Southern California Builders Slam SCAG-Backed Housing Law
BIASC calls newly signed SB 1087 a 'housing killer' and demands accountability reforms at the regional planning agency SCAG.
The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) is pushing back sharply against newly enacted state legislation it says was championed by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), warning the law could drive up housing costs and erode the authority of local elected officials over land-use decisions.
BIASC labeled SB 1087 a "housing killer" in a statement released from Irvine, California, arguing the measure raises fundamental questions about regional accountability at SCAG — a body that coordinates planning across a sprawling multi-county area. The association contends the legislation tips power away from municipalities and toward a regional agency that, in its view, lacks sufficient democratic oversight.
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The industry group stopped short of detailing specific cost projections in its public statement, but argued broadly that layering additional regulatory requirements onto the homebuilding process during an already constrained housing market would make it harder, not easier, to deliver new units to Southern California residents. The region has long struggled with a shortage of attainable housing.
BIASC is calling for major structural reform of SCAG in response to the law taking effect, framing the passage of SB 1087 as evidence that the regional agency has accumulated outsized influence without proportionate transparency or responsiveness to the communities it serves. The association's stance signals a broader political battle ahead over how Southern California balances state housing mandates with local governance.
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