Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California

A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.

1 minute read

August 25, 2022, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Interstate 10 freeway cuts through residential neighborhoods in the city of Alhambra. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the background,

Matt Gush / Shutterstock

The Center for Jobs & the Economy recently published a report [pdf] quantifying the effect of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) on development proposals around the state.

The report—authored by Jennifer Hernandez, a land use and environment law attorney at the Holland & Knight law firm—finds that CEQA lawsuits challenged almost half of all development projects in the state in 2020.

“In 2020 alone, there were 47,999 housing units targeted in CEQA lawsuits,” according to the center’s website. In addition to housing, the report finds a “explosion” of CEQA lawsuits challenging renewable energy development projects in 2020.

Among the key points of the report is concern that the 2022 Scoping Plan underway at the California Air Resources Board, required by the state’s landmark climate change law, AB 32, is only likely to encourage more anti-development lawsuits under CEQA.

“The CARB 2022 Scoping Plan, by implication and omission, invites more CEQA lawsuits against any type of housing that falls outside a limited number of housing types, all of which are infeasible, expensive, and frequently the target of CEQA lawsuits,” according to the website. “The CARB 2022 Scoping Plan ‘Natural and Working Lands’ chapter calls for the immediate cessation of new housing and other development on lands not previously developed–not even the buildout of existing cities and projects.”

Friday, August 19, 2022 in Center for Jobs & the Economy

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

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.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square