CA Senate Enacts Bill to Expand High-Density Housing Near Transit

The California State Senate has enacted Senate Bill 79, which overrides local zoning laws to expand high-density housing near transit hubs. The Los Angeles Times reported that the measure passed 21-8, a day after the Assembly voted to approve it. It heads next to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.

Sen. Scott Wiener originally introduced the bill in March; it required a second approval after amendments. SB 79 opens the door for taller, denser housing near transit corridors: up to nine stories for buildings adjacent to certain transit stops, seven stories for buildings within a quarter mile and six stories for buildings within half a mile, the Times reported.

“Over the last five years, housing affordability and homelessness have consistently been among the top priorities in California. The smartest place to build new housing is within existing communities, near the state’s major transit investments that connect people to jobs, schools and essential services,” said Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva.

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

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