Housing Crisis Act of 2019.

(1) The Housing Accountability Act, which is part of the Planning and Zoning Law, prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes specified written findings based on a preponderance of the evidence in the record. The act specifies that one way to satisfy that requirement is to make findings that the housing development project or emergency shelter is inconsistent with both the jurisdiction's zoning ordinance and general plan land use designation as specified in any element of the general plan as it existed on the date the application was deemed complete. The act requires a local agency that proposes to disapprove a housing development project that complies with applicable, objective general plan and zoning standards and criteria that were in effect at the time the application was deemed to be complete, or to approve it on the condition that it be developed at a lower density, to base its decision upon written findings supported by substantial evidence on the record that specified conditions exist, and places the burden of proof on the local agency to that effect. The act requires a court to impose a fine on a local agency under certain circumstances and requires that the fine be at least $10,000 per housing unit in the housing development project on the date the application was deemed complete. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would specify that an application is deemed complete for these purposes if a preliminary application was submitted, as described below. Existing law authorizes the applicant, a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the development or emergency shelter, or a housing organization to bring an action to enforce the Housing Accountability Act. If, in that action, a court finds that a local agency failed to satisfy the requirement to make the specified findings described above, existing law requires the court to issue an order or judgment compelling compliance with the act within 60 days, as specified. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would additionally require a court to issue the order or judgment previously described if the local agency required or attempted to require certain housing development projects to comply with an ordinance, policy, or standard not adopted and in effect when a preliminary application was submitted. Existing law authorizes a local agency to require a housing development project to comply with objective, quantifiable, written development standards, conditions, and policies appropriate to, and consistent with, meeting the jurisdiction's share of the regional housing need, as specified. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would, notwithstanding those provisions or any other law and with certain exceptions, require that a housing development project only be subject to the ordinances, policies, and standards adopted and in effect when a preliminary application is submitted, except as specified. (2) The Planning and Zoning Law, except as provided, requires that a public hearing be held on an application for a variance from the requirements of a zoning ordinance, an application for a conditional use permit or equivalent development permit, a proposed revocation or modification of a variance or use permit or equivalent development permit, or an appeal from the action taken on any of those applications. That law requires that notice of a public hearing be provided in accordance with specified procedures. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would prohibit a city or county from conducting more than 5 hearings, as defined, held pursuant to these provisions, or any other law, ordinance, or regulation requiring a public hearing, if a proposed housing development project complies with the applicable, objective general plan and zoning standards in effect at the time an application is deemed complete, as defined. The bill would require the city or county to consider and either approve or disapprove the housing development project at any of the 5 hearings consistent with the applicable timelines under the Permit Streamlining Act. (3) The Permit Streamlining Act, which is part of the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each state agency and each local agency to compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information that will be required from any applicant for a development project. That law requires the state or local agency to make copies of this information available to all applicants for development projects and to any persons who request the information. The bill, until January 1, 2025, for purposes of any state or local law, ordinance, or regulation that requires a city or county to determine whether the site of a proposed housing development project is a historic site, would require the city or county to make that determination, which would remain valid for the pendency of the housing development, at the time the application is deemed complete, except as provided. The bill, until January 1, 2025, would also require that each local agency make copies of any above-described list with respect to information required from an applicant for a housing development project available both (A) in writing to those persons to whom the agency is required to make information available and (B) publicly available on the internet website of the local agency. The Permit Streamlining Act requires public agencies to approve or disapprove of a development project within certain timeframes, as specified. The act requires a public agency, upon its determination that an application for a development project is incomplete, to include a list and a thorough description of the specific information needed to complete the application. Existing law authorizes the applicant to submit the additional material to the public agency, requires the public agency to determine whether the submission of the application together with the submitted materials is complete within 30 days of receipt, and provides for an appeal process from the public agency's determination. Existing law requires a final written determination by the agency on the appeal no later than 60 days after receipt of the applicant's written appeal. