California environmental groups vent concerns over building standards law

Housing development is a priority in California, particularly in fire-affected areas. Environmental groups are opposing a new provision in budget bill AB 306 that may freeze new residential building regulations for six years. They warn that this freeze could jeopardize climate resiliency initiatives, which are crucial for community protection against climate impacts. Advocates of the bill stress the need for urgent housing construction due to shortages and rebuilding from recent fires. However, critics highlight the risk of constructing non-resilient housing, raising concerns about future expenses for retrofitting.

"Cities need to be able to adapt to climate change, wildfire, increased flood risk and other hazards. This bill makes it very difficult for them to make buildings and neighborhoods safe," says David Lewis.

"The unintended consequences can be that housing is built in a way that doesn't comply with cities' or counties' desires about how and where to grow. There's concerns about whether housing will come in that isn't resilient to climate change," says Len Materman.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco