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
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
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
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
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
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
San Diego made ambitious changes this Tuesday to the city’s blueprint for future growth to help prepare the city for climate change, speed up revisions to neighborhood zoning plans, and try to reverse racial segregation....more
Officials broke ground Monday on a new high-speed rail system that will connect Southern California and Las Vegas. The Brightline West system will average speeds of about 115 miles per hour and reach a top speed of around 200...more
The Los Angeles Superior Court issued a highly anticipated ruling on March 4, 2024, addressing a Builder’s Remedy project denial by the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The decision confirms (i) that a local jurisdiction cannot...more
The city of Berkeley will pay $4 million in connection with its mishandling of an application to build 260 housing units on the old Spenger's parking lot. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch fined Berkeley $2.6...more
2/23/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Housing Developers ,
Landlords ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Development ,
Rent Stabilization Codes ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Tenants ,
Zoning Laws
The Berkeley City Council opened the door to high-rise apartment buildings in the Southside neighborhood by signing off on new zoning regulations that could allow for thousands more homes at UC Berkeley’s doorstep....more
12/5/2023
/ Affordable Housing ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Community Development ,
Eviction ,
Housing Developers ,
Office Space ,
Public Health ,
Renter's Rights ,
Student Housing ,
Sustainability ,
Zoning Laws
The California Coastal Commission approved a landmark settlement Wednesday with San Diego’s Paradise Point resort aimed at remedying years of Coastal Act violations that have long inhibited public access to the waterfront on...more
The Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously approved its Housing Element, which now must be submitted to the state Department of Housing & Community Development for certification. The state has said Hermosa Beach must build...more
San Diego’s Planning Commission unanimously voted last Thursday against a key part of Mayor Todd Gloria’s housing plan that would have eliminated single-family zoning in much of the city. The commission voted to recommend the...more
As we reported in our prior legal alert, these important new state housing laws will allow for the streamlined approval of qualifying housing development projects on properties where retail, office and/or parking are...more