SACRAMENTO — In a show of bipartisan and bicameral unity, California lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping 20-bill legislative package aimed at overhauling the state’s housing development process. Branded as the “Fast Track Housing” package, the legislation targets systemic inefficiencies that have long stifled housing production in the nation’s most populous and cost-burdened state.
Standing shoulder to shoulder in the Governor’s Press Room, Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), and David Alvarez (D-San Diego), along with Senator Tim Grayson (D-Concord) and Special Assistant Attorney General Alex Fisch, presented a united front on an issue that has fractured California politics for decades.
“This package is a bicameral, bipartisan effort of legislators who are dedicated to making sure government works for the people that we serve,” said Assemblymember Wicks, Chair of the Select Committee on Permitting Reform. “The Fast Track Housing package is about making our systems work better: clearer rules, faster timelines, and fewer bureaucratic hoops.”
At the heart of the initiative is an attempt to streamline every phase of the housing approval process—from application submission to post-entitlement inspections—without compromising environmental integrity or safety standards. It includes key reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a law that, while originally intended to protect the environment, has increasingly been wielded to delay or kill infill housing projects.
“Time Is Money—and We’re Wasting Both”
California faces an estimated shortfall of 2.5 million homes. Nearly 200,000 residents are unhoused, and a staggering 80% of low-income households are rent-burdened. For many, the dream of homeownership is entirely out of reach.
Senator Grayson, a licensed general contractor with 30 years of experience, emphasized the dire economic implications of development delays. “There’s nothing that drives up a project quite like uncertainty,” he said. “Time is money. The longer it takes, the more expensive it gets. We need to find more ways to get homes built faster—and more affordably.”
One of the most consequential bills in the package, AB 609, introduced by Wicks, would exempt CEQA review for infill housing projects that already meet environmental and zoning standards. Wicks called it “the biggest sweeping reform on CEQA in the 50 years it’s been in effect.”
The urgency was echoed by Assemblymember Haney, Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee. “In California, it’s harder to get homes built than nearly anywhere else,” Haney said. “Every step of the process has unnecessary delays, roadblocks, and bureaucratic hurdles. We have to move with a level of urgency that is unprecedented.”
Streamlining the Process
The 20-bill package is structured around five key stages of housing production: application, CEQA compliance, entitlement, post-entitlement, and legal enforcement. Each bill aims to close loopholes, shorten timelines, and provide greater clarity for developers, cities, and the public.
Among the standout proposals:
- AB 1294 (Haney): A statewide uniform housing application to eliminate inconsistencies between jurisdictions.
- SB 786 (Arreguín): Clarifies housing element law to provide certainty for developers and streamline legal enforcement.
- AB 1308 (Hoover): Speeds up inspection timelines and allows applicants to hire private professionals for building inspections.
- AB 1276 (Carrillo): Locks in state and regional regulations at the time of application to prevent mid-process changes that kill projects.
- AB 609 (Wicks): CEQA exemption for infill projects meeting strict environmental and zoning standards.
“This is not about cutting corners,” Wicks emphasized. “It’s about being honest that what we’re doing isn’t working.”
“No More BS—It’s Time to Build”
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Chair of the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, delivered perhaps the most memorable line of the day. “A few years ago, I said ‘I’m not here for the BS—I’m here to build housing.’ Well, years later, both statements remain true.”
McKinnor is authoring AB 557, a bill that streamlines permitting for factory-built housing. “These homes can reduce construction timelines by as much as 60% and eliminate cost overruns on more than half of projects,” she said. “We cannot solve California’s housing crisis with red tape and redundancy.”
Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, a former city planner, spoke to the paralysis of unpredictability. “If California doesn’t fix its permitting system, we will continue to lose housing investments to other states,” he warned. His bill, AB 1276, aims to restore trust and reduce risk in the entitlement process.
Enforcement with Teeth
The package also seeks to enforce housing laws more aggressively. AB 712, authored by Wicks, would impose penalties on local and state agencies that violate housing statutes. Assemblymember Alvarez, a co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, didn’t mince words.
“Too many local governments say one thing in their housing plans and do the opposite,” he said. “New fees, new regulations, more permits—all designed to stop housing from being built. That is their intended consequence.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office is sponsoring SB 786 to provide legal clarity and expedite enforcement. “We can’t build more quickly if we can’t agree on what the blueprint says,” said Alex Fisch, Special Assistant to the Attorney General. “Clarity on the rules and consequences means better implementation—and soon, it’ll mean more homes.”
“We’re Not Prepared for the World We Live In”
While the Fast Track Housing package focuses on housing, lawmakers acknowledged its intersection with other pressing crises—insurance, fire safety, infrastructure, and climate change.
“We’ve created a regulatory environment that has made it almost impossible for us to build for the year 2025,” Wicks concluded. “Not to mention the world my children are going to grow up in.”
