The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously this Tuesday to make permanent Mayor Bass’ Housing Streamlining Ordinance, cutting project approval times from six to nine months to 60 days....more
12/11/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
City Councils ,
Community Development ,
Expedited Approval Process ,
Green Buildings ,
Homeless Issues ,
HUD ,
Infill Development ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Moratorium ,
New Legislation ,
Permits ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires
California continues its legislative push to address the state’s housing crisis, particularly focusing on “middle-housing” projects that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings (e.g.,...more
12/5/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Community Development ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Waters of the United States
In a push to address the state’s gripping housing crisis, the California Coastal Commission last week approved a rule change to make it easier to build affordable housing in Monterey and elsewhere along the hundreds of miles...more
11/24/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Beachfront Properties ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Government Agencies ,
Housing Developers ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Permits ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Warehouses ,
Zoning Laws
The San Diego Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal last week to accelerate homebuilding in the city by softening historic preservation rules. Developers praised the new proposal as a sensible policy change that...more
11/13/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Appeals ,
Ballot Measures ,
California ,
City Councils ,
Historic Preservation ,
Historical Landmarks ,
Housing Developers ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development
In an effort to spur prompt rehabilitation of Pacific Palisades' commercial sector post-fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has enacted Emergency Executive Order 10 (EO10), a decree set to accelerate the authorization process...more
11/7/2025
/ Building Permits ,
California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Commercial Real Estate Market ,
Community Development ,
Construction Industry ,
Executive Orders ,
Fires ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Mayors ,
Municipalities ,
Permits ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Tribal Lands ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
California voters could soon be asked to usher in a major overhaul of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposal, introduced this week as a ballot initiative by the California Chamber of Commerce, is aimed...more
On October 10, 2025, Governor Newsom signed SB 79 (Wiener) into law, which effectively eliminates single-family zoning districts within a half-mile of a qualifying transit-oriented development (TOD) stop by imposing...more
10/23/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Housing Developers ,
Land Developers ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mixed-Use Zoning ,
New Legislation ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Public Transit ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
On October 10, 2025, Governor Newsom signed SB 79 (Wiener) into law, which effectively eliminates single-family zoning districts within a half-mile of a qualifying transit-oriented development (TOD) stop by imposing...more
10/13/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Density Bonus ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mixed-Use Zoning ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Legislation ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
California's housing department says the Stanislaus County city of Patterson may have violated state law when it blocked a 700-home subdivision earlier this year, warning the city it could face action from the state attorney...more
California is poised to approve legislation that will make it legal to build more multifamily housing near the highest-capacity transit stops across the state, regardless of local zoning restrictions. The California...more
9/22/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Density Bonus ,
Infill Development ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
New Legislation ,
Permits ,
Public Transit ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
Senate Bill 79, a controversial housing bill that would pave the way for more apartment buildings near major bus stops and train and subway stations across urban California, is one step closer to becoming law after its...more
9/12/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
Construction Industry ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Homeless Issues ,
New Legislation ,
Rising Sea Levels ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
“One of the most notable changes is creating a new statutory urban infill CEQA exemption under AB 130, which only applies to defined housing developments. The new AB 130 exemption allows for qualifying housing development...more
9/11/2025
/ California ,
CEQA ,
CEQA Reform ,
Environmental Review ,
Exemptions ,
Housing Developers ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced on September 2 a legislative package that he promised would put an end to certain antiquated permitting requirements. The package represents the latest pieces of Permit SF, a larger...more
The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) took final action to approve the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan) at its August 13, 2025, meeting. As detailed in our previous alert, the...more
On July 23, 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order titled “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.” Released alongside “America’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan,” the Order reflects a...more
8/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Data Centers ,
Environmental Review ,
Executive Orders ,
Local Ordinance ,
NEPA ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Tax Credits ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
The budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4 (also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”) adds a new provision to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that allows project sponsors/applicants to pay for...more
8/15/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Expedited Approval Process ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed two budget trailer bills into law: Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, which reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) effective immediately. As explained by the...more
On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed two budget trailer bills into law: Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, which reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) effective immediately. As explained by the...more
7/3/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
CEQA Reform ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Infrastructure ,
Land Developers ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
6/24/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
CEQA ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Energy ,
Demolition ,
Density Bonus ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Impact Fees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Natural Resources ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sackett v EPA ,
Water Conservation ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands ,
Wildfires
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Density Bonus ,
Governor Newsom ,
Housing Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Legislatures ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
AB 1893 (Wicks) significantly modified the so-called “Builder’s Remedy” under the Housing Accountability Act (Gov. Code § 65589.5) (HAA) effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal alert, the Builder’s Remedy...more
6/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Construction Project ,
Density Bonus ,
Government Agencies ,
Housing Developers ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Building Permits ,
California ,
Department of Toxic Substances Control ,
Entitlements ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Government Agencies ,
Housing Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Legislatures
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more
6/19/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
Environmental Policies ,
Housing Developers ,
Natural Disasters ,
Property Damage ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Toxic Chemicals
AB 2243 (Wicks) amended AB 2011 effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal alert, AB 2011 provides for “by right” streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying mixed-income and affordable...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Density Bonus ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Grandfathering Rules ,
Housing Developers ,
Land Developers ,
Multi-Family Development ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws