Housing: Department of Housing and Community Development: local fees.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to take specified actions related to housing that include, among other things, investigations of housing and community development in the state. This bill would require the department to take these actions. Existing law requires fees charged by a local agency for specified purposes, including zoning variances, zoning changes, use permits, building inspections, building permits, the processing of maps under the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act, and planning services, to not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged, unless a question regarding the amount of the fee charged in excess of this cost is submitted to, and approved by, 23 of the electors. This bill would require, by January 1, 2017, and every 5 years thereafter, the department to conduct a statewide survey of cities and counties to determine the total amount of fees and charges imposed on new home construction by local jurisdictions and submit the survey to specified committees of the Legislature.