Gov. Newsom proposes allocating an additional $1.75 billion for new housing. Regardless of how many tax dollars are spent, the biggest obstacle to building housing remains the California Environmental Quality Act. CEQA does not discriminate, as its victims can be infill housing developments, or dedicated teacher housing. Rather than fixing CEQA, our Legislature provided exemptions for billionaires to fast-track construction of sports stadiums.

CEQA lawsuits are utilized by special-interest groups to delay housing projects indefinitely, unless certain extractions are provided. Abuse of CEQA may be used to force a developer to sign a contract mandating who is hired to build the project, which increases costs to future occupants. Abuse of CEQA may be used to reduce the number of housing units, thus making the project unfeasible, which then puts greater pressure on building out agricultural land.

As a member of the Sierra Club, I support CEQA reform.

Pierluigi Oliverio
Former San Jose Councilman