Erin Baldassari
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Senior Editor, Housing Affordability @KQED. SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America. Listen: apple.co/3kFE5vV | Past life = print reporter.
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Articles by Erin Baldassari
The Great Squeeze: Bay Area Residents Downsize and Adapt to Rising Costs
News Home / Housing Apr 6, 2026 Save Article Failed to save article Please try again Email From top left to bottom right: Keith and Lisa Alvord embrace on their sailboat in Emeryville. Misha Kurita-Ditz and their mom, Barbara Ditz, sit together at the apartment they share in San Francisco. Brooke Dawson sits with her son outside the Airstream where she lives in her mother’s backyard. Christy Brown bartends in Walnut Creek. Chad Morrison works at a bakery in Santa Rosa.
This Program Helps Californians Buy Affordable Homes. Advocates Want More Funding
Dec 9, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Andie Rounds and her son, Ari, outside their Novato home with their dog, Luna, in August 2024. Rounds was able to purchase the affordable home thanks to Habitat for Humanity's Greater San Francisco Chapter and state funding through CalHome. (Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco) Andie Rounds’ Novato home is blue, two stories, with white trim around the windows and doors. In the backyard, her son grows summer vegetables.
‘It’s Devastating’: More Than $100M for Housing Homeless at Risk Under New HUD Policy
Nov 18, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Nurse Julianne Vidal takes vitals for Brandon Radford, 80, in his room at Oak Days, a permanent supportive housing program in a former hotel in Oakland, on May 22, 2024. Advocates for people experiencing homelessness fear this kind of housing could lose funding under federal guidelines released this month.
Historic West Oakland Blues Club’s Restoration Reveals Layers of Hidden History
Oct 30, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Noni Session stands near the front doors of Esther’s Orbit Room as daylight streams into the building under renovation in Oakland on Oct. 2, 2025. The restoration of the historic blues club will include a performance venue and bar, artist spaces, food and more. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED) The building had sat vacant for around a decade by the time it came to EBPREC’s attention.
Newsom’s New Statewide Encampment Taskforce Ramps Up Operations in San Francisco
Sep 17, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Crews work to clear out an encampment next to the 101 Freeway in San Francisco on Sept. 16, 2025. The State Action for Facilitation of Encampments (SAFE) Task Force has begun clearing encampments, prioritizing California’s 10 largest cities. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED) As Caltrans workers cleared the last remnants of an encampment from beneath a San Francisco overpass on Tuesday, Candice Dixon wondered if she would soon be asked to leave.
ADUs sold as condos
A condominium for sale at 2985 Lantz Ave., in San José, on Aug. 13, 2025. Assembly Bill 1033 allows homeowners to sell Accessory Dwelling Units as separate condominiums. Barriers and slow uptake: Despite momentum, few applications have been filed. Financing hurdles, concerns about property devaluation, and cautious uptake among homeowners may limit how quickly ADU condos spread statewide.
San José developers pioneer new California law: selling ADUs as condos
By Erin Baldassari, NPR Updated 1:21 p.m. Thursday For years, Bob Hughes had been eyeing a corner lot just down the street from hisSan Joséoffice, where he runs a building firm. The single-family property at Lantz and Foxworthy avenues — shrouded by trees and sitting on just under 12,000 square feet in a quiet residential neighborhood near Cambrian Park — seemed ripe for development. So when he got the opportunity to purchase it, Hughes immediately began thinking about how to split the lot.
How ADUs Could Help Californians Break Into Homeownership
Aug 22 Failed to save article Please try again A condominium for sale at 2985 Lantz Ave., in San José, on Aug. 13, 2025. Assembly Bill 1033 allows homeowners to sell Accessory Dwelling Units as separate condominiums. San José was the first city to implement the 2024 law. Now, it’s poised to approve the first conversion of an accessory dwelling unit into a condominium.
