California State Legislation
The 2025 California State Legislative Session closed on September 12 giving Governor Newsom until October 12 to sign or veto any bills that passed through the legislature this year. Since California operates on a 2-year legislative calendar, any bills that were held in the legislature this year (but did not fail a vote in committee or on the legislative floor) are eligible to return in 2026 as “Two-year Bills.”
This year, EBHO took a formal position on 35 bills–we endorsed 30 and opposed 5. Read on to see which were signed by the Governor, which were vetoed, which failed in the legislature, and which will return next year as Two Year Bills.
Signed by the Governor
Click on the “+” signs next to each bill to view more information!
AB 543 (Support) – “Street Medicine” (Health Care for the Unhoused)
- AB 543 would define “street medicine” providers (who provide healthcare services directly to unhoused community members outside of clinical settings) as eligible Medi-Cal providers and would facilitate the use of Medi-Cal funds to cover this type of care. The bill would also require Medi-Cal and CalSAWS to collect data on the usage of this type of care.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 670 (Support) – Preservation in Annual Progress Reports (APRs)
- AB 670 allows a number of units converted to affordable housing with long-term affordability covenants to be included in a jurisdiction’s annual progress report for up to 25% of a jurisdiction’s regional housing need allocation (RHNA) for each income category.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 726 (Support) – Preservation in Annual Progress Reports (APRs)
- AB 726 allows local jurisdictions to include deed-restricted affordable housing if it has an average affordability of no more than 45% of AMI, is at least 15 years old, and has been substantially rehabilitated with at least $60,000 in funds awarded from the city or county in their annual progress report
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 1244 (Support) – Funding Affordable Housing with CEQA Fees
- AB 1244 would allow projects that increase “Vehicle Miles Travelled” to mitigate their impact under CEQA by paying into a fund that would fund affordable housing development near transit. PASSED early through the State Budget process.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 1339 (Support) – Insurance Study
- AB 1339 directs the state Department of Insurance to collect data and conduct a study on the insurance policies carried by and offered to low-income housing developments funded in any part by public grants or tax credit, including the property, liability, and builders’ risk insurance coverages available to affordable housing entities.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 21 (Support) – Converting SROs to Other Affordable Units
- Current law requires developers to build at least the same number of homes in a new development if any homes are demolished for the new development. SB 21 would allow a development to build fewer replacement homes than the number originally demolished if this is being done to convert some single-room occupancies to larger affordable rental units
- Fact Sheet
- SCANPH Sign-On Letter
- Support Letter
SB 79 (Neutral) Transit-Oriented Development
- SB 79 allows for greatly increased density in residential developments built near transit. The original version of the bill also created new exemptions to the Surplus Land Act (SLA) and included no affordability requirements or protections against displacement for existing residents and communities. EBHO took an “Oppose Unless Amended” position on this bill. Later, when amendments were made to protect the SLA, insert affordability requirements for new housing, and create protections against displacement, EBHO moved to a “Neutral” position on the bill.
SB 262 (Support) – Tenant Protections Consideration in Pro-Housing Designation
- SB 262 would add rent stabilization ordinances, safe parking and camping programs, and funding legal services for eviction defense and prevention as policies that the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) can consider for a “pro-housing” designation for jurisdictions.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 340 (Support) – Funding and Zoning for Homeless Shelters
- SB 340 would require jurisdictions to zone for emergency shelters in a manner that allows those shelters to operate and provide all supportive services on site. It would also amend the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program so that recipients of funds and emergency shelter would be eligible to receive more supportive services while staying in emergency shelters.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 634 (Support) – Banning the Criminalization of Aid
- SB 634 would would prohibit any local jurisdiction from imposing civil or criminal penalties for providing aid to people who are homeless.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 686 (Support) – Finance Improvements for Affordable Housing
- SB 686 waives certain fees associated with early pay off or restructuring of HCD loans for Affordable Housing to people who are homeless. PASSED early through the State Budget process.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 76 (Oppose) – Exemption to Surplus Land Act (SLA) – Chula Vista
- In 2023, Chula Vista secured an amendment to the SLA that defined a planned state university campus and housing development as exempt surplus land, allowing the city to deal with the entire site at once and not have to follow SLA procedures parcel by parcel. The exemption requires a minimum amount of residential development, with 25 percent to be affordable to lower income households. Chula Vista is now seeking to amend that exemption with AB 76 to allow congregate student housing to count toward the requirement for residential development, and to have the 25% affordability obligation apply only to housing not designated for faculty, staff, or students. This could result in development of only academic-related housing and thus no requirement for affordable housing. EBHO opposes weakening the provisions that were agreed to in 2023 after several years of discussion and negotiation.
