California’s most sweeping housing law in years takes effect July 1, and cities across the state are scrambling. Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, allows multifamily housing developments near major transit stops in eight urban counties, overriding local zoning restrictions. The affected counties are Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Mateo. Neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes within a half-mile of qualifying rail or bus rapid transit stops can now see mid-rise apartment buildings.
The LA City Council voted to oppose the bill, and Mayor Karen Bass reportedly urged Gov. Newsom to veto it. Los Angeles has since opted to delay, voting to overhaul a portion of its zoning map to buy itself until around 2030. “SB 79 is a historic step toward tackling the root cause of California’s affordability crisis,” said the bill’s author, Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco.