Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law an overhaul of California's landmark environmental protection rules that he says is essential to address the state’s critical housing shortage and long-running homeless crisis.

After a decade of intense debating California overhauls CEQA, its landmark environmental law with hopes of making the state more affordable to live.

Gov. Gavin Newsom tied the state budget to the passage of policy to lessen environmental review standards to speed up the construction of housing in California.