Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, has had her bill, the Expediting State Housing Permits Act (AB 301), passed as part of a major package of housing legislation aimed at tackling the state’s housing crisis.

The bill streamlines the state permitting process and eliminates avoidable delays that slow down housing construction. Growing the housing stock more quickly and efficiently is a key part of efforts to make housing more affordable and available.

“In the middle of a housing crisis, it’s crucial we pull all the levers available to us to build more housing faster and that’s affordable. We can’t let bureaucracy needlessly delay these desperately needed housing projects,” said Schiavo. “The Expediting State Housing Permits Act holds state agencies accountable to the same deadlines as local governments, so that families aren’t stuck waiting for what can be as simple as a state agency sign-off.”

The goal of the Expediting State Housing Permits Act is to break down barriers to building more housing, which in the end will create more housing stock and lead to more affordable housing. The bill aligns state review timelines with those already required of counties for completeness checks and permit approvals. If a state agency fails to meet the required deadlines, the permit is deemed approved or the review considered complete, removing one of the roadblocks to getting housing built.

“We’re tackling the housing crisis so that California can again be a place where new homes are built quickly, because housing supply is a key driver of overall affordability for families,” said Speaker Robert Rivas, who is joint authoring the Expediting State Housing Permits Act (AB 301). “The Assembly’s fast action on these housing bills is a key step toward reducing construction delays and cost overruns.”

The legislation passed the Assembly and is now headed to the State Senate for consideration. The Expediting State Housing Permits Act is part of a broader legislative housing package of nine bills being expedited by the State Assembly that includes bills to accelerate local building reviews and temporarily pause costly new building standards.