Planning and zoning: housing development: standardized application form.

Assembly Member Haney's standardized housing application legislation aims to streamline California's housing approval process by establishing clear requirements for what constitutes a complete development application. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to create a standardized application form by July 2026 that local agencies must begin accepting by October 2026.

Under the new requirements, housing applications will be deemed complete once permit processing fees are paid and basic project information is submitted, including property descriptions, architectural drawings, and environmental questionnaires. The legislation prohibits cities and counties from demanding additional forms beyond the standardized application or imposing extra requirements like pre-application reviews or expert studies as conditions for completeness.

Local agencies retain the ability to develop their own supplemental application templates, provided they only request information explicitly allowed under the bill. The legislation also requires cities and counties to post copies of both the state's standardized form and any local templates on their websites. To ensure compliance, the bill authorizes the Department to adopt emergency regulations valid for 18 months or until permanent rules are established.

The changes apply to all California cities, including charter cities, reflecting the Legislature's finding that streamlining housing approvals addresses a matter of statewide concern. Local agencies that fail to accept the standardized form or that impose prohibited additional requirements could face penalties.