On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed two budget trailer bills into law: Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, which reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) effective immediately. As explained by the...more
On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed two budget trailer bills into law: Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, which reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) effective immediately. As explained by the...more
7/3/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
CEQA Reform ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Infrastructure ,
Land Developers ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
6/24/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
CEQA ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Energy ,
Demolition ,
Density Bonus ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Impact Fees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Natural Resources ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sackett v EPA ,
Water Conservation ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands ,
Wildfires
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Density Bonus ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Legislatures ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
AB 1893 (Wicks) significantly modified the so-called “Builder’s Remedy” under the Housing Accountability Act (Gov. Code § 65589.5) (HAA) effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal alert, the Builder’s Remedy...more
6/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Construction Project ,
Density Bonus ,
Government Agencies ,
Housing Developers ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Building Permits ,
California ,
Department of Toxic Substances Control ,
Entitlements ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Government Agencies ,
Housing Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Legislatures
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/19/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Environmental Policies ,
Housing Developers ,
Natural Disasters ,
Property Damage ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Toxic Chemicals
AB 2243 (Wicks) amended AB 2011 effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal alert, AB 2011 provides for “by right” streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying mixed-income and affordable...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Density Bonus ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Grandfathering Rules ,
Housing Developers ,
Land Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
SB 684 and SB 1123 (Caballero) expand the Starter Home Revitalization Act to further facilitate the construction of “starter” home projects consisting of up to 10 dwelling units (not exceeding an average of 1,750 net...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Building Permits ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Housing Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Single Family Housing ,
Zoning Laws
On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court held that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — which requires federal agencies to analyze the environmental impacts of projects that they carry out, fund, or approve — does not...more
Governor Gavin Newsom on March 14 praised Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) for sponsoring two bills (SB 607 and AB 609) that would streamline housing development in urban...more
The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) held its second meeting on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan (Draft Conservation Plan) on April 16, 2025. Though no formal action was taken, the Commission received...more
The Trump administration last Wednesday proposed to loosen federal protections for endangered species. A draft rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would...more
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has released a rezoning plan to allow taller buildings along transit routes from the Marina to the Sunset and Richmond districts, changes he said would accommodate 36,000 new housing units...more
In a show of bipartisan and bicameral unity, California lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping 20-bill legislative package aimed at overhauling the state’s housing development process. Branded as the “Fast Track Housing”...more
Senator Scott Wiener is back with another bill – SB 79 – to provide for streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying housing development projects near transit across California. For qualifying projects...more
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution amending the city’s planning code to encourage the conversion of commercial buildings into housing. The amendment will remove select fees and application...more
On February 20, 2025, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) posted a pre-publication notice on its website of an Interim Final Rule that rescinds its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy...more
The Los Angeles City Council last Friday granted final approval to a sweeping rezoning plan that aims to boost housing development along commercial corridors and existing dense residential neighborhoods. In a 14-0 vote,...more
Governor Gavin Newsom stepped up his intervention on the California Coastal Commission last Monday, chiding the agency for providing “legally erroneous guidance” that threatens to create confusion and delay the rebuilding...more
2/7/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
CEQA ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Newsom ,
Natural Disasters ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Tuesday safeguarding victims of the Los Angeles-area fires from predatory real estate investors. The executive order is designed to protect residents in fire-ravaged zip codes...more
1/22/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CARB ,
CEQA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Buildings (DOB) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
HUD ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires
On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed to list the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). A proposed critical habitat designation...more
SB 684, which took effect on July 1 of this year, provides for streamlined, ministerial processing of certain residential projects in multifamily zoning districts consisting of no more than 10 single-family homes. The law...more
12/6/2024
/ California Coastal Commission ,
California Fish and Game Commission ,
Casinos ,
CEQA ,
Construction Site ,
Historic Preservation ,
Housing Developers ,
Irreparable Harm ,
Low Income Housing ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Property Owners ,
Single Family Housing ,
Tribal Lands
In a surprise monumental decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has no authority to issue regulations implementing NEPA and that CEQ’s NEPA...more