Advocacy is not background noise. It is leadership.

I have been thinking a lot about advocacy lately.

Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. Not the kind that tries to take credit for work that only happens when a lot of people come to the table.

I am talking about the kind of advocacy that is harder to see from the outside, but often far more important. The kind where government, industry and community partners listen to each other. The kind that recently helped shape a proposed $100 million Southern California Rebuild Fund for families. 

That is the kind of advocacy our industry needs more of. The kind where policymakers are willing to engage before every detail is settled. The kind where lenders, servicers, technology partners, data providers and associations bring practical information into the conversation. The goal is not to win the argument, but to help shape something that can actually work for the people it is intended to serve.

The real meaning of advocacy

California is not short on housing policy ideas.

In 2023, Governor Newsom signed a housing package of fifty-six bills. In 2024, the Terner Center tracked more than 215 housing-related bills introduced in California, representing roughly 10% of all new bills. And California’s Statewide Housing Plan calls for more than 2.5 million new homes by 2030, with at least one million of those homes affordable to lower-income Californians.

Those numbers tell us something important.

The challenge is not attention. Housing is clearly a priority. The harder question is whether the programs, policies and tools we create can actually work once they reach a family, a lender, a servicer, a local government, a technology platform or a loan file.

From policy ideas to real-world impact

That is why the proposed $100 million Southern California Rebuild Fund matters.

It matters because families are still trying to figure out how to move forward after losing homes, stability, routines, memories and, in many cases, any clear financial path to rebuild.

It matters because even when insurance exists, the math does not always work. Rebuilding costs can exceed insurance proceeds due to higher construction costs, constrained labor and long permitting timelines. Families are left to solve that gap. 

For months, California MBA has been engaged on the wildfire recovery issue because our members see the problem from the ground level. Our members see where policy meets underwriting, where good intentions run into investor requirements, where borrower communication breaks down and where insurance proceeds fall short, leaving families unable to rebuild. 

This is not just a political issue. It is a housing challenge, a financing challenge and, most importantly, a challenge facing real families trying to recover. 

Temporary relief tools like forbearance are needed, but they are not a long-term solution. At some point, a family cannot live inside a forbearance agreement. They need a path to rebuild. 

And that is where our industry has a responsibility to lean in. That experience has value, but only if we bring it to the table. 

Bridging the rebuilding gap

The Governor’s office engaged with stakeholders to understand the challenge and look for solutions. Lenders contributed real construction lending knowledge, technology partners helped shape ideas for creating a portal to connect homeowners with resources and data providers helped provide a clearer picture of the scale needed. No single organization could solve this problem alone. 

That is not politics as usual. That is problem-solving.

This is where associations can play a meaningful role. We are positioned to bring stakeholders together to translate ideas into workable solutions. 

Sometimes people think about advocacy as simply opposing legislation. And yes, there are moments when that is necessary. We must push back, raise concerns, explain unintended consequences and fight for our members and the consumers they serve.

But advocacy at its best is not just saying no. It is building the better yes. It explains how a program will function once it leaves the press release and enters the real world. It is connecting government with the people who must operationalize the idea.

Because when policy does not work, people feel it. Recovery slows. Confusion grows. Costs rise. Trust gets damaged. But when policy is shaped with practical input, outcomes improve in measurable ways.

That is what this proposed Rebuild Fund represents.

Building the “better yes”

It is not perfect. No program is. There will still be tough questions about program design, lender participation, borrower eligibility, consumer education, implementation, timing and execution. A proposal still must become a workable program.

But this is a meaningful step. And it deserves recognition.

The Governor’s office did not have to prioritize this in a difficult budget environment. They did not have to look for a targeted financing solution. They did not have to engage with our industry in the way they did. But they did, and that matters. 

For California MBA, this is exactly where we want to be as an association: in the room helping build solutions. Ensuring policymakers understand how lending and servicing work, how consumers experience programs and how innovative ideas can be structured so they actually deliver.

At the end of the day, the goal is not to win a policy argument. The goal is to help people rebuild. To help families move forward. And to ensure relief is not just announced, but actually accessible. There is a difference between a program that sounds good and a program that works.

I am proud of the role the California MBA has played in this conversation and proud of the members who leaned in.

At a time when it is easy to be cynical, this effort is a reminder that collaboration still works. That is the kind of advocacy our industry needs more of – smarter, not louder advocacy. Advocacy that says: here is the problem, here is what we know, here is what we know, what will not work and a path that might.

That is where California MBA will continue to lean in.

Because when advocacy is done right, it is not background noise. It is leadership.

Paul Gigliotti is the CEO of California MBA
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners. To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected]