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Urban Planning & Development California Environmental Quality Act Housing Market

Allen Matkins

Multifamily’s Evolution

Allen Matkins on

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

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Cutting Through California's Housing Crisis: Are New CEQA Exemptions Enough?

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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

CEQA Infill Exemptions and “Near Miss” Streamlining—A Concrete Fix for California’s Housing Crisis?

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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Major Changes to CEQA and California Housing Law Approved by Gov. Newsom

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

Clark Hill PLC

CEQA finally brought to its knees by California’s severe housing crisis

Clark Hill PLC on

Originally enacted in 1970, the objective of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was to review projects to assess potential impacts on the environment, disclose those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

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 6.5.25

Allen Matkins on

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

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 3.31.25

Allen Matkins on

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

Holland & Knight LLP

California's 2025 Housing Laws: What You Need to Know

Holland & Knight LLP on

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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Another Year, Another Full Slate of Housing Bills in California

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

Allen Matkins

Governor Newsom Approves Key Housing Bill: AB 2243

Allen Matkins on

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

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 8.12.24

Allen Matkins on

On June 27, 2024, the California First District Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of a writ petition challenging the City of Lafayette’s determination that a 12-unit residential condominium building qualified for the Class...more

Alston & Bird

Land Use Matters August 2024 – CEQA Appellate Decisions & Other Legal Developments

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City of Los Angeles - Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the fee for planning and land use applications increased by 3.5% based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

California Supreme Court Upholds UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan and People’s Park Housing Project Approvals

The California Supreme Court recently upheld the Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the Long Range Development Plan (“LRDP”) for the University of California Berkeley (“UC Berkeley”) and a controversial housing project...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 6.10.24

Allen Matkins on

A California Supreme Court ruling will allow student housing at University of California to be built at Berkeley's historic People's Park. In February 2023, a state appeals court in San Francisco had sided with the opponents,...more

Allen Matkins

Pending AB 2011 Amendments Hold Promise For Housing Developers

Allen Matkins on

On March 19, 2024, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced new amendments to pending Assembly Bill (AB) 2243, which would amend AB 2011 (operative as of July 1, 2023). As explained in our prior legal alert, AB 2011 provides for...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

Senator Wiener Proposes Targeted CEQA Exemption for Downtown S.F. Projects

Recognizing that Downtown San Francisco is “struggling” post-pandemic, State Senator Scott Wiener has announced new legislation to exempt certain projects in the area from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

CEQA 2023 Legislative Update

The 2023 legislative cycle saw another mixed-bag of legislation dealing with CEQA “reform,” with a particular focus on streamlining affordable housing development. While many bills died during the process, a few key laws were...more

Downey Brand LLP

Annual Legislative Update: Important Land Use Laws Taking Effect in 2024

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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

Buchalter

24 Legislative Update: 56 New Laws Targeting Housing Development Become Effective in California

Buchalter on

The California Legislature’s laser focus on addressing the state housing crisis did not subside during the 2023 legislative session. While legislators proposed over 150 housing bills, only a fraction of those bills were...more

Holland & Knight LLP

California's 2024 Housing Laws: What You Need to Know

Holland & Knight LLP on

The 2023 California Legislative session, like the last several, saw the enactment of a large number of significant new housing production laws. (See Holland & Knight's previous annual recaps of California Housing Laws in the...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

2023 Housing Legislation Overview – Major Signed and Pending Bills

The 2023 California Legislative Session, which closed on September 14, was dominated yet again by efforts to address the state’s continued housing crisis. For the last several years, we have written about many bills enacted...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Build More, Faster? Newsom Signs Infrastructure and Budget Legislation 

On July 10, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of bills intended to accelerate critical infrastructure projects across the State aimed at achieving monumental climate and clean energy goals while...more

Nossaman LLP

Housing Bill to Allow Multifamily Development on Commercially-Zoned Sites Now in Effect

Nossaman LLP on

On July 1, 2023, Senate Bill (SB) 6 (Caballero) – also known as the Middle Class Housing Act of 2022 – went into effect. Under the bill, if a project site is currently zoned for commercial retail or parking use, a developer...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

What We’re Reading, Watching, and Listening to: July 2023

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco - National Insight on Downtown San Francisco Recovery (Urban Land Institute): San Francisco can create a more commercially vibrant and...more

Holland & Knight LLP

"Builder's Remedy": Bay Area Will Soon Face a Powerful Housing Tool

Holland & Knight LLP on

As the Jan. 21, 2023, statutory deadline to submit compliant housing elements for the 6th Regional Housing Need Assessment (RHNA) Cycle looms over Bay Area governments, all eyes are on the penalties associated with missing...more

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