# To fix California, make its politicians afraid to lose

> New parties could force California politicians to address homelessness and housing crises by increasing election competition.
- Title: To fix California, make its politicians afraid to lose
- Summary: New parties could force California politicians to address homelessness and housing crises by increasing election competition. California needs new political…
- Keywords: california, homelessness, housing, local elections, political parties, fusion voting, council districts, yimby party, news, local, fix, make
- Source: The San Francisco Standard — https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/18/california-politicians-new-parties-reform
- Author: Stan Oklobdzija
- Published: 2026-10-18T13:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: california, homelessness, housing, local elections, political parties, fusion voting, council districts, yimby party, news, local
## California's political landscape
California has the nation's largest homeless population and some of the most expensive housing yet incumbents rarely face consequences.
## Historical election dynamics
In the 1990s, gubernatorial races were fiercely contested between parties with high-level offices often controlled by opposition leaders.
## Current political reality
Since 2010, a democrat has won california's gubernatorial race with minimal competition and republican candidates rarely securing over 41% of votes.
## Homelessness crisis
California has one of the largest concentrations of homeless people in the western hemisphere with 18,000 unsheltered individuals in bay area core counties.
## Local election challenges
Median city council races draw 5,400 voters with winners winning fewer than 600 votes, creating unrepresentative outcomes.
## Los Angeles case study
Los Angeles approved a property tax for 13,000 homeless housing units in 2016 but only built 8,500 by 2026 with uneven distribution.
## Current political solution
New parties could recruit candidates focused on housing and governance to increase competition and voter engagement.
## Fusion voting potential
California allows fusion voting at the presidential level but needs changes to enable party competition in local elections.
## District reform proposal
Expanding council districts to multiple members could create local political parties through proportional representation systems.
## Portland example
Portland switched from single-member districts to proportional representation creating local political groups.
## YIMBY party vision
A coalition of pro-housing groups could form a yimby party to run candidates for bay area city councils.
## 2028 reform goals
California voters may push for ethics commissions and term limits in 2028 through ballot initiatives.
## Political reform impact
Increased party competition could lead to more accountable local governance and address homelessness through policy focus.
## Conclusion
Fixing california's political system through new parties would improve voter accountability and address housing and homelessness crises.
## Key takeaway

California needs new political parties to boost local election competition and address homelessness and housing issues.