The Overview

California's Assembly Bill 2005 would have changed how cities handle urban lot splits and owner-occupancy requirements for housing developments. The bill died after facing intense community opposition, with residents sending thousands of letters against it, according to Larchmont Buzz. The measure would have allowed either the original owner or purchasers of the resulting parcels to satisfy owner-occupancy requirements. [](#ngr-8d44c632-3119-4e0f-b383-2ddc72050ab7)

What the Law Does

AB 2005, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-CA), would have required applicants for urban lot splits to choose between two owner-occupancy options: either occupying one unit as their principal residence for three years or selling both parcels after certificates of occupancy were issued while requiring a unit on each parcel to be owner-occupied for three years. The bill also would have allowed certain trustees of living trusts and owners or members of limited liability companies to apply for urban lot splits.

The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee passed AB 2005 with amendments April 8 with 11 votes in favor and none opposed. The Assembly Local Government Committee passed it April 22 with 10 votes in favor and none opposed, and the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed it May 6 with 14 votes in favor and none opposed. The full Assembly passed AB 2005 on May 14 with 66 votes in favor and one opposed. The Senate Local Government Committee passed it June 10 with five votes in favor, one opposed and one member not voting.

The Senate Housing Committee passed it June 30 with six votes in favor and two opposed. The Senate initially rejected the bill 18-11 on Aug. 25 before granting reconsideration the following day. After additional amendments, the bill returned to third reading but was not brought up for another final passage vote before the Legislature adjourned Aug. 31.

By the Numbers

California has an estimated population of 39,355,309, a median household income of $99,122 and a poverty rate of 11.8%. About 37.1% of California residents age 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 93.5% of households have a broadband internet subscription.

The Debate

According to Larchmont Buzz, neighborhood leaders urged residents to write letters opposing AB 2005 over the final weekend of the legislative session, generating hundreds of additional letters as part of an opposition campaign that representatives of several neighborhood organizations said produced thousands of letters overall. According to Larchmont Buzz, the GWNC Land Use Committee unanimously passed a motion recommending that the GWNC board ask the City Council to pass a resolution opposing AB 2005. According to housing analyst Alfred Twu, AB 2005 would have allowed investors to conduct SB 9 lot splits as long as the resulting lots were sold to owner-occupants.

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This article was generated by AI pulling from data. Each article is edited by an editor for accuracy and clarity.

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