AB 699 (Support) – Bond Measure Ballot Language
- AB 699 would allow local governments to provide financial impact statements for ballot measures (including those funding affordable housing) separately from the actual ballot, leaving more space on the ballot to describe other impacts of the measure.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 1026 (Support) – Electric Company and Utility Permit Streamlining
- AB 1026 would apply the same standards and requirements for post entitlement phase permits that apply to local governments/agencies to electrical companies and utilities
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
Failed in the Legislature
AB 20 (Oppose) – End Use of “Housing First” Model
- AB 20 directs state agencies addressing homelessness to stop using a “Housing First” model, and authorize a state program to impose program rules and requirements related to “housing readiness” including sobriety, substance abuse, completion of treatment, mental health, participation in services, and compliance with program rules. The bill also prohibits encampments from being near schools, open space, or transit stops.
- Housing First has been demonstrated to be an effective approach and EBHO has long supported this model.
- This bill failed to pass through the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee
SB 828 (Oppose) – Exemption to Surplus Land Act (SLA)
- SB 828 originally created broad exemptions to the Surplus Land Act, greatly weakening our communities’ ability to utilize public lands to build affordable housing. It was then “Gutted and Amended,” meaning that the bill number stayed the same, but all of the content of the bill was changed to address a new topic. EBHO opposed the original bill. The new bill still exists as a Two-Year bill, but is no longer related to housing justice in any way.
Held as Two-Year Bills
AB 282 (Support) – Source of Income Discrimination
- AB 282 would clarify that prioritizing applicants for tenancy who qualify for or participate in rental assistance programs does not constitute discrimination based on source of income. Previous legislation prohibited discriminating against prospective tenants because they have Section 8. This bill clarifies that it is okay for property owners to prioritize tenants with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers over tenants who don’t have vouchers.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 736 (Support) – Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026
- AB 736 would place a $10 billion bond on the June 2026 ballot to support the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing.
- Fact Sheet
- Sign-On Form
AB 801 (Support) – CA Community Reinvestment Act
- AB 801 would require state-chartered financial institutions to regularly demonstrate that they are taking steps to invest in communities they profit from that have historically been exploited by and disinvested from by financial institutions and the banking industry.
- Fact Sheet
- Rise Economy Campaign Sign-On
AB 804 (Support) – Medi-Cal for Housing Support Services
- AB 804 requires the Department of Health Care Services to seek federal approval to make housing support services a Medi-Cal benefit. This new benefit builds upon an existing program to take advantage of federal dollars to tackle California’s homelessness crisis while also avoiding costly acute care and improving health outcomes.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 874 (Support) – Development Fees
- AB 874 waives development fees collected for public improvements or construction of public utilities for affordable housing developments.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 906 (Support) – Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) in Housing Element Process
- AB 906 strengthens and expands AFFH law in the 7th Housing Element cycle. Requires a specific analysis of how the jurisdiction’s zoning Affirmatively Furthers Fair Housing, and requires a commitment to rezone to place lower-income housing in higher resource and exclusive areas with specific time frames.
- Specifies that the Housing Element requirement to provide adequate sites includes meeting AFFH requirements or including a rezoning program in the Housing Element to meet AFFH. Requires the Fair Housing Analysis to be completed and published for comment 1 year before publishing the draft Housing Element.
- Fact Sheet
- Sign-on Form
- Support Letter
AB 913 (Support) – Finance Improvements for Affordable Housing
- AB 913 would allow HCD to authorize the transfer of excess funds between affordable rental properties with the same owner and waive any payments normally required for such transfers
- Support Letter
AB 924 (Support) – Security Deposits for Survivors of Violence
- AB 924 would require landlords to pay out a portion of a security deposit to tenants who leave a rental home due to violence, abuse, or assault by another tenant of the same home.
AB 942 (Neutral) – Climate Credits
- AB 942 originally proposed changes to California’s solar metering program which could have had severe and negative impacts on affordable housing projects that utilized rooftop solar energy. EBHO opposed the bill until these proposals were amended out, leading EBHO to withdraw our opposition and take a neutral position.
AB 1157 (Support) – Strengthening the Tenant Protection Act
- AB 1157 would make three amendments to the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482): It would expand all protections to include Single Family Homes (currently excluded from the bill); it would lower the statewide cap on rent increases to 2% + CPI or 5%, whichever is lower (the current cap is 5% + CPI or 10%); and it would remove the current sunset date of 2030 from all provisions of the bill, making them permanent.
