SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) today released maps showing which cities and counties in California are now subject to streamlined housing development under Senate Bill 35.
SB 35 is an integral piece of California’s historic 15-bill housing package that was signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in September 2017. The law, which took effect January 1, is intended to help address housing affordability by expediting approvals for certain new housing projects in jurisdiction that are not meeting their housing needs.
Maps are available for these regions: Bay Area, Central Coast, Central Valley, Sacramento, San Diego, Southern California, and the entire state.
Each region’s housing need is determined every five to eight years through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process. Once the need is determined, cities and counties must show they have zoned enough land for housing to accommodate families and individuals at all income levels. These plans, known as housing elements, must be submitted to HCD for approval and incorporated into the city’s or county’s general plan. SB 35 looks beyond planning to see if cities/counties have permitted housing in line with their need. When they have not, they are subject to SB 35.
In order for a proposed development to qualify for expedited development approval in a city or county that is subject to SB 35 streamlining, it must, among other things:
- Be located on an infill site.
- Follow residential and mixed-use zoning laws.
- Dedicate at least 10 percent of housing units for lower-income residents if the city/county has not made sufficient progress toward their above-moderate income housing need, or at least 50 percent of housing units for lower-income residents if the city/county has not made sufficient progress toward their very-low and low-income housing need.
The other 14 bills within the housing package work in tandem with SB 35 and help begin to tackle California’s housing challenges. HCD will host a webinar on SB 35 on February 6, 2018 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. To receive email notifications about SB 35 and other elements of the housing package, sign up to receive HCD email and select “California's 2017 Housing Package.” More information, including frequently asked questions and milestones for the bills' implementation can be found on HCD's 2017 Housing Package webpage.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development is dedicated to the preservation and expansion of safe and affordable housing so more Californians have a place to call home. Our team works to ensure an adequate supply of housing for Californians and promotes the growth of strong communities through its leadership, policy and program development. For more information, please visit www.hcd.ca.gov and follow us on Twitter, @California_HCD and Facebook, @CaliforniaHCD.
