SBR-Authors Podcast: Finding True Happiness Through Acts of Kindness: A Conversation with Karen Olson
Creative Housing Solutions Pop Up Across Oregon
Affordable Housing on the Front Range: Inclusionary Housing Ordinances and the New Middle Income Housing Authority
Office-to-Apartment Conversions – A Good Idea, but Tricky to Pull Off (Audio)
Episode 15 | Hot! Hot! Hot! Don't get Burned by the Perils of Buying and Selling Residential Real Estate
California CRE to Expand in 2022
Pritzker acts upon 269 bills, vetoes 2, signs 'lawsuit inferno' measure - “In a Friday announcement of the status of 269 bills, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation which led opponents to call Illinois a “Lawsuit...more
What Happened? At both federal and state levels, there has been notable increased governmental scrutiny of institutional investment in the single-family rental market and concern about its impact on rising housing costs in...more
With the current housing shortage in California, coupled with recent regulatory changes, multifamily development is robust throughout the state. Perhaps the most consequential recent change is the reform of the California...more
On May 12, 2025, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 25-1272, creating the Multifamily Construction Incentive Program (MCIP), a voluntary, opt-in framework aimed at encouraging the construction of...more
As discussed in our earlier post, California's CEQA landscape has rapidly, and potentially seismically, evolved with the passage of AB 130 and SB 131. This post focuses on the immediate creation of a new statutory exemption,...more
This is the eighth update in our series covering AB 130 and SB 131, two bills that work substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law....more
This is the seventh update in our series covering AB 130 and SB 131, two bills that work substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law....more
1. UNFIT FOR HABITATION UNDER THE DPA? HOW DOES THE COURT WORK OUT THE DAMAGES? The Defective Premises Act may be 53 years old but it has received particular attention in recent years, notably following its makeover by...more
Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and Senate Bill (SB) 131, which became effective on June 30, 2025, are designed to bring sweeping change to California housing and infrastructure development across the state. Key provisions in the...more
Note: This is the second update in our series covering AB 130 and SB 131, two bills that work substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law....more
Texas House Bill 21 (HB 21), signed into law in May, has dramatically shifted affordable housing tax exemptions across the state. Specifically, HB 21’s primary impact is on a housing finance corporation’s area of operation...more
In its 89th Regular Session, the Texas Legislature enacted House Bill 21 (HB 21), introducing significant reforms to the way housing finance corporations (HFCs) own and operate multifamily affordable housing developments....more
On June 30, 2025, Governor Mike DeWine signed Amended Substitute House Bill 96 (H.B. 96), establishing Ohio's biennial budget for State fiscal years 2026-2027 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027). This comprehensive budget...more
On June 30, 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two budget trailer bills—AB 130 and SB 131—that together work major changes both to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law. Because these bills...more
Originally enacted in 1970, the objective of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was to review projects to assess potential impacts on the environment, disclose those impacts to the public, and mitigate those...more
Single-family-only zoning has officially ended in the City of Seattle. On May 27, 2025, the Seattle City Council passed CB 120969 to comply with RCW 36.70A.635, which requires adoption of development regulations allowing for...more
On July 3, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate’s version of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which contains provisions impacting the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), opportunity zones (OZs) and...more
On June 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two budget bills that contained the most significant reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in decades, effective immediately. These changes create an...more
On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed into law a sweeping set of housing and infrastructure reforms as part of the 2025–2026 State Budget, marking one of the most significant overhauls of the California Environmental...more
On 18 June 2025, the German Federal Cabinet adopted a draft law to accelerate residential construction and secure housing (Schneller bauen mit dem Wohnungsbau-Turbo | Bundesregierung) in order to implement the 100-day target...more
A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco - Mayor Lurie names new S.F. planning director (SF Chronicle): Sarah Dennis Phillips has been named the City’s planning director,...more
Effective July 1, 2025, the realty transfer tax rate for properties or acquired real estate companies sold in the City and County of Philadelphia will increase to 3.578%, in addition to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania realty...more
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
In the wake of the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse, Florida enacted sweeping changes that affect condominium governance, structural maintenance requirements, and reserve funding obligations. These changes have not only...more
Introduction to Texas Senate Bill SB 840 - To combat the housing shortage in Texas, the Texas Senate introduced Bill C.S.S.B. 840 (SB 840 or the bill) in April 2025. The purpose of the bill is to streamline the conversion...more