US EditionCalifornia cities scramble to comply with or fight major state housing law
Cities are using exemptions and zoning changes to delay SB 79, which allows mid-rise housing near transit and gives local governments wide discretion.
- As the July 1 deadline for Senate Bill 79 approaches, California cities are navigating the new housing law by either embracing its requirements or utilizing planning strategies to delay implementation.
- Los Angeles opted for maximum delay last month, leveraging state law escape clauses that allow transit-adjacent areas already meeting 50% density thresholds to postpone zoning changes until 2030.
- Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky defended the move, saying it "adds meaningful housing capacity now and gives us time to decide where the rest of density should go within our own communities."
- Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Los Angeles and San Diego for shielding neighborhoods, while California YIMBY's Aaron Eckhouse noted officials are effectively saying, "okay, we will do this on our terms rather than on the state's terms."
- Cities pursuing local alternatives must still receive approval from California's Housing Department, which has yet to publicly weigh in on individual city plans, creating uncertainty about future compliance.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Associated Press News
California cities scramble to comply with or fight major state housing law
For California’s local governments hoping to have some say over where and how large apartment buildings get packed near major transit stops, it’s crunch time.
Cal Matters
Cities scramble to comply with or fight major state housing law
In summary The final version of Senate Bill 79 offered local governments plenty of wiggle room over the where, when and how of the law. Cities across California are starting to wiggle. For California’s local governments hoping to have some say over where and how large apartment buildings get packed near major transit stops, it’s crunch time. Last fall, state lawmakers made it legal for developers to build mid-rises — some as tall as nine stories…
Ciudades de California se apresuran a cumplir o a luchar contra nueva ley estatal de vivienda
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. This article is also available in English. Read it here. Ha llegado el momento decisivo para los gobiernos locales de California que esperan tener voz y voto sobre dónde y cómo se construyen los grandes edificios de apartamentos cerca de las principales paradas […] The post Ciudades de California se apresuran a cumplir o a luchar contra nueva ley estatal de viviend…
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