The Brief

Housing policy in California had a big year.

Between the state lawmakers passing pivotal legislation that affects how much housing can be built and where and shifting construction rules prompted by the Palisades and Eaton fires, 2025 policy changes will have lasting effects on how new housing is built in Southern California.

As we head toward closing out the year, here are the top housing updates of 2025.

1. California upzoned neighborhoods near major transit stops

What happened

The state Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved SB 79 in October. It requires a handful of major counties, including L.A. County, to allow buildings of up to nine stories tall in areas near major transit stops.

This change overrides local zoning laws in those areas. It was one of the most significant legislative milestones yet for supporters of upzoning and faced major hurdles before it was signed into law. In L.A., a slim majority of the City Council formally voted to oppose it and Mayor Karen Bass asked Newsom to veto it.

Why is this a big deal?

Creating enough housing to address California’s shortage requires being legally allowed to build in areas with demand. That’s where zoning laws come in.

Advocates for more housing density have argued that neighborhoods near transit stops should be first in line to upzone, because not only would that approach create new housing, it also would deliver new potential riders to struggling public transit agencies.

Cities like L.A. have offered developers incentives to build more in some areas if they provide affordable units. But SB 79 requires this upzoning to happen, despite whatever local zoning laws might be in place — even in neighborhoods currently zoned only for single family homes. That's caused backlash from local governments and homeowners in many of these neighborhoods. 

Does this affect my neighborhood?

Possibly, if you’re within a half-mile of a major transit stop.

If you’re in the city of L.A., you can check out this draft preliminary map to see areas that could be upzoned under SB 79.

2. Expect fewer lawsuits against new housing projects

What happened

California’s state Legislature passed new laws that significantly roll back the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA. CEQA requires expensive environmental reports for many new housing projects and allows almost anybody to sue to block developments on environmental grounds.

CEQA still is in place, but it no longer will apply to most new apartment buildings built in and around existing development.

Why is this a big deal?

A CEQA lawsuit can add many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to a housing project.

For years, critics argued that CEQA was used more often as a political weapon and a tool to block housing — including affordable housing projects — rather than a way to raise legitimate environmental concerns.

One study found that in 2020, CEQA lawsuits targeted nearly 48,000 new housing units — about half of all new units produced in a year in California on average. This rollback means that large new apartment buildings can more easily move through the pipeline to be approved.

3. Housing development policies are shifting in fire-affected areas

Construction workers begin to rebuild a business destroyed by the Palisades Fire on May 7, 2025.

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Justin Sullivan

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What happened

The communities of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades are rebuilding after massive wildfires razed both areas in January. This is where many thorny questions about how to build new housing are colliding on an expedited timeline.

Here’s what’s happened so far:

• More homes are required to use fire-resistant materials. The California state Legislature expanded the areas where new homes are required to be built with wildfire-resistant materials. This doesn’t change much for the Pacific Palisades, which largely already has those requirements. In Altadena, where the Eaton Fire burned, about 1,500 homes will have to be rebuilt under a stricter code. It’s worth noting that another 7,800 homes in Altadena that burned still fall outside these zones.
  
• Duplexes are banned in burn areas: After the fires, Newsom allowed local leaders to suspend SB 9 in high fire-risk zones. The state law is meant to add more housing density by allowing homeowners to split their lots and build duplexes on land zoned for single-family homes. Mayor Bass, along with officials in Malibu, Pasadena and L.A. County, approved the suspensions, which means duplexes won't be approved in these jurisdictions.
  
• Density is restricted in Altadena’s foothills. Before the fires broke out, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a new zoning plan for Altadena that restricted new construction in the foothills and increased density in the area’s interior, so that’s the plan residents will have to follow while rebuilding.
  
• Who’s buying up the land? A recent analysis showed that more than half of Altadena properties up for sale through September were sold to corporate developers, which will impact how the area gets rebuilt. Other groups are trying to find ways to support affordable housing — for example, a foundation led by Altadena residents awarded a nearly $6 million grant to build 14 affordable units and told LAist it hopes to spur other funders to get involved too.

All of these issues are a big deal, even though the fundamental issues around housing in L.A. — like lack of funding for affordable housing or the cost of building anything new — remain largely the same.

If you're curious about some of the biggest issues we're tackling about how to build new housing in L.A., sign up here for Building Your Block, LAist's seven-issue newsletter starter pack on housing development.

LAist's David Wagner contributed to this story.

The Los Angeles City Council decided Tuesday to put off the full effects of a major new state housing law by allowing low-rise apartment buildings in some neighborhoods where such housing has long been banned.

