In 2022, the California State Legislature approved 1,166 bills, and Governor Newsom signed 997 of them into law and vetoed the rest. Two dozen of these bills relate to real estate and were either implemented as part of the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget, which began on July 1, 2022, or that are effective on January 1 or July 1, 2023.
Senate Constitutional Amendment (SCA) 2 was enrolled under Chapter 182, Statutes of 2022, as a qualified ballot measure slated for a statewide vote on March 5, 2024 and would repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution. Enacted by voters in 1950, Article 34 requires that any development comprised of “low-rent” dwellings, financed in whole or part by federal, state, or local government, be approved by a vote of the people in the jurisdiction where the project is located. As California is now the only state that has this law in place, the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) was a sponsor of SCA 2 in order to repeal Article 34 in its entirety.
C.A.R. also sponsored several other housing bills signed into law, including AB 2170 that creates a state equivalent of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHA) “First Look Program”, which gives priority to purchasers of foreclosed properties who are prospective owner-occupants, nonprofits, or public entities, and that also prohibits bundled sales of such residential one to four properties.
As part of the state budget, homeownership has also been prioritized through $500 million allocated to the California Housing Finance Agency’s (CHA) California Dream for All Program, a new equity sharing down payment assistance program or shared-appreciation loans to help low- and moderate-income first-time buyers achieve homeownership. In addition, $50 million in funds have been allocated to assist homeowners with low-cost ADU constructions.
Effective July 1, 2023, and to sunset on January 1, 2033, SB 6 enacts the Middle-Class Housing Act of 2022, which deems a housing development project an allowable use on a parcel that is within a zone where office, retail, or parking are a principally permitted use. Similarly, AB 2011 enacts the “Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022” for the purposes of constructing 100% affordable housing projects in commercial zones
ASSEMBLY BILLS
AB 916
Zoning: Bedroom Addition
AB 1410
Common Interest Developments
AB 2011
Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022
AB 2097 Residential, Commercial or Other Development Types: Parking Requirements
AB 2170 Residential Real Property: Foreclosure Sales
AB 2221 Accessory Dwelling Units
AB 2245 Partition of Real Property
AB 2503 Landlords and Tenants: California Law Revision
Commission: Study
AB 2559 Reusable Tenant Screening Reports
AB 2745 Real Estate Broker’s License
AB 2917 Disability Access: Internet Websites, Parking Lots,
and Exterior Paths of Travel
AB 2960
Committee on Judiciary: Judiciary Omnibus:
Real Estate Disclosures
Senate Bills
SB 6
Local Planning: Housing: Commercial Zones
SB197
Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review:
Housing – California Dream for All
SB 851
Personal Income Tax: Small Business Relief Act:
Elective Tax
SB 869
Housing: Mobilehome Parks: Recreational Vehicle
Parks: Manager Training
SB 897
SB 989
Junior Accessory Dwelling Units
Property Taxation: Taxable Value Transfers:
Disclosure and Deferment
SB 1017
Leases: Termination of Tenancy: Abuse or
Violence
SB 1076 Lead-Based Paint
SB 1157 Urban Water Use Objectives
SB 1348
Escrow Agents: Controlled Substances
SB 1477
Enforcement of Judgments: Wage Garnishment
SB 1495
Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development: Professions and
Vocations – Implicit Bias Training