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Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton’s line “build outwards, not upwards” is worth more than a clever slogan. It’s a practical challenge to the elites who think the answer to California’s housing crisis is squeezing people into tall towers and telling them to like it. If we want real homes for real families, we need a plan that respects yards, driveways and property rights — not a top-down shove toward cookie-cutter high-rises.
Why “Build Outwards” Makes Sense
There is a real housing shortage — realtor.com estimates a national gap of about 4 million units — and Californians are tired of being told density is the only answer. People want single-family homes with space for kids, a garage, and a backyard. That’s not nostalgia. It’s what buyers actually want. Pushing only for high-rise apartments near transit hubs ignores demand and the American idea of homeownership. If policy ignores what people want, it won’t solve the California housing crisis — it will just create more political anger and disappointment.
SB 79: The High-Rise Prescription
State Senator Scott Wiener’s SB 79 is the kind of “solution” that assumes government knows best. The bill overrides local zoning and clears the way for taller buildings near transit. Fine, if you like lining up for elevators and paying co-op fees. But high-rises cost a lot to build, require heavy infrastructure, and often push up prices rather than bring them down. Forcing big-city design onto suburbs and small towns is not a housing strategy — it’s a one-size-fits-all mandate that tramples local control and homeowner pride.
A Better Plan: Build Out, Not Up
Conservative solutions are simple: let markets work, cut needless fees and red tape, reward builders who put up family-sized homes, and keep decisions local. Steve Hilton has talked about tax cuts and incentives tied to real housing production — not just density metrics. We should speed up permits, lower impact fees for single-family projects in appropriate places, and modernize infrastructure planning so new neighborhoods aren’t a fiscal headache. That’s how you add millions of actual homes, not just units in towers people don’t want to live in.
How Voters Can Push Back
If Californians want relief, they need to demand policies that match their values: ownership, space and local say. Vote for candidates who back outward growth where it makes sense. Tell lawmakers no to blanket high-rise mandates and yes to practical fixes that put roofs over heads. The housing crisis won’t be solved by looking down from penthouse windows and issuing edicts. It will be solved by building neighborhoods people can be proud to call home.
