Focus
Effective immediately: CEQA reform legislation
Allen Matkins – July 2
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 Governor, the bills constitute “the most consequential housing and infrastructure reform in recent state history.” The Governor made it clear that his approval of the 2025-2026 state budget was contingent on these bills, which helped expedite an otherwise controversial and lengthy approval process by the State Legislature. The bills, which include provisions from Senate Bill 607 (Wiener) and Assembly Bill 609 (Wicks), touch almost every major land use statute in California and include changes that affect various types of development projects. A summary of the most significant changes is provided here.
News
San Francisco mayor unveils family zoning plan to meet state mandates, add housing density
NBC Bay Area – June 25
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a legislative package aimed at overhauling decades-old zoning laws, the latest effort in his plan to increase the city’s housing supply and make housing more affordable for families. The proposed plan, if approved, would include updated height and density rules to allow for larger multifamily homes in residential areas around the city and increased housing density along commercial corridors and large lots. It would also enact new policies to allow for the creation of more housing near public transit stops and lines and give housing projects a wider range of benchmarks to qualify as affordable housing.
Deal in San Diego affordable-housing case draws mixed reactions in La Jolla
The San Diego Union-Tribune – June 30
A legal settlement approved by a federal judge could result in at least 70% of all future affordable-housing projects in San Diego being placed in moderate- to high-income neighborhoods. The settlement, reached earlier this year between the city of San Diego and lawsuit plaintiffs who accused planners of concentrating their affordable-housing efforts in poorer communities, was finalized by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta late last week.
Berkeley will allow apartments to be built throughout the flats
Berkeleyside – June 27
The Berkeley City Council unanimously approved a plan to allow the construction of small apartment buildings on residential lots throughout the city’s flatland neighborhoods. The council vote raised limits on building size and set new, increased density limits, with owners and builders now allowed to build or subdivide eight-unit, three-story buildings on a typical 5,000-square-foot parcel, in addition to accessory dwelling units already allowed by state law.
Mountain View takes second look at increasing density in multifamily residential areas
Mountain View Voice – June 27
Three months ago, Mountain View settled on a plan that would increase density in parts of the city zoned for multifamily homes. Now that plan has been updated to allow for more housing growth beyond what was originally envisioned. In a split 4-3 vote, the City Council honed in on two areas near California Street as candidates for higher density in the “R3” zoning district, an area that covers about half of the city’s multifamily homes and nearly all of its rent-controlled apartments.
*This article may require a subscription to read.
[View source.]
