Committee advances SB 79 to encourage housing near major transit hubs; bill includes local flexibility and affordability provisions

The Assembly Local Government Committee advanced SB 79, a high‑profile bill by Senator Wiener aimed at increasing housing near high‑capacity, high‑quality transit stations by establishing minimum zoning and development standards within concentric zones around those stations.

The author said the bill focuses on building housing where public investments already exist: “When we are making significant public investments in public transportation…we need to make sure it's working for those people and that has to be close to where they live.” The bill creates tiered zones (tier 1, tier 2, tier 3) tied to station quality and frequency, sets minimum density expectations and includes an alternative local plan pathway so cities can craft a locally tailored approach. The bill also contains…