Planning and zoning: density bonuses: affordable housing: fee reductions.

Existing law, known as the Density Bonus Law, requires a city or county to provide a developer that proposes a housing development within the jurisdictional boundaries of that city or county with a density bonus and other incentives or concessions for the production of lower income housing units, or for the donation of land within the development, if the developer agrees to construct a specified percentage of units for very low income, low-income, or moderate-income households or qualifying residents and meets other requirements. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to notify a city or county, and authorizes the department to notify the Attorney General, that the city or county has taken an action that violates specified provisions of law, including the Density Bonus Law. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to seek all remedies available under law. This bill would require a city, county, special district, water corporation, utility, or other local agency, except a school district, to reduce an impact fee or other charges imposed on the construction of a deed restricted affordable housing unit that is built pursuant to a density bonus, to amounts that are, depending on the affordability restriction on the unit, a specified percentage of the impact fee or other charge that would be imposed on a market rate unit within the development. The bill would exempt from these provisions units that are required to be affordable pursuant to a local inclusionary housing ordinance. The bill would define "impact fee" for purposes of these provisions. By imposing requirements on local agencies with respect to density bonuses, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.