As California continues to grapple with a severe housing shortage, it is essential that we remove unnecessary barriers that delay the development of affordable homes. That is exactly what SB 677, authored by Senator Scott Wiener and sponsored by CCAH, seeks to accomplish.
Affordable housing developments often operate within tight financing windows and increasingly complex development timelines. Even when a project has received the necessary local approvals, it can still face costly delays through parcel map appeals that have little to do with the underlying subdivision itself. These delays increase costs, create financing uncertainty, and can jeopardize the delivery of much-needed affordable housing.
SB 677 addresses this problem by preventing specified parcel map appeals from being used as a tool to delay housing development in urban areas. The bill also strengthens protections for affordable housing projects that rely on tax-exempt bonds by ensuring that local inaction on required TEFRA approvals cannot be used to stall projects after financing has been awarded. These changes will help provide certainty to affordable housing developers and keep projects moving forward.
While the bill may appear technical, its impact is very real. TEFRA approval is one of the final steps required before affordable housing developers can access the tax-exempt bond financing that makes many projects possible. Unfortunately, some local jurisdictions have used delays in the TEFRA process to hold up projects long after they have secured financing commitments and received the necessary development approvals. Because affordable housing developments operate within strict financing deadlines, even a short delay can jeopardize funding, increase costs, and put desperately needed homes at risk. SB 677 ensures that affordable housing projects cannot be derailed by unnecessary delays in this procedural approval process, helping projects move from approval to construction more quickly and efficiently. Every month a project is delayed means higher construction costs, greater financing risk, and fewer affordable homes reaching the families, seniors, veterans, and working Californians who need them. By reducing avoidable delays, SB 677 will help ensure that affordable housing projects can move from approval to construction more efficiently.
CCAH was proud to sponsor SB 677 because we know that solving California’s housing crisis requires more than funding alone. We must also modernize the processes that stand between an approved project and the homes our communities desperately need.
We are grateful to Senator Wiener for his leadership and partnership on this issue. We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 677 into law and continue California’s commitment to removing barriers to affordable housing production. When we make it easier to build affordable homes, we create stronger communities, greater opportunity, and a more affordable future for all Californians. We sincerely hope that Governor Newsom will sign this important bill.