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

May 5, 2025 - The commission estimates that, in total, local reimbursements for these activities will cost the state less than $1 million (between $459,106 and $690,409, depending on how many final local reimbursement claims ultimately are submitted).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

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

Oct 22, 2025 - As a result of CEQA, unless a project falls under a statutory or certain other type of exemption, public agencies (such as cities and counties) generally must conduct a detailed study of the potential environmental effects of new housing construction (and many other types of development) prior to approving it.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5082

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues

Apr 5, 2022 - Many existing buildings and infrastructure will need to be modified in order to avoid serious damage from climate change impacts. For instance, due to warmer average temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, school facilities in historically temperate regions may need to consider remodeling playgrounds with more heat ‑resistant materials and shade structures, or adding air conditioning systems.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4575

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

Feb 9, 2022 - In both cases, it is too early to know how these programs have performed. As the Legislature moves forward in its efforts to address homelessness, we suggest considering how to balance the state ‑local relationship and identify a predictable funding strategy that aligns with the balance of responsibilities between the state and local governments.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4521

The 2025-26 Budget: Oversight of Encampment Resolution Funding

Mar 5, 2025 - Lack of enough affordable housing for low-income households is a major reason why many people fall into homelessness. Likewise, people will stay homeless, or be at risk of homelessness, until they can find stable housing they can afford.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5007

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

The 2024-25 Budget: Juvenile Custodial Interrogation Mandate

May 28, 2024 - For example, the Commission estimates how many youths would require legal counsel before the waiver of Miranda rights and prior to an interrogation by using annual arrest data. Although data specifically on how many youths ages 16 and 17 were subject to an inter rogation would be preferable, such data are not available statewide.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4910

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Housing

Apr 5, 2022 - Many existing homes were built to different standards than are commonplace today, making them less resilient to the effects of climate change. For example, many older homes were built with features—such as wood shake roofs, cedar siding, or single‑paned windows—that make them more vulnerable to igniting during wildfires.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4584

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

Feb 14, 2022 - In many cases, the proposed funding is many orders of magnitude above what has been provided previously for programs. While directing augmentations to existing programs helps to expedite release of funding compared to establishing new programs, do these existing programs have capacity to absorb the proposed  funding?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4535

The 2022-23 Budget: Municipal Stormwater and Urban Runoff Discharges Mandate

Feb 28, 2022 - Unlike many other mandates, the Municipal Stormwater and Urban Runoff Discharges mandate no longer has associated ongoing costs. This is because, as noted, the Los Angeles RWQCB adopted a new stormwater discharge permit in 2012, replacing the 2001 permit that required the reimbursable activities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4565