The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Housing, Homelessness and Local Government

Oct 22, 2025 - These studies, known as negative declarations and environmental impact reports, can provide valuable information to decision-makers and the public and help to avoid unnecessary environmental impacts (pertaining to traffic, air and water quality, and other matters).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5082

The 2020-21 Budget: U-Visa I-918 Form Mandate

Mar 4, 2020 - The Commission found that Penal Code Section 679.10 —as added by Chapter  721 —imposes new state-mandated activities and costs on local governments by requiring local governments to complete certification documents within specified deadlines, and to submit annual reports about the certifications to the Legislature.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4192

The 2019-20 May Revision: Opportunity Zones

May 11, 2019 - This added complexity could create increased administrative burdens for builders, lenders, and government agencies tasked with funding affordable housing. Added complexity also could open the possibility of unintended consequences or misuse of funds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4038

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - The State Water Resources Control Board, together with nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards, help to enforce state and federal laws governing water quality across the state, including the federal Clean Water Act.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

The 2025-26 Budget: Oversight of Encampment Resolution Funding

Mar 5, 2025 - The purpose of encampment resolution is to provide outreach and other help to the people living in an encampment and to transition them to housing —either directly to permanent housing or to a short-term housing arrangement (such as an emergency shelter) while permanent housing is secured for them.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5007

The 2018-19 Budget: County Assessor Funding

Feb 15, 2018 - To determine if existing employees experienced a change in productivity, DOF would compare the value added by existing employees during years the county receives SSCAP funding to a baseline year (2017 ‑18).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3756

How Has COVID-19 Affected Renters and Homeowners?

Jan 19, 2021 - We hope that by shedding light on how COVID ‑19 has added to the financial stress of renters, we can inform policy solutions to help renters through this crisis. In particular, the state and local governments will soon have to determine how to allocate recently authorized federal funding for emergency rental assistance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4312

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues

Apr 5, 2022 - Given the complexity of these issues, this report does not contain explicit recommendations or a specific path forward; rather, it is intended as a framing document to help the Legislature adopt a “climate lens ” across its policy decisions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4575

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Housing

Apr 5, 2022 - The 2021 ‑22 budget package included funding for regional efforts that could help communities plan for and help mitigate the impacts of climate change on housing. This included $275  million across three years for OPR to administer climate adaptation planning and implementation grants for local governments and regional partnerships.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4584

Post Election Manual Tally Mandate

Jan 13, 2016 - LAO Comments Post Election Manual Tally Mandate Would Be Added to Backlog. Under the Governor ’s proposal, county costs related to this mandate would be added to the existing backlog for mandate claims.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3327