Housing Affordability a Persistent Issue in California’s Inland Empire

​Housing affordability is a significant issue for residents of California’s Inland Empire, who face economic insecurity. According to an October 2025 UC Riverside Center for Community Solutions report, surveys of 3,300 residents found that only 41 percent felt they were thriving. Some 53 percent indicated they are struggling, and six percent saw little hope for their future. Housing and health care insecurity were significant factors in this troubling finding. Despite this, more than a third of residents reported a strong sense of belonging in their local communities, a rate that exceeded the national average.

Adding depth to these findings, the two-day Inland Empire Community Foundation Policy & Philanthropy Summit brought together more than 500 advocates, policymakers, and nonprofit employees. Participants from across San Bernardino and Riverside counties gathered at the Riverside Convention Center under the banner “Common Ground for the Common Good.” Their shared focus was on addressing a situation where 30 percent of households fall into the category of the “rent-burdened.” This means they spend at least half of their monthly income on rent.

One pivotal conference event was the Humane Housing Panel, which brought together California Assembly members Robert Garcia and Dr. Corey Jackson to discuss the housing affordability crisis. Dr. Jackson emphasized that a key pathway forward was to collaborate, rather than operate in silos, across the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. When one participant asked why developers focused on “building larger, costlier homes,” Dr. Jackson referred to the economic realities of profit margins and land value. He noted that AB 317, a bill he is sponsoring, provides incentives for smaller and more affordable residences. This strategy aims to enable those in younger generations to afford homes in communities where they were raised.

On his part, Garcia pointed to a trend of underbuilding that has diminished the housing stock relative to demand and, correspondingly, caused higher prices. He presented a supply-side solution to encourage new housing starts and streamline the approval process for single-family homes and rental housing development. He points to the Inland Empire, with its large tracts of agricultural land, as “definitely a place where we can build more housing and make it affordable.”

Dr. Jackson also addressed the stigma surrounding affordable housing, holding that it’s a misconception that such development leads to higher crime rates. He placed the onus on landlords to proactively address sewage issues, mold, infestations, and other repairs that can affect home value and community well-being.

Governor Gavin Newsom has taken action through an executive order that utilized state land for an affordable housing community in Riverside. The two-phase project transforms a four-acre CAL FIRE property into 209 affordable residences. Some 59 affordable housing units at Mulberry Gardens Senior Apartments are reserved for fixed-income seniors and are already under construction. The Phase 2 project, which broke ground in November 2025, will provide 150 additional residential units designed to house generations of low-income families.

Situated only a mile from downtown Riverside, the project relied on $4.5 million in local funding, $2 million from private sources, and $44.8 million from the state. This was coordinated through 37 project-based Section 8 vouchers and highlights the emerging use of public-private partnership mandates to ensure affordable housing for all.

Stephen Reeder

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