California Streamlines Housing Approvals by Reforming Environmental Law
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: California has overhauled its 1970s environmental protection rules to exempt most urban housing projects from lengthy reviews, addressing the state’s critical housing shortage while maintaining environmental protections for certain projects.
📈 One key stat: The new rules exempt large swathes of ‘infill housing’ from environmental reviews, potentially accelerating construction of desperately needed homes in America’s most populous state.
💬 One key quote: “This is what we’ve all been waiting for – a long overdue step to stop Ceqa from being weaponized against housing,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who sponsored one of the bills.
1️⃣ The big picture: California has enacted major changes to its landmark 1970s environmental protection law to address the state’s severe housing crisis. Governor Gavin Newsom pushed lawmakers to overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act (Ceqa), which required strict environmental reviews for new developments. The new rules exempt most urban housing developments from these reviews, which housing advocates say have created bureaucratic barriers to building homes. The legislation also includes exemptions for high-tech manufacturing sites to stimulate growth, though some environmental groups oppose the changes.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This reform directly tackles one of California’s most pressing challenges – the housing shortage driving homelessness and affordability issues. By streamlining approvals for urban housing developments, construction can move forward more quickly and with greater certainty for builders. The focus on infill housing encourages development in already-built areas rather than expanding into undeveloped land. Reducing bureaucratic hurdles lowers construction costs, potentially making housing more affordable. The changes maintain environmental protections for very large projects and construction in low-density areas.
3️⃣ What’s next: Developers can now move forward with urban housing projects without undergoing lengthy environmental reviews. State officials will begin implementing the new exemptions for both housing and manufacturing developments. Environmental groups may challenge certain aspects of the law, particularly those related to industrial site exemptions.
Read the full story here: The Guardian – California overhauls landmark environmental protection rules
