• DONATE TO SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS!
  • Sign In
  • Local News
    • Featured News
    • Bay Area News
    • Marin News Matters
    • Santa Clara County News Matters
    • Mendocino News Matters
    • Stockton News Matters
    • Equity Ripples
    • Amplifying Voices
    • Inspire Me
  • CA News
    • California Currents
    • California Local
    • KQED
  • Civic Engagement Hub
  • Crime, Justice, & Prison News
    • Inside/Out
    • Crime & Public Safety
    • Prison News
  • The Big Issues
    • Living Longer & Aging in the Bay Area
    • Housing & Homelessness
    • Public Health
    • Environment
  • Arts & Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bay City Books
    • Travel
    • Bay City Sketchbook
  • Education & Youth Voices
    • Education Matters
    • Youth Voices
    • Contra Costa Youth Journalism
    • Mosaic
  • Technology, AI & Innovation
    • Experiments with AI
    • Science, Nature & Technology
    • Data Points
  • Special Projects
    • Musk v. Altman
    • Audio Files
    • Bay City Beat
    • Listen In Marin
    • Remember When
    • Talkers
    • Trailblazers
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Bay City News Internships
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Newsletters
    • Bay City News … in the News
    • Sponsorships and Advertising
    • Write for Local News Matters
    • Our Policies at a Glance
    • Why We’re Asking for Your Email (And Why It Matters)
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

  • Local News
    • Featured News
    • Bay Area News
    • Marin News Matters
    • Santa Clara County News Matters
    • Mendocino News Matters
    • Stockton News Matters
    • Equity Ripples
    • Amplifying Voices
    • Inspire Me
  • CA News
    • California Currents
    • California Local
    • KQED
  • Civic Engagement Hub
  • Crime, Justice, & Prison News
    • Inside/Out
    • Crime & Public Safety
    • Prison News
  • The Big Issues
    • Living Longer & Aging in the Bay Area
    • Housing & Homelessness
    • Public Health
    • Environment
  • Arts & Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bay City Books
    • Travel
    • Bay City Sketchbook
  • Education & Youth Voices
    • Education Matters
    • Youth Voices
    • Contra Costa Youth Journalism
    • Mosaic
  • Technology, AI & Innovation
    • Experiments with AI
    • Science, Nature & Technology
    • Data Points
  • Special Projects
    • Musk v. Altman
    • Audio Files
    • Bay City Beat
    • Listen In Marin
    • Remember When
    • Talkers
    • Trailblazers
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Bay City News Internships
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Newsletters
    • Bay City News … in the News
    • Sponsorships and Advertising
    • Write for Local News Matters
    • Our Policies at a Glance
    • Why We’re Asking for Your Email (And Why It Matters)
Skip to content
Local News Matters

Local News Matters

Connecting audiences with quality, local news

  • DONATE TO SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS!
  • Sign In
Sign In
  • Local News
    • Featured News
    • Bay Area News
    • Marin News Matters
    • Santa Clara County News Matters
    • Mendocino News Matters
    • Stockton News Matters
    • Equity Ripples
    • Amplifying Voices
    • Inspire Me
  • CA News
    • California Currents
    • California Local
    • KQED
  • Civic Engagement Hub
  • Crime, Justice, & Prison News
    • Inside/Out
    • Crime & Public Safety
    • Prison News
  • The Big Issues
    • Living Longer & Aging in the Bay Area
    • Housing & Homelessness
    • Public Health
    • Environment
  • Arts & Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bay City Books
    • Travel
    • Bay City Sketchbook
  • Education & Youth Voices
    • Education Matters
    • Youth Voices
    • Contra Costa Youth Journalism
    • Mosaic
  • Technology, AI & Innovation
    • Experiments with AI
    • Science, Nature & Technology
    • Data Points
  • Special Projects
    • Musk v. Altman
    • Audio Files
    • Bay City Beat
    • Listen In Marin
    • Remember When
    • Talkers
    • Trailblazers
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Bay City News Internships
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Newsletters
    • Bay City News … in the News
    • Sponsorships and Advertising
    • Write for Local News Matters
    • Our Policies at a Glance
    • Why We’re Asking for Your Email (And Why It Matters)
Posted inLocal News

