Bill Text: CA AB2649 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 2649

Introduced

Bill Title: State government: housing projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-15 - From printer. May be heard in committee March 16. [AB2649 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2649-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2649

Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks

February 14, 2024

An act relating to housing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2649, as introduced, Wicks. State government: housing projects.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and makes the department responsible for administering various housing programs throughout the state, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHOME Program, and the California Emergency Solutions Grants Program.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would designate an unspecified state entity with permitting authority for housing projects of statewide significance, and would make related findings and declarations.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California faces a critical housing shortage, with millions of residents struggling to find safe, affordable, and accessible housing. This shortage hinders economic growth, displaces communities, and exacerbates existing inequalities.

(2) Existing local zoning and permitting processes can be overly complex, lengthy, and inconsistent, leading to delays and discouraging the development of much-needed housing, particularly large projects with the potential to address the crisis more effectively.

(3) Large housing projects, encompassing hundreds or even thousands of units, can offer economies of scale for incorporating infrastructure, transit connections, and service integration, creating well-planned, service-rich communities that benefit not just residents but the entire region and state. These housing projects have a statewide significance.

(4) A state permitting process specifically designed for large, transit-oriented, and service-rich housing projects with regional significance can overcome the limitations of existing local procedures, expediting approvals and encouraging timely development.

(5) State involvement can facilitate coordination between local jurisdictions, ensuring projects align with regional and state planning goals and address housing needs at a broader scale.

(6) State review of housing projects could more holistically address the causes of and effects of development, allowing more robust project analysis under existing state law, such as the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code).

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would designate an unspecified state entity with permitting authority for housing projects of statewide significance.