Senate Bill 406, authored by Senator Dave Cortese, a San Jose Democrat, cleared the State Senate on concurrence Thursday and is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for consideration.
According to Cortese's office, SB 406 aims to cut "repetitive" reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act while keeping the state's main environmental law intact.
Cortese said in a statement Thursday: "SB 406 cuts red tape without compromising on environmental protection. This bill will streamline permitting and speed up affordable housing production for people with the greatest need,"
To tackle California's unprecedented housing crisis, local governments have taken steps to offer financial aid for developing affordable housing.
In 2016, Santa Clara County voters approved Measure A, a $950 million bond created to help build about 4,800 affordable units. Public agencies regularly provide low-interest loans that support new affordable housing projects and guarantee their long-term sustainability.
Similar actions to Measure A have been taken in Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Francisco counties.
However, when a local agency helps fund an affordable housing project, this financial assistance can trigger an evaluation under CEQA, in addition to the separate and independent CEQA review conducted on the project itself.
