Housing & Homelessness

Prohibits local agencies from requiring parking for accessory dwelling units that are 500 square feet or smaller. Removes owner-occupancy requirements for junior accessory dwelling units with separate bathrooms. Requires all junior accessory dwelling unit rentals to exceed 30-day terms. Mandates efficiency kitchens in junior accessory dwelling units with cooking facilities and storage.

Makes technical changes to annual reporting requirements for cities and counties regarding Low Barrier Navigation Centers.

Prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to subscribe to specific internet service providers. Allows tenants to deduct forced internet subscription costs from their monthly rent. Expands tenant rights to ensure freedom of choice in selecting internet providers.

Restricts courts from extending eviction hearing dates except in residential tenancy cases. Requires eviction-related motion hearings to occur within 5 to 7 court days of filing. Allows written oppositions to be filed one court day before the scheduled hearing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Authorizes UC campuses to create affordable rental housing programs for faculty and employees. Allows UC to restrict and prioritize housing occupancy to university employees on UC-owned land. Enables UC to leverage public and private funding for faculty and employee housing development. Permits inclusion of local public employees when housing units are available.

Authorizes high-performing housing jurisdictions to impose new development conditions starting January 2026. Prevents developers from reducing bicycle parking and commercial space through density bonus programs. Requires impact fees for accessory dwelling units in multifamily housing projects. Mandates shower facilities in mixed-use developments based on building size.

Transfers the Adult Reentry Grant Program to the Department of Housing and Community Development to prevent homelessness among former inmates. Establishes five-year renewable grants to fund permanent housing and support services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Requires prison officials to assess inmates' risk of homelessness 210 days before their scheduled release. Mandates that 70% of program funds be used for housing subsidies and landlord incentives to house former inmates.

Extends the timeline for determining regional housing needs from 2 to 3 years before scheduled revisions. Requires housing plans to align with regional transportation strategies and sustainable community development. Mandates consideration of climate impacts like wildfire risk and sea level rise in housing needs assessments. Enhances public participation requirements in developing housing allocation methodologies.

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.

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.

Restricts sales of new homes built after 2026 to individual buyers rather than corporate entities. Requires business entities buying homes to disclose all owners who control 25% or more of the company. Imposes $100,000 penalties per violation when homes are sold contrary to these restrictions. Limits individuals from transferring more than four homes to companies they partially own.

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.

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.