Brown's Housing Bill Goes Down
- Dec 16, 2025
- 14 min read
Updated: Dec 18, 2025
If building houses were as easy as drafting laws, California would have left its housing crisis in the dust long ago. With rents continuing to inch upward, legislators in Sacramento have introduced a myriad of bills intended to streamline, fund, and otherwise promote the production of both market rate and subsidized housing statewide. Even bills whose titles ostensibly speak to issues like zoning, redevelopment dissolution, and infrastructure development are concerned wholly or in part with housing. Leading this pack of bills was Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal, Budget Trailer Bill 707, to bypass some local reviews for developments that include some low-income units. The proposal also included $400 million in state funds for low-income housing. Amid furious debate and politicking, including opposition from many housing advocates and low-income developers, the proposal failed for this year. More esoterically, a bevy of bills to promote accessory dwelling units have cropped up, as Californians seek shelter in back yards and detached garages. Other categories of land use bills include infrastructure and conventional transportation, high speed rail, and climate change and the environment. of those, the most significant may be Assembly Bill 197 and Senate Bill 32 , which jointly update and extend the state’s landmark climate change law, Assembly Bill 32 of 2006, to 2050. Some provisions of AB 32 expire in 2020. Without an update, the state's cap-and-trade system may be in jeopardy. Both bills appeared headed for defeat but were revived by the legislature’s Democratic majority in part at the urging of Brown. Among bills that are still in play, lawmakers have until August 31 to pass bills and present them to the governor for his signature. Here is a summary of active bills as Aug. 28 with their current status. Planning & ZoningSB 1000(Leyva) Land Use: General Plans: Environmental Justice This bill would add to the required elements of the general plan an environmental justice element, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, that identifies disadvantaged communities, as defined, within the area covered by the general plan of the city, county, or city and county, if the city, county, or city and county has a disadvantaged community. Ordered to third reading.Housing: Approvals, Zoning & Land UseBudget Trailer Bill 707: Streamlining Affordable Housing Approvals In May Gov. Jerry Brown introduced a budget trailer bill that would exempt certain projects from certain local discretionary approvals. It would grant by-right approvals to residential developments that, among other criteria, conform with existing zoning and planning regulations and includes a certain percentage of below-market-rate units. Conforming projects will be exempt forms of local discretionary review, which often slows down projects and imposes significant costs on developers. Importantly, these projects would also be exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act. (See prior CP&DR coverage.) DeadAB 1934 (Santiago) Planning and Zoning: Development Bonuses: Mixed-use Projects This bill, when an applicant for approval for commercial development agrees to partner with an affordable housing developer to construct a joint project or 2 separate projects encompassing affordable housing, would require a city, county, or city and county to grant to the commercial developer a development bonus, as specified. The bill would define the development bonus to mean incentives mutually agreed upon by the developer and the jurisdiction that may include but are not limited to, specified variances. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.AB 2180(Ting) Land Use: Development Project Review This bill would require approval or disapproval within 120 days from the date of certification of an environmental impact report when the development project consists of either residential units only or mixed use development in which the nonresidential uses are less than 50 percent of the total square footage of the development, among other conditions. It would also reduce each time period to within 90 days when the development project consists of either residential units only or mixed use development in which the nonresidential uses are less than 50 percent of the total square footage. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.AB 2208 (Santiago) Local Planning: Housing Element: Inventory of Land for Residential Development This bill would revise the definition of land suitable for residential development to include above sites owned or leased by a city, county, or city and county. By imposing new duties upon local agencies with respect to the housing element of the general plan, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also require, until December 31, 2023, the department to provide guidance to local governments to properly survey, detail, and account for sites listed pursuant to a requirement that the city or county consider the above-described guidelines for the preparation of housing elements. EnrolledAB 2319 (Gordon) California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank This bill would expand the authority of the Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank by adding affordable housing, as defined, to the types of projects to which the bank is authorized to provide financial assistance. By expanding the banks’s authority to expend funds in a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would also make conforming, nonsubstantive changes to cross-references to this provision. In committee: Held under submission.AB 2501 (Bloom) Housing: Density Bonuses This bill would require the local government to adopt procedures and timelines for processing a density bonus application, provide a list of documents and information required to be submitted with the application in order for it to be deemed complete, and notify the applicant whether it is complete. This bill would specify that the term “density bonus” means a density increase over the maximum allowable gross residential density at the time of the date of the application, or, if elected by the applicant, a lesser percentage of density increase or no increase in density. Passed - Ordered to AssemblyAB 2502 (Mullin) Land Use: Zoning Regulations This bill would authorize the legislative body of any city, county, or city and county to adopt ordinances to require, as a condition of development of residential rental units, that the development include a certain percentage of residential rental units affordable to, and occupied by, moderate-income, lower income, very low income, or extremely low income households, as specified, and would declare the intent of the Legislature in adding this provision. