Governor Gavin Newsom, bless his soul, decided to throw his weight behind two bills that aim to make building houses in urban areas a whole lot easier. He’s all about cutting red tape and getting serious about fixing this housing crisis that’s been hanging over our heads for way too long. During a news conference on Wednesday, Newsom announced that his revised state budget proposal would include changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to make way for more housing construction. He’s also giving a shoutout to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Senator Scott Wiener for sponsoring bills that will make it simpler to get permits for building in already developed urban areas.
The goal here is to speed up the process of building in urban areas that have already been given the green light for development. Newsom’s plan includes setting deadlines for permits from the Coastal Commission, allowing larger housing projects to benefit from the same streamlined CEQA process that smaller projects get, and creating a fund, funded by developers, to support affordable housing near public transportation. CEQA has been a thorn in the side of developers for a long time, with its vague language allowing anyone with a lawyer to throw a wrench in the works. Wiener is all about cutting through the red tape, saying it’s time to “accelerate urban infill” and get rid of CEQA for these projects.
Wicks’ Assembly Bill 609 and Wiener’s Senate Bill 607 are both aimed at making it easier to build housing in urban areas without jumping through so many hoops. Wicks wants to create an exemption for housing projects that meet local standards, especially in areas that have already been approved for development. Wiener, on the other hand, is focused on streamlining the environmental review process and clarifying CEQA exemptions for urban infill projects. Both bills are currently sitting in the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees, waiting to see if they’ll make the cut. Let’s hope they do because California could really use some more affordable housing options.
