Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0005-1800-8021

Graduation Year

2026

Date of Submission

4-2026

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Government

Reader 1

Kenneth P. Miller

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2026 Daniel Fernández

Abstract

This thesis examines how California cities can satisfy state housing mandates while systematically under producing affordable housing. Using San Juan Capistrano as a case study, it documents a pattern of selective compliance. That is, a formal planning obligations are met while local governance tools, place-based identity, and discretionary processes that consistently filter housing outcome towards market-rate development and away from lower-income production. The findings suggest that closing California's affordability gap requires enforcement tools capable of reaching beyond formal planning compliance to address the governance mechanisms that shape what actually gets built.

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