Housing: the Tiny Homes of California Act.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer various housing programs, including programs intended to fund the acquisition of property to develop or preserve affordable housing. Existing law establishes various programs intended to address homelessness in this state. Existing law declares that the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has extensive technical expertise in wildland fire prevention and vegetation management on forest, range, and watershed lands that, when appropriately applied, can have significant public resource benefits, including decreasing high-intensity wildland fires. Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to assist local governments in preventing future high-intensity wildland fires and instituting appropriate fuels management by making the department's wildland fire prevention and vegetation management expertise available to local governments, as provided. This bill would enact the Tiny Homes of California Act and would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to develop and administer a pilot program, within 5 counties selected by the department, for the construction of tiny homes from lumber harvested from public utilities, landowners, cities, counties, cities and counties, or other local governing bodies. By requiring select counties to participate in the pilot program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would define various terms for these purposes and would repeal the Tiny Homes of California Act on January 1, 2028. The bill would also make findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds. 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.