California has dismantled a pillar of its environmental legacy, speeding up development projects in a bold move to address its deepening housing crisis and homelessness. State leaders on Monday rolled back the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a law that for more than 50 years has been both a national model for environmental protection and a frequent target of criticism over its role in stalling new construction. The changes, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, reflect a dramatic shift in priorities as state leaders grapple with soaring housing costs, persistent homelessness, and growing public frustration, per the New York Times. "If we can't address this issue, we're going to lose trust, and that's just the truth," said Newsom.
The governor signed two bills with rare bipartisan support that will allow certain development projects to bypass the rigorous environmental reviews and, hopefully, the lawsuits that have often delayed construction. The reforms exempt high-density housing projects from CEQA if they're not located on environmentally sensitive or hazardous sites, as well as streamline approvals for projects like farmworker housing and child care centers. Earlier this year, Newsom had called for "smarter land use—not the endless regulatory delays that have held us back for decades," per KQED. Longtime supporters of CEQA, including many environmentalists, voiced strong opposition, warning that the new rules could harm fragile ecosystems and make it easier to build polluting industrial sites.
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