Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers scaled back a law that was vilified for its role in California’s housing shortage and homelessness crisis.

California is rolling back environmental regulations for some construction projects after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law this week ending strict review for many new developments. Why it matters: The move could cut down planning and zoning timelines in cities that desperately need more housing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, lagging far behind his campaign pledge to build millions more homes, signed Monday evening the most significant rollback in decades to California’s core environmental law that’s long been blamed for construction delays and soaring prices that have increasingly put housing out of reach for the state’s residents.