The leading Democratic candidates for California governor, Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, agree the housing crisis is urgent but propose different solutions. - Steyer wants to close a Prop.
13 commercial tax loophole to generate $20 billion yearly for construction, streamline permits, and promote prefab housing. - Becerra would declare a housing emergency, enforce existing laws, and speed up 40,000 stalled affordable units with union labor.
- Both support fee reform and down payment assistance, but differ on homelessness funding and tax policy. The candidates' plans reflect a broader debate over how to tackle California's chronic housing shortage, which has resisted single solutions despite years of legislative effort.