Oakland Launches Faster Review Process for Housing Projects
Published on September 16, 2025
Oakland, CA – Getting approval for your housing project just got a whole lot faster. Oakland needs more housing — and lots of it — to meet our city's goals and help make living here more affordable for all. To help review projects more quickly and objectively, the City has created a new Ministerial Design Review process for single-family and “missing middle” housing projects, those including 1 to 30 units. Other project types that are already approved through Ministerial review include 100% affordable housing projects, certain mixed-income projects, and State-mandated projects.This builds upon previous changes the City made in 2023 when single-family zoning was essentially eliminated, thereby allowing homeowners more flexibility to build additional units to be rented or sold depending on the lot size.
“I’m proud of these commonsense reforms accelerating housing approvals, led by our Planning & Building Department,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “I encourage our developers and homeowners to take full advantage of these changes to build right here in Oakland!”
“We have been cutting approval times and streamlining the process by moving categories of housing applications, such as 100% affordable or mixed-income housing, to ‘ministerial review,’ which do not need public hearings nor are subject to appeal. Moreover, these projects will not require California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approval, thereby accelerating their review,” said Director of Oakland’s Planning & Building Department, Bill Gilchrist.
Effective August 29, 2025, the City's next step was to include market-rate single-family homes and multifamily projects with up to 30 units under similar ministerial review. These projects will be reviewed with Objective Design Standards, which are expected to make planning approvals for the ‘missing middle’ market more efficient and predictable.
The City has adopted three Objective Design Standard checklists to date: one for projects with 1 – 4 units, one for projects with 1 – 3 story multifamily designs, and another for 4 – 8 story multifamily designs.
For details about the faster new Ministerial Design Review process as well as Objective Design Standards, visit: https://www.oaklandca.gov/ods
Info on How to Apply: https://www.oaklandca.gov/Planning-Building/Your-Commercial-Projects-Permits/Housing-Projects-Eligible-for-Streamlined-Review
About the Planning & Building Department
The Planning & Building Department oversees regulations for the City's growth and development. By reviewing project plans, enforcing local ordinances, developing neighborhood plans, and responding to public concerns, we work to create a built environment that supports the health and welfare of all Oaklanders.
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