All council members voted in favor of those plans except for Traci Park, who was absent from the meeting.

California’s Senate Bill 79 is set to take effect July 1. The law overrides local limits on housing development by allowing apartment buildings between five and nine stories tall near train stations and rapid bus stops.

However, cities are allowed to postpone those changes until 2030 by developing their own incremental plans for more housing. L.A. elected leaders have chosen to delay. They’re doing so through the city’s new Low-Rise Ordinance, which aims to allow buildings up to four stories tall in 57 neighborhoods near transit lines.

Why it matters

L.A. lawmakers have tried many approaches to bring down L.A.’s high rents. But they have consistently voted to stop apartment developers from encroaching on the nearly three-quarters of city residential land reserved for single-family homes.

Pushed by state lawmakers, city leaders are now having to accept some changes in single-family neighborhoods located near public transit lines.

The reaction

Some local officials and homeowners have expressed frustration over new state limits on their ability to stop development in low-density zones. But advocates for more development said the council’s decision will help address high rents by allowing more housing in areas that have long been off-limits to new apartments.

“The City Council voted to open up high-resource single-family neighborhoods near transit stations,” said Scott Epstein, policy director with Abundant Housing L.A. “This reform is long overdue and will help build a future where Angelenos of all incomes can find homes in the neighborhoods of their choice.”

Where will the projects be allowed?

Officials with the city’s planning department said residents can see whether Low-Rise Ordinance projects will be allowed in their neighborhood by clicking on this interactive map and making two selections from the “layer list” menu: “Opportunity Station Sites Eligible for Low Rise” and “Sites Eligible for Low Rise Outside of Opportunity Station.”

The map shows that some of the areas eligible for new apartment buildings under this plan include Westside neighborhoods within a half-mile of the E Line’s Westwood/Rancho Park station, pockets of the San Fernando Valley near G Line stops, and parts of Eagle Rock along Colorado Boulevard’s planned North Hollywood to Pasadena rapid bus line.

Is this a done deal?

Both plans — the decision to delay full SB 79 implementation, and the new Low-Rise Ordinance — now go to Mayor Karen Bass for final approval. Council members are also considering some tweaks they say would help Low-Rise Ordinance projects get built.

Those changes would include letting developers build denser projects if they reserve more units for low-income renters, as well as rules that would let developers build ground-level parking instead of costlier underground parking. The council’s planning committee voted Tuesday to forward those suggestions to the full City Council for further debate.

There’s a new tool to fight illegal fireworks this Fourth of July: drones.

“A drone’s real-time aerial view can help officers assess situations faster, improve safety, support faster response times and ensure the right resources are sent where they’re needed most,” the Anaheim Police Department stated in an Instagram post.

Anaheim's department is the latest law enforcement agency using the technology to quickly identify illegal fireworks use. The Downey City Council is expected to vote Tuesday night on potential new fines and new rules that would allow local law enforcement to use drones to patrol neighborhoods for illegal fireworks usage.

How it works

Here's how the tech is put to use: Seconds after authorities receive a call reporting illegal fireworks activity, drones can take to the air, hovering above neighborhoods and businesses to find a specific location and an offender. The surveillance devices are equipped with night vision and zoom lenses that allow first responders to record high definition videos right from their Real Time Crime Center at the station.

Then, officers can determine whether to send out a patrol car or issue a citation for the incident.

Why it matters

The city’s drone usage comes as law enforcement agencies across Southern California brace for the annual flood of complaints about illegal firework use at this time of the year. Drones make the most effective use of time and resources, experts say.

“We'll typically see about 2,000 calls and about 300 related to fireworks,” Anaheim’s chief communications officer Mike Lyster explained about the Fourth of July. “It really is a better use of resources on what is always a very, very busy holiday for us.”

Drones allow officials to collect enough evidence to issue these citations. In Anaheim, the punishment starts at $1,000 and climbs to $3,000 by the third offense. But authorities say the goal is to curb illegal fireworks use altogether due to the risk of injury and wildfires.

Lyster hopes that people will think twice about using illegal fireworks this holiday — not just because of the fines — but because of its negative impact on local communities.

“The Palisades fire was ultimately started by illegal fireworks, and sadly, not in our city, but in our neighboring city, a young Anaheim girl died in an illegal fireworks incident last year,” Lyster said.

Where are drones already in use?

More cities are testing this method in order to crack down on illegal firework use. Sacramento, San Bernardino and Riverside are just a few of the other areas that have adopted this technology in recent years.

How do I know what's legal?

If you have any questions about what is legal or not in your community, a quick Google search can help.

Each county goes by different regulations for the types of fireworks you can use — if at all.

