California Legislature Passes Bill to Increase Multifamily ADUs
SB 1211 gives multifamily properties the flexibility to meet their ADU potential
“ADUs are one of California’s success stories – this bill takes that success to new heights”
Today, the California State Legislature voted to approve SB 1211, a bill authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (East Bay) and sponsored by California YIMBY and the Casita Coalition, that updates existing ADU law to create more flexibility around how ADUs can be built alongside existing multifamily housing.
“By legalizing ADUs across the state, the Legislature has enabled tens of thousands of Californians to benefit from more affordable housing,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. “SB 1211 continues these successful reforms by allowing property owners to build more ADUs on parcels that already contain housing.”
“I want to extend a special thank you to Senator Skinner, not just for this piece of legislation, but for her years of leadership in passing ADU and other pro-housing bills. Her tireless advocacy to end our housing shortage will make California a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. We all owe Sen. Skinner a debt of gratitude.”
Recent state reforms that make it easier to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as “granny flats,” have successfully led to a boom in their construction, with over 80,000 ADUs built in the last seven years. SB 1211 will continue this trend and encourage more ADUs on multifamily properties by removing common barriers to their construction.
Current law allows up to two detached ADUs on properties with multi-family housing, as well as additional interior ADUs – but only as long as they are built within the existing building, such as in a basement or garage. These restrictions mean that many properties cannot legally accommodate more homes – even if they have room to build them and have not met their ADU potential.
SB 1211 increases the current cap on the number of ADUs on a multifamily property that can be detached from 2 to up to 8, depending on the existing number of multifamily units on the site. This flexibility will allow property owners to better utilize vacant parts of their property, unused parking lots, and other underutilized land to build more ADUs.
About California YIMBY
California YIMBY is a community of neighbors who welcome more neighbors. We believe that an equitable California begins with abundant, secure, affordable housing. We focus on housing and land use policy at the state and local level to ensure grassroots organizers and city leaders have the tools they need to accelerate home building. Learn more: https://cayimby.org/