- “Governor Newsom’s signature on SB 79 sends a clear message: California is serious about building the homes we need in the right places.” – Azeen Khanmalek, Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA
SACRAMENTO – Housing and climate advocates are hailing Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 79, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, as one of California’s most significant housing reforms in years — a statewide mandate designed to make it faster and easier to build multifamily housing near transit corridors and job centers.
The new law, backed by a broad coalition of housing, climate, and anti-poverty organizations, sets statewide minimum zoning standards around high-capacity transit stations and streamlines approvals for compliant housing proposals. It includes affordability, anti-displacement, and labor protections intended to ensure that new development benefits working families and does not push out long-term residents.
By requiring local governments with high-frequency transit to update their zoning codes within six months, SB 79 effectively limits the ability of cities to use restrictive zoning to block housing construction. If cities fail to meet the state’s density and height standards for areas near transit, those statewide standards automatically apply, shifting long-held control over land-use planning from local jurisdictions to the state.
The legislation marks a key moment in California’s long-running battle over housing and local control. Governor Newsom’s signature signals that his administration intends to continue tightening state oversight of local zoning decisions — particularly in cities that have resisted building housing near public transportation.
“Californians are fed up with the high cost of housing and the lack of quality housing options near transit,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director of YIMBY Action. “High costs have pushed families farther and farther away from good jobs and transportation options, and SB 79 holds local governments accountable to approving new housing where we need it most. Obstructionist cities should be on notice: the era of delay tactics and obstruction is coming to an end.”
The new law will reshape zoning in urban counties including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Orange, Sacramento, and San Diego. Cities in those areas will now be required to align their zoning codes with state-mandated standards, ensuring higher residential density and mixed-income housing options near transit lines such as BART, Caltrain, Muni, and LA Metro Rail.
Some jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, opposed the bill, citing concerns about local planning autonomy. Under the new law, those jurisdictions must still develop local compliance plans or risk the automatic imposition of the state’s default zoning provisions.
“SB 79 is a historic step toward tackling the root cause of California’s affordability crisis — our profound shortage of homes and too few people having access to transit,” said Senator Scott Wiener.
“In California we talk a lot about where we don’t want to build homes, but rarely about where we do — until now. SB 79 unwinds decades of overly restrictive land use policies that have driven housing costs to astronomical levels, forcing millions of people to move far away from jobs and transit, to face massive commutes, or to leave California entirely,” Senator Wiener said.
He added, “By allowing more homes to be built near public transportation, SB 79 also strengthens our transit systems, increases transit ridership, and reduces traffic congestion and carbon emissions. It’s been a long road to tackle these decades-old problems, but thanks to Governor Newsom’s leadership, today marks a new day for affordable housing and public transportation in California.”
YIMBY Action, which organized statewide advocacy for SB 79, played a central role in mobilizing local chapters to support the legislation. Activists held dozens of meetings with legislators, made more than 2,500 calls to lawmakers, and rallied at key hearings in Sacramento. The organization also emphasized that the work does not end with the signing of the bill — full implementation will require ongoing pressure on cities and state agencies to ensure the law’s impact is realized.
In its 2025 Implementation Guide, YIMBY Action warned that “passing pro-housing legislation is often the culmination of years of work, but after the signing ceremonies are over and the applause has faded, the frustrating work of implementing legislation begins.” The guide outlines strategies to “bridge the implementation gap” by monitoring local compliance, training volunteers, issuing enforcement letters, and collaborating with the California Department of Housing and Community Development to track zoning updates.
“Finally, cities with good transit will have to zone for more housing,” said Leora Tanjuatco Ross, California Director at YIMBY Action. “Enough is enough. We fully anticipate that affluent cities will continue to fight against doing their part to build the housing Californians need. But we’re here to build the local political will that’s necessary to make sure this new law actually translates into new homes and lower rents for working people.”
Other organizations that co-sponsored the bill echoed that message, describing SB 79 as a pivotal moment in California’s efforts to address its severe housing shortage while advancing climate and equity goals.
“Governor Newsom’s signature on SB 79 sends a clear message: California is serious about building the homes we need in the right places,” said Azeen Khanmalek, Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA. “For too long, cities including Los Angeles have restricted new housing near major transit corridors, which has driven up rents, lengthened commutes, and worsened our climate crisis. SB 79 brings us closer to a future where everyone can afford to live near opportunity.”
Los Angeles County, which faces a shortfall of more than 800,000 homes, stands to benefit significantly from the new law. By allowing more homes near transit, SB 79 is expected to increase supply, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and curb greenhouse gas emissions — key steps toward meeting the state’s climate targets.
For advocates who work directly with people experiencing homelessness, the measure represents a major advance in housing justice.
“At the core of California’s homelessness crisis is the simple reality that we do not have enough affordable housing,” said Adam Murray, CEO of Inner City Law Center. “By signing SB 79, Governor Newsom has taken decisive action to open the door to more affordable homes where people need them most — near jobs, schools, and transit. This is a critical step forward that shows California is serious about finding solutions to homelessness.”
Inner City Law Center’s Director of Public Policy, Mahdi Manji, said the law “makes neighborhoods more inclusive, accessible, and affordable for families across the state.” The organization praised the broad coalition of partners — including Abundant Housing LA, California YIMBY, Bay Area Council, Greenbelt Alliance, SPUR, and Streets for All — for their work to advance the bill through the Legislature.
Housing advocates now say the focus must shift from legislation to implementation. Groups like YIMBY Law plan to monitor local compliance, support rezoning efforts, and use legal enforcement if necessary to ensure the state’s housing laws are applied consistently.
“This is a defining moment for California housing policy,” Foote said. “But laws on paper don’t build homes — people do. It’s going to take continued vigilance, organizing, and enforcement to make sure SB 79 delivers the homes Californians desperately need.”
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
“Abundant Housing LA, California YIMBY, Bay Area Council, Greenbelt Alliance, SPUR, and Streets for All” — these are all developer shill organizations, yes people wake up! even the ones with the word “green”. It’s mind control. Good people people used to called ‘environmentalists’. Now, there is this scary cult who chant mindlessly “Housing Crisis!”. If we come back in 200 years, the corridor from the Bay Area to Sacramento and into the foothills is going to look like Orange County. But unlike LA, the traffic is gonna SUCK. No, I know LA traffic sucks, but they have a web of freeways. You can’t do that here, unless you turn Hwy. 12 into an interstate and go on from there.
The only way to get *actual* transit oriented development is to *invest tens of billions* into rail transit, actual transit as in build on exisiting corridors, not spend decades carving out new ones. The plans are there, the funding and shift in paradigm is not. If we do the “AAAAAAA Housiing Crisis – Weiner save us!” model, we are going to destroy northern California. If we build an awesome Europe-would-be-proud rail system, transit oriented development will happen naturally and people will divert many of their trips from auto because rail is more convenient.
A complete diversion of funding to rail transit must occur, and a massive reform of the public transit unions (especially for BART) must occur. Bailing out the public unions Weiner style by scaring people that the transit system are going off a cliff (they are) is not the solution, nor are ‘parking maximums’ – you have to give people real alternatives, not just ban their car. And that takes real leadership, not the exisitiing Weinership.