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

May 5, 2025 - Two key court decisions addressed this issue: 2007 Court Ruling Allowed Local Governments to Seek Reimbursement for Water Board Mandates. Prior to 2007, state statute exempted water boards ’ water quality permits from the state mandate process (and, therefore, consideration for reimbursement) as they were generally understood to be implementing federal law.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandates—Regional Water Quality Control Boards

May 30, 2025 - Consistent with our recommendation on the stormwater-related mandate identified in the January budget, we recommend the Legislature reject the Governor ’s May Revision proposal and instead fund the three mandates for three key reasons: (1)  the appellate court found that local governments lacked sufficient authority to raise stormwater-related fees prior to 2018, (2)  CSM
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5054

The 2022-23 Budget: The Governor’s Homelessness Plan

Feb 9, 2022 - Since Approval, DHCS Has Developed Funding Plan and Key Program Details. When BH ‑CIP was approved, several key implementation details were not fully developed yet. These outstanding details concerned (1)  the funding plan, (2)  what requirements local entities would need to meet to apply for and obtain funds, and (3)  what the ultimate match requirement from local entities would be.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4521

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Housing

Apr 5, 2022 - Figure 2 Climate Change Impacts on Housing: Key Issues for Legislative Consideration What role should the state play in influencing where new homes are built? What steps should the state take to influence how new homes are built?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4584

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues

Apr 5, 2022 - Introduction This report contains four primary sections: (1)  a description of the five key climate hazards affecting California, (2)  the major ways those hazards impact sectors across the state, (3)  significant existing state ‑level efforts underway to address climate change impacts, and (4)  key issues for the Legislature to consider in response to these impacts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4575

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues [Publication Details]

Apr 5, 2022 - This report contains four primary sections: (1) a description of the five key climate hazards affecting California, (2) the major ways those hazards impact sectors across the state, (3) significant existing state‑level efforts underway to address climate change impacts, and (4) key issues for the Legislature to consider in response to these impacts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4575

How Has COVID-19 Affected Renters and Homeowners?

Jan 19, 2021 - The researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia then updated their analysis of rental debt in California using our assumptions for these key inputs. (T he Appendix provides additional information about this methodology.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4312

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Housing [Publication Details]

Apr 5, 2022 - This report focuses on how a changing climate is affecting the housing sector and key issues the Legislature faces in responding to those impacts. This is one of a series of reports summarizing how climate change will impact different sectors across California.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4584

The 2022-23 Budget: The Governor's Housing Plan

Feb 14, 2022 - HCD has not identified dates for key milestones associated with this proposal but notes general activities they would undertake, such as continued collaboration with DGS and technical assistance to local entities to ensure excess sites are ready for housing  development.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4535

An Initial Look at Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Local Government Fiscal Condition

May 12, 2021 - For instance, if there are broad, long ‑standing changes to where people chose to live and work, the pandemic could, over time, change the key economic drivers of a community. As an example, some employers may continue to provide their employees additional flexibility to work remotely even after the COVID ‑ 19 e mergency subsides.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4428