SB 967: Planning and zoning: housing element: interim housing units: acutely low income households.
The bill aims to update the government code regarding land use and housing. It requires cities and counties to report their progress in meeting regional housing needs, including emergency shelter capacity, to the department by April 1st of each year. Cities or counties that meet or exceed their emergency shelter capacity and provide committed support for interim housing units can report the number of interim housing units receiving that support that are approved for acutely low income households. Approved interim housing units can account for up to 50% of the city's or county's share of the regional need for housing for acutely low income households. The department is required to publish advisory guidance by December 31st, 2026, including advice on the impact of interim housing on meeting the needs of acutely low income households and how to report interim housing units in the annual pr…
| May. 14, 2026 | May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| May. 08, 2026 | Set for hearing May 14. |
| Apr. 27, 2026 | April 27 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Apr. 17, 2026 | Set for hearing April 27. |
| Apr. 16, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3902.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Amended IN Senate March 26, 2026 |
| Introduced by Senator Blakespear (Coauthor: Senator Archuleta) (Coauthor: Assembly Member Davies) |
February 03, 2026 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would define “housing unit” for the 7th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, with respect to acutely low income households, to mean a house, an apartment, a modular home, a mobilehome or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied, or, if vacant, is intended for occupancy as separate living quarters, as specified.
By revising requirements on local governments with regard to adopting or revising the housing element, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 65583.05 of the Government Code is amended to read:65583.05.
(a) (1) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall publish, by December 31, 2026, advisory guidance, including, but not limited to, sample analyses and programs, pertaining to both of the following:(B)
SEC. 2.
Section 65583.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:65583.5.
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:As used in this article, the following definitions apply unless specified otherwise:
(a)“Above moderate income” means income exceeding the moderate-income level described in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code.
(b)“Acutely low income” has the same meaning as in Section 50063.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
(c)“All income levels” or “all household income levels” means lower income, moderate income, and above moderate income levels.
(d)“Community,” “locality,” “local government,” or “jurisdiction” means a city, city and county, or county.
(e)“Council of governments” means a single or multicounty council created by a joint powers agreement pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1.
(f)“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(g)“Emergency shelter” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 50801 of the Health and Safety Code.
(h)“Extremely low income” means the income for households exceeding the income limit for acutely low income households, as defined in this section, and does not exceed the limit for extremely low income households, as defined in Section 50106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(i)“Frequent user coordinated care housing services” means housing combined with other supportive services for homeless persons identified by a city or county as the most costly, frequent users of publicly funded emergency services.
(j)“Housing element” or “element” means the housing element of the community’s general plan, as required pursuant to this article and subdivision (c) of Section 65302.
(k)For the seventh and subsequent revisions of the housing element, with respect to acutely low income households, “housing unit” or “unit” means a house, an apartment, a modular home, a mobilehome or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied, or, if vacant, is intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. For purposes of this subdivision:
(1)Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants have sleeping quarters separate from any other persons in the building and that have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall. Separate living quarters does not require separate bathrooms or eating spaces.
(2)A housing unit described in this subdivision may be for permanent or transitional housing, as defined in Section 50801 of the Health and Safety Code.
(l)“Low income” means the income for households exceeding the income limit for very low income households, as defined in this section, and does not exceed the income limit for lower income households, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
(m)“Lower income” means income that is low income, very low income, extremely low income, or acutely low income.
(n)“Moderate income” means the income for households exceeding the limit for lower income households, as defined in this section, and does not exceed the income limit for moderate-income households, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code.
(o)“Supportive housing” means housing with no limit on length of stay, that is occupied by the target population, and that is linked to an onsite or offsite service that assists the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving their health status, and maximizing their ability to live and, when possible, work in the community.
(p)“Supportive services” include, but are not limited to, a combination of subsidized, permanent housing, intensive case management, medical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, employment services, and benefits advocacy.
(q)“Target population” means persons with low incomes who have one or more disabilities, including mental illness, HIV or AIDS, substance abuse, or other chronic health condition, or individuals eligible for services provided pursuant to the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500) of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and may include, among other populations, adults, emancipated minors, families with children, elderly persons, young adults aging out of the foster care system, individuals exiting from institutional settings, veterans, and homeless people.
(r)“Transitional housing” means buildings configured as rental housing developments, but operated under program requirements that require the termination of assistance and recirculating of the assisted unit to another eligible program recipient at a predetermined future point in time that shall be no less than six months from the beginning of the assistance.
(s)“Very low income” means income for households exceeding the income limit for extremely low income households, as defined in this section, and does not exceed the income limit for very low income households, as defined in Section 50105 of the Health and Safety Code.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.