Two bills proposed to modify the Builder’s Remedy are currently making their way through the State Legislature. As currently proposed, AB 1893 (Wicks) would (i) reduce the required percentage of (lower income) affordable...more
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
California air regulators voted unanimously last Thursday to approve an ambitious plan to drastically cut reliance on fossil fuels by changing practices in the energy, transportation, and agriculture sectors, but critics say...more
Proposed California affordable housing bills could create more than a million apartments - KQED – August 22 - View in browser Allen Matkins SustDevLndUseUpd August 24, 2022 Focus Proposed California affordable housing bills...more
Development and construction trends in California’s multifamily housing market Bullet Allen Matkins – July 21 Allen Matkins recently moderated a panel at the California Multifamily Forum to discuss current trends in...more
8/9/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Eviction ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Housing Developers ,
Moratorium ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Development ,
Real Estate Investments ,
Sustainability
State Supreme Court decision could complicate CEQA review of certain housing projects - San Francisco Chronicle – July 14 - The state Supreme Court has left intact a ruling by the First District Court of Appeal that rejected...more
California legislators propose helping people buy homes in exchange for partial ownership Bullet KQED – June 16 State legislators are proposing to create a billion-dollar fund in this year’s state budget that would provide...more
Audit: California too slow in offering surplus land for affordable housing - Bullet U.S. News & World Report – March 22 California has not effectively used surplus properties owned by the state to help alleviate the...more
DOE launches partnership to cut in half building and factory emissions by 2030 - S&P Global – February 28 - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will partner with public and private stakeholders to develop ways to slash greenhouse...more
Appellate court orders publication of recent win for California’s Density Bonus Law in San Diego - Allen Matkins – January 25 - Last week we reported that, on January 7, 2022, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal in...more
Biden signs $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law, unlocking funds for transportation, broadband, utilities -
CNBC – November 15 -
President Joe Biden signed the more than $1 trillion bipartisan...more
White House presents plans to improve housing affordability -
The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 1 -
The White House Council of Economic Advisers on Wednesday detailed the administration’s plans to improve...more
Biden’s climate pledge for first time pushes U.S. beyond California goals -
KQED – April 27 -
Phasing out all new sales of gas-powered cars by 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality 10 years later are just a few of...more
Huntington Beach loses housing case against the state of California -
Los Angeles Times – February 2 -
The city of Huntington Beach lost a lawsuit against the state of California, in which the city sought exemption...more
Biden executive order lays foundation for restoring fair housing rule -
The Real Deal – January 27 -
President Joe Biden has taken the first step toward reinstating a fair housing rule that was repealed last year. The...more
U.S. government creates new programs for data center efficiency and research -
Bisnow – January 10 -
The $2.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act approved last month, which included $900 billion for coronavirus...more
Despite limited success for housing bills in the 2020 legislative session, 2021 should present opportunities for developers -
Bullet Allen Matkins – December 21 -
During the 2020 legislative session, many housing...more
1/8/2021
/ Affordable Housing ,
Commercial Property Owners ,
Density Bonus ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Homeless Issues ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Landlords ,
Low Income Housing ,
Real Estate Development ,
Rental Property ,
Urban Planning & Development
Green buildings 'unheralded hero' in emissions fight, experts say -
Bullet Smart Cities Dive – December 10 -
President-elect Joe Biden's plan to upgrade the buildings sector and make it more energy efficient could be...more
12/17/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
California Energy Commission ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Electricity ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Environmental Review ,
Facebook ,
Green Buildings ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Housing Developers ,
Sustainability
Back rent in California nearing $1.7 billion, Federal Reserve study finds -
Orange County Register – November 12 -
California’s back rent is projected to reach nearly $1.7 billion by the end of the year, or almost a...more
11/20/2020
/ Commercial Property Owners ,
Community Development ,
Commuting ,
Electricity ,
Eviction ,
Green Buildings ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Mixed-Use Zoning ,
Rental Property ,
Sustainability ,
Telecommuting ,
Urban Planning & Development
Governor Newsom calls for protecting 30% of state land in league with international effort -
Bullet Los Angeles Times – October 7 -
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last Wednesday to protect nearly a...more
S.F.’s Embarcadero could be devastated by earthquakes and rising seas, study warns -
SFGate – September 19 -
The Embarcadero in San Francisco faces severe threats from both earthquakes that could undermine the city’s...more
9/28/2020
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Conditional Use Permit ,
Earthquakes ,
Environmental Policies ,
Flood Management ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Natural Disasters ,
Sustainability ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Wastewater
Sea level rise could bring flooding to inland California -
Bullet Los Angeles Times – August 17 -
Sea level rise is more complicated than just waves breaking over seawalls and beaches disappearing. As the ocean moves...more
8/24/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Flood Control ,
Flood Management ,
Flooding ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Highways ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sustainability ,
US Geological Survey ,
Wetlands
L.A. aims to increase affordable housing with proposed zoning changes -
Daily Breeze – August 6 -
The Los Angeles Department of City Planning last Thursday released plans for an incentive-based zoning system for...more
8/17/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Planning Departments ,
Construction Project ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
ACEEE highlights 10 building energy performance standards to help meet climate goals -
Bullet Utility Dive – June 24 -
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a white paper this Monday...more
7/2/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
CEQA ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Homeless Issues ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
PG&E ,
Sustainability
San Diego approves new housing blueprint that calls for tripling yearly construction through 2029 -
Bullet The San Diego Union-Tribune – June 17 -
The San Diego City Council last week unanimously approved a...more
6/25/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
Charging Stations ,
Climate Change ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Homeless Issues ,
Housing Developers ,
Public Transit ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Projects ,
Uber ,
Urban Planning & Development