Elmendorf’s Los Angeles Times piece places California Forever within the larger context of California’s decades-long housing underproduction. These two essays, taken together, illuminate why the California Forever proposal has become a symbolic battleground in California’s broader housing debate. But critics of California Forever, including DeKloe, question whether this particular project is an appropriate example to use in making that argument. Elmendorf frames such authority as a necessary reform to address the mismatch between local incentives and statewide housing needs. The California Forever debate is still evolving, with environmental review and regional discussions underway.