AB 1070
Building Codes for “Missing Middle” Housing
AB 1070 will make it faster and cheaper to build small, multi-family homes by requiring the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to study changes to the building codes that apply to smaller housing projects.
Under current California building codes, small apartment buildings (from 3-10 homes) are treated the same as large, commercial developments. These requirements drive up costs for builders, and often make smaller housing projects infeasible to build.
AB 1070 will make it faster and cheaper to build small, multi-family homes by requiring HCD to study changes to the building codes that apply to these types of projects.
When developers build a single-unit home or a duplex, they follow building codes designed for residential uses. But when the total number of homes crosses over to three or more, builders must follow commercial building codes that are meant for much larger apartment complexes, such as shopping malls, business towers, and retail centers.
AB 1070 seeks to correct this imbalance in our building codes. It requires HCD to study how to bring buildings with 3 to 10 homes into the residential building codes meant for housing, and make recommendations for future reforms.
Updates
| Feb 20, 2025 | Introduced |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Amended in Assembly · Became a two-year bill |
| Jan 5, 2026 | Amended in Assembly |
| Jan 26, 2026 | Passed Assembly floor 75–0 · Now in Senate |
| Jun 24, 2026 | Passed Senate Housing Committee |
Authors
- Chris Ward (AD 78)
Sponsors
- California YIMBY
- Casita Coalition
- Council of Infill Builders
Resources
AB 1070 Fact Sheet
A closer look at the bill’s details.