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
For property owners in California’s coastal zone hoping to rebuild after the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, including the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, obtaining building permits from their local government may not be...more
6/19/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Building Permits ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Government Agencies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
California’s Second District Court of Appeal upheld the City of Los Angeles’s legislative actions related to the Metro Exposition Light Rail Transit Line (commonly known as the Expo Line) in a February 2024 ruling that...more
There are multiple proposed bills under consideration by the State Assembly and Senate that would affect new housing developments. The following is a summary of a few of the key bills, which is current as of the date of this...more
In last year’s update, we provided an overview of federal and California regulatory actions designed to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These actions...more
5/2/2023
/ California ,
CEQA ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Housing Developers ,
Office Space ,
Offshore Wind ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government
California’s Second District Court of Appeal recently affirmed that a shorter 90-day statute of limitations, and not a longer three- or four- year statute of limitations, applies to Political Reform Act (PRA) claims that...more
The so-called “Builder’s Remedy” under the Housing Accountability Act (HAA) is punitive and applies when a local jurisdiction has not adopted a revised Housing Element in compliance with state law, in which case the local...more