Current lawsuits

CEQA exempts from its requirements certain residential, employment center, and mixed-use development projects meeting specified criteria, including that the project is located in a transit priority area and that the project is undertaken and is consistent with a specific plan for which an environmental impact report has been certified.

This bill would additionally exempt those projects located in a very low vehicle travel area, as defined. 

CEQA exempts from its requirements agricultural employee housing projects, affordable housing projects, and housing projects on infill sites that meet certain requirements, including, among others, the site is not located within the boundaries of a state conservancy. 

This bill would allow the location of agricultural employee housing projects, affordable housing projects, and housing projects on infill sites to be located within the boundaries of a state conservancy in order to be exempt. The bill would revise and recast the areas in which those exempt projects cannot be located, as provided. 

This bill instead would require that the location of a residential project on an infill site be no more than 5 acres. The bill would additionally exempt those residential projects located in a very low vehicle travel area, as defined.

Housing element  AB 725, Wicks. General plans: housing element: moderate-income and above moderate-income housing: suburban and metropolitan jurisdictions. The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for its jurisdiction that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element. That law requires that the housing element include, among other things, an inventory of land suitable for residential development, to be used to identify sites that can be developed for housing within the planning period and that are sufficient to provide for the jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need determined pursuant to specified law. This bill, commencing January 1, 2022, would require that at least 25% of a metropolitan jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for moderate-income housing be allocated to sites with zoning that allows at least 4 units of housing, but no more than 100 units per acre of housing. The bill would require that at least 25% of a metropolitan jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for above moderate-income housing be allocated to sites with zoning that allows at least 4 units of housing. The bill would exclude unincorporated areas from this prohibition and would include related legislative findings. By imposing additional requirements on the manner in which a city or county may satisfy its regional housing need, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program 

Lead Authors: Committee on Housing (S) - (Senators Wiener (Chair), Bates, Caballero, Durazo, McGuire, Moorlach, Morrell, Roth, Skinner, Umberg, and Wieckowski)  SB 1030, Committee on Housing. Housing. (1) Existing law requires each county and each city to make a central inventory of all surplus land, as defined, and certain lands in excess of its foreseeable needs, identified as provided, on or before December 31 of each year and to make a description of each parcel and its present use a matter of public record. Existing law requires each county and each city to provide a list of its surplus land and excess land to, among other entities, a citizen upon request and without charge. This bill would revise this provision to instead require a county or city to provide a list of surplus land and excess land to an individual upon request and without charge. (2) The Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project that complies with applicable, objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria in effect at the time the application was deemed complete, unless the local agency bases its decision on written findings supported by the preponderance of the evidence on the record that specified conditions exist, as provided. The act defines “deemed complete” for these purposes to mean that the applicant has submitted a preliminary application, as specified. That act also prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or from conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes written findings, based on the preponderance of the evidence, that one or more specified conditions exist. This bill would revise the definition of “deemed complete” to include the submission of a completed application if the applicant has not submitted a preliminary application. The Housing Accountability Act authorizes specified persons to bring an action to enforce its provisions. If the court finds that one of 3 specified conditions is met, the act requires the court to issue an order or judgment compelling compliance with the act within 60 days, as provided. Upon a determination that the local agency has failed to comply with the order or judgment within 60 days, the act authorizes the court to impose specified fines. Existing law generally requires the local agency to deposit the fine in a local housing trust fund, but authorizes the local agency to elect to instead deposit the fine in the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, if SB 2 of the 2017–18 Regular Session was enacted, or otherwise in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund. This bill would delete references to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund in the Housing Accountability Act. The bill would also make various technical changes to the act. 