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.AB 2557 (Santiago) Zoning Regulations: Interim Ordinances This bill would instead prohibit an interim ordinance from having the effect of denying approvals needed for the development of projects with a significant component of multifamily housing. It would additionally make findings and declarations that addressing housing matters, including the development of multifamily housing, is a matter of statewide concern, and the bill therefore applies to all cities, including charter cities. Hearing canceled at the request of author. Dead.AB 2584 (Daly) Land Use: Housing Development The Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter or conditioning approval in a manner that renders the project infeasible unless the local agency makes specified written findings. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.AB 2697 (Bonilla) Redevelopment Dissolution: Successor Agencies: Disposal of Assets and Properties This bill would require a successor agency, prior to the disposal of land of the former redevelopment agency, to send a written offer to sell for the purposes of developing low- and moderate-income housing to any local public entity within whose jurisdiction the land is located, as specified. The bill would additionally require the sale of land of the former redevelopment agency to be subject to certain requirements relating to affordable housing. By imposing new duties on local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.Housing: Low-Income, Financing & HomelessnessAB 2031(Bonta) Local Government: Affordable Housing: Financing This bill would authorize a city or county to reject its allocations of property tax revenues that it would otherwise receive pursuant to specified statutory provisions governing the dissolution of redevelopment agencies. The bill would except from this authorization a city, county, or city and county that became the successor agency to the redevelopment agency and did not receive a finding of completion from the Department of Finance, as specified, and any designated local authority of a redevelopment agency, formed as specified, that did not receive the finding of completion from the Department of Finance. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. AB 2441 (Thurmond) Housing: Workforce Housing Pilot Program This bill would create the Workforce Housing Pilot Program, which would award grant funding to eligible recipients for the predevelopment costs, acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of rental housing projects or units within rental housing projects that serve, and for providing downpayment assistance to, persons and families of low or moderate income. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.AB 2817 (Chiu) Taxes: Credits: Low-Income Housing: Allocation Increase This bill, for calendar years beginning 2017, would increase the aggregate housing credit dollar amount that may be allocated among low-income housing projects by $300,000,000 as specified. The bill would also increase the amount the committee may allocate to farmworker housing projects from $500,000 to $25,000,000 per year. It would also modify the definition of applicable percentage relating to qualified low-income buildings that meet specified criteria. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.SB 846 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) No Place Like Home Program: Establishment This bill would establish the No Place Like Home Program (part of AB 1616), to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill would require the department to award $2,000,000,000 through a competitive program among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified. Gutted and amended. Dead.SB 879 (Beall) Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2016 This bill would enact the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2016, which would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law. Proceeds from the sale of these bonds would be used to finance various existing housing programs, as well as infill infrastructure financing and affordable housing matching grant programs, as provided. Ordered to third reading.AB 2475 (Gordon) Loan Program: California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank This bill would establish within the bank the Local Government Affordable Housing Forgivable Loan Program, and require the bank to make loans to a local government for the development of affordable housing by the local government on terms and conditions the bank deems in the best interests of the state. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.Housing: Accessory Dwelling UnitsSB 1069 (Wieckowski D) Land Use: Zoning This bill would find and declare that, among other things, allowing accessory dwelling units in single-family or multifamily residential zones provides additional rental housing stock stock, and these units are an essential component of housing supply in California. It would prohibit the imposition of parking standards under specified circumstances. Ordered to third reading.AB 2299 (Bloom) Land Use: Housing: 2nd Units This bill would, instead, require a local agency to provide by ordinance for the creation of second units in certain zones. The bill would also specify that a local agency may reduce or eliminate parking requirements for any second unit located within its jurisdiction. