Todd Williams Comments on Application and Use of SB 35 Statewide

Following a recent discussion with The Mercury News, Partner Todd A. Williams is quoted in the article “Is California’s most controversial new housing production law working?,” discussing SB 35, a new state housing law that fast-tracks housing projects by bypassing hurdles like zoning appeals. More than 40 projects statewide have used SB 35 since the law went into effect in Jan. 2018, but the majority of approved or pending SB 35 proposals are for fewer than 100 units.

Todd explains that SB 35’s strict rules, which include requiring as much as half of a project be low-income housing and mandating workers receive the local prevailing wage, aren’t worth the added expense for developers. He says SB 35 is an interesting tool that could ultimately be effective but that “we just haven’t seen the impact yet in practice.”

To read the full article, please visit The Mercury News. (subscription required)