Office-to-housing conversion initiatives proliferate in California

Partner Caroline Chase was quoted in an article that appeared in Multifamily Dive about California policymakers pursuing policy changes that remove barriers to converting older commercial buildings into housing. Caroline said, "AB 2011, which was amended by AB 2243, has changed the legal landscape by creating a ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval pathway for qualifying housing development projects along commercial corridors, even if the property is not zoned for residential use. In exchange, the developer must provide on-site affordable housing and meet specified labor requirements, the latter of which has often been a deal-breaker for developers."

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