On February 24, 2026, the California Planning and Development Report released a summary of recent developments in state planning, housing policy, and emergency response investigations.
The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation published its 2025 Annual Planning Survey Report. The report found that many local jurisdictions are seeking increased funding, staff capacity, and technical support to keep up with legislative requirements. Eighty-three percent of jurisdictions requested more technical support from the state. Most have the capacity for Tribal consultation but rely mainly on minimum engagement required by law rather than deeper consultation practices promoted by state agencies.
In San Jose, the City Council adopted three incentive policies aimed at increasing local housing construction. Two measures expand programs that reduce construction taxes and ease affordable housing requirements. The third updates the city’s inclusionary housing policy, allowing developers to set aside 7% of units for households earning 50% of area median income as an alternative to previous requirements. The median income for a family of four in Santa Clara County is $195,000.
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has launched a civil rights investigation into the state’s handling of the 2025 Eaton Fire. Reporting showed that west Altadena did not receive an emergency evacuation notice until at least nine hours after fires began. Eighteen out of nineteen people who died lived on the west side, where nearly half of all black households were destroyed. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said previous reviews found no evidence of discriminatory or structural bias and will cooperate fully with the investigation.
A study by UC Berkeley’s Terner Center examined data from new affordable housing projects funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program between 2020 and 2023. Almost all projects were charged impact fees averaging nearly $20,000 per unit; some saw figures closer to $30,000 per unit. Fees typically accounted for less than five percent of total development expenses but amounted to about $300 million annually across affordable developments. The analysis suggests waiving or reducing these fees could improve project feasibility.
Other updates include Newport Beach qualifying a ballot measure to reduce allowed housing units in its element plan; San Diego halting a high-rise project over code violations; San Jose being ranked least affordable globally for new homebuyers; property tax revenue drops linked to Los Angeles’ “Mansion Tax”; redevelopment plans moving forward at Westminster Mall; Clairemont neighborhood’s community plan update in San Diego; certification of San Benito County’s Housing Element unlocking grant access; Davis advancing Village Farms development proposal to ballot; Santa Barbara approving a temporary rent freeze; UCLA research on Eaton Fire evacuees’ challenges; and YIMBY Law threatening legal action against Menlo Park over redevelopment exemptions.
For more details see California Planning & Development Report.
