A new report from online real estate company, Zillow, says some local homeowners have been paying up to 20% more on their mortgages since January.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Todd David said.

David is the Managing Director of the Housing Action Coalition.

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He says the problem with our consistently high housing costs stems from a multitude of factors.

“These are the ramifications of the political choices we made,” David said.

David says California, and the Bay Area in particular, has built too little housing for about 50 years.

The situation has become so dire in the Golden State that we alone account for half of the total housing shortage in the United States.

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These stunning statistics can also be seen on the ground, says real estate agent John Yen Wong.

“I’ve been in situations where the winning bid is maybe 300,000 to 500,000 above the ask,” Wong said.

Wong says the boiling housing market means buyers are often faced with dozens of other people all interested in the same property.

He warns those trying to buy a new home to be patient.

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“It can take three to six months of very active pursuit of opportunities before you’re finally successful,” Wong said.

But for those hoping for a reprieve, David says don’t hold your breath.

In order to fix the problem, he thinks several things need to be done, including changing zoning laws, speeding up approval processes and building more affordable housing at the top.

Without them, he says, we will be stuck with problems for years to come.

“We’re just going to continue to see the cost of housing go up,” David said.