Calif. Government Code §65400, 65583, 65700, Health and Safety Code §50456
Amended by A. B. 879
Effective date: January 1, 2018

A city, county or charter city is now required to include in its housing element annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD):

  • the number of housing development applications received in the prior year;
  • the number of units included in all development applications in the prior year;
  • the number of units approved and disapproved in the prior year;
  • a list of sites rezoned to accommodate the portion of the city’s or county’s share of the regional housing need for each income level that is not currently accommodated by existing zoning;
  • the number of new housing units that have been issued a completed entitlement, building permit or certificate of occupancy, and the income category each unit of housing satisfies, including a unique site identifier for each entitlement, building permit or certificate of occupancy; and
  • for developments which meet the standards for streamlined applications not requiring a conditional use permit:
    • the number of development applications submitted;
    • the number and location of development applications approved;
    • the number of building permits issued; and
    • the number of units constructed.

The report is required to be prepared in accordance with HCD standards. HCD will post the submitted reports on its website.

The assessment of housing needs and inventory of resources and constraints contained in in the housing element will now include:

  • an analysis of any locally adopted ordinances that directly impact the cost and supply of residential development; and
  • an analysis of nongovernmental constraints — such as requests to develop housing at below-anticipated densities, and the length of time between receiving approval for a housing development and submittal of an application for building permits for that housing development that obstruct the construction of a locality’s share of the regional housing need — including local efforts to remove nongovernmental constraints obstructing the development of housing for all income levels.

Programs established to create a schedule of actions for housing development are required to remove nongovernmental constraints to maintenance, improvement and development of housing for individuals with disabilities when possible.

By June 20, 2019, HCD will complete a study evaluating the reasonableness of local fees charged to new developments, including findings and recommendations regarding potential fee reductions.

Read more:

Read the bill text.

Related article:

Updated requirements for land and housing inventory