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Rep. Mike Levin has supported legislation in favor of strict zoning and environmental protections, further inhibiting access to housing for coastal Californians.
Democrat Congressional Representative of California’s 49th District, Mike Levin, has continually pursued and authored pieces of legislation that negatively impact the cost of living for Californians and the prevention of further housing development. During his time in office, Levin has had his hands on the authorship and sponsorship of several bills that have inadvertently increased housing costs or limited housing development for already financially strained Californians, including the Inflation Reduction Act and Environmental Policies for developers.
His support for environmental protections of the California coast has only further exacerbated this problem through the discouragement of further development that does not meet Democrat standards of “green” development.
Levin’s voting history has also been called questionable regarding identifying measures to reduce the economic stress most Americans are experiencing especially in the housing and rental market.
Levin was recorded voting “Yes” on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2021 which works to incentivize businesses, commercial real estate, and homeowners to invest in cleaner and greener energy options. Levin’s support for tax policies such as the IRA has led to the discouragement of real estate investment and development, only further contributing to the slow pace of new housing construction, as developers face financial disincentives in the current economic climate.
While Levin and other Democratic policymakers have attempted to argue in favor of the IRA due to its tax break incentives for “green” development, the additional hoops for developers to jump through have had an inverse effect. The IRA is a failed Green New Deal effort in disguise, only adding burdens to the housing and building industry.
Levin’s attempt to appeal to the Democratic Party can be observed through his prioritization of environmental protections of the California coastline. He has also shown support for stringent environmental regulations and zoning restrictions, which further hinders the construction of new housing units. Levin has introduced several environmental bills including the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act, the Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act, and the American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act. Strict regulations on housing developments in a coastal district exacerbates the existing shortage of affordable homes, drives up prices and makes it increasingly difficult for residents to enter the housing market.
NRCC Spokesperson Ben Peterson spoke out on Levin’s voting history by saying: “Inflation is crippling the economy and Southern Californians are struggling to make ends meet. Mike Levin is clearly more interested in toeing the extreme Democrat party line than working to bring down inflation.”
To make matters worse, Levin was recorded voting in opposition against legislation which would reduce energy costs (H.R. 1), a bill proposed in 2021 which would increase energy output, increase jobs, and further secure our supply chains. A “No” vote on this bill has further solidified energy dependence elsewhere, thus leaving these jobs overseas and more Americans without the means to afford the ever-increasing cost of housing and living.
In summary, Mike Levin has shown his prioritization of environmental precautions and far-left green policies over the drafting of bills that would directly reduce the cost of housing in California’s 49th District. Levin’s legislative history has had an inverse effect on California residents by making housing options more sparse and discouraging developers from expanding the market unless every hoop is jumped through to meet the Democratic environmental standards.