Families and individuals live in overcrowded households to address high housing costs however, this creates negative impacts on individuals physical and mental health. California has the second highest percentage of overcrowded households. Households over-commuting to their jobs because they must live in communities with lower housing costs detrimentally impacts the environment by increasing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and negatively impacting public health.Households paying a higher percentage of their household income means they have less money for food, health care, education and other necessities that can impact quality of life.The consequences for a lack of housing options, high housing costs and land use policies exacerbate residential segregation and can severely impact qualify of life. Increasingly, people must live far from work in order to find housing, which has implications both for quality of life and for the environment. Many of our most essential community members-teachers, firefighters, police officers, service workers, retail clerks, etc.- simply cannot afford to rent units in the communities where they work, much less purchase a median-priced home. The housing shortage has particularly affected low- and middle-income families. With demand for housing greatly outpacing supply, prices have skyrocketed. Housing production in California has not kept pace with population and job growth in either quantity or location. Lack of access to opportunity is disproportionately experienced by people within protected classes such as race, sexual orientation and disability. Additionally, the limits placed on housing choices through discriminatory land use policies impact access to jobs, transit, services, high-performing schools and other opportunities. The lack of affordable homes has far-reaching policy impacts for California, local governments and the communities they serve. Homes and the communities in which they are located provide us with a sense of belonging, safety and access to opportunities. It is the place where we go to feel secure, warm, recharge and relax.
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