Dear friends,

Will you call Gov. Gavin Newsom in support of AB 2097 and help us make sure we prioritize housing for people over parking for cars?

Housing policy is climate policy. California's largest source of climate pollution is from our cars and trucks, and parking mandates make it worse: They make our communities less walkable, take up valuable urban land that could be used for housing, and increase climate pollution – while also making housing more expensive.

That's why California YIMBY co-sponsored AB 2097, which ends costly and polluting parking mandates in walkable neighborhoods and near transit stations. With your help, the legislature passed the bill and sent it to the Governor's desk – a major victory for YIMBYs and climate advocates across the state.

But AB 2097 still needs the governor's signature, and we're mobilizing the grassroots. Can you call Gov. Gavin Newsom and ask him to sign AB 2097?

Call the Governor!

an illustration showing that as the amount of parking rises, so does the cost of housing.

Here in California, we have to make choices in how we use our urban land. Do we continue to devote it to storing cars? Or do we use it to house people and reduce climate pollution?

Asm. Laura Friedman authored AB 2097 to address this specific issue – she knows, and the state legislature agrees, that eliminating parking mandates must be part of our state's climate strategy. When cities require parking in walkable neighborhoods with good transit, housing gets more expensive, and people drive more.

This year, parking reform made it out of the legislature thanks to another key supporter: Sen. Anthony Portantino. During the pandemic, Sen. Portantino started riding his bike more often. He saw from his firsthand experience riding around our cities how land use policies virtually mandate driving and car-dependence. He also crafted his own parking reforms to provide Californians with more choices, more affordable housing, and less climate pollution.

Asm. Friedman and Sen. Portantino merged their bills into a single piece of legislation, AB 2097, which passed both houses of the legislature last month. It's a major victory for the YIMBY movement and climate action – but the governor still needs to sign it.

Unfortunately, opponents are mobilizing a last-ditch effort to try and convince the governor to veto AB 2097.

Let's show Governor Newsom he has a great opportunity to once again position California as a leader on housing and climate policy.

So, if you’re excited about ending California’s housing shortage and tackling the climate crisis, now is the time to raise your voice in support of AB 2097. Make the call! Thank you so much for your advocacy, energy, and passion.

Gratefully,

Matthew

Matthew Lewis
Communications Director
California YIMBY

California YIMBY is a movement dedicated to ending our state’s housing crisis and building a more inclusive, affordable, and accessible state for ALL Californians. If you were forwarded this email, you can join our movement here. DONATE NOW » Want to keep track of housing issues and the YIMBY movement? Sign up for the HomeWork, our newsletter here.

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