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.AB 2406 (Thurmond) Housing: Junior Accessory Dwelling Units This bill would authorize a local agency to provide by ordinance for the creation of junior accessory dwelling units, as defined, in single-family residential zones. The bill would require the ordinance to include, among other things, standards for the creation of a junior accessory dwelling unit, required deed restrictions, and occupancy requirements. The bill would prohibit an ordinance from requiring, as a condition of granting a permit, water and sewer connection fees or additional parking requirements. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. Transportation, Mobility & InfrastructureAB 2222 (Holden) Transit Pass Program: Free or Reduced-Fare Transit Passes This bill would establish the Transit Pass Program to be administered by the Department of Transportation with moneys made available to support transit pass programs that provide free or reduced-fare transit passes to specified pupils and students. The bill would require the department to develop guidelines that describe the criteria that eligible transit providers are required to use to make available free or reduced-fare transit passes to eligible participants. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.AB 1591 (Frazier) Transportation Funding This bill would create the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. The bill would require the California Transportation Commission to adopt performance criteria to ensure efficient use of the funds available for the program. The bill would provide for the deposit of various funds for the program in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account, which the bill would create in the State Transportation Fund, including revenues attributable to a $0.225 per gallon increase in the motor vehicle fuel tax imposed by the bill. Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and REV. & TAX. Dead.AB 1592 (Bonilla) Autonomous Vehicles: Pilot Project This bill would, authorize the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles that do not have an operator and are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator if the testing is conducted only at specified locations and the autonomous vehicle operates at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. AB 2796 (Bloom) Active Transportation Program This bill would, for a program cycle adopted on or after January 1, 2018, require a minimum of 10% of all available Active Transportation Program funds to be programmed for planning and noninfrastructure purposes, except as provided. provided, and would require at least 50 percent of that amount to be programmed for planning activities to develop comprehensive active transportation master plans. In committee: Held under submission. Dead.ACA 4 (Frazier) Local Government Transportation Projects: Special Taxes: Voter Approval This measure would provide that the imposition, extension, or increase of a sales and use tax imposed pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law or a transactions and use tax imposed in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law by a local government county, city, city and county, or special district for the purpose of providing funding for local transportation projects, as defined, requires the approval of 55% of its voters voting on the proposition. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.SBX1 11 (Berryhill) Environmental Quality: Transportation Infrastructure This bill would exempt from these CEQA provisions a project that consists of the inspection, maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, or removal of existing transportation infrastructure if certain conditions are met, and would require the person undertaking these projects to take certain actions, including providing notice to an affected public agency of the project’s exemption. Because a lead agency would be required to determine if a project qualifies for this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also, in an action or proceeding seeking judicial review under CEQA, prohibit a court from staying or enjoining a transportation infrastructure project that is included in a sustainable communities strategy or an alternate planning strategy and for which a programmatic EIR has been certified unless it makes specified findings. DeadSBX1 14 (Cannella) Transportation Projects: Comprehensive Development Lease Agreements This bill would extend this authorization indefinitely and would include within the definition of “regional transportation agency” the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, thereby authorizing the authority to enter into public-private partnerships under these provisions. The bill would also delete obsolete cross-references and make technical changes to these provisions. DeadHigh Speed RailAB 1889 High-Speed Rail Authority: High-Speed Train Operation This bill would provide for the purposes of a certain plan that a corridor or usable segment thereof would be "suitable and ready for high-speed train operation” if specified conditions are met. