Housing construction has fallen behind population growth
How many anti-vaxers need to die to turn this around? There seem to be enough of them...
I don't know how bad Texas and Florida are for housing crisis but it's not enough to cure California's housing crisis, though it could help so don't be surprised if a few right wing Californians move. The very thing those places don't want is more progressive Republicans yet they kill off the right wingers leaving a vacuum for more progressives... Not the most brilliant strategy.
A quick search shows you need about 3.5million homes just to start easing California's housing crisis, that's around 3% of the (state's) population. California has 12% of the entire U.S. population, so it alone could probably soak up all the Covid homes in the entire south. What do we do about New York City, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, Philly... And you better get those people there buying before the investors (scalpers) buy them up and keep the prices sky high.
Even if it were enough, Covid would only be a temporary solution.
We're still building like we have plenty of room for suburbs when we really don't. Yes, we have the land but a 3 hour daily commute is not practical. Kansas literally can't GIVE land away... Seriously, they will give you 5 acres(?) to live on (homestead), but you have to actually live on the property.... No one wants it because where do you work? Where do you buy groceries? It's free because no one wants it. Meanwhile in major cities land can be more than 60% of a home's value.
L.A. is putting in high rise apartments and cities/states are changing zoning laws but it takes time*. Vegas is building as fast as they can and I know Arizona is working on a 100k home community north of Phoenix (near Prescott, it's insane to see), not sure where they plan to employ them all and that's ignoring water issues. They just stopped or severely limited the flow from Hoover dam to and Arizona agriculture and Vegas (California drinking water has priority). Water is something Florida is also having issues with (fresh and saltwater), I think they have 10 years before they have to really curtail water use if they can't "find" more. Pretty sure Texas is also heading that same direction.
Other states may laugh at California's water problems and regulations but it's the only thing keeping the water flowing there (it IS a desert after all). The number of reservoirs and engineering to bring water in and store it is insane. Take a look at the California aqueduct system and ask yourself do you REALLY think Florida or Texas could implement something like that, especially in a hurry?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_Aqueduct#RouteI grew up there, saw a lot of it and had no clue just how massive the system actually was. They had to be absolutely brutal with the people in the way of it just like China was with 3 Gorges Dam (just look at Owens Valley). 100 years later parts are still in use but still fighting over rights and the effects of it. Do you think Texans will like having land, lakes, valleys taken over to store and flow water at massive expense? They have an estimated 50 years, but the fact that they are raising alarms now should tell you how long they expect it to take.
*No local official is going to allow anyone to build homes fast enough to drop prices even if they need it, it's political suicide. Build too fast home prices tank and your constituents (even those trying to buy) will throw you out of office. I got into it with my (anti-vaxx) brother over this and while he agreed it kept prices high, he liked it that way as the prices kept the riff raff out of his sleepy little neighborhood. Jump forward 6 months, his landlord got a crazy offer on the house he was renting and sold it without telling him. He had to move out of his happy quiet little town because he couldn't afford to buy there. For the record, I did laugh my @ss off when I found out.