As Apple built the Bay Area’s most valuable building, its new $3.6 billion headquarters that opened in 2017, the housing shortage intensified. The tech giant stayed largely out of it, paying $5.85 million to help fund only 19 affordable housing units in its hometown of Cupertino. It was neutral as a battle raged over the last few years about redeveloping its neighbor, the defunct Vallco Mall, into housing and offices.

California will try to boost housing production by freezing local regulations and lowering the barriers to build backyard cottages and other secondary units on properties. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation Wednesday that aims to jump-start construction rates and ease the state’s housing shortage.

When California lawmakers tried earlier this year to force local governments to allow four or more homes on land zoned for single-family residences, fierce pushback from suburban communities stopped the plan in its tracks. For many, the long-standing neighborhood template of a home, backyard and garage on a lot was too intrinsic to the California lifestyle to upend.

On the campaign trail and after taking office, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised bold action to confront the issue he called California’s greatest challenge: making housing affordable again. Or at least returning us to a world where this house doesn’t sell for $900 grand.