JMBM Partner Daniel Freedman, Co-Chair of the firm's Housing Strategy and Litigation Group, was recently invited to testify before the California State Assembly's Committee on Local Government in support of Assembly Bill 1308, introduced by Assemblymember Josh Hoover. The bill proposes to allow certified private inspectors to perform inspections on small-scale residential projects—a move aimed at reducing costly delays that threaten housing delivery across the state.
Drawing on his extensive experience representing homebuilders and developers throughout California, Freedman provided testimony highlighting the real-world consequences of municipal inspection bottlenecks. "Each day of delay has a financial consequence," Freedman told the Committee. "Construction loans accrue interest, material costs fluctuate, and when subcontractors are knocked off their schedules, reengaging them can take weeks."
AB 1308 seeks to relieve pressure on local governments facing staff shortages and budget constraints by allowing licensed, accountable private professionals to conduct inspections—an approach already proven effective in other jurisdictions. As communities across California continue rebuilding from wildfire damage and push to meet state housing goals, the bill offers a practical tool to accelerate safe and timely housing production.
At the same hearing, Freedman also testified in support of AB 1061, introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, which addresses the misuse of historic preservation laws to delay or block housing. Both AB 1308 and AB 1061 are part of the Legislature's Fast Track Housing package, a set of bills aimed at accelerating housing production across the state.
A video of the hearing is available [https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-local-government-committee-20250423].
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