Reporter for @CalMatters where I cover housing. Occasional dad tweets. He/him. Tell me things: [email protected]
Oakland, CA
Joined July 2011
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Pinned Tweet
Annnnnd that's my cue to exist.
I'll leave this account live for now to check DMs every so often, but I don't plan to post here anymore.
You can find me on Meta's Twitter at benc_cm.
Appreciate you all!
Ben Christopher retweeted
Breaking: The California Supreme Court gave the greenlight for UC Berkeley to build student and homeless housing at People’s Park, ending a years-long legal debate over whether student noise is an environmental pollutant. cal.news/3x2qISh
📝 @FromBenC
📸 Semantha Norris
Ben Christopher retweeted
If you’ve thought about buying a house, perused your local listings and then deleted the Zillow app from your phone while quietly weeping — you’ve probably noted that interest rates are high these days. cal.news/3S6pzBb
📝 @FromBenC
Ben Christopher retweeted
Today's @CalMatters newsletter @FromBenC
-- @CAREALTORS on home prices
-- @carolynjones100 + @ericayee_ on @CADeptEd test scores
-- @AlejandroLazo on @AirResources on #methane from cows
-- @JeanneKuang on #tinyhomes
calmatters.org/newsletter/ca…
After deeming Toddler healthy and physically average, Doctor tells us to limit our two year old's meals to TWO TABLESPOONS.
Fixating on a demonstrably low risk of obesity while ignoring the health consequences of a lifetime of body image issues.
Docs: get your shit together.
Ben Christopher retweeted
Breaking: California’s COVID-era $5.2 billion rent relief program is at risk of running out of money. That could leave the more than 100K renters who had applied and are still awaiting a decision officially out of luck. cal.news/3PIinZm
📝 @frombenc
Ben Christopher retweeted
Caltrans official says she was demoted for objecting to highway expansion ow.ly/EC2G104WB8z
...can it, though?
Good write up here from my new colleague @bystellayu
calmatters.org/politics/2023…
To everyone who hasn't yet realized I'm now on the housing beat and is still emailing me about election stuff, please kindly re-direct those emails to Stella and say hello!
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Just weeks ago, Newsom dismissed the prospect of appointing Sen. Feinstein's replacement as "a hypothetical on top of a hypothetical."
From @akoseff: "That hypothetical is now real."
calmatters.org/politics/2023…
The uber exclusive Bay Area burb of Atherton is having a tough time finding room for all the new houses the state is forcing them to plan for.
One reason why: City council won't consider anything with more than 10 units per acre.
almanacnews.com/news/2023/09…
I dunno, I feel like ADHD might not be the main culprit here.
calmatters.org/education/hig…
A study by @landpolicy on how much property taxes vary within cities. Here's a chart showing the diff btw taxes paid on newly purchased homes and homes owned the median length of time in that city. Thanks to Prop 13 and soaring real estate values, CA cities dominate the top 10.
Reminds me of this stellar 2018 story by CalMatters' former housing reporter that profiles a two homeowners on a single block in Oakland. One was paying $13k per year in property taxes. The other, $7k.
projects.scpr.org/prop-13/st…
Ben Christopher retweeted
Also:
-- @FromBenC on last-minute changes to #HousingCrisis bills by @Scott_Wiener @CASenCaballero
-- @TonyThurmond jumps into 2026 @CAgovernor race
-- @CommonCauseCA et al on language access for voters
calmatters.org/newsletters/w…
Ben Christopher retweeted
After an effort to rescue California's home insurance market fell apart in the Legislature this month, Insurance Commission @ICRicardoLara will pursue many of those ideas through regulation, @FromBenC reports. calmatters.org/politics/2023…
Ben Christopher retweeted
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara (@ICRicardoLara) unveiled a new plan to shore up the California insurance market for homeowners. Insurers would return to wildfire zones, but would have an easier path to rate increases. cal.news/3EOBZWp
📝 @FromBenC
Ben Christopher retweeted
You may have missed it, but a bunch of California bills and laws are removing restrictions on building homes for low-income residents.
Read @FromBenC on the pros and cons of moving faster with affordable housing. And yes, this is another #CEQA story.
calmatters.org/housing/2023/…
Ben Christopher retweeted
How California lawmakers greenlit ‘any flavor of affordable housing you could possibly want’
calmatters.org/housing/2023/…