On housing, government does not know best

Ca Post Editorial Board

New York Post

10
17.02.2026

US News Metro Long Island Politics

Sports NFL MLB Olympics NBA NHL College Football College Basketball WNBA

Business Personal Finance

Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater

Lifestyle Weird But True Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel

Health Wellness Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition

Science Space Environment Wildlife Archaeology

Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers

Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips

On housing, government does not know best

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators claim to know what’s good for us.

And what’s good for us is life in small, dense, tighly-packed homes near mass transit.

Californians are right to resist such arrogant social engineering.

Leading the charge is star chef Thomas Keller, owner of the posh French Laundry where Newsom in 2020 dined sans mask while telling the rest of us to avoid even the Taco Bell drive-through during COVID.

Keller and other business owners in wealthy Yountville, Calif. hope to stall a “workforce housing” project on grounds of density, lack of parking, and tens of millions in costs to the city.

Plans for Yountville Commons include some studio apartments as small as 300 square feet.

Yes, the state does have a housing shortage.

But the left’s fantasy of packing people into cramped urban buildings and hoping they won’t (or can’t) drive anywhere is not feasible for a vast swath of Californians.

Such housing might work, for a time, for single young professionals.

But what happens when these workers partner up, start families, and need to get one kid to soccer practice, another to ballet and a third to karate?

A studio apartment and the bus aren’t going to cut it.

The reality is, a great many state residents prefer the archetypal single-family home, and perhaps even the white picket fence.

Instead of directing people to homes they don’t want, the governor and legislators should embrace policies that make desirable homes less expensive to build.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!

That means relaxing state mandates –– from solar edicts to long environmental reviews to above-market union construction wages –– that can add tens of thousands of dollars to the price of every house.

The status quo of forcing high rises into communities that don’t want them just makes everyone (save the government social engineers) unhappy.

And over time, such unwelcome additions can destroy the vibe, charm, or character of a city.

We don’t get healthy communities by piling people up, one on top of the other, like layered creations in a French Laundry nine-course meal.

And memo to Sacramento: We also don’t like toilets that barely flush, dribbling shower heads, and decrees that we buy stoves and light bulbs and cars of your choice.

Sorry not sorry, but government doesn’t know best.

Trending Now on NYPost.com

This story has been shared 207,981 times. 207,981 Dad shoots wife, 3 kids in horror 'family dispute' at crowded RI hockey arena — as players and fans are seen scrambling to safety

Dad shoots wife, 3 kids in horror 'family dispute' at crowded RI hockey arena — as players and fans are seen scrambling to safety

This story has been shared 128,384 times. 128,384 'Dance mom' who killed daughter at Vegas cheer contest won control of 11-year-old after nasty court battle

'Dance mom' who killed daughter at Vegas cheer contest won control of 11-year-old after nasty court battle

This story has been shared 84,168 times. 84,168 California surfing legend, 66, stabbed to death in Costa Rica as girlfriend, 31, zip-tied

California surfing legend, 66, stabbed to death in Costa Rica as girlfriend, 31, zip-tied

visit website

Popular

On housing, government does not know best

Ca Post Editorial Board

© New York Post