Housing & Homelessness

Protects housing development projects from environmental lawsuits that challenge community plan updates. Requires community plans to include transit areas and meet housing needs to qualify for legal protection. Applies to development applications submitted through January 1, 2036. Takes effect immediately to address California's urgent housing and homelessness crisis.

Requires large cities and counties to create online portals for housing development applications by 2028. Mandates that the online portals include application status tracking features for permit applicants. Allows cities to delay implementation until 2030 if they prove substantial fee increases would be needed. Applies to all cities and counties with populations over 150,000 people.

Extends the deadline for mobilehome park management to provide repair requirements from 10 to 15 business days. Automatically approves prospective mobilehome buyers if management fails to respond within 15 days. Requires mobilehome sellers to provide transfer disclosure statements to park management upon request. Protects residents from unlawful occupancy status if management fails to process their application properly.

Establishes Round 7 of the Homeless Housing Program with $500 million in funding starting July 2026. Creates new CEQA exemptions for projects like wildfire prevention, agricultural worker housing, and urban infill. Requires mapping of eligible urban infill sites in all urbanized areas by July 2027. Streamlines environmental review processes while maintaining key environmental and public health protections.

Requires cities to analyze and publish housing impacts before implementing new real estate transfer taxes. Mandates evaluation of effects on affordable housing production and market-rate housing development. Requires assessment of property tax revenue impacts across city, county and state levels. Applies to all California cities including charter cities due to statewide housing concerns.

Requires cities to disclose new housing restrictions adopted between housing element updates in a constraints statement. Mandates local governments to identify anticipated housing constraints planned for the next three years. Establishes standardized reporting requirements for fair housing programs and actions. Applies to all California cities including charter cities to address statewide housing concerns.

Establishes a state policy requiring all residential units to maintain safe maximum indoor temperatures. Requires state agencies to incorporate maximum temperature standards into their policies and programs. Mandates agencies to develop specific temperature regulations by January 1, 2027. Targets protection for vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by extreme heat.

Establishes new tenant protections when Social Security payment delays prevent rent payment through 2029. Requires courts to pause eviction proceedings for up to 6 months when tenants prove Social Security payment delays. Mandates tenants pay all past-due rent or establish payment plans within 14 days of benefits being restored. Applies only to evictions based on nonpayment of rent caused by federal Social Security payment interruptions.

Limits local agencies to two plan check reviews for building permits unless specific safety concerns exist. Reduces housing project appeal timelines from 60 to 30 days for smaller projects and 90 to 45 days for larger ones. Requires agencies to notify applicants within 3 business days when permit review timelines are paused or resumed. Allows developers to seek court orders compelling approval if agencies miss deadlines or deny appeals.

Requires landlords to provide reasonable accommodations for tenants who are victims of domestic violence or abuse. Mandates landlords to respond to accommodation requests within 5 calendar days. Allows tenants to request unit transfers, security cameras, or extended payment terms as reasonable accommodations. Imposes penalties up to $5,000 on landlords who deny accommodations or retaliate against requesting tenants.

Expands renter tax credits up to $500 for qualified households with dependents from 2026 to 2031. Limits landlords from charging fees beyond 5% of monthly rent unless specified in rental agreements. Requires electronic submission processes for coastal development permits by July 1, 2027. Funds seismic retrofitting of affordable multifamily housing with priority for low-income residents.

Establishes a state transportation liaison to coordinate homeless encampment management on California highways. Creates agreements between state and local governments to jointly address homeless encampments on state property. Authorizes state reimbursement to local governments for encampment cleanup and outreach services. Requires annual reporting on encampment removals and recommendations for improved coordination.

Establishes a new state program for supportive-recovery housing that combines abstinence and Housing First approaches. Requires 90% of program funds to support housing services using harm-reduction principles. Prohibits eviction based solely on substance use relapse and mandates alternative housing placement. Requires housing providers to support access to prescribed medications and provide overdose prevention resources.

Requires the Department of Insurance to study insurance coverage challenges facing affordable housing entities. Mandates insurers to provide confidential data about coverage and rates for affordable housing properties. Requires recommendations for policy solutions within one year of receiving study funding. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 unless extended by future legislation.

Authorizes local governments to immediately remove vehicles that pose imminent health and safety hazards. Eliminates the requirement for both property owner approval and public nuisance determination before vehicle removal. Requires notification to vehicle owners within 5 days of removal and provides a 12-day claim period. Protects property owners from removal costs if vehicles were placed on their land without consent.

Expands state housing incentives to reward cities that implement policies to prevent homelessness. Creates bonus points for jurisdictions that establish safe parking programs with bathrooms and security. Rewards cities that expedite approval of emergency shelters and supportive housing projects. Offers scoring advantages to localities that preserve existing affordable housing units.

Extends authorization for certain outdoor advertising displays in redevelopment areas until January 1, 2029. Requires local governments to ensure displays provide public benefit and comply with federal highway regulations. Imposes $10,000 daily fines on display owners who fail to remove advertising after federal violation notices. Mandates cities and counties to cover state costs if they fail to enforce display regulations within 30 days.

Mandates higher-density housing development near transit stops to address California's housing shortage. Establishes three tiers of development standards based on proximity to transit, with height limits up to 75 feet. Requires local governments to approve qualifying projects or face penalties starting January 2027. Mandates affordable housing units in new developments, with 7-13% reserved for lower-income households.

Authorizes cities to count elderly congregate housing for up to 15% of their regional housing requirements. Requires planning agencies to report elderly congregate housing units in annual housing progress reports. Applies to the seventh and subsequent revisions of local housing elements.

Prohibits large corporations owning over 1,000 single-family homes from buying additional houses to rent out. Requires violating companies to sell properties within one year and pay $100,000 penalties per violation. Empowers the California Attorney General to enforce these restrictions through civil lawsuits. Exempts nonprofit organizations and companies primarily focused on new housing construction.

Prohibits local governments from banning organizations that provide survival services to homeless individuals. Protects the provision of essential items like food, water, blankets, and basic hygiene supplies to homeless persons. Applies uniformly to all California cities to ensure consistent treatment of homeless support services statewide.

Authorizes a $10 billion state bond measure for affordable housing programs to appear on the June 2026 ballot. Allocates $5 billion to create affordable rental housing with 10% reserved for extremely low-income households. Provides $1 billion for homeownership programs including down payment assistance for first-time buyers. Dedicates $350 million to farmworker housing and $250 million for tribal housing initiatives.

Streamlines post-disaster housing reconstruction by voiding restrictive covenants that block rebuilding. Requires local governments to approve disaster-related rebuilding applications within 90 days if standards are met. Mandates housing associations review reconstruction plans within 30 days and provide clear feedback on rejections. Allows temporary placement of manufactured homes during rebuilding for up to 3 years after a disaster.

Authorizes the Attorney General to handle up to 25 severe mobilehome park violations annually. Extends the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program through January 1, 2030. Requires park management to pay a $10 annual fee per lot to fund enforcement activities. Mandates a $250 penalty when park management fails to provide requested documents within 15 days.

Requires eviction notices to be provided in six languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Korean. Mandates the Judicial Council to create a standardized multilingual eviction summons form by January 1, 2027. Ensures tenants receive critical information about court deadlines and their right to seek legal counsel.