Newsom’s Office Blasts Trump’s Homelessness Order as a Harmful ‘Imitation’
Jul 25 Failed to save article Please try again A police officer with the Homeless Assistance Response Team (HART), speaks with an unhoused person about the sidewalk needing to be clear in Fresno on Dec. 3, 2024, after their team received a call to check on the area. The president’s order seeking a crackdown on encampments also calls for increased institutionalization of people with mental illness, as well as an end to funding longstanding 'housing first' policies.
Berkeley Council OKs Zoning Overhaul, Allows Small Apartments Across Most of City
Jun 27 Failed to save article Please try again An apartment building in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley on July 18, 2024. Berkeley, the first city in the nation to adopt single-family zoning, will now allow small apartment buildings in most neighborhoods. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Amid a generationally divided debate, the Berkeley City Council on Thursday unanimously voted to overturn a more-than-century-old housing policy, allowing small apartment buildings in most of the city.
Berkeley Considers Middle Housing Plan That Could Reshape Neighborhoods
Jun 25 Failed to save article Please try again Aimee Baldwin, whose Chinese American family has lived in Berkeley since the early 1900s, at her home in Berkeley on June 23, 2025. As the city considers a proposal to allow small apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods, Baldwin says addressing past exclusion will require more than zoning changes. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) The ordinance would allow three-story buildings, with the number of units determined by lot size.
Controversial Housing-Near-Transit Bill Advances to Next Stop in Legislature
Jun 4 Failed to save article Please try again Apartment buildings under construction near Macarthur BART station in Oakland, on Feb. 21, 2020. SB 79 by state Sen. Scott Wiener narrowly squeaked through the Senate on Tuesday. The controversial bill would allow buildings between four and seven stories tall around certain bus, ferry and train stations across California.
Progress By 1,000 Cuts? Housing Legislation Snips Away at California’s Red Tape
Mar 27 Failed to save article Please try again A condo complex takes shape in a growing housing development under construction on Feb. 16, 2011, in Dublin, California. California is currently permitting around a third of the homes that leaders say is needed to stop home prices from continuing to skyrocket. A new slate of bills aims to help. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) When it comes to building California out of its housing shortage, some lawmakers say the devil is most often in the details.
Wiener’s Controversial Bill to Allow Housing Near Transit Is Back
Mar 14 Failed to save article Please try again The Del Monte warehouse is under construction to become an apartment building in Alameda on Jan. 12, 2023. State Sen. Scott Wiener's new bill would allow developers to build an apartment building up to 7 stories tall near high-frequency bus stops and train stations across California. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) State Sen.
How We Rebuild: How Homeowners in Santa Rosa, Oakland Went All-Electric
Mar 5 Failed to save article Please try again Cathy Crowley and Paul Amlin in their home in Santa Rosa on Feb. 25, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED) Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the second in a special series, check out the first installment here, and second installment here. Cathy Crowley and her husband Paul Amlin’s Santa Rosa home wouldn’t stand out to passersby. The light blue house is a single story, with just one bedroom.
How We Rebuild: What Comes After the LA Fires
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Erin BaldassariLaura KlivansAdhiti BandlamudiEzra David RomeroDanielle VentonRachael Myrow Feb 19 Failed to save article Please try again The Moreno family home in Altadena, California, before and after the Eaton Fire ravaged the community in January.
By Erin Baldassari Verified, Laura Klivans Verified, Adhiti Bandlamudi Verified, Ezra Romero Verified
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KQED-TV (San Francisco,CA)
Verified
How We Rebuild: LA Recovers From Wildfire
Erin BaldassariDanielle VentonRachael MyrowEzra David Romero Feb 12 Failed to save article Please try again Brad Eberhard stands near what remains of Alto Beta, an art gallery, in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire destroyed much of the area northeast of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Point Reyes Ranching Will All But End Under New Deal, Capping Decades-Long Conflict
Jan 10 Failed to save article Please try again Cows in a meadow in Point Reyes National Seashore located in Marin County, California, on Nov. 17, 2017. (Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty Images) After a decades-long fight, the majority of ranching along the Point Reyes National Seashore will end in the next year and a half.
