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
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
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
6/13/2024
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California Fish and Game Commission ,
CEQA ,
Excessive Noise ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Proposed Rules ,
Student Housing ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps
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
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
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
Senate Bill (SB) 1227, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener on February 15, 2024, would help speed the recovery of downtown San Francisco by creating a new CEQA exemption for qualifying commercial, institutional, student...more
3/7/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Community Development ,
County Planning Commissions ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Homeless Issues ,
Mobile Homes ,
Natural Gas ,
Office Space ,
State Bans ,
Tax Exemptions
The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions....more
11/10/2023
/ Affordable Housing ,
Biden Administration ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Homeless Issues ,
Housing Developers ,
HUD ,
Office Space ,
Property Tax ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Vacant Properties
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
The California Coastal Commission approved a landmark settlement Wednesday with San Diego’s Paradise Point resort aimed at remedying years of Coastal Act violations that have long inhibited public access to the waterfront on...more
In a sweeping effort to expand affordable housing and combat homelessness, Representative Maxine Waters of California introduced a package of three bills on June 21 aimed at narrowing the country’s racial wealth gap....more
A federal appeals court on Monday overturned Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas in new construction, agreeing with restaurant owners who argued the city bypassed federal energy regulations when it approved the...more
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
Judge rejects lawsuit over California housing density bill (SB 10) Bullet Courthouse News Service – May 12 Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant held last week that the California Legislature has the...more
Legislature passes enrollment cap reprieve for UC Berkeley in CEQA dispute - Courthouse News Service – March 14 - State legislators voted Monday to amend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to specify that...more
UC Berkeley ordered to freeze enrollment due to CEQA lawsuit Associated Press – March 3 The California Supreme Court ordered UC Berkeley last Thursday to freeze its undergraduate enrollment at 2020-21 levels...more
Critical housing bills signed by Governor Newsom -
Allen Matkins – September 17 -
As the State of California battles through a housing crisis, lawmakers are seeking creative ways to enable local governments to meet...more
Pandemic-related suspension of CEQA noticing, posting, filing, and tribal consultation requirements and Brown Act meeting requirements set to expire September 30 -
Allen Matkins – July 16 -
On September 30, 2021,...more
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
Proposed California law would fast-track environmentally sustainable transit -
San Francisco Chronicle – June 15 -
Transportation projects focused on public transit, bikes, and pedestrians would get fast-tracked for...more
6/19/2020
/ CEQA ,
Clean Energy ,
Community Development ,
CPUC ,
Energy Policy ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Property Tax ,
Public Transit ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Pilot Programs ,
Sustainability ,
Vacant Properties ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
Judicial Council amends prior emergency rule to adjust land use litigation deadlines -
Bullet Allen Matkins – May 29 -
On May 29, 2020, the California Judicial Council amended its Emergency Rule 9 to provide fixed...more
6/4/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
CEQA ,
Emergency Rule ,
Environmental Review ,
Federal Highway Administration ,
Governor Newsom ,
Homeless Issues ,
Land Developers ,
Land Use Courts ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Natural Resources ,
Public Benefits ,
Public Transit ,
San Francisco ,
Statute of Limitations
More changes to CEQA timelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic -
Bullet Allen Matkins – April 30 -
In response to public-health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued...more
Focus -
California Supreme Court reinforces CEQA’s definition of a project -
Allen Matkins – August 26 -
In Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego, the California Supreme Court considered the...more
In Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego, the California Supreme Court considered the definition of a "project" under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Court held that a lead...more