Earlier this year, state lawmakers made national headlines when they voted to roll back parts of California’s landmark Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA.

Environmentalists decried the decision to end CEQA oversight of small-to-medium-sized housing projects in urban areas. Pro-growth advocates applauded.

Both sides may have overreacted.

Our Sacramento reporter Deborah Brennan asked homebuilders what difference the rollback would make to actual construction projects.

Their verdict: Not much. And definitely not right away.

“We’re not going to see an increase in deliveries in 2026 because of these changes,” said Robert Vallera, senior vice president for the San Diego office of Voit Real Estate Services.

Builders said slimming down CEQA could make it easier to convert strip malls i

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