California Getting 56 New Housing Laws
California’s legislative cycle is ending with a bang this year when it comes to housing. To that end, the Governor signed into law 56 new bills intended to address California’s housing crisis, with the hope that this will incentivize buyers, reduce barriers to housing, and support the development of more affordable homes. The bills are designed to streamline housing developments and allow for scenarios such as the overruling of density laws in favor of housing, as well as allowing religious or independent institutions of higher education to use a portion of their land for housing.
Of State Senator Scott Wiener’s bills, Newsom signed Senate Bill 423, which accelerates the development of affordable housing by strengthening the provisions of SB 35, another bill from Wiener back in 2016 slated to go into effect in 2025, that allows projects to go through a simplified and expedited housing approval process in areas that are not on track to meet their housing production goals.
Over the years, many potential homeowners have been blocked by insurmountable barriers to housing affordability due to massive security deposits, and aside from skyrocketing rents, many laws which ensure affordable security deposits haven’t changed much since the 1970’s. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office released a statement in which he said “It’s simple math. California needs to build more housing and ensure the housing we have is affordable.”
To access the list of housing laws passed by California in 2023, please see the press release put out by the Governor’s office at: