SACRAMENTO - YIMBY Action celebrates Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Senator Scott Wiener’s SB 79, a landmark new law that will make it faster and easier to build multi-family housing near transit stops like rail stations and rapid bus lines. This law, if implemented correctly, will make new transit-oriented housing possible in key transit corridors across the state and will lead to more homes for working families. By allowing more homes to be built near existing transit, SB 79 will reduce vehicle miles traveled and resulting carbon emissions, helping California achieve our ambitious climate goals and reducing the cost of living for thousands of Californians.
SB 79 sets statewide minimum zoning standards around high-capacity transit, streamlines approvals for compliant proposals, and includes significant affordability, anti-displacement, and labor protections. Local governments with high-frequency transit and restrictive zoning must update their zoning codes within six months and submit them to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review. With some exceptions, if a city's plans aren't dense enough, the heights and densities from SB 79 automatically apply in their transit zones.
Areas near heavy rail (such as BART or CalTrain), light rail (Muni, LA Metro Rail), and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, Sacramento County, and San Diego County will all see changes to zoning standards.
Some jurisdictions, like Los Angeles, opposed the bill and will now need to create local plans for how they come into compliance with these new standards for minimum zoning near transit, or risk losing local control entirely.
YIMBY Action—and its affiliate YIMBY Law—have, over the past decade, advocated for legislative efforts to upzone areas near transit and hold local jurisdictions accountable to actually build the housing required in their state-mandated Housing Elements. In support of SB 79, YIMBY Action activists in California met with dozens of legislators and made over 2,500 calls in support of SB 79. As the bill wound through the legislature, YIMBY Action mobilized with coalition partners for critical hearings in Sacramento and pushed the legislature to adopt the boldest version possible for this desperately needed legislation.
While this bill represents significant progress, YIMBY Action and YIMBY Law have seen pro-housing intentions undermined by the complexity of implementation (see our report on previous legislation from YIMBY Law), and are committed to fighting for bold and comprehensive implementation of this complex legislation (see our report on implementation work from YIMBY Law & YIMBY Action).
“Californians are fed up with the high cost of housing and the lack of quality housing options near transit,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director of YIMBY Action. “High costs have pushed families farther and farther away from good jobs and transportation options, and SB 79 holds local governments accountable for approving new housing where we need it most. Obstructionist cities should be on notice: the era of delay tactics and obstruction is coming to an end.”
“SB 79 is a historic step toward tackling the root cause of California’s affordability crisis — our profound shortage of homes and too few people having access to transit,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “In California, we talk a lot about where we don’t want to build homes, but rarely about where we do — until now. SB 79 unwinds decades of overly restrictive land use policies that have driven housing costs to astronomical levels, forcing millions of people to move far away from jobs and transit, to face massive commutes, or to leave California entirely. By allowing more homes to be built near public transportation, SB 79 also strengthens our transit systems, increases transit ridership, and reduces traffic congestion and carbon emissions. It’s been a long road to tackle these decades-old problems, but thanks to Governor Newsom’s leadership, today marks a new day for affordable housing and public transportation in California.”
“Finally, cities with good transit will have to zone for more housing,” said Leora Tanjuatco Ross, California Director at YIMBY Action. “Enough is enough. We fully anticipate that affluent cities will continue to fight against doing their part to build the housing Californians need. But we’re here to build the local political will that’s necessary to make sure this new law actually translates into new homes and lower rents for working people.”