A zoning violation notice may arise after a complaint, property inspection, permit review, or other interaction with a local agency. For property owners, these enforcement actions can affect how they use, develop, finance, or transfer their property. California cities and counties have broad authority to regulate land use and enforce zoning requirements. However, that authority… Read more »
Getting a housing project entitled in California is often only the first hurdle. After securing land use approvals, a developer must still obtain building permits, plan check approvals, and grading permits before construction can begin. Local agencies have historically processed these ministerial permits on their own timelines, sometimes delaying projects for months or even years…. Read more »
California cities and counties have long used growth control measures to limit the pace of residential and commercial development. Some impose annual caps on building permits. Others establish urban growth boundaries beyond which development is restricted or prohibited. A few use voter-approved moratoriums that freeze approvals for defined periods. Taken together, these measures can significantly… Read more »
Housing projects across California face a familiar problem. Local agencies change zoning rules mid-project. Design standards multiply with each review. Hearings get continued indefinitely. A project that once looked straightforward can quickly become a moving target. SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, was designed to stop that cycle. The law limits many of… Read more »
Property owners rebuilding after a fire in Malibu or the Pacific Palisades face a coastal permitting system unlike anywhere else in California. The California Coastal Act generally requires a coastal development permit before any construction in the coastal zone. However, a specific exemption allows many fire victims to rebuild without that permit, provided the replacement… Read more »
California needs far more housing than it builds each year. The state falls short by an estimated 180,000 homes annually, creating ongoing pressure on housing affordability and supply. To address that shortage, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2011, the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022. AB 2011 allows affordable and mixed-income housing… Read more »
SB 684 requires California cities to ministerially approve small residential subdivisions of ten units or fewer on qualifying urban lots. Signed on October 11, 2023, and effective July 1, 2024, the law removes discretionary review, public hearings, and CEQA analysis for projects that meet its objective criteria. Senate Bill 1123, effective July 1, 2025, expanded… Read more »
AB 2097 bars most California public agencies from imposing minimum parking requirements on development within a half mile of a major transit stop. Codified at Government Code Section 65863.2, the statute took effect January 1, 2023, and it overrides local zoning ordinances, including those adopted by charter cities. However, the law’s practical application involves far… Read more »
A developer submits a housing application for a 50-unit residential project in a city with a non-compliant housing element. The site is properly zoned. The application is complete. A few weeks later, neighbors begin appearing at city council meetings. Local officials start discussing whether the century-old craftsman bungalow on the property should receive historic designation…. Read more »
California’s housing crisis has changed how state agencies interact with local governments. The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) now has real enforcement power over how cities approve, deny, and delay housing projects. Developers, landowners, and housing sponsors need to understand how HCD enforcement works under California law, or they risk losing leverage when… Read more »
