Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2020.

(1) The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use development within its boundaries that includes, among other things, a housing element. Existing law provides for various incentives intended to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing. The Subdivision Map Act, within the Planning and Zoning Law, vests the authority to regulate and control the design and improvement of subdivisions in the legislative body of a local agency and sets forth procedures governing the local agency's processing, approval, conditional approval or disapproval, and filing of tentative, final, and parcel maps, and the modification of those maps. This bill would authorize a development proponent to submit an application for the construction of a small home lot development, as defined, that meets specified criteria. The bill would require a small home lot development to be located on a parcel that is no larger than 5 acres, is substantially surrounded by qualified urban uses, as defined, is zoned for multifamily residential use, and consists of single-family housing units with a floorspace of 1,600 net habitable square feet or less. The bill would require that the units comply with existing height and setback requirements applicable to the multifamily site. The bill would prohibit the total number of units created by the small home lot development from exceeding the minimum general plan density required for the multifamily site. The bill would require that the small home lot development comply with any local inclusionary housing ordinance. The bill would prohibit the small home development on the proposed site to be subdivided if the development would require the demolition or alteration of specified types of housing. This bill would provide that a small home lot development is exempt from the Subdivision Map Act, except as specified. The bill would prohibit a local agency from imposing specified requirements on a small home lot development created pursuant to these provisions, including setback requirements between units within the small home lot development, requirements on the minimum size of each small home lot development, and specified parking requirements. (2) The bill would make findings that ensuring access to affordable housing is a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, specify that the bill applies to all cities, including a charter city and a charter city and county. (3) By imposing requirements on local agencies relative to the development of small home lot developments, the bill imposes 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.