AB 6
Building Codes for “Missing Middle” Housing
California’s housing shortage pushes out the teachers, firefighters, and nurses who keep our communities running. While the state needs 180,000 new homes annually, it has only averaged 102,000 recently, partially because outdated rules make construction unnecessarily expensive.
A major barrier arises from building codes that treat small apartment buildings as if they were large commercial projects. When developers build a duplex, they follow practical residential rules designed for homes. But adding just one more home triggers commercial building codes meant for skyscrapers and malls.
As a result, a triplex has the same inspection requirements as a large shopping mall.
AB 6 tackles this mismatch by directing housing experts to study whether small, 3 to 10 unit buildings could follow single-family residential building codes instead. Memphis, Tennessee, tested this approach in 2021, allowing small apartment buildings to use residential building code rules rather than requiring expensive requirements such as high energy performance standards that are more appropriate for a large apartment building.
This led to more housing without compromising safety because the safety measures fit the building type. Beyond studying this fix, AB 6 requires regular reviews of all construction costs every three years starting in 2031, with a goal of cutting expenses by 30% so working families can afford homes again.
Updates
- AB 6 was introduced on 12/2/24. It passed the Assembly Housing Committee on 4/30/25 and the Assembly Appropriations Committee on 5/23/25. It passed the Assembly floor on 6/2/25 by a 79-0 vote. It is now pending in the Senate Housing Committee.
Author
- Chris Ward (D, AD 78)
Sponsors
- Casita Coalition
- Council of Infill Builders