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 ,
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City of Berkeley ,
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University of California ,
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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 ,
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Excessive Noise ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
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Student Housing ,
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Zoning Maps
Across California and the nation, developers moved to start fewer homes in 2023, a decline some analysts say could send home prices and rents even higher as supply shortages worsen. Developers cite several reasons for...more
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
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
The Los Angeles Superior Court issued a highly anticipated ruling on March 4, 2024, addressing a Builder’s Remedy project denial by the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The decision confirms (i) that a local jurisdiction cannot...more
The developer behind a proposed 259-unit housing project on Del Mar’s North Bluff is suing the city after more than a year of tense communications, alleging that the city’s repeated rejection of the project application...more
San Francisco’s state-mandated plan to raise building height limits to encourage housing production along transit corridors from the Sunset to the Richmond to the Marina came under criticism at the Planning Commission’s...more
Fullerton leaders have reached a settlement with the state over the city’s housing element. When looking at how much housing is needed in the state to meet the growing population, Fullerton’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation...more
Last February, two pro-housing groups sued a dozen Bay Area jurisdictions, including Cupertino, over their failure to meet the January 31, 2023, state deadline for housing elements detailing how they plan to approach...more
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass last Wednesday announced a new executive order to reduce permitting time for housing by 25-30%, a move that could significantly expand housing production....more
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 ,
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Homeless Issues ,
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HUD ,
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Vacant Properties
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
The Biden administration last Thursday announced further steps to lower housing costs and boost supply. The administration is looking to incentivize municipalities to lift restrictive land use and zoning policies by...more
Housing advocates touted the “Builder’s Remedy” as a clever way to circumvent NIMBY politics and get more housing built. But in the two months since the law has been available to Bay Area developers, few have submitted...more
Rent control expands as tenants struggle with the record-high cost of housing -
NPR – November 28 -
In November, voters in Florida, Maine, and California approved ballot measures to impose or tighten caps on rent hikes....more
12/6/2022
/ Bay Area ,
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Biden administration approves $250M for energy efficiency upgrades in homes and businesses - The Hill – November 15 - The Biden administration announced that it will allocate $250 million in formula funding for energy...more
A developer's guide to the Builder's Remedy - Allen Matkins – November 4 -
The so-called "Builder's Remedy" under the Housing Accountability Act (HAA) is disciplinary and applies when a local jurisdiction has not adopted a...more
San Francisco Board of Supervisors approves new fourplex law - San Francisco Chronicle – October 17 - For the second time this year, San Francisco supervisors have passed legislation allowing fourplexes to be built in every...more
New limits recommended for building homes in high-risk wildfire areas in California - The Mercury News – October 10 - At a news conference in San Diego County on October 10, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released...more
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
Los Angeles County commits to lifting eviction moratorium by year’s end - Los Angeles Times – September 14 - Los Angeles County will move forward with a plan to lift its pandemic-era eviction moratorium and other renter...more
California voters to decide on repeal of anti-public housing measure in 2024 Los Angeles Times – September 2 Nearly 75 years after amending the state Constitution to make it harder to build public housing, California voters...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