(OAKLAND, CA) - Today, a press event in support of SB 50, Assemblymember Rivas (D-Hollister) delivered the following statement:
First, I want to thank Senator Wiener for leading this important fight... and let’s be honest, I commend him for his relentless... his relentless and unwavering leadership on this bill and really, for his willingness to champion sensible housing policy.
I’m here, because SB 50 is critical. It’s critical to our state’s future and I’m proud to stand with Senator Wiener and this great group here this morning.
As we all know, when communities fail to build the housing they need... those communities are not the only ones to suffer.
The consequences from a lack of housing can ripple—ripple dozens, even hundreds of miles down the road.
And I can tell you, having lived in rural California my entire life, I see the impact of our housing crisis... And I’m living through this ripple.
And the half-million people I represent... they’re experiencing these impacts... and experiencing them... every single day.
We see it in historic rates of traffic congestion—people stuck in their cars, away from their families for needless hours on end.
We see it in homeless farmworker families, priced out of their homes—forced to live in 3rd world country conditions and surging rates of student homelessness.
I’m proud to represent and live in the salad bowl of the world, but our region never asked to be the super-commuter epicenter of the United States.
I’m proud to be a co-author of SB 50. This legislation will create real opportunities to build the housing our state needs and produce housing where it needs to be... near job centers and public transportation.
Our housing crisis requires an all of the above strategy and this is a critical piece we must get done.
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