Could Fewer Stairs Ease California’s Housing Crisis?

While it doesn’t sound like a big deal that Culver City changed the minimum number of stairs apartment buildings must have, this vague setting could supercharged urban housing in Californiasupporters say.

As CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains, almost every other city in the U.S. requires buildings taller than three stories to have at least two stairways that are connected by a hallway. But in September, the city of Los Angeles County passed an ordinance that allows complexes up to six stories tall under certain conditions to have just one staircase.

Some housing advocates welcome the change, arguing that it could not only spur urban housing but also encourage the construction of more attractive units that have more windows and are better lit.

• Bubba fisha Culver City council member who introduced the single-staircase ordinance: “It’s bigger than a staircase. Most of the world builds apartments like this. We’re an emergency. It affects the housing crisis, the affordability crisis.”

But despite the data finding that buildings with one staircase and other residential structures have both low and uniform death ratescritics say the rule change is dangerous because it gives residents one less means of escape during a fire or other emergency.

• Sean Decranewith the International Association of Firefighters union: “What if something happens and that stairwell gets blocked?”

Despite the concerns, Culver City is moving forward with its new standard. It’s also likely to be the last California city to do so for a while: Lawmakers passed a law this summer to freezing changes to local building codes at least in 2031. The city passed its ordinance before the law took effect, giving itself six years to show California how effective this new policy could be.

Read more here.

From CalMatters visual editor Miguel Gutierrez Jr.:

The visualization team at CalMatters understands the power that photography brings to our reporting. This week, we’re highlighting five photos that show exactly why.

In the photo above by Jungho Kim, Governor Gavin Newsom’s profile is illuminated by a distant light as he addresses supporters after Proposition 50 was passed. The frame is clean and simple, and the governor is at the center of this victory lap.

In the first photo below, Jules Hotz captures the intimacy and privacy of voting. She lays low and uses the empty voting booths to layer the frame. The focus is solely on the voter and their right to cast a secret ballot, a core American value

Photographer Fred Greaves then takes us underwater for a rare sighting of the invasive golden clam. Seashells are piled on a submerged object and a distorted reflection is visible above.

In the third photo I took, former Newsom contributor Dana Williamson is surrounded by the press as she leaves federal court in Sacramento. The image captures the craziness of the moment as Williamson walks towards a waiting vehicle.

Finally, National Guard troops sort out produce at Los Angeles County Food Bank. The slightly tilted image gives a sense of movement and urgency. The red peppers stand out against the muted brown boxes and uniforms of the troops.

The union representing 37,000 custodians, hospital technicians, food processing workers and other staff at the University of California is ending its two-day strike today.

After 16 months of negotiations, AFSCME Local 3299 is fighting for higher wages, better personnel management and housing benefits. Sites for the march include nine universities in the state and nine UC medical centers.

The university system said in a statement that the union was not “have submitted substantial counterproposals since April 2025,” and that UC in June began implementing some provisions of its latest proposal, including a $25-an-hour minimum wage.

Union members from the California Nurses Association and University Professional and Technical Employees were also expected to strike Monday with AFSCME, but both unions reached tentative agreements with UC last week. As a result, the university system prevented a much larger strike that it would have had has more than 80,000 workers.

Newsom vetoed a bill in October that would have allowed cities and counties to spend up to 10 percent of state homeless funds on recovery housing, where people live in sober environments. CalMatters’ Marissa Kendall and Director of Video Strategy Robert Meeks have a video segment why he rejected the offer as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

And check out another video based on a report by Nadia Lathan of CalMatters about a bill that I did pass — a new state law that caps homeowner association fines per $100. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58pm weekdays on PBS SoCal.