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would provide that a housing development project, as defined, shall be deemed to have submitted a preliminary application upon providing specified information about the proposed project to the city or county from which approval for the project is being sought. The bill would require each local agency to compile a checklist and application form that applicants for housing development projects may use for that purpose and would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt a standardized form for applicants seeking approval from a local agency that has not developed its own application form. After the submittal of a preliminary application, the bill would provide that a housing development project would not be deemed to have submitted a preliminary application under these provisions if the development proponent revises the project such that the number of residential units or square footage of construction changes by 20% or more until the development proponent resubmits the information required by the bill so that it reflects the revisions. The bill would require a development proponent to submit an application for a development project that includes all information necessary for the agency to review the application under the Permit Streamlining Act within 180 days of submitting the preliminary application. The bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the lead agency, as defined, if the application is determined to be incomplete, to provide the applicant with an exhaustive list of items that were not complete, as specified. The Permit Streamlining Act generally requires that a public agency that is the lead agency for a development project approve or disapprove a project within 120 days from the date of certification by the lead agency of an environmental impact report prepared for certain development projects, but reduces this time period to 90 days from the certification of an environmental impact report for development projects meeting certain additional conditions relating to affordability. Existing law defines "development project" for these purposes to mean a use consisting of either residential units only or mixed-use developments consisting of residential and nonresidential uses that satisfy certain other requirements. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would reduce the time period in which a lead agency under these provisions is required to approve or disapprove a project from 120 days to 90 days, for a development project generally described above, and from 90 days to 60 days, for a development project that meets the above-described affordability conditions. The bill would recast the definition of "development project" for these purposes to mean a housing development project, as defined in the Housing Accountability Act. (4) The Planning and Zoning Law, among other things, requires the legislative body of each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city and of any land outside its boundaries that relates to its planning. That law authorizes the legislative body, if it deems it to be in the public interest, to amend all or part of an adopted general plan, as provided. That law also authorizes the legislative body of any county or city, pursuant to specified procedures, to adopt ordinances that, among other things, regulate the use of buildings, structures, and land as between industry, business, residences, open space, and other purposes. This bill, until January 1, 2025, with respect to land where housing is an allowable use, except as specified, would prohibit a county or city, including the electorate exercising its local initiative or referendum power, in which specified conditions exist, determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development as provided, from enacting a development policy, standard, or condition, as defined, that would have the effect of (A) changing the land use designation or zoning of a parcel or parcels of property to a less intensive use or reducing the intensity of land use within an existing zoning district below what was allowed under the general plan or specific plan land use designation and zoning ordinances of the county or city as in effect on January 1, 2018; (B) imposing or enforcing a moratorium on housing development within all or a portion of the jurisdiction of the county or city, except as provided; (C) imposing or enforcing new design standards established on or after January 1, 2020, that are not objective design standards, as defined; or (D) establishing or implementing certain limits on the number of permits issued by, or the population of, the county or city, unless the limit was approved prior to January 1, 2005, in a predominantly agricultural county, as defined. The bill would, notwithstanding these prohibitions, allow a city or county to prohibit the commercial use of land zoned for residential use consistent with the authority of the city or county conferred by other law. The bill would state that these prohibitions would apply to any zoning ordinance adopted or amended on or after the effective date of these provisions, and that any development policy, standard, or condition on or after that date that does not comply would be deemed void. This bill would also require a project that requires the demolition of housing to comply with specified requirements, including the provision of relocation assistance and a right of first refusal in the new housing to displaced occupants, as provided. The bill would provide that these provisions do not supersede any provision of a locally adopted ordinance that places greater restrictions on the demolition of residential dwelling units or that requires greater relocation assistance to displaced households. The bill would require a county or city subject to these provisions to include information necessary to determine compliance with these provisions in the list or lists that specify the information that will be required from any applicant for a development project under the Permit Streamlining Act. The bill would state that these prohibitions would prevail over any conflicting provision of the Planning and Zoning Law or other law regulating housing development in this state, except as specifically provided. The bill would also require that any exception to these provisions, including an exception for the health and safety of occupants of a housing development project, be construed narrowly. (5) This bill would include findings that the changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. (6) By imposing various new requirements and duties on local planning officials with respect to housing development, and by changing the scope of a crime under the State Housing Law, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (7) This bill would provide that its provisions are severable.