Housing & Homelessness

Extends the housing needs consultation period from 26 to 38 months for most regional planning agencies. Requires detailed data on homelessness, overcrowding, and housing costs to determine regional housing needs. Establishes a 30-day window for regional agencies to challenge housing need determinations.

Undeveloped 'intent bill' that establishes mortgage forbearance protections for wildfire-affected borrowers. Requires lenders to offer up to 12 months of payment relief with no late fees or foreclosures during forbearance.

Requires landlords to provide working stoves and refrigerators in rental units starting January 1, 2026. Exempts permanent supportive housing, single-room units, and properties with shared kitchens from appliance requirements. Allows tenants to provide their own refrigerators if they notify landlords when signing the lease. Prohibits use of recalled stoves or refrigerators in rental properties.

Prohibits local governments from modifying residential building standards from 2025 to 2031 without state approval. Requires state commission approval for all residential building code changes except emergency safety measures. Aims to increase housing supply by standardizing building regulations across California cities and counties. Preserves local authority to modify standards for home hardening and fire safety measures.

Requires financial institutions to pay 2% interest on insurance payouts held in escrow accounts. Applies to new home loans after January 1, 2026 and existing loans in LA and Ventura wildfire zones. Prohibits banks from charging fees that would reduce the 2% interest rate on escrowed insurance funds. Takes immediate effect to help homeowners impacted by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Authorizes tenants to house people at risk of homelessness with landlord approval through January 2031. Expands eligibility to include disaster-displaced residents and their pets. Requires written agreements between all parties and allows landlords to adjust rent for additional occupants. Holds tenants liable for temporary occupants' actions and enables quick removal for rule violations.

Establishes a new system allowing private professionals to review building permits when city delays exceed 30 days. Requires cities to post residential building permit fee schedules online and provide estimated review timeframes. Mandates building departments to approve or reject private review reports within 14 days of submission. Applies only to residential projects with 1-10 units and buildings under 40 feet in height.

Exempts accessory dwelling units in Los Angeles County from coastal development permit requirements. Extends permit exemptions to counties under state emergency declarations after February 1, 2025. Takes effect immediately to address housing shortages and natural disaster impacts. Eliminates public hearing requirements for ADU coastal development permits statewide.

Protects disaster victims staying in hotels from being classified as tenants through January 2031. Requires hotels to give 72-hour notice before evicting disaster victims who stay longer than 30 days. Takes effect immediately to address housing needs from Los Angeles County wildfires.

Requires state agencies to post housing permit requirements and examples online by January 2026. Establishes strict permit review deadlines of 30 days for smaller projects and 60 days for larger ones. Automatically approves permits if state departments fail to meet review deadlines. Creates an appeals process requiring final decisions within 60-90 days based on project size.

Requires local agencies to approve accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs that meet state standards without extra requirements. Strengthens protections for affordable housing by giving qualified entities first right to purchase assisted housing developments. Expands the definition of builder's remedy projects to increase housing development in non-compliant jurisdictions. Mandates identification of excess state sites near migrant labor centers for permanent farmworker housing by 2028.

Requires landlords to return security deposits by check or electronically based on how payment was originally received. Mandates landlords to photograph rental units before tenancy begins and after it ends starting July 2025. Requires security deposit returns for multiple tenants to be payable to all adult tenants unless otherwise agreed. Allows small-scale landlords who own 2 or fewer properties to charge up to 2 months' rent for security deposits.

Requires courts to report monthly data on eviction cases by ZIP code to increase transparency. Mandates tracking of legal representation rates for both landlords and tenants in eviction proceedings. Directs the Judicial Council to publish eviction case data online every four months starting January 2026.

Establishes a state mortgage insurance program to stimulate private investment in multifamily housing construction. Creates a continuously appropriated insurance fund supported by premium charges up to 2% of loan value. Authorizes the California Housing Finance Agency to insure construction loans and provide credit enhancements. Takes effect in 2027 pending voter approval of a related constitutional amendment.

Strengthens enforcement of housing laws by requiring courts to issue rulings within 120 days on general plan challenges. Extends the compliance period from 60 to 120 days for cities to align their plans with state housing requirements. Mandates courts to grant temporary relief during housing law challenges if petitioners show likely success. Requires automatic sanctions on cities that fail to meet court-ordered rezoning deadlines.

Requires annual instead of biennial evaluations of state homelessness prevention goals. Mandates specific goals to reduce homelessness among domestic violence survivors and unaccompanied women. Establishes cross-system partnerships to streamline access to housing and social services.

Expands housing protections by making certain property restrictions unenforceable in counties hit by major wildfires in 2025. Allows property owners to modify restrictive covenants that limit housing size, location, or occupancy through county review. Requires county counsel to review and approve covenant modifications within 15 days of submission. Preserves existing protections for affordable housing, environmental conservation, and fair housing laws.

Expands the definition of housing development standards to include materials and permit requirements. Strengthens protections for housing projects by limiting local agencies' ability to deny approvals. Requires housing projects to be deemed compliant if supported by substantial evidence. Imposes minimum $10,000 per unit fines on local agencies that violate housing approval rules.

Prioritizes housing funds for foster youth and victims of domestic violence or trafficking in state programs. Requires 8% of homeless housing funds to support homeless youth or those at risk of homelessness. Mandates housing projects funded through this program be approved without discretionary permits. Requires funded projects to complete construction or rehabilitation within 8 months of receiving awards.

Establishes a standardized statewide housing application process to streamline development approvals. Requires local agencies to accept a state-approved standard application form without adding extra requirements. Prohibits cities from requiring pre-application reviews, studies, or approvals before deeming applications complete. Empowers courts to fine non-compliant cities up to $10,000 per housing unit and mandate project approval.

Requires the Department of Insurance to study insurance coverage challenges facing affordable housing providers. Mandates insurers to provide data on policies, claims, and rates over the past five years. Requires recommendations to address insurance cost and access issues by December 31, 2026. Expires automatically on January 1, 2027 after the study is completed.

Exempts homeowners from tree removal regulations when insurers and state fire officials identify trees as fire hazards. Requires both insurance companies and the Department of Forestry to confirm a tree poses a fire risk. Waives all state and local fees and fines associated with removing dangerous trees from residential properties.

Makes technical changes to real estate licensing and reporting requirements for the Department of Real Estate.

Expands local government authority to remove vehicles used as shelter by people experiencing homelessness. Allows cities to perform emergency removal of vehicles that pose immediate health and safety risks. Permits local authorities to scrap and dismantle vehicles on-site rather than moving them to scrapyards. Reduces notice requirements for removing low-value inoperable vehicles from certain properties.

Requires utility companies to connect affordable housing projects to the electrical grid within 60 days. Delays utility rate increases when companies fail to meet connection deadlines for affordable housing. Mandates streamlined review process for delayed affordable housing electrical connections. Defines affordable housing projects as those supported by California Tax Credit Allocation Committee subsidies.