California Forever Loses 2026 Legislative Push for New City as Billionaire-Backed Plan Stalls Again
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 5
California Forever Loses 2026 Legislative Push for New City as Billionaire-Backed Plan Stalls Again
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 5
Summary
A late-session legislative effort that would have given California Forever a decisive boost died quietly this week, leaving the Northern California new-city proposal without the state action it sought in 2026.
The setback hit despite a pitch centered on several thousand homes, a shipyard and manufacturing hub about an hour from San Francisco, plus backing from Silicon Valley billionaires, labor unions and implied support from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
California Forever says it has not abandoned the project and is expected to return to Sacramento in 2027, when a new governor could reshape the political calculus.
The failure underscores how difficult large-scale building remains in California, where housing shortages, permitting barriers and rising backlash against billionaire-led projects can still derail high-profile plans.