Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
New California Laws Aim to Speed Housing Construction
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
October 10, 2019

Share

SACRAMENTO — A new California law aims to stop communities from delaying construction of new housing projects.
It’s one of 18 housing bills signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
State lawmakers have passed dozens of bills aimed at boosting funding for affordable housing, easing development restrictions and helping renters facing rising costs as California struggles with a housing crisis. Far fewer homes and apartments than necessary are available to house the state’s nearly 40 million people.
The bill by Sen. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley caps the number of public hearings on new projects, bans local governments from increasing fees on projects once an initial application is submitted and stops urban areas from freezing new construction. The measures are aimed at stopping cities and counties from delaying building when they have already zoned for new housing units.
Residential building permits fell 20% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2018, Skinner’s office said.
“Scarcity drives up cost, whether you are paying rent or trying to buy a home,” Skinner said in a statement. “And the skyrocketing cost of housing hurts all of us, whether it’s our neighbors who are driven out of the communities they grew up in or the many who end up homeless. (This law) helps us get more housing now. We need it fast.”

 

Several Proposals Aim to Better Track Surplus Public Land

The law will be in effect through 2025.

“This legislation will dramatically boost the production of affordable housing and ensure tens of thousands of lower-income Californians struggling to keep up with rising housing costs will have a safe, affordable place to call home.” Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium
Other laws signed Wednesday aim to boost the construction of so-called “granny flats,” which are separate housing units connected to or in the backyard of an existing home. They are formally called “accessory dwelling units,” and are spaces that people could rent out or let family members live in.
Several proposals aim to better track surplus public land that could be used for housing development and otherwise ease restrictions on development. One law says projects that provide 100% affordable units will be allowed to build more densely than local zoning laws typically allow.
“This legislation will dramatically boost the production of affordable housing and ensure tens of thousands of lower-income Californians struggling to keep up with rising housing costs will have a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium, in a statement.
Newsom was visiting San Diego and Los Angeles on a statewide tour to tout housing legislation. The day before, he signed landmark legislation to cap annual rent increases on many properties at 5% plus inflation.

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Fired Teacher and Coach Ed Madec Seeks Justice

DON'T MISS

Fresno Location Is Among the 500 JOANN Fabrics Closures

DON'T MISS

Clovis Wrestles With Fallout From ‘Non-Sanctuary City’ Idea

DON'T MISS

California Farm Donates Hundreds of Thousands of Eggs to Wildfire Victims, First Responders

DON'T MISS

As Council Race Heats Up, Dyer Credits ‘One Fresno’ for New SE Sports Park

DON'T MISS

Editorials of The Times: Now Is Not the Time to Tune Out

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Substitute Questions Students About Immigration Status

DON'T MISS

USAID in Turmoil as Aid Programs Cut, Staff Stranded

DON'T MISS

Look Past Elon Musk’s Chaos. There’s Something More Sinister at Work.

DON'T MISS

Navy Crew Members Eject From Their Jet Before It Crashes off the San Diego Coast

UP NEXT

USAID in Turmoil as Aid Programs Cut, Staff Stranded

UP NEXT

Navy Crew Members Eject From Their Jet Before It Crashes off the San Diego Coast

UP NEXT

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

UP NEXT

Apple Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Maps

UP NEXT

California’s FAIR Plan Needs $1B for Wildfire Claims, Costs Passed to Policyholders

UP NEXT

California Man Calls 375 Hoax Threats in Swatting Spree Will Face Prison Time

UP NEXT

Red, White, and Blueland? GOP Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename Greenland

UP NEXT

White House Bars AP Reporter From Oval Office Because of AP Style Policy on ‘Gulf of America’

UP NEXT

Californians Picked Up in Recent ICE Raids Include Kids and Volunteers

UP NEXT

Denmark Wants to Buy California? Online Petition Hits 200,000 Signatures

California Farm Donates Hundreds of Thousands of Eggs to Wildfire Victims, First Responders

13 hours ago

As Council Race Heats Up, Dyer Credits ‘One Fresno’ for New SE Sports Park

13 hours ago

Editorials of The Times: Now Is Not the Time to Tune Out

14 hours ago

Fresno Unified Substitute Questions Students About Immigration Status

14 hours ago

USAID in Turmoil as Aid Programs Cut, Staff Stranded

14 hours ago

Look Past Elon Musk’s Chaos. There’s Something More Sinister at Work.

14 hours ago

Navy Crew Members Eject From Their Jet Before It Crashes off the San Diego Coast

14 hours ago

Kellen Moore Exits Eagles to Become Saints Head Coach

15 hours ago

The Deadly Truth: Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024

16 hours ago

CHP K-9 Seizes 50 Pounds of Illicit Mushrooms in Fresno County

16 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Fired Teacher and Coach Ed Madec Seeks Justice

On this week’s Wired Wednesday, GV Wire senior reporter David Taub talks with KMPH Fox 26 “Great Day” anchor Karl Cooke about the firing of ...

11 hours ago

11 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Fired Teacher and Coach Ed Madec Seeks Justice

12 hours ago

Fresno Location Is Among the 500 JOANN Fabrics Closures

12 hours ago

Clovis Wrestles With Fallout From ‘Non-Sanctuary City’ Idea

Rosemary Farm family representatives Jose Pelayo, left, and Lisa Stothart deliver a donation of hundreds of thousands of fresh eggs to feed first responders and those in need in the community through the donation of Rosemary Eggs at the Los Angeles Food Regional Bank in City of Industry, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP/Damian Dovarganes)
13 hours ago

California Farm Donates Hundreds of Thousands of Eggs to Wildfire Victims, First Responders

13 hours ago

As Council Race Heats Up, Dyer Credits ‘One Fresno’ for New SE Sports Park

President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)
14 hours ago

Editorials of The Times: Now Is Not the Time to Tune Out

14 hours ago

Fresno Unified Substitute Questions Students About Immigration Status

Priya Kathpal, right, and Taylor Williamson, left, who work for a company doing contract work for the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, carry signs outside the USAID headquarters in Washington, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
14 hours ago

USAID in Turmoil as Aid Programs Cut, Staff Stranded

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend