative Day included C.A.R. VP and Chief Economist Jordan Levine's presentation on the state of California's housing market and client stories on their difficulty achieving homeownership in "Fair Housing Stories: Current Challenges and a Call to Action" with Janet Dorsey, chair of C.A.R.'s Fair Housing & Diversity Task Force.
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The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.