Overly broad bill puts California’s housing future on shaky ground

OPINION – Ensuring adequate housing to meet community needs is essential to California’s long-term stability and prosperity. The Legislature has repeatedly affirmed that housing is a top priority for state policymakers. That’s why it’s deeply disappointing and concerning to see Senate Bill 682 advancing, as it risks exacerbating the very crisis we are working to resolve.

Costly and restrictive home construction policies have led to a housing policy crisis, resulting in limited housing stock and increased rent and home prices. California’s insufficient housing supply has caused a persistent scarcity of attainable homes for middle- and low-income families, leading to a decline in homeownership rates.

This proposed measure would make things much worse by banning materials essential to building safe, energy efficient, and fire-resistant homes that Californians need —materials that our state’s energy efficiency codes and regulations are specifically designed to support.

The intent behind SB 682 is understandable: reduce exposure to harmful chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals.” But as written, this bill would go too far by disrupting the very industries working to solve the state’s housing production shortfall.

SB 682 proposes a sweeping ban on the use of all PFAS products, including those that have been deemed safe for human and environmental health. It would also impose arbitrary restrictions on many products used in constructing homes that meet our state’s energy efficiency codes and regulations.

For example, this overcorrection would ban compounds that are integral to spray foam insulation, which is commonly used in walls, roofs and appliances in affordable and market-rate housing and commercial buildings. These products improve energy efficiency, reduce utility bills, and reduce exposure to allergens and irritants. The same goes for fireproofing materials that help homes meet California’s strict wildfire safety codes.

By banning essential materials – from heat pumps to electrical cabling – SB 682 would severely disrupt homebuilding across California, driving up housing costs, jeopardizing safety, and further intensifying the state’s housing policy crisis.

This isn’t just a policy misstep; it’s a threat to California’s future.

The California Building Industry Association (CBIA) is dedicated to expanding California’s housing supply using the latest fire safety science, modern building codes, and advanced construction techniques to create safer, more energy-efficient homes and communities while working with policymakers to reduce barriers that increase costs for home production.

We have long supported a smart, science-based approach to home building and policymaking. In fact, California has already appropriately enacted targeted bans on PFAS in firefighting foams, food packaging, and juvenile products thanks in part to collaboration between regulators and industries, like ours.

But SB 682 lacks the clarity and sophistication needed to ensure that we don’t slam the brakes on home construction.

The building industry plays a foundational role in California’s economy. We create good-paying construction jobs, invest in local economies, and build the homes, schools, and communities that families and future generations want and need.

As someone who’s spent several years working on housing policy, I believe we have a responsibility to build a better future for the next generation. This includes building more  homes to meet California’s housing needs.

I urge lawmakers to reconsider SB 682 and work with the building industry to find a more effective, practical solution. An overly broad bill that derails our shared goals of achieving housing for all has no place in California.

Dan Dunmoyer is the President and CEO of the California Building Industry Association (CBIA).