California Governor, Gavin Newsom signed two Carpenter-backed bills into law: SB 4 and SB 423.
The first bill, SB 4, will make it easier for nonprofit colleges and faith organizations to build affordable homes on their land, while SB 423 will expand current law that lets developers expedite construction of multifamily projects in cities that have fallen behind on their state-mandated housing goals. The measures build on Assembly Bill 2011, a law that went into effect in July to convert buildings traditionally zoned for commercial retail and office space into affordable housing. These bills had the backing of the California Conference of Carpenters – a partnership between NorCal Carpenters and the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters.
Both SB 4 and SB 423 will create hundreds of jobs for Union Carpenters while creating a pathway to build more affordable housing in the Golden State. Both bills require prevailing wages, family medical healthcare, apprenticeship, and will have the strongest labor compliance language in the nation.