Community colleges: housing: local zoning regulations: exemption.

Assembly Member Zbur's proposal to exempt community college housing developments from local zoning requirements aims to address California's affordable housing challenges within the higher education system. The legislation would allow community college districts to bypass city and county zoning ordinances when constructing housing on district-owned or leased property located within a half-mile radius of main campuses or pre-existing satellite facilities.

For housing projects that include faculty and staff units, the bill requires community college districts to designate a portion of units as affordable housing for extremely low-income and lower-income employees, with rents aligned to California Tax Credit Allocation Committee guidelines. The geographic restrictions limit development to parcels near established educational facilities, while the affordability provisions target housing access for campus workforce members meeting specific income thresholds.

The Legislature's findings characterize these housing developments as matters of statewide concern rather than municipal affairs, citing California's affordable housing shortage and its effects on the educational system. This designation ensures the zoning exemptions apply uniformly across all cities, including charter cities, creating consistent development standards throughout the state.