Attorney General Bonta’s Sponsored Bills to Accelerate Housing Construction Signed into Law

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom signing into law Senate Bill 786 (Arreguín) and Senate Bill 808 (Caballero), two bills sponsored by Attorney General Bonta that aim to accelerate housing construction in California. SB 786 will set clear rules to avoid disputes that delay home building and ensure swift and effective relief in housing element litigation. SB 808 creates a new judicial process to resolve project entitlement and permitting disputes quickly and efficiently. SB 786 and SB 808 both take effect on January 1, 2026.

"Millions of Californians are desperate for housing options that fit their budget and are near loved ones, social networks, and jobs. That means we need to build more homes, and quickly. In recent years, our Legislature has passed several bills to address this crisis, but the reality is that we still have much progress to make," said Attorney General Bonta. "I sponsored SB 786 and SB 808 because these bills will accelerate our progress toward a more affordable California. I'm grateful to Senators Anna Caballero and Jesse Arreguín for authoring these important pieces of legislation, and to Governor Newsom for signing them into law."

"SB 786 addresses housing affordability impacting millions of Californians by ensuring that the housing being planned for actually gets built. This bill will make it easier to create desperately needed housing across the state by minimizing costly delays and eliminating court loopholes," said Senator Jesse Arreguín. "I am thankful for Attorney General Rob Bonta's sponsorship of this bill and his leadership to ensure housing for all."

"A core value that I have always held is the belief that safe, decent, affordable housing is a human right. Behind every stalled housing project are families waiting for a place to call home. With Governor Newsom's signature on my bill, SB 808, we now have a fairer, faster process to resolve disputes and get homes built without unnecessary delay," said Senator Anna Caballero. "I'm deeply grateful to have Attorney General Rob Bonta as a partner to help more families, young people, and seniors find stability in the communities they love."

SB 786

SB 786 will resolve ambiguities in housing element law with sensible, bright line rules.

• First, when there are conflicting development standards in the housing element and another general plan element, the most recently adopted element will control. This will make it easier for all parties to understand the rules up front.
• Second, when local governments commit to removing constraints on housing development by a specific deadline in their certified housing element, this bill will clarify the consequence for failing to meet that deadline by directing the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to review the housing element for potential decertification. This will encourage local governments to keep their commitments to remove harmful barriers to new housing. Setting clear rules facilitates implementation and avoids litigation and project delays.
• The bill will also amend judicial procedures for housing element cases to ensure that court orders deliver fair, swift, and effective relief, including expediting temporary relief when the evidence shows early in a case that a housing element is likely to be legally inadequate and specifying that a court order to adopt a housing element is not stayed pending appeal.

SB 808

When housing project applications are improperly denied under current law, the Attorney General, or the project applicant, can bring an enforcement action to compel the local government to comply with state law. SB 808 will expedite these actions to enforce state housing laws, including the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), ministerial approval laws, and accessory-dwelling unit (ADU) laws. The expedited writ procedure in SB 808 preserves existing substantive law and will not alter the authority of local governments, but will bring swifter resolution to these disputes and allow more housing projects to move forward more quickly.