State officials in California are putting pressure on localities to reform zoning and permitting practices to allow more housing construction.
Attorney General Rob Bonta has created a new 12-member Department of Justice task force to more strictly enforce pro-housing laws. Bonta hinted recently that more lawsuits against cities failing to meet state-imposed quotas for zoning land for housing could be in the works.
The League of California Cities sharply criticized Bonta’s comments. A spokesperson for the league derided the state’s “scattershot approach” to housing laws that are “often in direct conflict with each other and counterproductive to our shared goals to increase housing supply.”
Tension between the state and local governments over housing recently flared up in the Bay Area. The state Department of Housing and Community Development warned San Francisco that the city’s rejection of two housing projects could violate state law. The department ordered the city to provide “reasoning and evidence” for blocking more than 800 units of new housing.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Aug 15, 2024
New York City begins first large-scale porous pavement installation
New York City is installing its first large-scale porous pavement installation along seven miles of roadway in Brooklyn. The project will keep 35 million gallons of stormwater out of the combined sewer system each year, according to a news release.
Government Buildings | Aug 14, 2024
GSA releases updated standards to move federal buildings toward zero emissions
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently released updated building efficiency standards for federal buildings. The mandatory design and construction standards and performance criteria apply to 300,000 federal buildings.
MFPRO+ News | Aug 14, 2024
Report outlines how Atlanta can collaborate with private sector to spur more housing construction
A report by an Urban Land Institute’s Advisory Services panel, commissioned by the city’s housing authority, Atlanta Housing (AH), offered ways the city could collaborate with developers to spur more housing construction.
Energy Efficiency | Aug 9, 2024
Artificial intelligence could help reduce energy consumption by as much as 40% by 2050
Artificial intelligence could help U.S. buildings to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to a paper by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Products and Materials | Aug 8, 2024
EPA issues $160 million in grants for clean manufacturing of steel, other construction materials
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide 38 grant recipients with nearly $160 million to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products.
Green | Aug 7, 2024
Major cities worldwide set building performance standards
Cities around the world are setting building performance standards (BPS) as a key measure to cut emissions and meet climate targets, according to a report from JLL.
Codes and Standards | Aug 6, 2024
New tool helps with selection, installation of heat pump water heaters
A new web-based tool by the Department of Energy offers comprehensive information about how to size, select, and install electric heat pump water heaters (HPWHs).
Regulations | Aug 4, 2024
Diversity rules largely ignored on Boston construction projects
Not a single construction project in Boston over the past four years has met all the rules intended to diversify the construction industry and increase the number of city residents working on construction sites, according to a report in the Boston Globe.
MFPRO+ News | Aug 1, 2024
Canada tries massive incentive program to spur new multifamily housing construction
Canada has taken the unprecedented step of offering billions in infrastructure funds to communities in return for eliminating single-family housing zoning.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 31, 2024
Shipping containers converted into attractive, affordable multifamily housing in L.A.
In the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, a new affordable multifamily housing project using shipping containers resulted in 24 micro-units for formerly unhoused residents. The containers were acquired from a nearby port and converted into housing units at a factory.