Newsom signs law allowing denser housing near transit stops
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The new law will allow denser development along transit lines, such as BART and Muni, throughout California. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday to allow denser housing development around transit hubs in California.
Why it matters: It marks the state's most significant attempt to supercharge homebuilding and could dramatically alter urban landscapes.
Driving the news: SB 79, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), allows private developers to build dense apartment complexes and multifamily homes near major transit stops, regardless of local restrictions.
- The law establishes zoning standards around train stations and major bus stops to authorize projects with greater height and density.
- It also enables local transit agencies to develop housing on land they own.
- Projects will be required to designate a certain percentage of units for low-income households (7% to 13% depending on the income category).
Along heavy rail lines including BART and Caltrain, developers will be able to build up to:
- Nine stories adjacent to the stop
- Seven stories within a 0.25-mile radius
- Six stories located 0.25 to 0.5 miles from the stop
Along less-trafficked transit lines, like SF Muni and San Diego Trolley, developers will have leave to build up to:
- Eight stories adjacent to the stop
- Six stories within a 0.25-mile radius
- Five stories located 0.25 to 0.5 miles from the stop
What they're saying: For decades, overly restrictive land use policies have driven up housing costs and forced Californians to move far away from jobs and transit or leave the state entirely, Wiener said Friday.
- "We've seen a gradual movement among elected leaders in California, both at the state and local level, towards embracing a pro-housing agenda," he told Axios. "This is the result of eight years of work, and I'm just over the moon."
- Allowing more homes to be built near public transportation will increase transit ridership, reduce traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions, he added.
The other side: Opponents counter that developers already build enough market-rate housing units and that deregulating won't actually impact California's affordability crisis.
- They say the bill will empower land grabbing and could incentivize acquisitions that displace low-income residents in existing affordable housing.
- It "presumes that there is sufficient infrastructure" to serve large-scale developments, the California Association of Councils of Governments wrote in a letter to Wiener earlier this summer.
The big picture: The landmark bill comes as California rolls back environmental regulations to end strict reviews for many developments in a bid to cut down on planning and zoning timelines.
- Weiner has twice before proposed similar legislation. Neither made it out of the state Senate.
What's next: The law takes effect next July but will roll out in phases, allowing a delayed timeline for cities in the middle of rezoning, such as San Francisco.