Committee advances suite of housing measures: ADUs, student housing, office‑to‑housing and school‑site housing

A group of housing bills the committee handled on May 14 advanced in various forms. Committee members and authors described the measures as incremental steps to increase housing supply — from accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on single lots to student and downtown housing and conversions of underused office space.

Key measures discussed and recorded as advanced in the hearing record included:

- AB 956 (author: Quirk Silva): Would explicitly allow homeowners to build two detached accessory dwelling units on a property so long as size, height and setback requirements are met. The author told the committee the bill "is very simple. It provides clarity that you can build 2 detached ADUs on a property." Public comment included both supporters (California YIMBY) and a resident who said neighborhood impacts such as parking and public‑service strain were concerns. The item…