SB 179: Housing.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law establishes the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency consisting of various state entities, including the Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Housing Finance Agency. Pursuant to the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025, beginning July 1, 2026, existing law eliminates that agency and establishes the California Housing and Homelessness Agency consisting of various state entities, including the Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Housing Finance Agency. Existing law requires these entities to oversee and administer various state housing programs, including multifamily affordable housing programs.

This bill would, to the extent feasible, require a state entity within the California Housing and Homelessness Agency to consider quantifiable in-kind local contributions, defined as a financial or in-kind commitment by a city, county, or city and county, as specified, when awarding competitive multifamily affordable housing funding for new construction projects, as specified. If a city, county, or city and county is a lead applicant for a project in an affordable multifamily rental or ownership housing development administered by a state entity within that agency and has not committed to waiving any development impact fee, as defined, that it would otherwise impose on the project, the bill would require the awarding agency to reduce the total award amount for the project, as specified. The bill would make these provisions applicable to any notice of funding opportunity issued after July 1, 2027.

(2)Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program (HHAP) for the purpose of providing jurisdictions with grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. Existing law provides for the allocation of funding under the program among continuums of care, cities, counties, and tribes in 6 rounds and establishes round 7 of the program and states the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that specifies the parameters, as specified. Existing law provides for certain of those remaining amounts of those program allocation funds that have not been expended by certain dates, including by reverting those funds to the General Fund.

This bill would require those remaining amounts to be returned to the department for reallocation in a specified procedure, including via a subsequent notice of funding availability. By modifying existing appropriations, this bill would make an appropriation.

(3)Existing law requires applicants for a round 3 or 4 program allocation to establish certain system performance measures to prevent and reduce homelessness. Existing law requires those measures to set definitive metrics for achieving certain goals, including reducing the number of persons experiencing homelessness.

This bill would instead require those measures to include, among other things, the number of people experiencing homelessness who are accessing services, and would require applicants to also track demographic data with respect to age, gender, race, and ethnicity for each of those measures.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. July 2, 2026Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET pursuant to Assembly Rule 97.
2. June 29, 2026Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 53. Noes 14. Page 5891.)
3. June 29, 2026Withdrawn from committee pursuant to Asssembly Rule 96.
4. June 26, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
5. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
6. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
7. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 456.) Ordered to the Assembly.
8. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
10. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
11. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
12. January 24, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.