California Senate Bill (SB) 10, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 16, 2021, and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022, provides that local agencies may adopt an ordinance to allow up to 10 dwelling units on any...more
Signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 20, 2021, and taking immediate effect as an "urgency statute," Senate Bill (SB) 7 revives and expands the previously enacted Environmental Leadership Development Project...more
6/1/2021
/ CEQA ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Housing Developers ,
HUD ,
LEED Certified ,
LEED Rules ,
Net Zero ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government
The California Court of Appeal has delivered a victory to Holland & Knight clients Ruegg & Ellsworth and Frank Spenger Company, as well as to housing advocates across the state, in a landmark opinion on the state's new...more
As California's housing supply and homelessness crisis continues to worsen, the state Legislature has for the past several years passed numerous pieces of housing legislation in each legislative session. ...more
9/23/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Housing Market ,
Landlords ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mortgages ,
Real Estate Development ,
Residential Leases ,
State and Local Government ,
Tenants ,
Urban Planning & Development
In a closely watched case, Protecting Our Water & Environmental Resources v. County of Stanislaus (POWER), Case No. S251708 (Aug. 27, 2020), the California Supreme Court has issued its first significant decision about the...more
For decades, the California State Legislature has enacted numerous laws that limit the authority of local governments to constrain the supply and affordability of housing. These include the Housing Element Law, which requires...more
12/5/2019
/ Affordable Housing ,
Appeals ,
City Charters ,
Legislative History ,
Low Income Housing ,
Municipalities ,
Public Land ,
Real Estate Development ,
Reversal ,
State and Local Government ,
State Constitutions ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
A handful of important state laws related to housing have been passed by the California legislature, including the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330), which provides a set of limited reforms to the Housing Accountability Act...more
11/6/2019
/ Affordable Housing ,
Amended Legislation ,
Density Bonus ,
Homeless Issues ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pending Legislation ,
Rent Control ,
State and Local Government ,
Tenants ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
As California's housing supply and homelessness crisis continues, the State Legislature has for the past several years passed numerous pieces of housing legislation in each legislative session. This year was no exception,...more
10/21/2019
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Building Permits ,
CEQA ,
Common-Interest Communities ,
Community Development ,
Governor Newsom ,
Homeowners Association (HOA) ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Infrastructure Financing ,
Land Trusts ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Rent Control ,
Residential Real Estate Contracts ,
Residential Real Estate Market ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on Nov. 29, 2018, issued its final Guidelines for the implementation of Senate Bill 35 of 2017 (SB 35).
SB 35 requires most local governments to issue...more
• After the California Legislature passed a high-profile package of 15 new housing laws in 2017, it has continued to focus on housing laws in 2018 to address the state's epic housing shortage.
• As Gov. Jerry Brown winds...more
10/8/2018
/ Affordable Housing ,
Bay Area ,
CEQA ,
CEQA Reform ,
Comment Period ,
Density Bonus ,
Governor Brown ,
Housing Market ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Legislation ,
Public Comment ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Cal. Pub. Res. Code §21000 et seq., imposes significant procedural and substantive requirements on private and public projects throughout the state. However, even a state law...more
8/8/2017
/ CA Supreme Court ,
CEQA ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
High-Speed Rail ,
High-Speed Rail Authority ,
ICCTA ,
Preemption ,
Public Projects ,
Railroads ,
State and Local Government ,
Surface Transportation Board