Sibley and Aaron Ekhouse from California YIMBY, dissect California's groundbreaking new CEQA exemption for infill housing development, passed as part of AB 130. This legislation represents a major shift in how California approaches environmental review for dense, climate-smart housing projects in urban areas.
00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome
00:33 - Aaron's Role at California YIMBY
01:01 - The Eight-Year Journey to CEQA Reform
01:21 - What is AB 130 and Why It Matters
02:08 - Reading the Law: Where to Find It
03:09 - The Environmental Case for Infill Housing
04:06 - Reframing the Debate: Infill as the Solution
05:25 - The Real Problem: Uncertainty, Not Just Cost
06:07 - Understanding the New Exemption
06:43 - Who This Law Applies To
09:52 - What Makes a Location "Urban Infill"
15:24 - Density Requirements Explained
21:37 - Environmental Site Restrictions
28:15 - The Habitat Protection Question
35:42 - Objective Design Standards Requirement
41:18 - Labor Standards and Prevailing Wage
44:29 - The Two-Track System Under SB 6
48:59 - Preventing Lawsuits vs. Reducing Review Costs
50:29 - Observable Criteria Creates Predictability
51:36 - Removing Political Discretion
52:14 - The Power of Clear Rules
52:58 - The Dog That Didn't Bark
53:26 - Grading the Bill's Success
54:47 - What Needs Improvement
55:40 - What's Next: Cost Reduction
56:07 - The Cost Crisis
56:55 - Building Code Reform
57:31 - Making Legal Housing Economically Viable
57:51 - Closing Thoughts
Guest
Aaron Ekhouse - Local and Regional Policy Program Director, California YIMBY
Key Takeaways
Host -- Sibley Simon, Principal, Workbench
Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development.
https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck
Who Are The Infill Insiders?
The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing.
Socials and Contact
Instagram: @workbenchbuilt
Web: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders
Email: insiders@workbenchbuilt.com
https://x.com/workbenchbuilt
References
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1.
Credits
Recording, Editing and Animation: Josh Bootz
Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners
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