California’s Housing Laws: Progress or Policy Overload?
Over the past decade, California has been producing legislation at a remarkable pace—between 1,900 and 2,600 bills introduced each year. In 2023, lawmakers introduced more than 2,600 bills, the highest number in a decade. And in 2025, the state introduced another 2,350 bills by the February deadline. A significant portion of these, unsurprisingly, focused on housing.
But the question remains: with so many new housing laws, are we actually making a dent in the housing crisis?
The Legislative Response: Volume and Velocity
In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 56 housing-related bills into law, aimed at streamlining housing production and expanding tenant protections. In 2024, that number grew to over 60 new housing bills, with most going into effect on January 1, 2025.
These bills cover everything from affordable housing incentives and enforcement mechanisms to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), surplus land use, and permitting streamlining.
Here are a few standout examples:
SB 4 – Yes, In God’s Backyard (YIGBY): Allows housing to be built on land owned by religious institutions and nonprofit colleges.
SB 423 – Streamlined Housing Projects: Expands and extends SB 35, a key law for bypassing some local approvals.
AB 1033 – ADUs for Sale: Enables ADUs to be sold separately under certain conditions.
AB 1332 – Pre-Approved ADU Plans: Makes it easier and faster to get ADUs permitted.
AB 480 – Surplus Land for Housing: Targets the use of publicly owned land for housing development.
Collectively, these bills show a clear shift toward state-level intervention in local land use, aiming to speed up housing approvals and push cities to comply.
So Why Isn’t More Housing Getting Built?
Despite the surge in pro-housing legislation, California’s housing production still lags behind need. The reasons aren’t entirely new—but they’re persistent:
Local resistance: Many cities still use their discretionary authority to delay or deny projects.
Complex approval processes: Layered, inconsistent regulations make it hard to predict timelines or costs.
Weak enforcement: Some jurisdictions openly ignore state mandates.
Legal loopholes: Creative interpretations allow some cities to sidestep compliance.
High development costs: Land, labor, and materials in California are among the most expensive in the country.
Labor mandates: Requirements for union labor and prevailing wages, while important for worker protections, can raise project costs significantly.
Affordability requirements: Inclusionary zoning policies and affordability mandates—sometimes as high as 20% of units—can make projects financially infeasible.
The result? Despite all the legislative energy, housing production isn’t keeping pace with the state’s goals.
Where Do We Go from Here?
If California is serious about solving its housing crisis, we need more than just policy volume. We need policy clarity and alignment between state goals and local implementation. That means:
Stronger enforcement mechanisms
Simplified, standardized approvals
Realistic affordability targets
Flexible labor and cost expectations
Final Thoughts
The state is clearly trying—but trying harder isn’t the same as trying smarter. The next phase of California housing policy needs to be about implementation, not just legislation.
Want to understand what this means for your project or property?
I help homeowners, developers, and advocates navigate the planning and permitting landscape—and stay ahead of the state’s fast-changing housing rules.
📩 Get in touch at kate@ebo-strategy.com
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