New California law approves home development near public transit
New law approves home development near public transit
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of deals to address California's housing crisis, one of which opens the door to development transit hubs. We look at why SB79 could end up being a landmark law for the state.
SAN FRANCISCO - In a grand effort to tackle California's massive housing crisis, the governor signed Senate Bill 79, involving development close to transit stations.
What we know:
California housing is in critical condition, and this could just be some critical surgery that will leave less scars.
"SB79, essentially overrides local zoning restrictions by calling for and allowing higher-density housing developments within a half mile of qualifying transit stops.
Select BART, Muni, Caltrain, and VTA stations are the prime sites for housing development.
"This is really a major effort that is going to legalize hundreds of thousands or more homes near our highest capacity transit where demand is highest for housing," said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY, which stands for Yes In My Backyard.
Who this affects
To make things manageable, the bill only affects eight counties.
In Northern California, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sacramento are included. In southern California, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego counties are targeted.
However, some of these county's suburban cities have been given certain exemptions, such as having populations under 35,000 residents or for specific environmental risks.
This is important because California is two-and-a-half million units short of housing. With that kind of shortage, prices can't do anything but go higher. But if you build a lot of housing, especially around transit, prices will have to go down.
What they're saying:
Developer Augustin Rosa Maximim has already has success with such projects. "That's a great idea. I think it will really help to increase density in the right place and also mitigate traffic and pollution. I think it's just a great idea." said Mr. Rosa Maxiimim.
Senator Scott Wiener say this can be a major win for the housing-starved state.
"Absolutely, building more housing around transit works. We've seen that in the U.S. We've seen it around the world. When you have good transit and there's a lot of housing density and jobs and retail around it, it's incredibly successful," said Senator Wiener.
Dris Elamri thinks it would work especially well for younger workers.
"Just having more housing by the train, it's gonna be very easy for transportation for anyone for get a house and a job and live a happy life here," said Elamri.
Many proponents and experts on transit-based housing say the plan will essentially span nearly a decade, but, when done, will make the Bay Area a different kind of place, even though more dense, more livable.