The University of California, Berkeley’s Possibility Lab is advancing a new policy initiative called the Abundance Accelerator, which seeks to address shortages in essential goods and services such as housing, childcare, healthcare, and eldercare. The initiative, launched 18 months ago, operates on the premise that scarcity in these areas is not inevitable but often results from policy failures and regulatory obstacles.
Amy E. Lerman, director of the Possibility Lab and a professor at Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and Department of Political Science, described the approach as pragmatic and aimed at moving beyond traditional political divides. “It’s a pragmatic approach to thinking beyond the left-right divide,” Lerman said. “We’re really thinking about how liberals can do a better job investing in supply-side politics, and how conservatives can do a better job investing in workers and communities, and how we together can think about solving these problems that we all want to solve.”
Lindsay Maple, director of the Abundance Accelerator, emphasized the urgency of the issues. “Things are hard right now,” Maple said. “The affordability crisis, the lack of access to basic goods — these are real problems affecting millions of Californians and millions of Americans. People want their local and city governments to solve problems. They want their county governments to solve problems. Regardless of ideology, people are tired of waiting for government to deliver.”
The Possibility Lab was established in 2022 and employs data-driven research and community engagement to develop public policy solutions. The Abundance Accelerator has quickly formed partnerships with government agencies and other organizations. While the movement has drawn criticism for its approach to regulatory reform and supply-side solutions, it has also gained national attention, supported by figures such as journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson.
A recent survey conducted by the Possibility Lab and the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that more than half of Californians struggle to access essential goods and services. Lerman commented on the findings: “Our poll shows that a huge number of Californians are struggling to access basic resources like housing, eldercare, childcare and healthy foods. We need policy solutions that tackle these gaps in a meaningful way, so that all Californians can live full, dignified lives with access to the essentials they need. By leveraging innovation to redesign systems of production and distribution, we can unlock abundance and mitigate scarcity.”
Housing policy has been a central focus for the Abundance Accelerator. Maple noted, “Our housing crisis has only been getting worse since the ‘70s. It’s not new. This is a result of 60-plus years of the decisions that we’ve made around policy.” The project collaborates with the California Department of Housing and Community Development to improve data collection and inform policy decisions.
The Abundance Accelerator also advocates for reforming regulations such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which critics argue has hindered housing and infrastructure development. In June, Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted CEQA reforms during a budget-signing ceremony, stating, “This isn’t just a budget. This is a budget that builds. It proves what’s possible when we govern with urgency, with clarity, and with a belief in abundance over scarcity.”
While the Abundance Accelerator did not directly contribute to Newsom’s budget, its leaders view his support as significant for their movement. The initiative recently held a summit with policymakers and community groups to discuss abundance-oriented policy across sectors such as education, health, energy, childcare, and eldercare. It also launched a knowledge hub with CalMatters to connect lawmakers and advocates with research-based policy insights.
Lerman remains optimistic about building broader consensus around abundance-focused policies. “There’s a wide swath of Americans who aren’t on the hardcore ideological ends of the political spectrum,” she said. “They can be brought together to really think about these issues and ideas in productive ways, if we can figure out how to communicate the benefits of this approach for their communities and their families.”
The Abundance Accelerator plans to release further research later this year on public attitudes toward policy tradeoffs involving housing, environmental protection, and government powers.