Lurie Makes Final Picks for Major New SF City Hall Roles Ahead of Inauguration
Failed to save article Please try again San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie gives an acceptance speech at St. Mary’s Square in San Francisco on Nov. 8, 2024. Lurie tapped an urbanism nonprofit head and McKinsey partner to tackle some of the city’s interconnected challenges ahead of his inauguration on Wednesday.
Lurie Makes Final Picks for Major New SF City Hall Roles Ahead of Inauguration
Failed to save article Please try again San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie gives an acceptance speech at St. Mary’s Square in San Francisco on Nov. 8, 2024. Lurie tapped an urbanism nonprofit head and McKinsey partner to tackle some of the city’s interconnected challenges ahead of his inauguration on Wednesday.
Oakland Has a Special Election Mess on Its Hands After Mayoral Recall. Here’s Why
Dec 4 Failed to save article Please try again Opposing campaigns for and against the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao rally at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024. City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, who will be interim mayor after Sheng Thao’s recall, was elected as Alameda County supervisor. The timeline of filling two vacancies could get messy.
Insurance price spikes threaten supportive housing programs
Nov 28, 2024
Supportive housing programs threatened by insurance rates
To end homelessness, political leaders across the country have championed a seemingly simple solution: build homes for people who don’t have them. Even better, put those homes in places where unhoused folks are already living — in cities, close to public transportation and services.
How Another Trump Presidency Could Impact Housing in California
Adhiti BandlamudiErin BaldassariVanessa Rancaño Nov 12 Failed to save article Please try again Housing construction in Rancho Mission Viejo in unincorporated Orange County on Sept. 25, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images) “And the Trump administration has four years to fulfill a promise to make housing more affordable,” he said. But just how that happens is a point of concern among many California lawmakers, prompting Gov.
Democrats Need New Leaders After 'Colossal Defeat,' Rep. Ro Khanna Says
Nov 6 Failed to save article Please try again 'There needs to be a cleaning house,' South Bay Rep. Ro Khanna said of Democratic Party leadership following Donald Trump's decisive defeat of Kamala Harris in the presidential election. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Khanna said he was deeply disappointed about the results but hopeful his party would rebuild. Election cycles “come quickly,” and Khanna said he was already preparing for 2026 and for the next general election in 2028.
Recalls of Oakland Mayor, Alameda County DA Take Commanding Leads So Far
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Nov 6 Failed to save article Please try again Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (left) and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (right). The latest results from Alameda County show about 65% of voters in favor of each respective recall, but the Associated Press estimates that less than 40% of votes have been counted. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) So far, voters appear likely to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price.
By Dana Cronin Verified, Annelise Finney Verified, Alexandra Hall Verified, Erin Baldassari Verified
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KQED-TV (San Francisco,CA)
Verified
CARE Court Was Supposed to Help Those Hardest to Treat. Here's How It's Going
Oct 1 Failed to save article Please try again Judge Michael Begert, presiding over CARE Court, stands in the San Francisco Superior Court in San Francisco on Sept. 17, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) “We’re changing the culture here,” he said. “So, that takes a little time.” As of mid-September, at least 692 petitions had been filed across seven of the counties in the first cohort, excluding San Francisco, according to data provided by superior court and county health officials.
California Joins DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit, Alleges Price-Fixing Software Drives Up Rent
Aug 23 Failed to save article Please try again Attorney General Merrick Garland, center, speaks with reporters about an antitrust lawsuit against real estate software company RealPage during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo) Meanwhile, corporate landlords are under pressure to lower rents nationally.
Bay Area’s $20 Billion Housing Bond Pulled From Ballots, Leaving Advocates ‘Heartbroken’
Aug 14 Failed to save article Please try again An apartment building in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley on July 18, 2024. A regional bond measure that would have authorized funding for an estimated 70,000 new subsidized apartments and homes will have to wait for a future election after it was pulled from the November ballot on Wednesday.
San Francisco Workers Clearing Homeless Encampments Need Better Training, Judge Rules
Aug 6 Failed to save article Please try again San Francisco's Department of Public Works sweeps an encampment around Showplace Square in San Francisco on Aug. 1, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED) As San Francisco officials vow to ramp up sweeps of homeless encampments, a federal judge is requiring the city to better train its workers on what to do with people’s belongings.
