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California lawmakers just paved the way for a whole lot more housing in the Golden State.
In the waning hours of the 2025 legislative session, the state Senate voted 21 to 8 to approve Senate Bill 79 , a landmark housing bill that overrides local zoning laws to expand high-density housing near transit hubs. The controversial bill received a final concurrence vote from the Senate on Friday, a day after passing in the California Assembly with a vote of 41 to 17.
The bill had already squeaked through the state Senate by a narrow margin earlier this year, but since it was amended in the following months, it required a second approval. It will head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk in October.
One of the more ambitious state-imposed efforts to increase housing density in recent years, the bill was introduced in March by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who stresses that the state needs to take immediate action to address California’s housing shortage. It opens the door for taller, denser housing near transit corridors such as bus stops and train stations: up to nine stories for buildings adjacent to certain transit stops, seven stories for buildings within a quarter-mile and six stories for buildings within a half-mile.
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Single-family neighborhoods within a half-mile of transit stops would be subject to the new zoning rules.
Height limits are based on tiers. Tier 1 zoning, which includes heavy rail lines such as the L.A. Metro B and D lines, allows for six- to nine-story buildings, depending on proximity to the transit hub. Tier 2 zoning — which includes light rail lines such as the A, C, E and K lines, as well as bus routes with dedicated lanes — allows for five- to eight-story buildings.
An amateur map released by a cartographer and fact-checked by YIMBY Action, a housing nonprofit that helped push the bill through, gives an idea of the areas around L.A. that would be eligible for development under SB 79. Tier 1 zones include hubs along Wilshire Boulevard, Vermont Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, as well as a handful of spots in downtown L.A. and the San Fernando Valley.
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