Raft of state bills would boost affordable homes and tenant protections

State lawmakers are pushing legislation to boost production of affordable homes and strengthen tenant protections against evictions and runaway rents.

The proposed laws range from allowing religious organizations to quickly build affordable homes on their excess land to lowering the cap on how much landlords can raise rents each year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Others would ask voters to add housing as a human right to the state Constitution and ease hurdles homeowners face when building duplexes in single-family neighborhoods. 

They would would add to recent laws to streamline student housing on college campuses, spend hundreds of millions of dollars on affordable housing and clear red tape for more accessory dwelling units, or so-called “granny flats.” 

Notable housing bills to watch this year include:

AB 68

Assembly Bill 68, backed by California YIMBY and The Nature Conservancy, which aims to control sprawl in fire- and flood-prone areas and make it easier to build multifamily housing in urban hubs for transit and jobs.  

The measure, authored by San Diego Assemblyman Chris Ward, would allow local governments to approve projects outside of existing communities if they can show there’s no more available space or that they have to expand outward in order to meet their state-required housing goals.

The goal is to encourage housing where climate risks are minimal and infrastructure already exists. 

“We want to encourage housing in existing communities where people really want to live,” Melissa Breach, chief operating officer for California YIMBY, a pro-housing group, told the Times. “And we want to protect people from the incredibly high risk of fire and flood, and all the other climate risks associated with that.”

Its opponents include the California Building Industry Association, which called AB 68 the “ultimate housing killer.” And the California Chamber of Commerce, which added AB 68 to its annual “job killer” list. 

SB 4 and SB 423

Senate Bill 4 would allow nonprofit colleges and faith organizations such as churches, mosques and synagogues to quickly build affordable homes on their land. 

Senate Bill 423 would make permanent a 2017 law that lets developers streamline their projects in cities that have failed to meet state-mandated housing goals. 

Both bills, introduced by San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener, will build on a rare deal Democrats struck with labor unions in August with legislation to convert underused commercial space into new units. 

Both bills include a guarantee of union-level pay, known as prevailing wages, and some healthcare benefits for construction workers. Those labor standards were included in last year’s agreement and are supported by the California Conference of Carpenters.

The carpenters backing the bills have split from other labor groups, including the State Building and Construction Trades Council, which has advocated for the more rigorous requirement of a “skilled and trained workforce.” 

That standard guarantees that a portion of workers have gone through an apprenticeship program and most are unionized. 

SB 567

Current law allows landlords to raise rents by 5 percent plus inflation each year, or a maximum of 10 percent  The law also allows property owners to pursue certain evictions outside of standard violations of a lease. 

Senate Bill 567, introduced by Los Angeles Sen. María Elena Durazo, would crack down on what she said are outrageous rent increases and unfair evictions that increase homelessness. 

Durazo’s bill would cap the increase to inflation, not to exceed 5 percent annually, and expand protections to renters in single-family homes, condos and mobile homes.

It would also ensure landlords or family members move into the homes and stay there for a period of time, and prohibit permanent evictions after renovations. 

AB 12, 919 and 309

Assembly Bill 12 would limit security deposits to one month’s rent, which advocates supporting the bill say would prevent renters from falling into debt just to make that payment.

Assembly Bill 919 would give tenants, local public agencies and nonprofits the first opportunity to buy a rental property or match an offer when an owner puts it on the market. 

They’re opposed by the California Apartment Association and groups representing landlords that fought against the 2019 law that created the current rent cap and eviction standards.

Assembly Bill 309, introduced by San Jose Assemblyman Alex Lee, would increase social housing options, which includes government-funded housing for people of all income levels.

— Dana Bartholomew