AB 831, Grayson. Planning and zoning: housing: development application modifications. The Planning and Zoning Law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes a development proponent to submit an application for a multifamily housing development that is subject to a streamlined, ministerial approval process, as provided, and not subject to a conditional use permit, if the development satisfies specified objective planning standards, including, among other things, that the development is located on a site that satisfies specified location, urbanization, and zoning requirements. Existing law requires a local government that determines that a development submitted pursuant to these provisions is in conflict with any of the objective planning standards to provide the development proponent written documentation of which standard or standards the development conflicts with and an explanation of the reasons, as specified. This bill would require the development and the site on which it is located to satisfy the specified location, urbanization, and zoning requirements. The bill would authorize a development proponent to request a modification to a development that has been approved under the streamlined, ministerial approval process if the request is submitted before the issuance of the final building permit required for construction of the development. The bill would require the local government to determine if the requested modification is consistent with the objective planning standard and either approve or deny the modification request within 60 or 90 days after submission of the modification, as specified. By adding to the duties of a local government with respect to review of a development application, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would permit the local government to apply objective planning standards adopted after the development application was first submitted to the requested modification in specified instances. This bill would specify that if a public improvement is necessary to implement a development that is subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process and that public improvement is located on land owned by the local government, to the extent that the public improvement requires approval from the local government, the local government shall not exercise its discretion over any approval relating to the public improvement in a manner that would inhibit, chill, or preclude the development. If an application for such a public improvement is submitted to a local government, the bill would require the local government to consider the application based upon any objective standards specified in any state or local laws that were in effect when the original development application was submitted, and to conduct its review and approval in the same manner as it would evaluate the public improvement if required by a project that is not eligible to receive the ministerial or streamlined approval described above. The bill would also prohibit the local government from unreasonably delaying in its consideration, review, or approval of the application for the public improvement, and from adopting or imposing any requirement that applies to a project solely or partially on the basis that the project is eligible to receive that ministerial or streamlined approval. Existing law also requires a local government to issue a subsequent permit, as defined, if the application substantially complies with the development as it was approved. Existing law provides that these permits include, but are not limited to, demolition, grading, and building permits and final maps. 

ABSTRACT The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use development within its boundaries that includes, among other things, a housing element. Existing law requires an attached housing development to be a permitted use, not subject to a conditional use permit, on any parcel zoned for multifamily housing if at least certain percentages of the units are available at affordable housing costs to very low income, lower income, and moderate-income households for at least 30 years and if the project meets specified conditions relating to location and being subject to a discretionary decision other than a conditional use permit. Existing law provides for various incentives intended to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing.  This bill would, notwithstanding any local restrictions on adopting zoning ordinances, authorize a local government to adopt an ordinance to zone any parcel for up to 10 units of residential density per parcel, at a height specified in the ordinance, if the parcel is located in a transit-rich area or an urban infill site, as those terms are defined. The bill would prohibit a local government from adopting an ordinance pursuant to these provisions on or after January 1, 2029. The bill would specify that an ordinance adopted under these provisions, and any resolution to amend the jurisdiction's General Plan, ordinance, or other local regulation adopted to be consistent with that ordinance, is not a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill would prohibit an ordinance adopted under these provisions from superceding a local restriction enacted or approved by a local initiative that designates publicly owned land as open-space land or for park or recreational purposes.  The bill would impose specified requirements on a zoning ordinance adopted under these provisions, including a requirement that the zoning ordinance clearly demarcate the areas that are subject to the ordinance and that the legislative body make a finding that the ordinance is consistent with the city or county's obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. The bill would require an ordinance to be adopted by a 23 vote of the members of the legislative body if the ordinance supersedes any zoning restriction established by local initiative.  The bill would prohibit an ordinance adopted under these provisions from reducing the density of any parcel subject to the ordinance and would prohibit a legislative body from subsequently reducing the density of any parcel subject to the ordinance. The bill would prohibit a residential or mixed-use residential project consisting of 10 or more units that is located on a parcel zoned pursuant to these provisions from being approved ministerially or by right or from being exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, except as specified.  This bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.  BILL SPONSORS (6)

(1) The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of a city or county to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes various elements, including, among others, a housing element and a safety element for the protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with the effects of various geologic and seismic hazards, flooding, and wildland and urban fires. Existing law requires the housing element to be revised according to a specific schedule. Existing law requires the planning agency to review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every 8 years to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. Existing law requires that the Office of Planning and Research, among other things, coordinate with appropriate entities, including state, regional, or local agencies, to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local entities, as provided. 

This bill would require the safety element, upon the next revision of the housing element or the hazard mitigation plan, on or after June 1, 2022, whichever occurs first, to be reviewed and updated as necessary to include a comprehensive retrofit strategy to reduce the risk of property loss and damage during wildfires, as specified, and would require the planning agency to submit the adopted strategy to the Office of Planning and Research for inclusion into the above-described clearinghouse. The bill would also require the planning agency to review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every 8 years, to identify new information relating to retrofit updates applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the general plan to include a land use element that designates the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of the land for, among other purposes, housing, business, and industry. Existing law additionally requires the general plan to include a housing element and requires each local government to review and revise its housing element, as specified. 

