Sacramento Lawmakers Defend SB 79, Cities Say It’s a Financial Burden

Sacramento is reasserting its position as a dominant force in land-use regulation with Senate Bill 79, a comprehensive “by right” housing law affecting properties within a half-mile radius of qualifying transit stops.The messaging is familiar: increasing housing density near transit hubs is touted to reduce costs, enhance ridership, and combat climate change. However, beneath this polished rhetoric lies a measure that burdens local taxpayers with exorbitant, unfunded infrastructure expenses, compromises affordability standards, and directs developments to neighborhoods least equipped for such growth.Los Angeles' City Attorney cautions that SB 79 could “impermissibly impose billions of dollars of costs” onto cities without state fiscal support. A staggering $1.6 billion may be needed for infrastructure for just three mid-rise developments across each of LA’s 99 Neighborhood Council areas.Moreover, while SB 79 overrides local zoning laws, the affordability criteria remain at the state’s minimal threshold. History shows that such blanket upzoning can elevate land prices and stimulate speculation rather than create viable low-income housing.The bill’s consequences disproportionately affect lower-income, working-class communities already ensnared in housing challenges. Equity advocates, like Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, have signaled that this legislation jeopardizes local programs that aim to harmonize growth with affordability.California's housing crisis results from...