Though bold, the package is only a piece of the puzzle. “We are nowhere near close to accomplishing our housing goals,” Alvarez said. “But this time, I believe we will be successful. This is not politics-as-usual. This is mission-driven policy.”
If passed, the Fast Track Housing package would mark one of the most transformative legislative efforts in the history of California’s housing policy. Whether the coalition can hold together and overcome powerful resistance—from NIMBY groups, local governments, and entrenched interests—remains to be seen.
Key Quotes from the Press Conference and Legislators
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks: “The Fast Track Housing package is about making our systems work better: clearer rules, faster timelines, and fewer bureaucratic hoops… It’s not about cutting corners — it’s about being honest that what we’re doing isn’t working.”
Assemblymember Matt Haney: “We have to move with a level of urgency that is unprecedented… Every step of the process is littered with delays, and we need to get out of our own way.”
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor: “A few years ago I said, ‘I’m not here for the BS – I’m here to build housing.’ That’s still true today. No more BS. It’s time to build.”
Assemblymember Juan Carrillo: “If California doesn’t fix its permitting system, we will continue to lose housing investments to other states.”
Assemblymember Josh Hoover: “Housing isn’t a partisan issue — it’s the key to building generational wealth. I want my kids to be able to afford to stay in California.”
Senator Tim Grayson: “Time is money — and uncertainty drives up project costs. We need transparency, certainty, and urgency.”
Alex Fisch, CA DOJ: “SB 786 brings clarity to builders and local governments. We can’t build faster if we can’t agree on what the blueprint says.”
Overview of the 20 Bills in the Fast Track Housing Package
Application Phase
- AB 1294 (Haney): Creates a standardized statewide housing application to eliminate arbitrary local requirements.
CEQA Reform
- AB 609 (Wicks): Exempts infill housing that meets local zoning from CEQA review to fast-track environmentally friendly housing.
- SB 607 (Wiener): Reforms CEQA by streamlining analysis, broadening exemptions, and strengthening lead agency determinations.
Entitlement Phase
- AB 357 (Alvarez): Exempts student housing from Coastal Commission review to allow faster college housing development.
- AB 920 (Caloza): Requires centralized permit portals in large cities with real-time tracking for housing projects.
- AB 961 (Avila Farias): Extends liability protections for redevelopment of contaminated sites.
- AB 1007 (Rubio): Shortens agency review periods for housing projects where they are not the lead agency.
- AB 1276 (Carrillo): Locks in housing regulations at the time of application and mandates a “reasonable person” standard.
- SB 328 (Grayson): Streamlines toxic site remediation by capping fees and imposing response timelines.
- SB 489 (Arreguín): Requires transparency and deadlines in post-entitlement permitting decisions.
- SB 677 (Wiener): Fixes implementation flaws in SB 9 and SB 35 to expand duplexes and affordable housing.
Post-Entitlement Phase
- AB 557 (McKinnor): Eliminates redundant inspections for factory-built housing already approved by the state.
- AB 660 (Wilson): Allows third-party building permit reviews when local agencies delay reviews.
- AB 782 (Quirk-Silva): Prohibits cities from requiring bonding for privately maintained subdivision improvements.
- AB 818 (Avila Farias): Expedites rebuilding permits and waives fees for homes damaged by disasters.
- AB 1026 (Wilson): Requires utility companies to follow local government permit timelines.
- AB 1206 (Harabedian): Requires expedited permits for previously approved housing plans.
- AB 1308 (Hoover): Sets inspection timelines and enables private inspections when cities delay.
Legal Rights and Enforcement
- AB 610 (Alvarez): Blocks cities from adopting stricter housing rules not included in local housing elements.
- AB 712 (Wicks): Increases penalties for state and local violations of housing accountability laws.
- AB 1050 (Schultz): Prohibits private easements from blocking housing on already-zoned commercial land.
- SB 786 (Arreguín): Clarifies housing element law and strengthens enforcement, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Assuming some of this is actually implemented, it’s not going to make much difference (in regard to number of houses built, or lowering prices).
The reason is that there is no housing shortage (as in shortage of buildings). The population is not growing, and people aren’t having kids at anywhere near “replacement levels” (nationwide).
Every post-millennial generation is smaller.
The truth is that there’s just some people who don’t make enough money to support themselves (at least in terms of what they expect). Sometimes, those people leave for states where their money goes farther, but even there – they often don’t make enough money to support themselves.
(By the way, no one has actually explained what the supposed “problem” is regarding the California Exodus – which results in reduced demand for housing in California.)
Also, there’s already plenty of opportunities to build more housing, and developers have been doing exactly that in the form of sprawl. In fact, that seems to be the only type of development that’s currently occurring.
In any case, what lawmakers are attempting is a direct result of business interests infiltrating the political system (especially Democrats, in this case).