Apr 20, 2025 | Housing, Environment, Litigation
By Kate Talerico
April 20, 2025
For years, this lot just south of the West Oakland BART station has sat vacant. This was supposed to be housing — a 222-unit tower with 16 apartments set aside for low-income renters. But soon after Oakland’s planning commission signed off on the project, the decision was appealed. A coalition of trade unions, using the California Environmental Quality Act, demanded that the developer conduct more studies to assess the soil’s contamination levels — a process that could hold up construction for months.
Apr 11, 2025 | Litigation, Housing
By STEPHANIE LAM
April 11, 2025
Pro-housing group YIMBY Law has filed two lawsuits against Cupertino this week, claiming the city violated state laws by denying multiple housing proposals that would have added dozens of new homes.
The organization alleges that two preliminary proposals submitted under the builder’s remedy provision — Vista Heights and Schofield Drive — faced numerous roadblocks in their application process.
Apr 3, 2025 | Housing, Litigation
By NOLLYANNE DELACRUZ
April 3, 2025
Los Gatos is asking for a judge to weigh in on a conflicting interpretation regarding builder’s remedy applications.
The town filed a lawsuit last week at the Santa Clara County Superior Court for clarification regarding the application process for builder’s remedy housing projects. Builder’s remedy is a controversial provision that allows developers to build a project of whatever height and size wherever they would like in cities that don’t have a state-certified housing element.
Nov 10, 2024 | Housing, Litigation
By Susan Kirsch
November 10, 2024
The headline of the editorial read, “Novato is stuck with bad rules from the state.” Some will nod in sympathy. They think about being “stuck” as burdened, baffled or in a fixed position and unable to move.
Others don’t feel sympathy, but anger. Rightly so. Elected officials have pandered to Sacramento lawmakers and succumbed to threats from legislators and staff. In many cases, they’ve abandoned the well-being of constituents.
Sep 4, 2024 | Housing, Bills, Litigation
By Hillel Aron
September 4, 2024
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he plans to sign a bill that would strengthen the state attorney general’s power to fine cities that flout state housing laws.
Once Senate Bill 1037 goes into effect, the attorney general can seek penalties that would be assessed from the date that the housing law violation began. Those much larger fines will now go toward building affordable housing in the jurisdiction being penalized.
Aug 8, 2024 | Litigation, Taxes
By Jason Bezis, Esq
August 8, 2024
A group of residents opposed to a $20 billion regional housing bond measure filed a court challenge today to Regional Measure 4’s (RM4) 75- word ballot question. Opponents’ Attorney Jason Bezis sent BAHFA a letter last Friday demanding a series of nine language changes to remove prejudicial language. Opponents assert that the true annual cost of the measure is nearly 36% higher than the amount shown in the ballot question.
