California HOME Act
2021 California Senate Bill 9 (SB 9),[1] titled the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (HOME) Act, is a 2021 California state law which creates a legal process by which owners of certain single-family homes may either build two 800-square-foot homes or one duplex on their property, to result in a maximum of four housing units on a formerly single-family lot, and prohibits cities and counties from directly interfering with those who wish to build such homes. Drafted by State Senator Scott Wiener, it was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021, and went into effect on January 1, 2022.[2] The bill was crafted to reduce the cost of housing in California by increasing housing supply and density within California cities and overriding municipal and county zoning laws requiring single-family zoning. The law also expands the capacity for secondary suites (also known in California as Accessory Dwelling Units - ADU's).
It is estimated that around 500,000 (1 in 20) households across California would be able to qualify under SB 9. The law also has several exceptions, including the exclusion of historic districts, and a condition prohibiting the same owner from splitting adjacent lots.[3]
See also
- YIMBY movement – Movement in support of infrastructure development
- California housing shortage
References
- ^ "Bill Text - SB-9 Housing development: approvals". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "Governor Newsom Signs Historic Legislation to Boost California's Housing Supply and Fight the Housing Crisis" (Press release). Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. September 16, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Grabar, Henry (September 17, 2021). "You Can Kill Single-Family Zoning, but You Can't Kill the Suburbs". Slate. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
Further reading
- Demsas, Jerusalem (September 17, 2021). "California is ending a rule that helped cause its housing crisis". Vox.
- Dougherty, Conor (August 26, 2021). "After Years of Failure, California Lawmakers Pave the Way for More Housing". The New York Times.
- Garcia, David; Alameldin, Muhammad (January 18, 2023). "California's HOME Act Turns One: Data and Insights from the First Year of Senate Bill 9". University of California, Berkeley; Terner Center for Housing Innovation.
- Hase, Grace (October 8, 2021). "New law signals change in how California legislators are attacking the housing crisis". The Washington Post.
- Tobias, Manuela (April 22, 2022). "With more enforcement power than ever, state relies on activists to enforce duplex law". CalMatters.
- Wiley, Hannah (January 18, 2023). "A new California housing law has done little to encourage building, report says". Los Angeles Times.