Assembly committee advances SB 79 to encourage housing near high-quality transit, adds demolition and affordability safeguards

The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on Tuesday advanced SB 79, a bill by Sen. Scott Wiener that would authorize higher housing density around the state’s highest‑quality public transit stops while adding anti‑displacement and demolition protections and new affordability requirements.

Wiener said the bill “authorizes more housing near our highest quality, highest capacity, public transportation stops” and stressed the measure is intended to boost housing supply while supporting transit ridership. “When we don't allow a lot of housing near these highest quality transit stops, it means very few people can actually get to transit without driving a car,” he told the committee.

The bill narrowly survived questions from local officials and housing advocates after the author accepted committee amendments strengthening demolition and anti‑displacement protections and shifting affordability requirements to the AB 1893 standard referenced in the analysis. Jed Liano, Claremont city council member and senior policy advisor at the Inner City Law Center, told the committee that California’s housing shortage is driven in part by land use that limits housing near transit, and that SB 79 would “allow housing to be built where it's needed most, near our public transportation.” Kirsten Blad (listed in the transcript as Kirsten Blott), associate director of state policy for Streets for All, framed the bill as a transportation and climate measure that would help preserve transit ridership by increasing local housing supply near stations.

Opponents urged further changes. Andres Ramos of Public Advocates said the bill as amended still needs “additional refinements” so projects produce deeper affordability and to protect successful local affordable housing programs. Brady Gerten of the League of California Cities warned against…