Understanding new legislation and how the rules and regulations of local, state and federal government affect your daily life can be complicated and time consuming.

What recent laws are affecting how housing is being planned in your neighborhood? What is the process potential development projects must go through before being approved and built? How is zoning and land use evolving to meet the needs of today’s businesses and residents?

Without the need for a master’s degree in public policy and administration, the City of Rocklin hopes to help Rocklin constituents stay current on these and other government items of interest.

The City Corner news feature will quickly look at state legislation, City procedures, or federal policies tied to hot button issues, beginning with government code 65589.5, or the California Housing Accountability Act.

City Corner: CA Housing Accountability Act

Did you know that the California Housing Accountability Act (Government Code section 65589.5) establishes limitations to a local government’s ability to deny, reduce the density of, or make infeasible housing development projects, emergency shelters, or farmworker housing that are consistent with objective local development standards and contribute to meeting housing need?

The HAA was originally enacted in 1982 to address local opposition to growth and change. Recognizing that the HAA was falling short of its intended goal, in 2017, 2018, and again in 2019, the Legislature amended the HAA no less than seven times to expand and strengthen its provisions.
 

Learn more about this state law here.