Not to Be Outdone, San José Takes Axe to Housing Red Tape

It’s amazing what we can do if we simply get out of our own way. That was the message from an exciting announcement this week out of San José about the first housing project approved under the city’s new streamlined permitting process. Lengthy, complex and costly permitting processes are the bane of home builders statewide and have been a primary cause for the state’s inability to build new homes. San José’s new City Streamlined Ministerial Ordinance dramatically cuts the time it takes for a home builder to get the permits they need to begin construction. In the case of the project approved this week, including two eight-story buildings with 540 units, the permitting time under the new ordinance was reduced from two years to eight months.

“It takes longer to get a permit to build housing in California than it does for a couple to bring new life into the world,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “That’s absurd — and it’s why we’re moving faster. If we don’t fix this now, our kids will grow up with the exact same housing crisis we’re struggling with today. In San José, we’re removing barriers, streamlining approvals, and showing the rest of the state the path forward — because delaying change means denying the next generation a chance at homeownership.”

Since taking office, Mayor Mahan has been a force in bringing fast action and results to addressing housing, homelessness and public safety challenges. We applaud his forceful leadership. The Council has been proud of the work we’ve done over the past three years at the state level to simplify and streamline tangled permitting processes that have slowed down everything from housing and transportation infrastructure to clean energy and homelessness solutions. We partnered with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks last year when she chaired the Select Committee on Permitting Reform. The work produced several significant permit streamlining bills.