For example, parts of Anaheim allow “safe and sane” fireworks to be used only on the Fourth of July between 10 a.m and 10 p.m. This includes non-explosive, non-aerial devices like fountains, sparklers and smoke balls. State-approved fireworks will have a State Fire Marshal seal.

LAist staffer Anjanette Gile also contributed to this report.

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Your neighborhood has a reporter. Have you met them yet?

On Saturday, coffee shops across L.A. are turning into places where you can tell a journalist exactly what’s been bugging you about your block … while drinking amazing coffee.

From Boyle Heights to Silver Lake to Inglewood to Long Beach, local reporters will be set up at neighborhood coffee shops from from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — to hear what’s on your mind. Got a tip about a pothole that’s been eating tires for years? A landlord the city keeps ignoring? A community hero nobody’s written about? We want to hear it all!

It’s part of Local News Day LA, a pop-up series organized by The LA Local that connects you with your local reporter and give you a chance to become the source instead of just the reader.

LAist has been meeting community members in person through LAist Listens tabling events by popping up at local businesses.

See below for the full list of participating media outlets and coffee shops — The LA Local and our media partners hope you’ll join us:

LAist will be joining The LA Local and other local media partners for Local News Day LA on June 27.

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The LA Local

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Where to find a journalist

1. The LA Local – Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake will be hosted by Open Market
2. The LA Local – Inglewood and South LA will be hosted by Asteroid Vinyl Cafe
3. Boyle Heights Beat will be hosted by Picaresca Cafe
4. CalMatters will be hosted by Yia Caffe 
5. Calo News will be hosted by Cruzita’s Deli and Cafe
6. The Eastsider will be hosted by Rosebud Coffee (Highland Park location)
7. LAist will be hosted by Cafe Calle
8. Los Angeles Radio Collective will be hosted by Spoke Bicycle Cafe
9. LA Sentinel will be hosted by Patria Coffee
10. LA Taco will be hosted by Cafecito Organico (Silverlake location)
11. LA Public Press will be hosted by Holy Grounds Coffee & Tea
12. Long Beach Post will be hosted by Wrigley Coffee
13. Q Voice News will be hosted by Hot Java
14. USC Annenberg Media will be hosted by South LA Cafe (Western location)

Come enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) with us while supplies last. 

A coalition of 17 states and a trade association representing U.S. wholesalers and distributors have sued California to block the enforcement of a stringent recycling law that aims to reduce plastic packaging waste.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, argues that California’s recently finalized regulations that will gradually require companies to scale back single-use plastics and ensure all packaging is recycling or compostable should be struck down. The plaintiffs called the regulations “onerous mandates” that will cause steep price increases in everyday necessities that will be passed on, at least in part, to consumers.

“Once again, California is trying to enact a policy that negatively impacts the rest of the country. If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities,” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who led the coalition, said in a news release.

The law, called the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, was enacted in 2022.

“Virtually every product packaged or shipped in plastic containers, as well as a significant number of other types of packaging materials that merely incorporate plastics, fall into the Act’s remarkable sweep,” the lawsuit said.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, which represents companies that import and distribute goods in California, also joined the lawsuit.

“California is not entitled to pronounce nationwide policies,” Eric Hoplin, the trade association’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Because the Act extends California’s regulatory reach far beyond its borders and brings within its sweep conduct wholly unconnected to California, the Act violates principles of federalism, the horizontal separation of powers, and due process.”

The lawsuit argues the law violates both the U.S. and California constitutions. It asks the court to declare California’s law invalid and unenforceable, and halt its implementation.

The lawsuit names as defendants Zoe Heller, director of California’s recycling agency known as CalRecycle, and the Circular Action Alliance, a nonprofit involved with implementing the law.

Melanie Turner, a spokesperson for CalRecycle, said in an emailed statement that the agency does not comment on pending litigation and that it remained focused on implementing the law.

The alliance said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit and closely monitoring developments while at the same time working to implement the law’s “ambitious goals.”

In a May news release announcing regulations under the law, state officials said the changes would fight plastics pollution while protecting the interests of taxpayers and local governments.

“California is shifting the responsibility of managing single-use plastic and packaging onto the producers. New packaging reforms lower waste costs for communities and decrease garbage and pollution across the state,” Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said in a statement. “This approach pushes producers to innovate and design packaging that truly supports a circular economy.”

Joining Nebraska in the lawsuit were 16 other states with Republican attorneys general: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.Environmental groups also have sued over the law. A coalition that included the Natural Resources Defense Council recently filed a complaint over what it said in a news release were “weakened” final regulations for the “landmark” law.