Renter displacement as an environmental impact (California)

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports, in "Policy may slow pace of condo projects," that:

In a move that could significantly slow the development of thousands of condominium conversion units, City Attorney Michael Aguirre said yesterday that apartment projects being converted to condominiums in San Diego must undergo an environmental review. The time-consuming new requirement is needed to address the environmental effects of the hundreds of condo-conversion projects moving forward in the city, Aguirre said.

Under state law, the net loss of rental housing, which has led to the displacement of renters, is considered an environmental impact, according to the City Attorney's Office. Aguirre's announcement, made public at a City Hall news conference, surprised the Development Services Department, which has been regularly processing hundreds of applications submitted by developers seeking to transform often-dated apartment buildings into gussied-up, for-sale condominiums.
----------
Well, I've always thought about these issues in terms of what I call "built environmental justice" which is a bit different from the body of work developed around environmental justice.

Tenants have taken the landlords of 101-103 G St. SW to court, claiming they were not notified when the building was sold. The landlords say the building was transferred, not sold. Amy Mullarkey/For The Examiner.

Yesterday's Examiner reported on the ongoing investigation into DC condo conversions, in the article "D.C. inspector examining condo conversions: Graham says approval process was lax." According to the article:

"The D.C. inspector general has begun looking into the alleged "manipulation" of city zoning laws in more than 100 condominium conversions since 2000, according to several city officials."