Central Valley Daily

July 25: Could An Environmental Rollback Improve California’s Housing Shortage?

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published July 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT

Ways To Subscribe

A new state law is reducing red tape for developers in California. Changes to the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, will now allow builders to develop infill housing faster. Ben Christopher, a housing reporter for CalMatters, breaks down the changes to CEQA and if they can actually help address the state’s housing shortage.

Plus, the latest news headlines: Two cases of measles reported in Tulare County; and the CSU system faces a steep funding gap as costs rise.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

See stories by Elizabeth Arakelian

Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden