This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here.
Court Orders San Diego to Locate Affordable Housing More Equitably
A federal judge approved a settlement requiring the City of San Diego to encourage distrubtion of future affordable housing projects more equitably, with at least 70% located in moderate- to high-resource neighborhoods instead of concentrating them in lower-income areas. The agreement comes after a six-year legal battle brought by residents of southeast San Diego who alleged the city’s past policies violated fair housing laws by clustering poverty. Under the deal, the city must update community plans, annually report progress and take steps to promote integration, including financial incentives for grocery stores in underserved areas and support for first-time homebuyers. While San Diego denies any wrongdoing, officials say the settlement aligns with existing goals and helps avoid prolonged litigation. The court will retain oversight to ensure compliance with the terms.
Fresno Adopts Policies in Hopes of Restoring Prohousing Status
The City of Fresno is working to regain its Prohousing status, which allows access to millions in state housing grants, by passing several housing policy updates aimed at streamlining development. Recent council actions include recognizing tiny homes as primary residences, reducing mobile home park density requirements and eliminating certain parking mandates. A more controversial proposal to streamline housing approvals near transit and office zones was postponed due to opposition. A related rezoning plan in southwest Fresno was also delayed amid long-standing community resistance and criticism from a state senator. Meanwhile, the council approved funding for local community projects, including a senior center and LGBTQ-serving nonprofit. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
Final Draft of Plan Bay Area 2050+ Envisions $1.4 Trillion in Investments
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments released the Final Blueprint analysis of Plan Bay Area 2050+, roadmap for growth and investment in the Bay Area that plans for 900,000 new households and 1.3 million new jobs by 2050. The analysis precedes environmental review under CEQA, which is set to commence as early as July 17. Directing over $1.4 trillion in investments, the plan is the result of extensive public engagement over the past two years and focuses on transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental resilience. Key findings include the potential to double the share of people commuting by bike, foot, or transit through investment in transit and land use strategies to promote growth near transportation hubs. The plan proposed housing production and renter protections that could reduce percent of income spent on housing by 42% for low income families and 12% for all levels. Environmental resilience and retrofitting proposals could protect 95% of vulnerable homes from sea-level rise and reduce risk of wildfire damage by 50% according to the report.
Los Angeles Allocates Funds from Controversial "Mansion Tax"
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan for spending $425 million raised from Measure ULA for homelessness and affordable housing programs. Since its approval by voters in 2022, the controversial measure, also known as the "mansion tax," has raised $702 million. The 2025 ULA spending plan is greater than all previous years combined. It allocates $100 million for homelessness prevention through at-risk tenant support and eviction defense, and $288 million for the production and preservation of affordable housing. Since its adoption the measure has received criticism from the real estate industry, and recently several reports found that by reducing property sales Measure ULA ultimately limited new development, including multifamily and affordable housing. Proponents of Measure ULA defended the tax as a valuable source of funding for affordable housing. Joe Donlin, the director of United to House LA, criticized the reports as "lies" and "hate from big money real estate". (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Demise of Federal "Roadless Rule" Could Weaken Protection of 4.4 Million Acres in California
The US Department of Agriculture will rescind the 2001 'Roadless Rule' protecting 58 million acres of national forestland from road construction and logging, around 30% of national forestland. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed the move overturns obstacles to management and wildfire prevention, while environmental groups blasted the decision as a liquidation of public lands that would open national forests to drilling, mining, and logging. Advocates also refuted the claim that the decision helps wildfire management and future sustainability, pointing to the effects of logging on the forest conditions that create wildfires, as well as research showing that roadbuilding and development can fragment ecosystems, increase erosion, and lead to more sediment pollution in drinking water. In California over 4.4 million acres of national forest are protected by the roadless rule, including the Angeles, Tahoe, Inyo, Shasta-Trinity and Los Padres National Forests.
Nearly 500 Jurisdictions Subject to Streamlining for Affordable Housing
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) updated its list of cities and counties subject to streamlined approvals under the Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process (SMAP). SMAP is a state program that fast-tracks approval for certain developments in jurisdictions that have not met housing targets. HCD also launched an online SMAP dashboard showing real-time Housing Element compliance data for jurisdictions. Jurisdictions are assigned exempt, 10%, or 50% affordability streamlining status. Localities which have a compliant Housing Element, have submitted their latest Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), and which have made sufficient progress on their Above Moderate Income, Lower Income, and Very Low Income Regional Housing Needs Allocations (RHNAs), are exempt from SMAP streamlining. Forty jurisdictions are exempt. Two-hundred-one jurisdictions with have streamlining for at least 50% affordability, and 298 have streamlining for at least 10% affordability.
