Assembly Member Soria's housing legislation aims to modify California's prohousing designation system by transitioning from emergency to permanent regulations while introducing new evaluation procedures for local jurisdictions. The bill maintains the existing framework of rewarding jurisdictions that implement prohousing policies with additional points in competitive state housing and infrastructure programs.

Under the proposed changes, the Department of Housing and Community Development would evaluate prohousing status using materials from jurisdictions' housing element submissions starting with the seventh housing element cycle, reducing duplicate documentation requirements. The bill also addresses administrative burdens on smaller communities by exempting jurisdictions with populations under 100,000 from prohousing designation renewals until their next housing element cycle, though the department retains authority to revoke designations when warranted.

The legislation preserves the current incentive structure for designated jurisdictions, offering advantages in programs such as the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, the Transformative Climate Communities Program, and various infill development grant initiatives. These programs provide funding for housing and infrastructure projects that align with the state's development objectives. The department must continue publishing an annual list of eligible programs on its website and report prohousing designations to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation.