Senator Umberg Introduces Legislation to Extend CEQA Exemption for Conversion of Motels into Transitional and Supportive Housing

On January 17, Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) introduced Senate Bill 91, which makes permanent a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption to covert hotels and motels into supportive and transitional housing.   

This CEQA exemption was created through the author’s SB 450 (2019) in response to the pressing need to create housing for the state’s homeless population.  RCRC supported SB 450 because existing hotels and motels can easily be repurposed to provide affordable housing and housing is often the first step to addressing the underlying causes of or avoiding homelessness.  Extending this CEQA exemption will help save significant project costs and avoid lengthy litigation delays associated with these conversion projects.   

RCRC’s letter of support can be found here. For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate, John Kennedy.