Fast Track Housing Package
California’s Housing Crisis Demands Urgent Action!
California is in the midst of a housing emergency—one affecting renters, homeowners, and entire communities. With a shortage of 2.5 million homes, nearly 200,000 people experiencing homelessness, and over 80% of low-income households struggling to afford rent, the crisis is unsustainable.
At the same time, the climate crisis is accelerating: rising temperatures, wildfires, droughts, and floods threaten both our environment and our economy. These twin crises—housing and climate—are deeply interconnected. Tackling one without the other is no longer an option.
The Fast Track Housing Package is a bold solution that speeds up housing approvals while ensuring projects meet California’s environmental goals. By cutting red tape, streamlining processes, and clearing the way for smart growth, Fast Track helps deliver the homes we desperately need—faster, fairer, and more affordably. This isn’t just about permits. It’s about the future of California.
Call To Action
The Cost of Inaction Is Too High
Without urgent reform, more Californians will be priced out, forced out, or left behind. The Fast Track Housing Package is a game-changing opportunity to address the housing crisis head-on, supported by a broad coalition of housing advocates, environmental leaders, and community champions.
Join us in calling for swift action. Let’s build a California where housing is affordable, climate goals are achievable, and our communities are resilient.
Pre-Application and Application
AB 1294 (Haney) – Creating Universal Applications for California Homebuilders
Sponsor: Abundant Housing LA
AB 1294 requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to create a standardized housing entitlement application that every city and county must accept, ensuring clarity and consistency in the housing approvals process.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Dori.Ganetsos@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Nate.Allbee@asm.ca.gov
CEQA
AB 609 (Wicks) – CEQA Exemption for Environmentally-Beneficial Housing
Sponsors: California YIMBY, Bay Area Council
AB 609 streamlines the permitting process for multi-family housing in existing, developed urban areas by creating clear, objective criteria for exempting these projects from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in Assembly Housing:
- CEQA Exemption do not apply to historic sites
- If project is near highway there needs to be proper ventilation relating to air quality
- Clarifying that you can still receive a density bonus with this exemption
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Steve.Wertheim@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Erin.Ivie@asm.ca.gov
SB 607 (Wiener) – Refocusing CEQA On Harmful Environmental Issues
Sponsors: Bay Area Council, Housing Action Coalition, Rural County Representatives of California, and Prosperity CA
SB 607 refocuses the scope of environmental analysis required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to the issues we know to be truly environmentally harmful.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 19th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in Senate Local Government:
- Excluding from the repeal of the fair argument standard projects that are located on specified natural and protected lands;
- Allowing the lead agency to choose whether to develop an EIR or ND if there is substantial evidence in the record for both a significant impact and no significant impact;
- Clarifying changes to the housing element rezoning provisions; and
Other technical and clarifying changes.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Media Contact: Erik.Mebust@sen.ca.gov
Entitlement
AB 357 (Alvarez) – Exempting Student, Faculty, and Staff Housing Projects from Coastal Commission Review
Sponsors: Student HOMES Coalition, UC Student Association
AB 357 exempts certain student, faculty, and staff housing developments in the Coastal Zone from Coastal Commission review.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in Assembly Natural Resources Committee:
- Exempting all student and faculty/staff housing from the Coastal Act prevents opportunities for college campuses to have a second set of eyes, so to speak, from the Commission to review a project that could cause harm, and miss opportunities to make improvements that benefit the campus community and the environment, as UCSB’s Manzanita project did.
- Amending the bill to maintain Coastal Act review, but require review to be conducted within 90-days.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Jose.Medina@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Chris.Jonsmyr@asm.ca.gov
AB 920 (Caloza) – Centralized Application Portal for Housing Projects
Sponsor: Abundant Housing LA
AB 920 requires large cities and counties to implement a centralized online portal to manage permits across departments, allowing them to track in real-time the process from application through construction. This will increase transparency and improve the efficiency of housing project approvals, ultimately reducing time and costs that exacerbate the state’s housing crisis.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Omar.Hashemyan@asm.ca.gov
AB 961 (Avila Farias) – Extending California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act
Sponsor: Bay Area Council
AB 961 extends the California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004, which protects innocent landowners from liability for pollution if they meet certain criteria. The CLRRA reflects federal legislation that was passed to protect innocent investors in the remediation and development of brownfield sites, thus encouraging investment in what are often disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods.
