Every year, in each of California's 58 counties, a group of residents is sworn in to serve as a civil grand jury that investigates the operations of officers, departments and agencies of local government. This posse of deputized residents can investigate whatever they decide needs investigating.

In San Mateo County, located on the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, a civil grand jury has blown the whistle on several cities it claims are relying on granny flats—a.k.a. accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—to avoid mandates to build new multifamily affordable housing units.

To address what California has declared is an affordable housing state of emergency, last year the state enacted an amendment to its 1969 Housing Element Law allowing communities to count ADUs as affordable housing in their plans to build affordable housing that meets state-mandated goals.