California Schools Keep Losing Teachers. The State Wants to Help Build Homes for Them
Jul 30 Failed to save article Please try again The Jefferson Union High School District in San Mateo County completed this 122-unit affordable apartment complex for teachers and other school staff in May 2022. As result, district officials say, it’s been able to significantly reduce staff turnover.
Berkeley Council Scales Down Major Housing Reform of Single-Family Zoning
Jul 24 Failed to save article Please try again The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday put limits on a proposal that would have allowed an unrestricted number of small apartments in single-family and otherwise low-density neighborhoods. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) After a contentious and, at times, unruly five-hour meeting, the Berkeley City Council voted Tuesday night to scale down a proposal to add small apartment buildings in most single-family neighborhoods.
Berkeley, First City to Sanctify Single-Family Zoning, Considers Historic Reversal: Allowing Small Apartments
Jul 19 Failed to save article Please try again A single family home next to an apartment building in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley on July 18, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) “I’ll be on pins and needles until then,” she said. “I think we have a real opportunity to be history makers.” Opponents fear the proposal could radically remake the city’s neighborhoods, as developers demolish or transform bungalows to create two- or three-story structures.
Man Steals Oakland, CA, Fire Truck, Leads Cops on Lengthy Pursuit
Apparatus Man Steals Oakland, CA, Fire Truck, Leads Cops on Lengthy Pursuit After chasing the Oakland brush truck through three counties, stop sticks were used to puncture the tires. By Erin Baldassari and Harry Harris Jul. 7-- OAKLAND -- A man stole an Oakland fire truck Saturday and led police officers on a wild chase through three counties, before finally being arrested near Vacaville.
California’s Gun Violence Restraining Orders Are Rising. A Court Case Could Doom Them
Jun 6 Failed to save article Please try again Attorney General of California Rob Banta speaks during a remembrance event to pay tribute to George Floyd held by the Oakland NAACP at Youth UpRising in Oakland on May 25, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) But whether the state will continue to be allowed to limit someone’s access to firearms when these orders are in place depends largely on the Supreme Court. The justices are expected to issue a ruling this month or next in United States v.
KQED Cuts 34 Positions Amid Budget Shortfall
May 23 Failed to save article Please try again A KQED sign in the lobby of the organization's headquarters in San Francisco. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Updated, 2:25 p.m. Thursday KQED, one of the nation’s largest public media organizations, announced Thursday it’s laying off 19 people as part of an 8% overall reduction in staff. President and CEO Michael Isip said the company is eliminating 34 positions.
Here’s Why KQED Is Latest Public Media Outlet to Face Layoffs
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Here’s Why KQED Is Latest Public Media Outlet to Face Layoffs
May 21 Failed to save article Please try again KQED's renovated headquarters in San Francisco. (Courtesy Jason O'Rear) The cuts stem, in part, from a bet about future revenue that KQED made in 2013, when it launched its Campaign 21 — a $140 million initiative that raised funds for a $94 million renovation of its San Francisco headquarters and for a $45 million investment in digital production, distribution, and local news and education services.
Map: What You Need to Earn to Afford a Median-Priced Home in Your County in California
May 9 Failed to save article Please try again A home for sale in San Carlos on May 8, 2024. (Gina Castro/KQED) In San Mateo County, homebuyers need to make an annual income of $511,000 to afford a median-priced home — the highest in the state, according to data released Thursday by the California Association of Realtors.
California Housing Is Even Less Affordable Than You Think, UC Berkeley Study Says
May 2 Failed to save article Please try again Residents of the 14-room Mission District house made an eviction-proof deal. (Jeremy Raff/KQED) “In other words, we’ve been saying Beverly Hills is perfectly affordable because the people who live there can afford it,” Romem said.
