California is enacting bills to reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as part of a budget deal, urging more affordable housing development. One bill enables high-density projects on non-hazardous land, while the other simplifies rezoning and municipal processes. Non-residential projects may also be exempt from CEQA. The urgency stems from soaring home prices and rent, which make housing unaffordable for many residents. Data shows that households struggle to afford monthly mortgage payments, with significant portions of incomes required in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose, exacerbating the housing crisis.
The first of the two bills will allow high-density developments to proceed if they are not on environmentally hazardous land, and the second will streamline legal and municipal processes, including rezoning.
According to data from Altos, a household in Los Angeles making the median income in California would have to pay more than they make to cover a monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home.
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