Housing & Homelessness

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Requires cities and counties to create preapproval programs for residential housing plans by July 2026. Mandates 30-day approval decisions for applications using preapproved housing plans. Requires local agencies to post all preapproved housing plans on their websites. Allows local agencies to charge standard permitting fees for plan preapprovals.

Authorizes developers to use buyer deposits before closing to fund construction of unbuilt subdivision projects. Requires developers to provide security bonds and obtain state approval before accessing buyer deposits. Mandates full deposit refunds if buyers cannot close when construction completes. Allows liquidated damages to exceed 3% of purchase price if specific consumer protections are met.

Requires ministerial approval for two-unit developments on single-family lots, bypassing local review processes. Increases minimum unit size requirements from 800 to 1,750 square feet while prohibiting impact fees on smaller units. Mandates local agencies to submit housing ordinances to state within 60 days for compliance review. Reduces affordable housing requirements from 50% to 20% for streamlined development approvals.

Establishes expedited court review for housing permit denials to speed up the approval process. Requires courts to issue decisions within 75 days of filing housing permit appeals. Mandates local agencies to compile and certify permit records within 15 days of receiving appeals. Prioritizes housing permit cases over other civil actions in state courts.

Establishes a voluntary inspection program for landlords to verify rental unit habitability before tenant occupancy. Creates a presumption of habitability for units that pass inspection, lasting for a set period of years. Provides landlords a grace period to fix issues reported by tenants without violating habitability requirements. Authorizes local agencies to charge landlords inspection fees to cover program costs.

Prohibits business entities from purchasing newly built homes in California from 2026 to 2031. Requires developers to sell new residential properties exclusively to individual buyers. Limits individuals from transferring more than four properties to business entities they partially own. Imposes $100,000 penalties per violation when properties are sold against these restrictions.

Expands the Department of Housing's authority to approve early loan payoffs and equity extractions in affordable housing projects. Requires new regulatory agreements when loans are modified to ensure continued tenant protections and affordable rents. Limits rent increases for existing tenants to prevent displacement while allowing adjustments for project sustainability. Mandates public disclosure of household incomes and rents for restructured housing developments every three years.

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.

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

Expands California's homeless encampment program to include people living in recreational vehicles on public roads. Requires cities to tow RVs to safe parking sites and give owners 60 days to claim their vehicles. Authorizes cities to auction or demolish unclaimed RVs after 60 days, splitting proceeds equally with vehicle owners. Provides grants to help cities establish safe parking sites and extend their operating hours.

Requires cities to post residential building permit fee schedules online and conduct inspections within 30 days. Allows property owners to hire private inspectors if city delays exceed 30 days for residential projects. Mandates cities to review private inspection reports within 14 days or the project is automatically approved. Applies only to residential buildings under 40 feet tall with 10 or fewer units.

Prohibits large corporations owning over 1,000 single-family homes from buying additional houses to lease. Requires violating companies to sell non-compliant properties within one year of court judgment. Imposes a $100,000 penalty for each violation, enforced by the state Attorney General.

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.

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.

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.