Most academic housing researchers and experts agree that our housing shortage and affordability crisis is the result of severely restrictive local government regulations that make it illegal to build new homes in most neighborhoods. State laws on housing help solve this problem by preempting restrictive local laws, meaning that when a city refuses to allow more homes, the state can step in to make it legal to build them.

But ACA 7 would change that: If enacted and approved by the voters, this ballot measure would effectively remove the state’s oversight authority on housing issues and empower local NIMBYs to permanently shut their city to more housing. ACA 7 would permit California’s cities and counties to opt out of density bonus law, general plan laws, the Regional Housing Needs Assessment process, fair housing laws, accessory dwelling unit laws, and many other important state laws that help make it legal to build more homes and end California’s housing crisis.

Updates:

9/28/2021: AB 602 was signed by Governor Newsom and chaptered by the Secretary of State. This bill will go into effect on January 1, 2022. Read our statement here.

Resources:

Author: Muratsuchi (D, AD 66)