SB 330: Housing Crisis Act of 2019

• Declares a statewide housing emergency until January 1, 2025, and suspends certain local restrictions on housing development to address California's severe housing shortage.

• Limits cities and counties to a maximum of 5 public hearings for housing projects that comply with applicable zoning and general plan standards, with decisions required within applicable Permit Streamlining Act timelines.

• Freezes development standards and requirements at the time a preliminary application is submitted, preventing cities from imposing new ordinances, policies, or standards on housing projects (with limited exceptions for health/safety and environmental compliance).

• Prohibits affected cities and counties in urbanized areas from reducing housing density, imposing moratoria on housing, enforcing non-objective design standards adopted after January 1, 2020, or capping housing unit approvals (with exceptions for pre-2005 voter-approved limits in agricultural counties).

• Requires projects that demolish existing housing to replace all units and provide relocation assistance plus right of first refusal to displaced occupants for comparable affordable units in the new development.