Explore every episode of the podcast The Infill Insiders
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California's New Infill Housing CEQA Exemption | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:57:19 | |
Sibley and Aaron Ekhouse from California YIMBY, dissect California's groundbreaking new CEQA exemption for infill housing development, passed as part of AB 130. This legislation represents a major shift in how California approaches environmental review for dense, climate-smart housing projects in urban areas. 00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome 00:33 - Aaron's Role at California YIMBY 01:01 - The Eight-Year Journey to CEQA Reform 01:21 - What is AB 130 and Why It Matters 02:08 - Reading the Law: Where to Find It 03:09 - The Environmental Case for Infill Housing 04:06 - Reframing the Debate: Infill as the Solution 05:25 - The Real Problem: Uncertainty, Not Just Cost 06:07 - Understanding the New Exemption 06:43 - Who This Law Applies To 09:52 - What Makes a Location "Urban Infill" 15:24 - Density Requirements Explained 21:37 - Environmental Site Restrictions 28:15 - The Habitat Protection Question 35:42 - Objective Design Standards Requirement 41:18 - Labor Standards and Prevailing Wage 44:29 - The Two-Track System Under SB 6 48:59 - Preventing Lawsuits vs. Reducing Review Costs 50:29 - Observable Criteria Creates Predictability 51:36 - Removing Political Discretion 52:14 - The Power of Clear Rules 52:58 - The Dog That Didn't Bark 53:26 - Grading the Bill's Success 54:47 - What Needs Improvement 55:40 - What's Next: Cost Reduction 56:07 - The Cost Crisis 56:55 - Building Code Reform 57:31 - Making Legal Housing Economically Viable 57:51 - Closing Thoughts Guest Aaron Ekhouse - Local and Regional Policy Program Director, California YIMBY
Key Takeaways
Host -- Sibley Simon, Principal, Workbench Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development. https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck Who Are The Infill Insiders? The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing. Socials and Contact Instagram: @workbenchbuilt Web: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders Email: insiders@workbenchbuilt.com https://x.com/workbenchbuilt References https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1. Credits Recording, Editing and Animation: Josh Bootz Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners -- California | State Housing Laws | Infill Development | Santa Cruz | Housing Santa Cruz County | California Affordable Housing | Affordable Housing Developer | Support Affordable Housing | Build Affordable Homes | California Living | Housing For All | Affordable Living | Housing Solutions | Community Development | |||
| Who Are The Infill Insiders? - Intro | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:03:06 | |
Listen in to hear about what we'll be talking about in our upcoming Podcast, The Infill Insiders. We here at Workbench are developers helping to solve the state's housing crisis by creating denser infill housing that is good for residents and communities, environmentally sustainable, and less car oriented. We want to have more impact, so this podcast is going to share what we’ve learned. Whether you're a developer or part of a jurisdiction’s permitting department, you'll learn what your rights and obligations are under current state law. We'll share examples from our own work, and we'll get into the details on the latest guidance from the California Department of Housing & Community Development, what courts have ruled, and how everything is evolving year after year. Buckle up because we can't wait to share our knowledge with you! Socials & Contact Questions & Ideas: insiders@workbenchbuilt.com Workbench: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders YouTube: @workbenchbuilt Instagram: @workbenchbuilt Twitter: https://x.com/workbenchbuilt Host -- Sibley Simon, Partner, Workbench Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development. https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck Who Are The Infill Insiders? The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing. References https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1. Credits Recording, Editing & Animation: Josh Bootz Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners -- California | State Housing Laws | Infill Development | Santa Cruz | Housing Santa Cruz County | California Affordable Housing | Affordable Housing Developer | Support Affordable Housing | Build Affordable Homes | California Living | Housing For All | Affordable Living | Housing Solutions | Community Development | |||
| Why An SB330 Pre-application Is Essential For Every Infill Housing Project | 04 Nov 2025 | 01:04:40 | |
Sibley meets with Clay Toombs, Senior Development Manager at Workbench, to discuss SB-330 pre-applications. We talk about what submitting the application really means, our top tips for getting it right and when to resubmit one, what to make sure the jurisdiction does and doesn’t do and other best practices. Host -- Sibley Simon, Principal, Workbench Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development. https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck Guest -- Clay Toombs, Senior Development Manager,Workbench Clay is a member of Workbench’s development team, managing the entitlement and permitting process for assigned projects. Prior to joining Workbench, Clay was an independent land-use consultant and contract project manager for 10 years. He holds a Master of Real Estate Development, a Master of Business Administration, and a B.S. in Aeronautical Management Technology, all from Arizona State University. https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/clay-toombs https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytoombs/ Who Are The Infill Insiders? The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing. Socials and Contact Instagram: @workbenchbuilt Web: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders Email: insiders@workbenchbuilt.com https://x.com/workbenchbuilt References https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1. Credits Recording, Editing and Animation: Josh Bootz Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners -- California | State Housing Laws | Infill Development | Santa Cruz | Housing Santa Cruz County | California Affordable Housing | Affordable Housing Developer | Support Affordable Housing | Build Affordable Homes | California Living | Housing For All | Affordable Living | Housing Solutions | Community Development | |||