SB 79

Transit-Oriented Development & Upzoning
SB 79 will make it faster and easier to build multi-family housing near transit stops, like train and rapid bus lines, by making it legal for more homes to be built in these areas.
Across California, cities continue to ban most new housing near publicly-funded transit stops. These housing bans contribute to high housing costs, make traffic and pollution worse, and make it difficult or impossible for most Californians to use the transit systems they paid for.
SB 79 will make it legal to build more multi-family housing near rail stations and rapid bus lines, including in areas where such homes are currently illegal. Under the bill’s provisions, the type of new homes that will be allowed is determined by the distance of the housing from a transit stop; the transit type and frequency; and the overall level of transit infrastructure in the region.
SB 79 will help lower housing costs by increasing the supply of homes in these areas, while also bolstering transit use and improving the funding stability of public transportation systems.
Updates
- SB 79 was introduced on 1/15/25. It passed out of the Senate Housing Committee on 4/22/25. It passed the Senate Local Government Committee on 4/30/25. It passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on 5/23/25. SB 79 passed the Senate floor on 6/3/25 by a vote of 21-13. It passed the Assembly Housing Committee on 7/2/25 and now heads to the Assembly Local Government Committee.
Authors
- Scott Wiener (SD 11)
Sponsors
- California YIMBY
- Streets For All
- SPUR
- Bay Area Council
- Greenbelt Alliance
Resources
- SB 79
- SB 79 Fact Sheet
- SB 79 Template Support Letter
- NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) – SB 79 Support Letter


Send a message in support of SB 79
Show your legislators that Californians strongly support transit-oriented development by sending an email to your Assemblymember.