State fire marshal misses deadline for apartment building safety report, angering housing advocates

"They were given a deadline,"

"I know there's been a real desire among politicians in California to change the state's image as a slow-moving state, but in this case I don't see it,"

California assigned the Office of the State Fire Marshal to produce a safety report on single-stair apartment buildings with a Jan. 1 deadline. Single-stair apartments are common worldwide but effectively banned across most of North America. Housing advocates and building experts say changing state building codes could reduce multifamily construction costs, allow larger, airier and better-lit units, and increase family-sized apartments. Fire codes prioritize multiple escape routes and resident safety, creating tension between safety standards and housing affordability goals. A draft obtained by CalMatters suggests the office may consider modest code changes, but the official report remained pending after the deadline.

Read at Los Angeles Times