State of California’s May 2024 Budget Adjustment
May 13, 2024 By Dawna Morse, Associate The January 2024 Governor’s Budget totaled $300 billion to address a $37.9 billion shortfall resulting from misaligned revenues and increased expenditures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget aimed to maintain service levels across essential public sectors, including healthcare and education. However, Governor Newsom’s recent announcement of the […]
Enforcing the Tenant Protection Act – What does this mean for local jurisdictions?
March 18, 2024 As of April 1, 2024, Senate Bill 567 (SB 567) is in full swing, empowering local jurisdictions to take swift action against rental property owners violating the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482). AB 1482, enacted in 2019, set a statewide rent cap at 5%, with a maximum of 10% when […]
Governor Signs Major Reforms to Surplus Land Act Making Disposition More Efficient for Public Agencies
October 12, 2023 By Jim Simon, Principal, Mark Sawicki, Director, and Alex Lawrence, Senior Associate This week, Governor Newsom signed two important pieces of Legislation impacting the Surplus Land Act: Assembly Bill 480 (Ting) and Senate Bill 747 (Caballero). Together, both bills make significant changes to the Surplus Land Act (Government Code 54220-54234). As we […]
The Surplus Land Act: Help or Hindrance for Cities Pursuing Community Development?
July 25, 2023 By Mark Sawicki, Director The original purpose of the Surplus Land Act (“SLA”) was to provide affordable housing developers with notification and opportunity to acquire land from cities and districts where the local agency had no use for the land. Three years ago, the SLA was amended to restrict the definition of […]
Resilience and Restraint Theme to Revised California Budget Proposal
May 16, 2023 By Jim Simon, Principal Last Friday, Governor Newsom released his administration’s revised 2023-24 budget proposal, which encompasses total spending of $306.6 billion. As readers may recall, the January budget was the first in a few years that had to contend with a deficit, which at the time was approximately $22.5 billion. Since […]
CA State Budget Summaries and Trailer Bills Still to Come
August 20, 2021 By Mark Sawicki, Director In June and July, the Legislature adopted, and the Governor signed, two budget bills (AB 128 and SB 129) outlining a record $262 billion budget focused on economic recovery that included $8 billion in stimulus payments; $1.5 billion in cash grants to COVID-impacted businesses; over $6 billion for […]
Small Scale Sustainable Infill Housing Developments Earn Expedited Environmental Review
July 19, 2021 By Brandon Fender, Associate New development and environmental policies are inherently at odds. Proponents of the landmark California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) cite high development costs and arduous local planning processes as key issues preventing new housing projects in the State. Development supporters point to high profile CEQA challenges that have delayed […]
CA Governor Signs Two Bills Clarifying EIFD Law
July 16, 2021 By Lynn Kelly-Lehner, Director Redevelopment agencies’ dissolution in 2011 diminished the use of tax increment financing, the primary tool used by local governments to eliminate physical and economic blight, finance new construction, improve public infrastructure, rehabilitate existing buildings, and increase the supply of affordable housing. Since that time, the State created several […]
Challenging Housing Development Policies, One Reform at a Time
June 21, 2021 By Alejandra Martinez, Research Assistant Developers, cities, and the state continue to seek ways to facilitate the creation of much-needed housing and have worked toward removing housing production constraints as California contends with the ongoing housing crisis. However, throughout this process, we have had to confront exclusionary and restrictive housing policy that […]
American Rescue Plan Act – Big News for State and Local Governments
With President Biden’s signature on the American Rescue Plan Act as of Thursday, March 11, 2021, additional federal support will be on the way to help the country recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The $1.9 trillion law will provide major financial relief. Individuals making up to $75,000 annually will receive $1,400 direct payments, small […]