California’s New Housing Bills 2021

Governor Newsom recently signed three new housing bills, that hopefully, will create more opportunities for more housing. The bills received partisan support.

SB8 is a bill that extends the Housing Crisis Act of 2019’s sunset by an additional five years. The original bill included accelerating the approval process for housing projects, limiting fee increases, and restricting the local government’s ability to downzone properties to allow fewer units. The bill also makes it harder for local municipalities to restrict the construction of affordable housing. SB8 Bill The new sunset date is 2030 from 2025.

SB9 will allow property owners to build two homes on a single-family lot or have the potential to split the lot into two lots and build four units on the two lots. SB9 Bill

SB10 will give local communities more control in passing ordinances that will allow up to 10 units to be constructed on a single parcel. SB10 Bill

Proponents and opponents of these bills agree that the lack of housing crisis. Nonetheless, the hope is that these new bills will lead to more housing and more common ground solutions. Time will tell.