STATE — In a sweeping move to reshape housing near transit, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 79 on Friday, triggering major zoning changes and fierce backlash from cities across the state.
The bill, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), expands Transit-Oriented Districts (TODs) to every transit station and bus stop. The bill requires cities and counties to upzone land with significant density requirements, such as a minimum of five to six stories (55 to 65 feet), a minimum density of 80 to 120 units per acre (depending on the tier), prevailing wages, strict labor requirements and more.
The bill will go into effect on July 1, 2026, and also makes every project “by right,” meaning local planning commissions and city councils have no authority to deny or stop a project unless they can prove significant
The bill also redefines “major” transit stop to include bus stops, even those in single-family neighborhoods. A previous version of the bill had three tiers, but the lowest was removed due to massive backlash from at least half the cities in the state and other critics.
Another provision is streamlining approvals through bypassing the authority of City Councils and Planning Commissions……