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly.AB 2049 Bonds: Transportation This bill would provide that no further bonds shall be sold for high-speed rail purposes pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, expect as specifically provided with respect to an existing appropriation for high-speed rail purposes for early improvement projects in the Phase I blended system. The bill, subject to the above exception, would require redirection of the unspent proceeds received from outstanding bonds issued and sold for other high-speed rail purposes prior to the effective date of these provisions, upon appropriation, for use in retiring the debt incurred from the issuance and sale of those outstanding bonds. In committee: Set, first hearing. Failed passage. Environment, Climate Change & PollutionAB 197 (Garcia) State Air Resources Board: Greenhouse Gases This bill would add two members of the Legislature to the state Air Resources Board as ex officio, nonvoting members. The bill would provide that the voting members of the state board are appointed for staggered 6-year terms. terms and upon expiration of the term of office of a voting member, the appointing authority may reappoint that member to a new term of office, subject to specified requirements.This bill would also require the state board, when adopting rules and regulations to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions beyond the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit and to protect the state’s most impacted and disadvantaged communities, to follow specified requirements, consider the social costs of the emissions of greenhouse gases, and prioritize specified emission reduction rules and regulations. Enrolled and presented to the Governor.SB 32 (Pavley) California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: Emissions Limit An extension of AB 32 of 2006, this bill would require the Air Resources Board to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit that is equivalent to 40% below the 1990 level to be achieved by 2030. The bill would also require the state board, on or before January 1, 2018, and each year thereafter, to prepare and submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and appropriate policy committees a report relating to the greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved toward those limits. Enrolled and presented to the Governor.Community Development / Economic DevelopmentAB 806 (Dodd) Community Development: Economic Opportunity. This bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to acquire, sell, or lease property in furtherance of the creation of an economic opportunity, as defined. The bill would require the resolution to contain a finding that the acquisition, sale, or lease of the property will assist in the creation of economic opportunity and would require the creation of an economic opportunity to be subject to specified public notice and hearing provisions. From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. AB 2492 (Alejo D) Community Revitalization The bill would authorize an authority to carry out a community revitalization plan if the census tract or census block groups within the community revitalization and investment area are within a disadvantage community, as prescribed. It would authorize the calculation to be made with a combination of census tracts and census block groups. The bill would also revise the conditions to require, among other things, an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide, countywide, or citywide annual median household income. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.MiscellaneousSB 1262 (Pavley) Water Supply Planning This bill would require a city or county that determines a project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act to identify any water system whose service area includes the project site and any water system adjacent to the project site. This bill would provide that hauled water is not a source of water for the purposes of a water supply assessment, as specified. This bill would, if a water supply for a proposed project includes groundwater, require certain additional information to be included in the water supply assessment. The act generally requires a subdivider to submit a tentative map for subdivisions of land, as specified. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.AB 2586 (Gatto) Parking This bill would prohibit a local authority that contracts with a private entity to enforce parking regulations from promoting designated incentives in connection with the issuance of violation notices. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly.SB 133 (McGuire) Transient Occupancy Taxes: Hosting Platforms: Collection. This bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to elect to allow platforms, as defined, that elect to assume the responsibility of collecting and remitting transient occupancy taxes on behalf of operators, to collect and remit those taxes to that city, county, or city and county, as specified. Hearing canceled at the request of author. Dead.SB 734 Environmental Quality: Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011 This bill would extend the authority of the governor to certify a project to January 1, 2018. The bill would provide that the certification expires and is no longer valid if the lead agency fails to approve a certified project before January 1, 2019. This bill would require a multifamily residential project certified pursuant to the act to provide private vehicle parking spaces that are priced and rented or purchased separately from dwelling units, except as provided. Enrolled and presented to the Governor.SB-1190 (Jackson) California Coastal Commission: ex parte communications: staff communications This bill would prohibit a commission member or an interested person from intentionally conducting any ex parte communication or any oral or written communication regarding a pending enforcement investigation that does not occur in a public hearing, workshop, or other official proceeding, or on the official record of the proceeding on the matter. The bill would require a commission member to report these communications in writing, would require the report to be placed in the public record, and would prohibit a commission member from voting on or otherwise participating in any commission proceeding to which one of these communications applies, even if the communication is reported. August 25 hearing postponed by committee.