Status: This bill is currently on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Lupe.Leon@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Carlos.Gonzalez@asm.ca.gov
AB 1007 (Rubio) – Reducing Shot Clocks for Permitting Agencies
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
AB 1007 amends the Permit Streamlining Act to reduce the time limit (“shot clock”) for responsible agencies to act on permit applications for housing development projects from 90 to 45 days.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Erica.Harnick@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Madeline.Mabry@asm.ca.gov
AB 1276 (Carrillo) – Expanding The Housing Crisis Act of 2019
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
AB 1276 expands the protections of SB 330 (2019) to state and regional agencies to improve transparency, consistency, and predictability in the housing approval process across California. This bill also makes updates to the policies and standards governing statutory vested rights to provide greater clarity and predictability for housing projects.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
SB 328 (Grayson) – Capping Hazardous Waste Generator Fees
Sponsor: Housing Action Coalition
SB 328 caps the Hazardous Waste Generator Fee, charged by DTSC, for certain housing, infill, non- profit, and park and open space projects, for homebuilders and projects who remediate contaminated soil. Additionally, the bill places timelines on DTSC to respond to post-entitlement permits. SB 328 would provide a fair and balanced approach to funding DTSC’s remediation efforts while still allowing critically needed housing and open space projects to move forward.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations committee on May 12th.
Legislative Update: Amended by Author:
- Amended the bill to insert its current provisions directing The Department of Toxic Substances Control to provide requestors notices when it requires more information to complete its review process, among other changes
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Robert.Cruz@sen.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Audrey.Detmer@sen.ca.gov
SB 489 (Arreguín) – Improving the Permit Streamlining Act, Reducing Costly Delays
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
SB 489 improves the Permit Streamlining Act (PSA) by requiring all public agencies to post online the information necessary for a housing development application to be deemed complete. SB 489 also eliminates gaps in the PSA and clarify the relationship of the PSA’s permitting rules and the separate rules governing post-entitlement phase permits so that all required public agency permits required to approve and build a housing project are expressly covered by either the PSA or the post-entitlement permit statutes, as appropriate.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 12th
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Jessica.Mattlock@sen.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Stefan.Elgstrand@sen.ca.gov
SB 786 (Arreguín) – Ensures Timely Enforcement and Judicial Review
Sponsor: California Attorney General, Rob Bonta
SB 786 resolves several ambiguities in Housing Element law and its relationship to other elements of the General Plan, and enhances accountability measures within various areas under the law.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 19th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in the Senate Judiciary Committee:
- If a city or county is ordered by a court to fix its housing plan within 120 days, but the state’s housing department (HCD) takes too long to review it, the court can give the city or county more time.
- To clarify timelines and procedures for local governments to fix noncompliant general plans and to ensure state review of housing elements happens in time to meet court orders.
- Requires the court to respond quickly to requests for temporary relief, ensures housing developments that follow the law can move forward without delays, and provides a backup process if the court doesn’t act on time.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Jessica.Mattlock@sen.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Stefan.Elgstrand@sen.ca.gov
Post-Entitlement
AB 1308 (Hoover) – Third Party Inspections
Sponsor: California YIMBY
AB 1308 allows home builders to hire a licensed and certified third-party inspector to complete final inspections if the local government cannot complete inspections of permitted work within 30 days. It also requires local governments to review the third-party inspection report and issue final approval within 14 days.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Enrique.Govea@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Teresa.Trujill@asm.ca.gov
AB 557 (McKinnor) – Streamlining Post-Entitlement Permitting for Modular Homes
Sponsor: SoLa Impact
AB 557 updates the California Factory-Built Housing Law to include factory-built developments using at least 50% factory-built housing, shifts inspection and enforcement to the Department of Housing and Community Development (rather than local agencies), and allows licensed architects, under penalty of perjury, to approve factory-built plans on the department’s behalf. Ultimately, this bill aims to ensure that the permitting of both the factory-built and site-built components of projects move at similar timelines, minimizing delays and increasing the supply of quality housing in the state.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
AB 660 (Wilson) – Closing Gaps in Timelines for Post-Entitlement Permits
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
AB 660 closes gaps in existing law regarding the timelines for local agencies to act on post entitlement permits (“shot clock”) and establishes remedies for housing project applicants in situations in which a local agency violates the applicable shot clock when considering post entitlement permit applications and applications for service.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Melvin.Ridley@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Audrey.Detmer@asm.ca.gov
AB 782 (Quirk-Silva) – Removing Costly Double-Bonding Requirements
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
AB 782 removes burdensome and costly double-bonding requirements for private improvements imposed by some local governments by prohibiting local governments from requiring bonds for private improvements under SIAs.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in the Assembly Local Government Committee:
- The Department of Real Estate (DRE) can’t require security for public improvements if the local government already has it covered.
- Local governments can’t require security for private improvements if the DRE already requires it.
- The Real Estate Commissioner still retains full authority over ensuring improvements are financially secure.
