Environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act would no longer apply to the construction of homeless shelters under a law proposed in the California State Legislature.
"A California Democrat introduced legislation on Wednesday to speed up construction for homeless shelters and affordable housing in the state by exempting certain projects from environmental review," reports Hannah Wiley.
Assembly Bill 1907, authored by Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), would end the need for environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for specific kinds of homeless shelters and other emergency housing facilities until 2029. The bill would expand statewide a similar law, applying only to the city of Los Angeles, authored by Santiago in 2019 and signed by Governor Newsom into law, according to Wiley.
Liam Dillon provides additional news coverage of the proposed law, noting that CEQA "has been credited with helping to preserve California’s natural beauty but also blamed for stymieing construction."
FULL STORY: New California proposal would skip environmental review for homeless shelters
Phoenix Takes a New Approach on Homelessness
Phoenix is centering housing—affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and eviction protections—in a new planning framework designed to reduce the number of homeless people living on the streets of the city.
The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million
It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont