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New Tsunami Hazard Maps Expand Coastal Danger Zones
According to new risk assessment maps published by the California Geological Society, some communities across California may have mere minutes to evacuate in the case of a tsunami after an earthquake. These warning extend to communities not located directly on the coast, like large parts of Oakland, Alameda, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Diego and other popular spots statewide. The maps highlight flooding that could reach up to 50 feet in some areas, extending beyond the immediate coastline to bayside and riverside regions. Officials stress residents and visitors should be aware of these hazard zones and have an evacuation plan in place in the case of large-scale evacuations could be necessary without ample notice. The California Geological Society's maps reflect findings from the 2011 tsunami in Japan and past disasters including the 1964 Crescent City tsunami. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

L.A. Universities, ULI Team Up to Envision Fire Recovery
UCLA's Ziman Center for Real Estate, the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, and the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles have released Project Recovery, a comprehensive plan for rebuilding efforts after the LA wildfires and suggested a number of policy or organizational tools to focus on rebuilding and limiting future fire risk. The report includes suggestions for debris removal, supply chain issues, insurance and mortgage concerns and infrastructure restoration. The paper also suggests creating community rebuilding authorities to lead rebuilding efforts. Suggestions also include diversifying funding sources, adjusting city housing codes based on findings from the fires and utilizing a number of different fire mitigation risks in housing construction. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

Study Questions Value of L.A. "Mansion Tax"
A new study out of UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy contends that Measure ULA has significantly reduced high-value real estate transactions in Los Angeles, particularly impacting commercial, industrial and multifamily property sales. While the overall volume of real estate sales have not dropped substantially, this is likely because most transactions fall below the ULA threshold of $5 million. Although the measure, which imposes a 5% tax on eligible sales, was marketed as a “mansion tax,” the study found the measure disproportionately affects investor and business-related properties rather than luxury single-family homes. These reductions threaten both ULA’s own revenue and broader property tax revenues that support essential public services. To address these issues, the authors propose targeted reforms to realign the tax with its original intent while preserving its capacity to fund affordable housing. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

Legislation Update
SB 609 aims to streamline environmental review for infill housing in urban areas by exempting them from additional assessments under CEQA to accelerate housing development while keeping CEQA oversight for broader planning and zoning changes. SB 79 would accelerate multi-family housing near transit stops by making more development near train and rapid bus lines legal and streamlining environmental review processes. SB 79 would eliminate housing bans around transit stops currently existing in many cities statewide. Bay Area lawmakers are advancing SB 63, a regional sales tax measure to support transit agencies including BART, Muni and AC Transit, aiming to raise funds to combat the impending financial crisis and funding drop off that could severe service Bay Area-wide. SB 502 seeks to amend the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund to allocate 20% of the fund for affordable workforce housing, specifically for school districts and community colleges. Another 5% of the fund would be used to create a zero-interest revolving loan program to assist development costs of workforce housing. (See Bill Fulton's Insight column on pending legislation.)

CP&DR Coverage: Builders Remedy Cases Remain Active Statewide
Though most California cities have adopted compliant housing elements, Builders Remedy projects still loom large across the state -- as does the threat of lawsuits against cities that try to get around the Housing Accountability Act (SB 330). A recent conference sponsored by the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law assembled some of the most active players in the saga of the Builder’s Remedy: the provision of the Housing Accountability Act that strips cities of some land use controls if they do not adopt state-compliant housing elements. The panel included two developers who have pursued Builder’s Remedy Cases -- Jonathan Curtis, Managing Partner of Cedar Street Partners and former Mayor of La Cañada-Flintridge, and Leo Pustilnikov, principal of SLH Investments -- attorneys Matthew Gelfand of YIMBY Law and Dave Rand of Rand Paster Nelson.

Quick Hits & Updates

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended 68 bridges nationwide undergo vulnerability assessment, including 7 California bridges. Six of the seven bridges included in the recommendation are in the Bay Area, including the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, the Antioch Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. The San Diego-Coronado Bridge is the only bridge in Southern California included.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled a new plan to address the city’s approach to homelessness, addiction and mental health by increasing coordination, accountability and access to treatment. The plan lays out goals across three timelines—100 days, six months and one year—including consolidating outreach teams, reassessing drug paraphernalia distribution and adding 1,500 interim housing and treatment beds.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in California can be severely delayed due to inefficiencies at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), with many homeowners and builders reporting months or even years of setbacks caused by the utility's slow response times, complex rules and communication issues. Despite PG&E’s efforts to improve, these delays continue to be a significant obstacle, particularly as the state faces a housing crisis and seeks to increase ADU construction to meet its housing goals.

The construction bid for the long-awaited light-rail extension from Pomona to San Bernardino County was rejected after coming in $350 million over budget. The lone bid, from Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., was 54% higher than originally estimated. As a result, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority plans to restructure the procurement process in two stages to control uncertainty and reduce future costs. This delay pushes the project’s completion to 2031.

The San Diego Unified School District Board approved a plan to create affordable housing for at least 10% of its staff over the next decade, with plans to build over 1,500 units on five district-owned properties. This initiative, the largest of its kind by any school district in California, aims to help educators and staff struggling with San Diego's rising cost of living, ensuring they can live near the communities they serve.

The Long Beach City Council has given initial approval to expand its inclusionary housing ordinance citywide, requiring a gradually increasing share of affordable units—reaching 12% by 2027—in new residential developments. This phased approach is intended to avoid disrupting housing production while addressing the city's severe shortfall in affordable housing, with officials citing rising rents and stagnant incomes as key challenges.

California's high-speed rail project requires an additional $7 billion within the next year to complete its first section between Merced and Bakersfield, while the overall project is estimated to cost at least $100 billion. Lawmakers are facing mounting pressure as they await an update on the project, with concerns about the potential misuse of $4 billion in federal funds and a lack of a clear plan to resolve these issues.

According to new findings by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, California faces a severe shortage of affordable rental housing, with only 24 available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households, leaving over 1.28 million such households in need. Additionally, 78% of these households experience severe cost burdens, struggling to afford housing despite limited options.

A recent analysis found that LA Metro bus riders lose over 5.5 million minutes daily due to delays, with a small portion of streets causing a disproportionate amount of this lost time. Targeted improvements like dedicated bus lanes and signal prioritization in high-traffic corridors could significantly reduce delays, improve service efficiency and safe riders time.

A recent Caltrans report found that almost all of the relocations due to highway expansions projects between 2018 and 2023 occurred in LA County, mostly due to the widening of Interstate 5, which also saw the largest addition of two new vehicle lanes.

Los Angeles Metro is pushing back against its obligations to comply with Measure HLA, a voter-approved law requiring L.A. City projects to gradually implement safer, multi-modal street upgrades. The L.A. City Council approved a draft ordinance for Measure HLA’s implementation but added a mandatory internal appeal process, which may conflict with the measure’s legal language. Metro argues that the city lacks authority to enforce Measure HLA on its projects and has threatened legal action to resist compliance. This could force the city into a costly legal battle or require additional spending to retrofit Metro projects after initial non-compliant construction.

The Truckee Town Council passed resolutions condemning the Trump administration’s cuts to Forest Service staff and spending freezes, warning that these actions could severely impact the town’s economy and safety, especially with the summer tourism season approaching. The reductions, which include significant staff losses in the Tahoe National Forest, could lead to campground closures, increased wildfire risks and less oversight of public lands, which are vital to Truckee’s $244 million tourism industry. Town officials hope their resolutions will encourage other Sierra communities to take similar actions and push for state-level intervention to address these growing concerns.