California Bill Would Speed Up Conversions of Office Buildings to Housing Units

With commercial vacancy rates up, lawmakers see a way to add housing while preserving downtown property values.

Pedestrians walk by an empty retail space in San Francisco on May 9, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Facing a housing crisis and record office space vacancies in some downtown areas, California lawmakers are debating a bill that would expedite the permit process to transform empty commercial buildings into residential units.