Four years after lawmakers passed SB 9, another housing bill is roiling neighborhood councils and local governments.
SB 79 was introduced this year by YIMBY stalwart Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) with support from Streets for All, California YIMBY, Greenbelt Alliance, SPUR, and the Bay Area Council. It would allow multifamily housing of 5 to 7 stories to be built within a half mile of a transit stop regardless of local zoning. Height allowance would depend on how many rail stations a county has and the distance from the transit hubs. No public input or environmental review would be required. The bill would also allow transit agencies to develop land they own at greater density.
SB 79 allows cities to adopt a “transit-oriented development alternative plan” as another method of compliance. But this path would be infeasible for many governments, according to Cal Cities.
Local officials have been sounding the alarm.
Palo Alto City Council member Pat Burt said SB 79 would take a “chainsaw to local zoning.”
“We’re talking about 55 feet and 5 stories by right without any parking requirements in an Eichler neighborhood. That’s how crazy this is.”
“If this bill passes, developers could knock down homes on quiet streets and build multi-story apartment buildings with zero community input,” said San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond. “Local governments would be stripped of the ability to object. Neighbors would be silenced. Cities would be forced to absorb the costs of infrastructure, schools, and services — likely by raising your taxes. And renters could vote for those tax increases, but only homeowners would foot the bill.”
During the Legislature’s summer recess, neighborhood advocates in Los Angeles have been organizing a letter-writing campaign and urging Mayor Karen Bass to lobby against the bill. United Neighbors, a coalition of homeowners’ groups, has been leading the charge. The organization notes there are no exemptions for historic districts or single-family neighborhoods in the bill. It says the legislation’s affordability requirement isn’t robust enough to address the housing crisis anyway.
Despite extensive amendments, Cal Cities remains opposed to SB 79. Cal Cities has urged local governments to contact their assembly members and express their concerns before the end of the legislative session on Sept. 12.
Proponents of the bill argue it is necessary — and long overdue — to address the housing shortage.
“California urgently needs to build more homes to bring down costs, and building them near transit provides our public transportation systems with an urgently needed infusion of new riders. This is an idea whose time has come,” said Senator Wiener.
While local opposition has been loud, a number of city leaders have endorsed the bill, citing the lack of housing affordability in their communities and the explosion in homelessness over the past decade. Supporters include Berkeley Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani; Claremont Councilmember Jed Leano; El Cerrito Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman; Emeryville Councilmember Matthew Solomon; Gilroy Councilmember Zach Hilton, Mount Shasta Councilmember Casey Glaubman; Mountain View Councilmember Lucas Ramirez, Petaluma Councilmember Brian Barnacle; Santa Monica Councilmember Jesse Zwick; South San Francisco Councilmember James Coleman; Foster City Councilmember Phoebe Shin Venkat; Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez; Sacramento Councilmember Caity Maple; East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Mark Dinan; Concord Vice Mayor Laura Nakamura; Capitola Vice Mayor Alexander Pedersen; and Mountain View Vice Mayor Emily Ann Ramos.
SB 79 passed the Senate on June 3, 21 to 13. The legislation cleared the Assembly’s Housing and Local Government committees last month.
Read the full text of SB 79 here.