AB 1165 (Support) – California Housing Justice Act of 2025
- AB 1165 would create the California Housing Justice Fund within the General Fund and require annual investments in this fund.
AB 1229 (Support) – Adult Reentry Housing Grant Program
- AB 1229 would transfer the administration of the Adult Reentry Housing Grant Program (helping those with a history of incarceration achieve stability in housing) from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Housing and Community Development
- The bill would make other, evidence based changes to the administration of the program, including requiring that a higher percentage of funds be dedicated to direct rental assistance.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 1240 (Support) – Corporate-Owned Single-Family Homes
- AB 1240 prohibits a business entity that has an interest in more than 1,000 single-family properties from purchasing additional single-family homes to rent
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
AB 1404 (Support) – Electrification and Utilities
- AB 1404 requires utility companies to complete the electrification of affordable housing developments within 60 days of completion of the project, delaying utilities’ ability to increase rates if they do not complete electrification. This would also require the Public Utilities Commission to streamline any review of affordable development that is ready to be connected to the grid but is remaining vacant
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 52 (Support) – Banning Algorithmic Rent Fixing
- SB 52 would make it illegal to sell, license, or provide algorithmic devices that advise on rental rates OR occupancy levels for residential dwelling units. It would be illegal for a landlord to use such a device.
- Fact Sheet
- Sign-On Form
SB 417 (Support) – Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026
- SB 417 would place a $10 billion bond on the June 2026 ballot to support the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing.
- Fact Sheet
- Sign-On Form
SB 436 (Support) – “Right to Redeem” Tenancy
- Under existing California law, once landlords serve tenants with a 3-day notice to pay rent or move out, they are not required to accept rent after that 3-day period. SB 436 extends this 3-day period to 14 days, meaning if a tenant receives an eviction notice due to failure to pay rent, they would have additional time to pay any owed rent and end the eviction proceedings.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 522 (Support) – Tenant Protections after Disaster
- The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) does not apply to any building built within the past 15 years. SB 522 would ensure that the TPA does apply to new construction if that building is built to replace a building damaged or destroyed in a disaster but where the TPA would have previously applied.
- Fact Sheet
- Support Letter
SB 592 (Support) – Tax Benefits for Tenant or Community Purchases
- SB 592 would exempt properties from being reassessed for property tax purposes after a transfer in ownership if the property has been purchased by tenants working together through a cooperative, community land trust, or nonprofit organization.
- Fact Sheet
- Coalition Letter Sign On
Our Endorsement Process
East Bay Housing Organizations endorses state policy that advances our goals of protecting tenants, preserving existing affordability, and producing new affordable homes. To read more about EBHO’s “Three P’s” approach to housing policy please visit our Study Room.
EBHO has a democratic process for endorsing legislation that includes consulting our membership via our Policy Committee, staff, and board.
Please contact Senior Policy Associate Joey Flegel-Mishlove at joey@ebho.org for more information about EBHO’s legislative advocacy.
Regional Policy Committee
There were over 150 bills introduced in the California Legislature this year dealing with housing affordability in one way or another. EBHO is tracking or monitoring most of these, even if we don’t end up taking a formal position on each bill. For more information on these bills, we recommend joining or attending a meeting of EBHO’s Regional Policy Committee, which meets monthly to discuss state and local policy. Or, feel free to reach out to Jeff or Joey directly with any specific questions about individual bills.
2024 Legislative Session
While tracking and monitoring at least 50 bills in 2024, we took formal positions on 26 bills. Of the 21 bills we endorsed last year, 7 passed, while 3 of the 5 bills we opposed were defeated.
One area where EBHO played a leading role in this year’s legislative session was the defeat of a bill that would have significantly weakened the Surplus Land Act—a law EBHO has worked hard to strengthen over nearly a decade that supports public land for public good by prioritizing affordable housing when local agencies sell or lease surplus land.
The EBHO team drafted 28 letters to members and committees of the State Senate and Assembly and another 9 letters to Governor Newsom to support our state legislative agenda. Additionally, we co-wrote or signed on to 10 letters sent on behalf of coalitions and partner organizations. EBHO staff and members conducted numerous lobby visits with state legislators; our incredible Residents United Network (RUN) team worked hard to support AB 653, which passed! Because of AB 653, Public Housing Authorities will receive deeper support from the state to offer effective rental assistance to tenants through Housing Choice Voucher programs, including housing search assistance and deposit resources to help tenants with vouchers find and secure apartments in low-poverty neighborhoods.
Read more about last year’s work in our 2024 Impact Report.