Mixed results implementing SB 840; cities differ on how much multifamily is enabled
Witnesses said SB 840 has opened many commercial and office locations to multifamily by right in larger cities but noted local rules (minimum heights, amenity mandates, heavy‑industrial overlays) can limit practical uptake; research groups reported thousands of units in permitting tied to the law.
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Policy researchers and municipal officials described early effects of Senate Bill 840, which authorizes multifamily in certain commercial zones by right. Brennan Griffin of Texas Appleseed reported a conservative floor of nearly 8,500 new units in 20+ projects across seven cities that took advantage of SB 840 in the first months, with a subset in places where office or retail became eligible for residential conversion. ‘‘About 12‑50% of them are in areas that would not have been allowed before,’’ Griffin said when summarizing the group’s early inventory.
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