Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the most sweeping reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act in over five decades, creating ten new CEQA exemptions for projects such as infill housing, child care centers, and broadband infrastructure, and investing nearly $1.4 billion in new investments for affordable housing, renters, and first-time homebuyers.
California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is being criticized by liberal lawmakers and housing advocates for obstructing progress and needs reform to balance environmental protections with the need for housing and infrastructure projects.
California Democrats are struggling to address the housing crisis, with the governor’s proposal to streamline housing development being met with resistance from labor, environmental, and local government factions, while the state’s failure to build more homes per capita threatens to spark a backlash from middle- and upper-middle-class voters.
California is set to implement a major environmental and housing reform with the expected signing of AB 609 into law, which will exempt certain infill housing projects from CEQA review, allowing for faster and more efficient construction of new homes in already developed areas.
California is making progress in addressing its housing crisis with the passage of Senate Bill 79 and efforts to reform the California Environmental Quality Act, but the cost of building affordable housing remains a major obstacle.
California YIMBY leaders Nolan Gray and Brooke Pritchard discussed the state’s housing crisis, the need for statewide solutions, and the potential of Senate Bill 79 to promote dense housing near high-quality transit hubs and limit urban sprawl.
Opponents of SB 607 argue that the bill would gut California’s landmark environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, and undermine protections that have safeguarded communities for over half a century, posing health risks to construction workers and residents.
Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a new legislative plan to streamline housing development processes and eliminate regulatory barriers in California, aiming to build 2.5 million homes and 1 million affordable units by the end of the housing cycle.
Senator Scott Wiener has authored two key bills, SB 79 and SB 607, which aim to modernize California’s permitting and environmental review procedures to address its housing shortage and environmental protection challenges.
By Megan Barr BERKELEY, CA — California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently vowed to restructure the California Environmental…