Senator Arreguín Appointed Chair of Housing Committee

Sacramento, CA - With the formal start of the 2026 legislative session this week,  Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón has appointed Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland) as Chair of both the Public Safety and Housing standing committees. 

“Making our communities safer and more affordable are top priorities for the East Bay and for every Californian,” said Senator Jesse Arreguín. “I’m committed to making change and delivering results, and I deeply appreciate President Pro Tem Limón for trusting me to lead these two important committees at this critical moment.” 

Senator Arreguín will begin chairing the Housing Committee on February 1. That committee reviews bills relating to housing, including state housing funding programs, housing element and land use, housing successor agencies, and building codes and standards.

“As someone who has experienced housing insecurity, I have spent much of my life advocating for policies that expand housing affordability and accessibility. In recent years, California has made significant strides to reduce the regulatory hurdles that historically made permitting new housing a challenge. Housing production has stalled nonetheless given the high costs associated with delivering new units. It’s why, under my leadership, a key focus of the Housing Committee will be what the state can do to bring down the cost of delivering new units.

Senator Arreguín will continue as the chair of the Public Safety Committee, which oversees all new laws relating to the Penal Code, criminal procedure, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

“As a former Mayor, I worked hand-in-hand with first responders to make our neighborhoods safer, and through this experience and more I learned how critical it is that we continue to lean on modern, evidence-based practices to enhance safety for all. Everyone deserves to feel safe, and we will work tirelessly to deliver on this promise.” 

Elected to the State Senate in November 2024, Arreguín introduced nine bills that were signed into law his first year. They include public safety related bills such as SB 704 which regulates the sale of firearm barrels, SB 524 which requires disclosure of AI use in police reports, and coauthoring SB 627 which prohibits certain law enforcement from wearing masks to conceal their identity. Arreguín also authored three housing related bills last year, including SB 9 to help local jurisdictions conform to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) standards, SB 489 to provide better guidance for navigating complex permitting for housing development, and SB 786, which helps local jurisdictions comply with Housing Element laws.

Prior to his election to the State Senate, Arreguín served as Mayor of the City of Berkeley, where he oversaw the largest housing construction boom in the city in decades, including passing a local housing bond that generated 1,000 units of permanently affordable housing. He also established a regional public safety task force while overseeing local police reforms, including creating a Specialized Care Unit to divert non-violent mental health calls to mental health professionals. He also served as President of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Bay Area’s regional government, and led the creation of the Bay Area’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation, a plan for 440,000 new housing units across 9 counties. 

In addition to serving as Chair of the Housing and Public Safety committees, Arreguín will also serve as a member of the following committees: Business, Professions and Economic Development; Energy, Utilities and Communications; Local Government; and Transportation.