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In a monumental win for pro-housing advocates, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation essentially exempting most housing and mixed-use projects from CEQA....more
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
On May 14, 2025, Senator Scott Wiener issued a press release stating that, on that morning, “Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he supports the strongest ever reforms of [CEQA],” referring to Newsom’s proposal to include in...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
Following the devastating fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 to expedite recovery and rebuilding efforts. Released on January 12, 2025, the Order suspends...more
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
As in previous years, California saw a significant volume of new housing legislation emerge from Sacramento in 2024. (See Holland & Knight's previous annual recaps of California Housing Laws in the final section below.) This...more
On Thursday, Sept. 19, Gov. Newsom signed a package of housing bills designed to address the housing crisis affecting California. Below is a brief summary of key bills....more
On September 19, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 2243 (Wicks), which amends AB 2011 (Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022), effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal...more
California law requires cities and counties to regularly plan for new housing development and to prepare and adopt housing elements that formalize these plans. For those cities and counties that fail to adopt housing elements...more
Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed two new bills that aim to boost housing supply and further address the state’s homelessness crisis....more
The 2023 legislative session culminated in Governor Newsom signing dozens of land use bills. This post discusses the most important. The Legislature continued its multifaceted approach to addressing the housing crisis, with...more
After more than two years of resistance, the city of Coronado, a wealthy island city in San Diego County, has agreed to follow state housing law by setting aside more land for development, Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney...more
Bill extends exemption from CEQA and discretionary entitlements for housing projects while adding the Coastal Zone to the mix - If you are having trouble keeping track of all the housing bills in California this year,...more
On Oct. 11, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this year’s slate of housing bills to “incentivize and reduce barriers to housing and support the development of more affordable homes.” Among the 56 bills signed is AB 1287, the...more
Goal is to Provide Much-Needed Housing for Teachers and Other LEA Staff - On September 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newson signed AB 2295 into law, adding Section 65914.7 to the Government Code. This new section considers...more
Earlier this year, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2011 (Wicks) and Senate Bill (SB) 6 (Caballero) into law to increase housing production in the state by allowing residential construction on commercially-zoned...more
As in previous years, the California Legislature enacted a large volume of housing production laws in the 2022 session, some of which may have a significant effect on housing production in 2023. ...more
New state laws allow housing on commercial properties - Multi-Housing News – September 30 - Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two bills into law that incentivize developers to convert commercial properties into much-needed...more
If approved by Governor Newsom, Assembly Bill (AB) 2011 would provide for “by right” streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying mixed-income and affordable housing projects along commercial corridors in...more
Two state bills may mean new housing in commercial corridors Bullet The Mercury News – August 30 In another effort to ease California’s housing crunch, state lawmakers this week pushed through two bills making it easier to...more
Holland & Knight Partner Jennifer L. Hernandez, leader of the firm's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group, recently authored an industry report for the Center for Jobs & The Economy, whose mission is to identify and...more
On September 28, 2021, Governor Newsom signed SB 290, which amends certain provisions of the Density Bonus Law (Gov. Code § 65915). Senator Skinner’s SB 290 essentially replicates SB 1085 from 2020, which died, along with...more
Critical housing bills signed by Governor Newsom - Allen Matkins – September 17 - As the State of California battles through a housing crisis, lawmakers are seeking creative ways to enable local governments to meet...more
As the State of California battles through a housing crisis, lawmakers are seeking creative ways to enable local governments to meet their long-term housing needs and produce housing more quickly. On September 16, 2021,...more