This bill would require a city or county that contains a very high fire risk area, as defined, upon each revision of the housing element on or after June 1, 2022, to amend the land use element of its general plan to contain, among other things, the locations of all very high fire risk areas within the city or county and feasible implementation measures designed to carry out specified goals, objectives, and policies relating to the protection of lives and property from unreasonable risk of wildfire. The bill would require the city or county to complete a review of, and make findings related to, wildfire risk reduction standards, as defined, upon each subsequent revision of the housing element, as provided. The bill would require the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to review the findings and make recommendations, as provided. The bill would additionally require the Office of the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the Office of Planning and Research and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, by January 1, 2023, to adopt wildfire risk reduction standards that meet certain requirements and reasonable standards for third-party inspection and certifications for a specified enforcement program. The bill would also require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to, by January 1, 2024, update the maps of the very high fire hazard severity zones, as specified. The bill would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a working group of stakeholders, as specified, to assist in this effort and to consider specified national standards. Existing law requires county or city zoning ordinances to be consistent with the general plan of the county or city, as specified. 

This bill would require a city or county that contains a very high fire risk area, within 12 months following the amendment of the city or county’s land use element, to adopt a very high fire risk overlay zone or otherwise amend its zoning ordinance so that it is consistent with the general plan, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the legislative body of a city or county that contains a very high fire risk area, upon the effective date of the revision of the city or county’s land use element, from entering into a development agreement for property that is located within a very high fire risk area, approving specified discretionary permits or other discretionary entitlements for projects located within a very high fire risk area, or approving a tentative map or a parcel map for which a tentative map was not required for a subdivision that is located within a very high fire risk area, unless the city or county makes specified findings based on substantial evidence in the record. 

CHAPTER  14.7. Conversion of Publicly Owned Golf Courses to Affordable Housing 50871. (a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Department of Housing and Community Development shall administer a program to provide incentives in the form of grants to local agencies that enter into a development agreement to convert a golf course owned by the local agency into housing and publicly accessible open space. (b) In order to be eligible for a grant, a local agency shall enter into a disposition and development agreement with a developer that, at a minimum, meets the following requirements: (1) The agreement ensures that at least 25 percent of all new dwelling units developed on the former golf course are affordable to, and occupied by, lower income households, in accordance with subdivision (c). (2) At least 15 percent of the development is publicly accessible open space. Space used as a golf course shall not be considered open space. (3) No more than one-third of the square footage of the development, excluding the portion reserved for open space, is dedicated to nonresidential uses. Parking shall be considered a nonresidential use. (c) (1) Rental units developed pursuant to this section shall be subject to a recorded deed restriction of 55 years that provides that the units designated for use by lower income households are continuously available to or occupied by lower income households at rents that do not exceed those prescribed by Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code, or, to the extent that the terms of federal, state, or local financing or financial assistance conflicts with Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code, rents that do not exceed those prescribed by the terms of the financing or financial assistance. The deed restriction shall authorize the local agency to monitor the development for compliance with its terms. (2) (A) Ownership units developed pursuant to this section shall be subject to a recorded deed restriction of 45 years that provides that the units designated for use by lower income households are continuously available to lower income households at affordable housing costs that do not exceed those prescribed by Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or, to the extent that the terms of federal, state, or local financing or financial assistance conflicts with Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, affordable housing costs that do not exceed those prescribed by the terms of the financing or financial assistance. The deed restriction shall authorize the local agency to monitor the development for compliance with its terms. 

work toward    https://www.gibsondunn.com/california-governor-newsom-signs-three-important-new-bills-into-law-impacting-residential-zoning-and-development/   Statewide Housing Plan  DENSITY BONUS LAWS   https://www.planningreport.com/2021/08/25/what-s-not-sb-9-10-california-state-housing-bills-now-pending SB 9/10 

https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2371/id/2199774 Climate change mitigation 2020 AB 2371, as amended, Friedman. Climate change: Office of Planning and Research: science advisory team: climate adaptation and hazard mitigation.