Building anything in California takes too long — East Bay legislator aims to speed process

by Ben Christopher, CalMatters March 8, 2025March 5, 2025

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Framers work to build the Ruby Street apartments in Castro Valley on Feb. 6, 2024. The construction project is funded by the No Place Like Home bond, which passed in 2018 to create affordable housing for homeless residents experiencing mental health issues. (Camille Cohen for CalMatters)

A BAY AREA LEGISLATOR wants to solve the state’s housing crisis, juice its economy, fight climate change and save the Democratic Party with one “excruciatingly non-sexy” idea.

Oakland Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks sees the slow, occasionally redundant, often litigious process of getting construction projects okayed by federal, state and local governments as a chief roadblock to fixing California’s most pressing problems, from housing to water to public transportation to climate change. 

Continue reading for FREE

This is NOT a paywall. We just want to make sure you’re a human. Sign in to read this story and receive the weekly roundup in your inbox.

Or

Terms & Conditions

Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in.
Please visit My Account to manage your account.

Tagged: Assemblyman Robert Rivas, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, California Environmental Quality Act, CalMatters, Center for Biological Diversity, CEQA, construction, Democrats, deve, development, East Bay, electric vehicles, environment, Gov. Gavin Newsom, housing, infrastructure, land use, laws, legislation, Legislature, Los Angeles wildfires, Oakland, renewable energy, report, sea level rise

Ben Christopher, CalMatters

CALmatters

More by Ben Christopher, CalMatters

Local News Matters brings community coverage to the SF Bay Area so that the people, places and topics that deserve more attention get it. Our nonprofit newsroom is supported by the generosity of readers like you via tax-deductible donations to Bay City News Foundation.

FIND MORE STORIES

  • Local News
    • Featured News
    • Bay Area News
    • Marin News Matters
    • Santa Clara County News Matters
    • Mendocino News Matters
    • Stockton News Matters
    • Equity Ripples
    • Amplifying Voices
    • Inspire Me
  • CA News
    • California Currents
    • California Local
    • KQED
  • Civic Engagement Hub
  • Crime, Justice, & Prison News
    • Inside/Out
    • Crime & Public Safety
    • Prison News
  • The Big Issues
    • Living Longer & Aging in the Bay Area
    • Housing & Homelessness
    • Public Health
    • Environment
  • Arts & Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bay City Books
    • Travel
    • Bay City Sketchbook
  • Education & Youth Voices
    • Education Matters
    • Youth Voices
    • Contra Costa Youth Journalism
    • Mosaic
  • Technology, AI & Innovation
    • Experiments with AI
    • Science, Nature & Technology
    • Data Points
  • Special Projects
    • Musk v. Altman
    • Audio Files
    • Bay City Beat
    • Listen In Marin
    • Remember When
    • Talkers
    • Trailblazers
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Bay City News Internships
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Newsletters
    • Bay City News … in the News
    • Sponsorships and Advertising
    • Write for Local News Matters
    • Our Policies at a Glance
    • Why We’re Asking for Your Email (And Why It Matters)

Follow us

Twitter: @baynewsmatters
Instagram: @baynewsmatters
Facebook: @baynewsmatters

Local News Matters
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Bay City News Foundation
(510) 251-8100
newsroom@baycitynews.com

Staff Page

Terms of Use

FIND MORE STORIES

  • Local & Community News
  • California News
  • Politics & Civic Engagement
  • Crime, Justice, & Prison News
  • The Big Issues
  • Arts & Culture
  • Education & Youth Voices
  • Technology, AI & Innovation
  • Special Projects
  • About Bay City News
© 2026 Connecting audiences with quality, local news Powered by Newspack

Sign in or register

Or

Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.

Forgot password
Continue Set a password (optional)

Terms & Conditions. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Register

We'll create a new account for .

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of Local News Matters directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article