Building Industry Blames Onerous Regulations For Housing Shortage

"The [June 15] report is the California Building Industry Association's (CBIA) second this year aimed at highlighting the sector's contribution to the state as well as the benefit of allowing more development."

"'Home building and housing are very important to the economy,' said Robert Rivinius, president and CEO of CBIA, 'and could contribute much more if we were able to build the amount of housing needed in the state.'"

"The report said California housing production has lagged projected demand since the late 1990s, falling nearly 20,000 units shy of housing needs in 2005. To address this shortfall, the CBIA is advocating an overhaul of state environmental regulations, including a Senate bill that would narrow the reach of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), that it says discourage building as it also lobbies for measures that would stimulate home construction."

Thanks to James Temple