- These rules only apply to residential developments.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Dawn.Adler@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: William.Pond@asm.ca.gov
AB 818 (Avila Farias) – Housing Approvals For Rebuilding and Repair After a Disaster
AB 818 streamlines the permitting process for residents rebuilding their homes following a natural disaster. The bill requires expedited review for permits necessary to rebuild or repair a residential property affected by a natural disaster, and places limits on the fees that local agencies can charge these projects.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14th.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Matthew.Boer@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Carlos.Gonzalez@asm.ca.gov
AB 1026 (Wilson) – Post Entitlement Permitting for Investor-Owned Utilities
Sponsor: Housing Action Coalition
AB 1026 streamlines housing development by bringing parity to the application review timelines for investor-owned utility companies, incentivizing faster timelines in the energization process, and allowing homes to be occupied more quickly.
Status: This bill is currently on the Assembly Floor..
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee:
- It originally treated power companies like cities that give out building permits. The amendment corrects this by focusing only on their actual job: turning on electricity once construction is done.
- Power companies must let builders know if their application to get electricity is complete within about 10 days (and no more than 45 days), unless state rules say otherwise.
- The bill no longer asks power companies to do things they legally can’t do—like issue construction permits.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staff: Laura.Edwards@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Edgar.Guerra@asm.ca.gov
AB 1206 (Harabedian) – Expanding Pre-Approved Housing Plans
AB 1206 streamlines the approval process for single-family and multifamily housing by requiring local agencies to adopt pre-approved housing plan programs by January 1, 2026. The bill expands pre-approved housing plans currently in place for ADUs to include single-family and multifamily housing.
Status: This bill is awaiting action in Senate Rules.
Legal
AB 6 (Ward) – Evaluating Building Codes for “Missing Middle” Developments
Sponsor: Casita Coalition
This bill establishes a working group of necessary state entities to study and make recommendations to the California Building Standards Commission to allow smaller developments between three and 10 units to be built under the California Residential Code (CRC). The bill also recognizes the need to reduce construction cost pressures by directing HCD to identify standards contributing to those costs and consider those pressures in future code adoption cycles, with a goal of reducing costs by 30%.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in Assembly Appropriations on May 14th.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in the Assembly Housing Committee:
Postpone the reporting requirements and the code cycle during which the working group departments would be authorized to propose any new or amended standards to align with the moratorium in AB 306 (Schultz and Rivas) which contains an urgency clause, which include:
- The deadline for the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to submit its findings on building standards for 3–10 unit housing is extended from December 31, 2027 to December 31, 2028.
- If the working group recommends changes, the earliest that HCD and other agencies could propose new building standards is pushed from 2031 back to 2027—to align with the code update cycle that follows the moratorium in AB 306.
- HCD’s review of the cost pressures from building standards, intended to help reduce construction costs by 30%, is also delayed to start with the 2027 code update instead of 2031, and will continue every three years.
- It won’t allow the working group to expand the Residential Code using sections of the International Code that California had previously excluded.
AB 610 (Alvarez) – Establishes Limits on Governmental Constraints Analysis and Review
Sponsors: California Building Industry Association and SPUR
AB 610 aims to strengthen compliance with housing element laws by mandating a thorough analysis of governmental constraints and program requirements impacting housing development.
Status: This bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Jose.Medina@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Chris.Jonsmyr@asm.ca.gov
AB 712 (Wicks) – Enhancing Housing Law Enforcement and Penalties
Sponsor: California Building Industry Association
AB 712 sets out to improve the enforcement and efficacy of California’s housing reform laws to provide more certainty for all stakeholders and ultimately, more housing in California. The bill increases remedies against public agencies that violate the rights established in existing housing law. It also prevents public agencies from requiring housing development applicants to indemnify those public agencies when they violate state housing law on the applicant’s projects.
Status: This bill is currently on the Assembly Floor.
Legislative Update: Amendments taken in the Assembly Floor:
- Clearly states applicants can sue to enforce a housing reform law as applied to the applicant’s housing development project, tightening the scope to project-specific enforcement.
- Adds that repeat violations during the same planning period multiply fines by 5.
- Fact Sheet
- Bill Language
- Staffer: Nicolette.Genovese@asm.ca.gov
- Media Contact: Erin.Ivie@asm.ca.gov
AB 1050 (Schultz) – Revitalization of Commercial Properties and Restrictive Covenants
Sponsor: SPUR
AB 1050 facilitates the redevelopment of vacant commercial centers by establishing a procedure to remove existing private reciprocal easement agreements from property title deeds. This bill will not change state housing laws related to project approvals, nor would it alter local zoning ordinances or the entitlement process. It simply allows proposed mixed-use developments to provide notice to interested parties of the intent to remove reciprocal easement agreement and proceed to redevelop the property without exposure to the potential of litigation.
Status: This bill is currently on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file.
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