Housing Accountability Act: housing development projects.

Senator Durazo's amendment to California's Housing Accountability Act redefines mixed-use development requirements to explicitly prohibit transient lodging components in residential projects. The legislation modifies existing law to specify that mixed-use developments with at least two-thirds residential square footage cannot include hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns, or other transient lodging facilities.

The bill creates two narrow exceptions to this prohibition. Residential hotels, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, remain permissible within mixed-use projects. Additionally, after receiving a certificate of occupancy, residents may use or market their units as short-term lodging in accordance with local regulations.

This change aims to preserve residential square footage for permanent housing rather than temporary accommodations. The amendment maintains the law's existing requirements for mixed-use projects, including minimum residential space thresholds and provisions for affordable units, while specifically addressing the transient lodging exclusion.

For projects with at least 500 new residential units and 50% residential square footage, the bill allows residential hotels while prohibiting other forms of transient lodging. This provision extends to developments involving substantial conversion or demolition of existing commercial space.