CP&DR Coverage: Fulton on Implications of Supreme Court Ruling for CEQA
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling involving the National Environmental Policy Act does not directly affect California’s environmental review process. But the NEPA ruling is likely, some lawyers say, to expand the gulf between NEPA and the California Environmental Quality Act. And it is possible – though not likely. – that the case will affect CEQA reform discussions in Sacramento. The important point to note is that this separates NEPA from CEQA even more than was already the case. “Reasonably foreseeable” developments and “cumulative impact” are bedrocks of CEQA analysis. So they’ll continue to be analyzed in, for example, transportation projects that involve both state and federal funds. But the anti-piecemealing argument that lies at the heart of “reasonably foreseeable” is so deeply embedded in CEQA that it’s hard to see – both politically and practically – how to extract it. In the meantime, combined EIR/EIS documents for state/federal projects will continue to have to worry about what’s reasonably foreseeable.
Quick Hits & Updates
A federal judge declined to place Los Angeles' homelessness programs under court control but found the city had failed to meet key requirements of a settlement agreement, including missing housing targets and providing unreliable data. Instead, the judge ordered the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee the city's progress, signaling serious concerns about transparency and accountability while stopping short of full receivership.
Kern County supervisors are considering a proposed overhaul of the county’s oil and gas zoning rules, which could streamline permits for nearly 2,700 new wells annually in unincorporated areas. The plan, reintroduced after past legal challenges, includes a new permitting system and CEQA updates, drawing both support from industry advocates citing economic need and criticism from environmental groups concerned about community health impacts.
The Oceanside Planning Commission has endorsed a transformative mixed-use redevelopment of the Oceanside Transit Center, encompassing over 500 new apartments (with 15% designated as affordable), a boutique hotel, expanded retail and dining spaces and more than $100 million in transit and parking upgrades. The project, led by Toll Brothers Apartment Living under a 99‑year lease, now moves to the City Council and California Coastal Commission for final approval and has already sparked debate over proposed changes to bus circulation and pedestrian access.
The Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved a 6,200-person lawn-style amphitheater as part of San Pedro's long-delayed West Harbor redevelopment, which also includes an expanded Ferris wheel and a major parking structure. This project, seen as a cultural revival for the area, is expected to take up to 16 months to build and aims to compete with Long Beach’s planned 12,000-seat venue.
A poll of registered California voters from the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology found that 70% think housing is a major funding priority. The poll also found that 33% of likely voters listed housing as their single biggest priority, more than double the second largest response of healthcare.
The aging Benicia-Martinez Railroad Drawbridge is causing significant delays for Capitol Corridor trains due to frequent vertical lifts for maritime traffic. The bridge poses a major obstacle to the rail service’s Link21 plan, which calls for faster and more frequent service between the Bay Area and Sacramento. Officials are considering two $10 billion-plus proposals to build a new, higher rail bridge.
Two Los Angeles City Councilmembers introduced a motion to explore ending parking requirements for new developments citywide, aiming to reduce housing costs and boost affordability. While the policy is still in early stages, supporters say it could give renters more options and lower construction expenses, though critics worry it may worsen parking shortages in residential neighborhoods.
The San Jose City Council unanimously rejected a proposed 17-story apartment and retail project in West San Jose, siding with residents who argued it was too large and not in line with the city's character. Despite support from housing advocates and offers from the developer to scale the project down, officials said the plan conflicted with the city’s general goals for targeted growth and would be revisited during broader planning updates.
The Irvine City Council is moving toward stricter regulations on sober living homes, including proposals for a 1,000-foot buffer between facilities and mandatory 24/7 on-site managers, following a violent incident at one such home. This local push reflects a broader trend across Orange County, where cities like Costa Mesa and Mission Viejo have enacted similar rules after legal victories affirmed their authority to regulate these group homes for safety and oversight. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Rise East, an urban revitalization plan for East Oakland, has secured $100 million in funding for the project. The community-led plan concentrates on the area home to the highest concentration of Black residents in East Oakland, and will support projects including affordable housing, youth workforce programs, cultural spaces, and revitalization of the MacArthur Blvd commercial corridor.
