The Trump administration last Wednesday proposed to loosen federal protections for endangered species. A draft rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would...more
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has released a rezoning plan to allow taller buildings along transit routes from the Marina to the Sunset and Richmond districts, changes he said would accommodate 36,000 new housing units...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
Senator Scott Wiener is back with another bill – SB 79 – to provide for streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying housing development projects near transit across California. For qualifying projects...more
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution amending the city’s planning code to encourage the conversion of commercial buildings into housing. The amendment will remove select fees and application...more
On February 20, 2025, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) posted a pre-publication notice on its website of an Interim Final Rule that rescinds its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy...more
The Los Angeles City Council last Friday granted final approval to a sweeping rezoning plan that aims to boost housing development along commercial corridors and existing dense residential neighborhoods. In a 14-0 vote,...more
Governor Gavin Newsom stepped up his intervention on the California Coastal Commission last Monday, chiding the agency for providing “legally erroneous guidance” that threatens to create confusion and delay the rebuilding...more
2/7/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
CEQA ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Newsom ,
Natural Disasters ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
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
1/22/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CARB ,
CEQA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Buildings (DOB) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
HUD ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against the city of Norwalk over its passage of an ordinance that blocks new homeless shelters and other housing projects....more
A bid to bolster eviction protections for San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood businesses won key approval last Tuesday as city leaders contemplate a sweeping rezoning plan that stands to boost building height limits along...more
11/1/2024
/ Board of Supervisors ,
Building Codes ,
California ,
Commercial Property Owners ,
County Planning Commissions ,
FEMA ,
Green Buildings ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Local Ordinance ,
San Francisco ,
State and Local Government ,
Vacant Properties
The western burrowing owl secured temporary protection this Thursday under California’s Endangered Species Act. The state Fish and Game Commission voted to give the owls candidate status and temporary protection, expected to...more
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a controversial bill – Assembly Bill (AB) 98 – that will impact all warehouse developments, regardless of whether there are any sensitive receptors near the potential warehouse site....more
10/4/2024
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
Biden Administration ,
California ,
Charging Stations ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Fast Track Process ,
Governor Newsom ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Sustainability ,
Warehouses
This fall, California voters will decide whether the state should continue prohibiting cities and counties from enacting or expanding rent control. If they vote “yes” in November, San Francisco could be ready to extend the...more
On September 19, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 1893 (Wicks), which significantly modifies the “Builder’s Remedy” under the Housing Accountability Act (Government Code section 65589.5 et seq.) (HAA),...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
9/20/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Conversion Requirements ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Governor Newsom ,
Grandfathering Rules ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Mixed-Use Zoning ,
Real Estate Development ,
Setback Rules ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development
Elk Grove has settled a lawsuit with the state over a 67-unit supportive housing project the city denied, despite the fact that the city had recently approved a similar market-rate project. The lawsuit filed by Attorney...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
8/29/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Eviction ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Low Income Housing ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires
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
8/13/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Bay Area ,
California ,
CEQA ,
City of Berkeley ,
Construction Project ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Funding ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Popular ,
Public Projects ,
Railways ,
Real Estate Development ,
University of California ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps
San Diego made ambitious changes this Tuesday to the city’s blueprint for future growth to help prepare the city for climate change, speed up revisions to neighborhood zoning plans, and try to reverse racial segregation....more
The Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform held its first hearing on June 18, 2024, commencing its efforts to address California’s housing and climate crises by reforming the state’s land use permitting regime....more
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. AB 2243 would amend AB 2011. AB 1893 and AB 1886 would amend...more
The following is a summary of (i) the general procedural requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency under the Surplus Land Act (SLA) (Gov. Code § 54220 et. seq.) and (ii) recent key amendments to the SLA....more
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the legislation...more
5/24/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Conversion ,
Density Bonus ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Housing Market ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Natural Gas ,
Office Space ,
Real Estate Development
On April 24, 2024, a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that Senate Bill (SB) 9 does not apply to charter cities because it violates the authority granted to charter cities by the California Constitution to manage their...more