Bill-a-palooza
In October Governor Newsom signed 18 bills that will help us move more people home, from allowing us to build housing more quickly, to increasing renter rights to help stem to inflow into the homeless population.
We put together a guide to highlight some of these bills that were passed and what that means for our mission to end homelessness in people's lives.
AB 68 allows single-family homeowners who apply to build accessory dwelling units, or “granny flats,” to also build second “junior” ADUs on their properties. The bill essentially rezones all of California’s single-family properties as triplexes and requires local agencies to approve or deny ADU projects within 60 days.
AB 881 removes barriers to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) construction by streamlining project approval at the local level and eliminates the five-year requirement for owner-occupancy.
AB 671 requires that local housing plans encourage affordable ADU rentals and requires the state to create a list of available grants and financial incentives for the construction of affordable ADUs.
AB 1197 provides a CEQA exemption for supportive housing and shelters in the City of L.A.
AB 1482 known as the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, will prohibit a landlord from terminating a tenancy without just cause, and requires that cause to be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy. For tenants who have lived at the property for a year, the landlord will have to give the renter the opportunity to “cure” the violation. The bill also limits rent control to 5% for buildings at least 15 years old, with some exceptions.
AB 1763 creates more affordable housing by giving 100% affordable housing developments the right to build larger buildings. Eligible developers will get an enhanced affordable housing density bonus and up to an 80% density increase for approved projects within a half-mile of major transit stops.
SB 329 amends the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to include Section 8 and other housing assistance vouchers within California’s prohibition on discrimination based on source of income.
SB 330 establishes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, which will speed up housing production in California by streamlining permitting and approval processes. The bill prevents municipalities from reducing the amount of housing that can be built, known as “down-zoning,” and limits project fees.
These bills were passed in part thanks to the strong advocacy efforts of our community. Learn how you can become an advocate here.