Palo Alto was working to adopt illegal ordinances to delay and defang SB 79 within the city. In late June, a coalition of organizations came together to push back on a bad policy, and will follow through to see high density housing built near transit, in a city where median home sales are currently between $3.5 and $4 million. 

In May, the northern California city of San Mateo passed a new historic preservation ordinance that is one of the worst examples of a nationwide trend — historic designations so broad that they prevent much-needed housing from being built.

Lakewood, Colorado was doing everything right, but it still wasn’t enough for local NIMBYs. The town residents overwhelmingly supported pro-housing candidates for the council, councilmembers who drafted zoning ordinances to bring the town into compliance with Colorado law. Their modest reforms would have helped boost local housing production and kept them eligible for state infrastructure grants. But despite dedicated work from local organizers, voters in April repealed the reforms in a remarkably low-turnout election.

After years of battle and several violations of housing law (remember when it claimed to be a mountain lion habitat?) the city of Woodside, California has seen fit to approve four units of housing. There is no greater proof that local officials cannot be given discretion over these decisions. The project was modest, safe, and legally compliant, but still took years of effort, four YIMBY Law letters, and legal representation to get off the ground. Along the way it faced illegal obstruction, including from the local government itself.