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SB-967 • 2026

Planning and zoning: housing element: interim housing units: acutely low income households.

Planning and zoning: housing element: interim housing units: acutely low income households.

Education Housing Land
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Blakespear
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Set for hearing April 27.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on financial implications for local governments beyond stating no reimbursement is required.

Housing for Low-Income Families

This law changes how cities and counties plan housing to help very low-income families by including more types of homes in their plans.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines a 'housing unit' as any place where people can live, like houses or apartments, for acutely low-income households starting with the seventh revision of local housing plans.
  • Allows cities and counties to count temporary housing that helps very low-income families towards meeting their goals in housing plans.
  • Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to give advice on how to plan for homes needed by very low-income people, including those who need emergency shelter.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Cities and counties in California
  • People who work at the Department of Housing and Community Development

Terms To Know

Housing element
A part of a city or county's plan that talks about housing needs.
Interim housing units
Temporary homes for people who need help finding permanent housing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money cities and counties will receive to build these new types of housing.
  • It is unclear if all local governments will follow the advice given by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 27.

  2. 2026-04-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  3. 2026-04-13 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 15.

  4. 2026-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  5. 2026-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  6. 2026-02-04 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 6.

  7. 2026-02-03 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 967, as amended, Blakespear.
Planning and zoning: housing element:
interim
housing units: acutely low income households.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of that county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that includes, among other specified mandatory elements, a housing element. For the 4th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to determine the existing and projected
need for housing for each region,
regional housing need,
as provided, and requires the appropriate council of governments, or for cities and counties without a council of governments, the department, to adopt a final regional housing need plan
allocating a share of the regional housing need to each
city, county, or city and county, as provided.
Existing
city or county, as provided. Existing law requires the housing element to include an analysis of any special housing needs, including, among others, families and persons in need of emergency shelter.
Existing
law requires a city or county to provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to, among other entities, the department that includes, among other things, the city’s or county’s progress in meeting its share
of regional housing needs, as
specified. Existing law defines various terms for purposes of requirements applicable to the housing element.
specified, and number of units approved and disapproved in the prior year.
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 bill would authorize a city or county that met or exceeded its need for emergency shelter capacity and that provides committed support for interim housing, as defined, to report the number of interim housing units receiving that support that are approved, as specified, as units approved or disapproved for acutely low income households, for purposes of the annual progress report. The bill would require the department to allow approved interim housing units to account for up to 50% of the city’s or county’s share of the regional need for housing for acutely low income households,
as specified.
Existing law requires the department to publish, by December 31, 2026, advisory guidance, including, but not limited to, sample analyses and programs, pertaining to special housing needs for acutely low and extremely low income households and programs to assist in the development of adequate housing to meet the needs of acutely low income households, as specified.
This bill would require the guidance to include advice regarding the impact of the above-described requirements regarding interim housing and pertaining to acutely low and extremely low income households, specifically how interim housing, as defined, that does not meet the United States Census Bureau guidelines definition of a “housing unit” may be reported in the annual progress report.

Current Bill Text

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