What is the Housing Accountability Act?

The Housing Accountability Act (HAA) (Government Code Section 65589.5), establishes the state’s overarching policy that a local government may not deny, reduce the density of, or make infeasible housing development projects, emergency shelters, or farmworker housing that are consistent with objective local development standards. Before doing any of those things, local governments must make specified written findings based upon a preponderance of the evidence that a specific, adverse health or safety impact exists. Legislative intent language indicates that the conditions that would give rise to such a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety would occur infrequently.

Subdivision (d) of the HAA describes requirements applicable to housing development projects that include units affordable to very- low, low- and moderate-income households (including transitional and supportive housing) as well as emergency shelters and farmworker housing. Subdivision (j) describes requirements applicable to all housing development projects, including both market-rate and affordable housing developments. Subdivisions (k), (l), and (m) expand the potential consequences for violations of the HAA. In 2017, the Legislature also granted the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) authority to refer HAA violations to the Office of the Attorney General in Government Code section 65585.

The HAA was originally enacted in 1982 to address local opposition to growth and change. Communities resisted new housing, especially affordable housing, and, consequently, multiple levels of discretionary review often prevented or delayed development. As a result, developers had difficulty ascertaining the type, quantity, and location where development would be approved. The HAA was intended to overcome the lack of certainty developers experienced by limiting local governments’ ability to deny, make infeasible, or reduce the density of housing development projects.

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. Key restrictions on local governments’ ability to take action against housing development projects are set out in Government Code section 65589.5, subdivisions (d) and (j). The law was amended by Chapter 368 Statutes of 2017 (Senate Bill 167), Chapter 373 Statutes of 2017 (Assembly Bill 678) and Chapter 378 Statutes of 2017 (Assembly Bill 1515), as part of the California 2017 Housing Package. The law was further amended by Chapter 243, Statutes of 2018 (Assembly Bill 3194) and Chapter 654, Statutes of 2019 (Senate Bill 330).

1

Housing Accountability Act Technical Assistance Advisory

Why Do We Need the Housing Accountability Act?