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
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
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
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order that aims to jumpstart infill housing development projects. The executive order was coupled with a $94 million award to 15 counties to also support building on...more
As detailed in our previous Legal Alert, six conservation groups filed a petition with the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) on March 5, 2024 to request the implementation of legal protections for five...more
Assembly Bill (AB) 3068 (Haney, Quirk-Silva, and Wicks) would provide for the streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying adaptive reuse projects involving the conversion of an existing building to...more
Governor Gavin Newsom, whose second and final term ends in January 2027, has made curbing homelessness and increasing housing key priorities. However, his recent budget cut proposal contains more than $1.2 billion in cuts...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
On October 11, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an extensive housing package consisting of 56 bills to help address California’s decades-in-the-making housing crisis by simplifying and expediting the construction of new...more
10/16/2023
/ Affordable Housing ,
Apartments ,
Brick-and-Mortar Stores ,
California ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Certiorari ,
Charging Stations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
SCOTUS ,
Stanford University
Governor Newsom recently approved multiple state housing bills passed by the State Assembly and Senate. The following is a summary of a few of the key bills that are expected to benefit multi-family, mixed-income housing...more
10/13/2023
/ Affordable Housing ,
CEQA ,
Commercial Buildings ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Low Income Housing ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
Office Space ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Rental Property ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Vacant Properties
The much-discussed push to revive downtown San Francisco by converting empty office buildings to housing is starting to gather momentum. Eight office building owners have responded to the city’s “request for information”...more
With the state facing a severe housing crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that will make it easier for universities and other housing developers to build housing and overcome lawsuits from local residents...more
9/21/2023
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Community Development ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Real Estate Development ,
Rental Property ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans
After years of record budget surpluses, California now faces a projected $22.5 billion budget deficit, Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week. As part of a required adjustment in state spending, Newsom proposed cutting...more
1/20/2023
/ Affordable Housing ,
Budget Cuts ,
California ,
Commercial Buildings ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Flood Zones ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Homeless Issues ,
Land Developers ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
Shopping Malls ,
State Agencies ,
State Budgets
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
Governor Newsom signs Senator Dodd’s affordable housing bill - Sonoma Index-Tribune – September 21 - Governor Gavin Newsom on September 19 signed into law affordable housing legislation authored by Senator Bill Dodd. Senate...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
New California bill could require “blue carbon” to offset coastal development Bullet The San Diego Union-Tribune – May 2 AB 2593 calls for projects to add “blue carbon” measures to their mitigation plans. Blue carbon refers...more
Outcry against ADU construction in San Diego prompts rule change proposals -
The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 26 -
Growing outcry over the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in some San Diego...more