California AB 1275

(1) Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries. Existing law requires the general plan to include, among other mandatory elements, a housing element, and requires the housing element to include, among other things, an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development. Existing law requires, for the 4th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, the department to determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, as specified. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the council of governments, to determine the existing and projected need of housing for each region at least 2 years prior to the scheduled revision of the housing element, as provided. Existing law requires the department to meet and consult with the council of governments regarding the assumptions and methodology to be used to determine the region's housing needs at least 26 months prior to the scheduled revision of the housing element, as provided. This bill, except as specified, would extend the above-described timeline for the department to determine the existing and projected need of housing for each region from 2 years to 3 years prior to the scheduled revision of the housing element. The bill would require the department to meet and consult with the council of governments, as described above, pursuant to prescribed deadlines. For the 7th revision of the housing element, the bill would require the department to meet and consult with each council of governments at least 38 months prior to the scheduled revision, except for specified councils of governments. For the 8th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, the bill would require the department to meet and consult with each council of governments at least 38 months prior to the scheduled revision. (2) Existing law authorizes at least 2 or more cities and a county, or counties, at least 28 months prior to the scheduled housing element revision, to form a subregional entity to allocate the subregion's existing and projected housing need among its members. Existing law requires the council of governments to determine the share of regional housing need assigned to each delegate subregion at least 25 months prior to the scheduled revision. Existing law also requires the share allocated to the delegate subregion or subregions by a council of governments to be in a proportion consistent with the distribution of households assumed for the comparable time period of the applicable regional transportation plan. This bill would instead require the share allocated to the delegate subregion or subregions by a council of governments to be in a proportion consistent with the subregion's share of the current adopted final regional housing need allocation plan. (3) Existing law requires certain transportation planning agencies to prepare and adopt a regional transportation plan directed at achieving a coordinated and balanced regional transportation system. Existing law requires that each regional transportation plan include a sustainable communities strategy developed to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the automobile and light truck sector for 2020 and 2035 established by the State Air Resources Board. Existing law requires each council of governments, or delegate subregion as applicable, to consider certain factors in developing the methodology that allocates regional housing needs, including each member jurisdiction's existing and projected jobs and housing relationship. This bill would require each council of governments, or delegate subregion as applicable, to consider, in addition to the above-described factors, the development pattern set forth in the region's sustainable communities strategy of its regional transportation plan. (4) Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that housing planning be coordinated and integrated with the regional transportation plan. To achieve this goal, existing law requires the allocation plan to allocate housing units within the region consistent with the development pattern included in the sustainable communities strategy. Existing law also requires the resolution approving the final housing need allocation plan to demonstrate that the plan is consistent with the sustainable communities strategy in the regional transportation plan, among other things. This bill would instead require the allocation plan to be informed by the development pattern included in the sustainable communities strategy. The bill would also require the resolution approving the final housing need allocation plan to demonstrate that the plan is, instead, informed by the sustainable communities strategy in the regional transportation plan, among other things. (5) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 65584.01 of the Government Code proposed by SB 486 to be operative only if this bill and SB 486 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 65584.03 of the Government Code proposed by AB 650 to be operative only if this bill and AB 650 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 65584.04 of the Government Code proposed by SB 486 and AB 650, to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (6) By imposing additional requirements on a local entity, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.