Judge Rules California Split-Lot Housing Law ‘Unconstitutional’
Apr 25 Failed to save article Please try again Single family homes in Alameda on Jan. 12, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) A controversial 2021 law that allows property owners in California to split their lots and build up to two new homes is unconstitutional, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled this week. The ruling striking down Senate Bill 9 only applies to the five Southern California charter cities that were parties to the case: Redondo Beach, Whittier, Carson, Del Mar and Torrance.
Cash for your backyard? Companies, homeowners try to capitalize.
Since 2018, a number of U.S. cities and states have changed their laws to allow more housing in most single-family neighborhoods. Among them are Minneapolis; Austin, Texas; and Oregon and Washington states. All now allow two or more homes on lots that used to just house one. In California, a similar law, SB 9, was hailed as a way to spur housing construction in a state that has a dire shortage of it — but it was also decried as a threat to the character of suburban neighborhoods.
Erin Baldassari, Author at Marketplace
Cash for your backyard? Companies, homeowners try to capitalize on a California law. Housing shortage-plagued California recently started allowing property owners to split their lots and have developers build new homes there.
Cómo aplicar al programa de California que ayuda a comprar su primera casa
Apr 8 Failed to save article Please try again Un cartel que dice "venta pendiente" delante de una casa en San Anselmo, en el Condado de Marín. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Leer en inglés California Dream For All es un programa estatal que ofrece préstamos para quienes buscan compar una vivienda por primera vez. Cuando esta iniciativa se puso en marcha el año pasado, agotó sus aproximadamente 300 millones de dólares de financiación en tan solo 11 días.
Controversial California Law Meant to Spur New Housing Could Get More Teeth
Apr 2 Failed to save article Please try again Julieta Aquino and her daughter Alexys on the balcony of their new home, watching a construction crew build additional affordable units. (Stephanie Lister/KQED) A controversial California law meant to scare cities into allowing more housing could grow a few more teeth. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday he is sponsoring a bill, AB 1893, by Asm. Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) that would update the builder’s remedy.
These California Companies Want to Buy Your Backyard — and Build a House | KQED
Mar 27 Failed to save article Please try again Brian Tremaine points out the boundaries of the lot to be carved off of their original lot in San José on March 13, 2024. (Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED) Brian and Gail Tremaine moved to East San José 45 years ago for the quiet. On the outskirts of this Silicon Valley city, atop what was once an apricot orchard, the couple kept sheep, goats and horses.
Just Days Left to Apply for California Program That Helps Pay for Your First House
Apr 25 Failed to save article Please try again A 'sale pending' sign is posted in front of a home in San Anselmo, Marin County. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Leer en español When it rolled out last year, the California Dream for All program — a loan application for first-time home buyers — exhausted its approximately $300 million of funding within 11 days. That prompted some changes this year for when the down payment assistance program opened again to California residents on April 3.
California’s Middle Class Declines as Low and High Incomes Surge, Study Shows
Feb 8 Failed to save article Please try again Cynthia Osorio-Hernandez walks with her family on the street in front of her home in Richmond on Aug. 16, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) California is losing its middle-income earners, often referred to as “middle class,” according to new research released Thursday by California Community Builders, a nonprofit housing research and advocacy organization.
California Forever Unveils Ballot Measure Plans for Its New City
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Ericka Cruz GuevarraErin BaldassariAlan MontecilloMaria Esquinca Jan 19 Failed to save article Please try again Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, speaks during a town hall meeting in Rio Vista on Dec. 5, 2023, for the proposed California city backed by Silicon Valley investors on farmland in eastern Solano County. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) A full transcript will be available 1–2 workdays after the episode’s publication.
By Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Erin Baldassari Verified, Alan Montecillo Verified, Maria Esquinca Verified
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KQED-TV (San Francisco,CA)
Verified
'Not Just a Crazy Idea': California Forever Releases Ballot Details for New Bay Area City
Jan 17 Failed to save article Please try again A parcel of land recently purchased by Flannery Associates near Rio Vista on Sept. 15, 2023. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) The company behind a controversial plan to turn more than 60,000 acres of Solano County farmland into a new city released details of its proposal Wednesday, giving voters the first glimpse of a ballot measure they could consider in November.
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