Legislative Outcomes
Habitat California works alongside our statewide network of affiliates to advance policies that expand affordable homeownership, strengthen Habitat’s work, and remove barriers for the families and communities we serve. The legislation below represents bills sponsored or supported by Habitat California that were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor - important policy victories made possible through persistent advocacy, strong partnerships, and the collective voice of the Habitat network.
2025 Legislative Session
When the Habitat network speaks with one voice, change happens. These legislative wins demonstrate what’s possible when affiliates, homeowners, advocates, and partners come together to champion affordable homeownership at the State Capitol.
AB 226 (Calderon) California FAIR Plan Sustainability
This bill provides financial tools (bond issuance, credit line) to ensure FAIR Plan policyholders are covered in the event of catastrophe.
AB 238 (Harabedian) Mortgage Forbearance - Fire Victims
This bill provides up to 360 days of mortgage forbearance for homeowners affected by wildfire with no fees, penalties, or interest.
AB 253 (Ward) Housing Permit Review "Shot Clock"
This bill allows home builders to hire a licensed and certified third-party reviewer for certain (small to medium) projects, if the local government cannot or does not complete the permit review process within 30 days – a sort of “shot clock” for housing construction permits.
AB 301 (Schiavo) State Permit Review Timelines
This bill brings state departments in line with local agencies’ post-entitlement permit timeline timeframe standards adopted through AB 2234 (Rivas, 2022). Failure to meet timelines will result in permit being deemed approved or review period being deemed complete.
AB 417 (Carrillo) Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts
This bill reforms Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities (CRIAs) and Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs) law to streamline the formation and utilization of these entities to support economic development and fund local infrastructure projects, including affordable housing.
AB 457 (Soria) Farmworker Housing
This bill provides for a ministerial approval process and CEQA exemption for affordable farmworker housing within 15 miles of farm or grazing land in the Counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz to also include the Counties of Fresno, Madera, and Merced.
AB 507 (Haney) Adaptive Reuse Streamlining
This bill deems an adaptive reuse project a use by right. Rental housing will include either 8% of the unit for very low income households and 5% of the units for extremely low income households or 15% of the units for lower income households. Owner-occupied housing will include either 30% of the units at an affordable housing cost to moderate-income households or 15% of the units at an affordable housing cost to lower income households. For mixed uses, at least one-half of the square footage will be dedicated to residential uses. Other exemptions may include parking, impact fees, and CEQA.
AB 609 (Wicks) CEQA Streamlining
This bill was adopted (as AB 130 and SB 131) in the State budget that was approved in June. It exempts projects from CEQA if they are in an infill location and are not located on environmentally sensitive or hazardous sites. Because the housing projects have to comply with the local general plan, zoning ordinance, and objective standards, they will have already been scrutinized by CEQA. Projects will meet minimum density thresholds (typically 15 units per acre in urban areas, 10 units per acre in suburban areas, and 5 units per acre in rural areas), and be less than 20 acres in size.
AB 726 (Avila Farias) Rehabilitated Units Count
This bill permits a local agency to include in its annual report the number of units of existing deed-restricted affordable housing within a specified affordability threshold that are at least 15 years old and have been substantially rehabilitated with at least sixty thousand dollars per unit in funds awarded from the city or county.
AB 771 (Macedo) Financing Statements + Mortgages
Previous to this law, if a debtor had an unexpired driver's license or identification card, a financing statement must use the exact name on that document. This bill allows financing statements to use either the individual's full name or their surname and first personal name, even for individuals with current DMV-issued identification. This provides more flexibility in how names are recorded on financing statements related to mortgages, making it easier for lenders and financial institutions to file them, aiming to reduce technical barriers in mortgage and secured transaction documentation.
AB 920 (Caloza) Permit Streamlining Act
Requires cities over 150,000 in population to establish a centralized online permit application portal and standardized processes.
AB 1007 (Rubio, B.) Development Project Review
Expedites the approval of housing by shortening the time frame for state and regional agencies to approve or disapprove applications for housing development projects for which they are a responsible agency, but not the lead agency.
AB 1050 (Schultz) Unlawfully Restricted Covenants
This bill facilitates the redevelopment of vacant commercial centers by extending existing law for removing CC&Rs on a property that preclude housing to mixed-use and mixed-income housing development.
SB 79 (Wiener) Transit-Oriented Development
Allows for upzoning/higher density for housing built near major transit stops.
SB 358 (Becker) Mitigating Traffic Impacts
Amends the Mitigation Fee Act to modify how local agencies calculate traffic impact fees for housing developments located in transit priority areas. Local agencies must set traffic fees at least 50% lower than standard.
SB 489 (Arreguin) Permit Streamlining Act
This bill improves the Permit Streamlining Act (PSA) by requiring all public agencies to post online the information necessary for a housing development application to be deemed complete.
SB 786 (Arreguin) Housing Element Law
This bill resolves ambiguities in housing element law. An HCD-certified housing element will supersede in conflicts or inconsistencies. When local governments remove specific constraints on housing development as a condition of housing element certification, they will be deemed removed upon HCD certification of the housing element. It sets deadlines for local voter approval as a condition of housing element certification. Court processes and timelines will be adjusted to provide relief earlier.
SB 808 (Caballero) Expedited Judicial Review
This bill will expedite judicial review of Housing Accountability Act and housing permit denials that violate state law, bringing swift resolution to enforcement actions, allowing projects to move forward quickly, and incentivize local governments to process applications in accordance with state law without altering the authority of local governments.
