Newsom signs dozens of new housing bills with no new ideas

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been on a signing spree lately for new housing bills. To his supporters, the dozens of bills he signed represent a massive effort to overcome the decades-long housing shortage. Unfortunately, the new legislation reflects the same tired ideas that have consistently failed to resolve California’s housing crisis.

California legislators have long adhered to two basic assumptions regarding how to solve the state’s housing crisis. The first is the almost religious...