What is SB 79?

SB 79 is California's landmark transit-oriented housing upzoning bill, passed in 2025 after eight years of legislative attempts. The law requires certain jurisdictions to allow mid-rise apartment buildings (typically 4-7 stories) near major transit stops.

Guest: Aaron Eckhouse

Regional Planning Program Director, California YIMBY

Aaron has spent eight years working on transit-oriented upzoning legislation in California, from SB 27 and SB 50 to the successful passage of SB 79 in 2025.

Host: Sibley Simon

Principal and Impact Development Executive, Workbench

Host of The Infill Insiders

Key Takeaways

1. Historic Achievement: First successful statewide transit-oriented upzoning after 8 years of attempts
2. Narrow Victory: Passed by one vote on multiple occasions—every vote counted
3. Political Reality: Bill was trimmed significantly to secure passage; expansion may come if it proves successful
4. Implementation Timeline: Most provisions take effect July 1, 2026; some penalties delayed until January 2027
5. City Options: Jurisdictions can create their own qualifying plans or delay implementation for certain areas
6. Practical Guidance: Developers should focus on sites that can be built lot-line to lot-line to maximize density bonus law benefits
7. Future Cleanup: Expect cleanup legislation to address measurement ambiguities and other technical issues

Key Provisions

• Height Limits: Up to 75 feet in Tier 1 zones (highest), with lower tiers at 65 feet and 55 feet
• Density: Up to 120 units per acre in top tier zones
• FAR (Floor Area Ratio): Up to 3.5 residential FAR in top tier zones
• Distance: Applies within quarter-mile and half-mile radii of qualifying transit stops
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026 for most qualifying jurisdictions

Where It Applies

• Qualifying Counties: Must have 15+ Tier 1 or Tier 2 rail transit stops
• Urban Transit Counties: Sacramento, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Orange (soon), San Diego
• Transit Types: Heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and qualifying Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines
• City Size Threshold: Half-mile radius provisions only apply in cities over 35,000 population

What It Doesn't Cover

• Most of California (limited to major transit counties)
• Contra Costa County (specifically excluded)
• Santa Cruz County and other non-qualifying counties
• Areas more than a mile walking distance from transit
• Very high fire hazard severity zones (can be excluded)
• Sites with existing affordable or rent-controlled housing (7-year lookback)

Impact Assessment

Potential Benefits

1. Significant Zone Capacity: Creates substantial new housing capacity near transit
2. Climate Goals: Reduces car dependency by enabling housing where people can use transit
3. Transit Ridership: More residents near transit supports system viability
4. Housing Production: Enables "workhorse" mid-rise multifamily in high-demand areas

Challenges & Limitations

1. Geographic Restrictions: Only applies in a small fraction of California
2. Density Bonus Interaction: Complex calculations may limit project feasibility
3. Inclusionary Requirements: 10% very low income requirement plus local inclusionary ordinances
4. Distance Measurement Ambiguity: "Closest edge" language may create disputes
5. Anti-Displacement Provisions: 7-year lookback may block beneficial redevelopment

Listen in to hear about what we'll be talking about in our upcoming Podcast, The Infill Insiders. We here at Workbench are developers helping to solve the state's housing crisis by creating denser infill housing that is good for residents and communities, environmentally sustainable, and less car oriented. We want to have more impact, so this podcast is going to share what we’ve learned. Whether you're a developer or part of a jurisdiction’s permitting department, you'll learn what your rights and obligations are under current state law. We'll share examples from our own work, and we'll get into the details on the latest guidance from the California Department of Housing & Community Development, what courts have ruled, and how everything is evolving year after year. Buckle up because we can't wait to share our knowledge with you!

Socials & Contact

Questions & Ideas: ⁠insiders@workbenchbuilt.com⁠

Workbench: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders

YouTube: @workbenchbuilt

Instagram: ⁠@workbenchbuilt⁠

Twitter: https://x.com/workbenchbuilt

Host -- Sibley Simon, Partner, Workbench

Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development.

https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck

Who Are The Infill Insiders?

The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing.

References

https://www.hcd.ca.gov/

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1.

Credits

Recording, Editing & Animation: Josh Bootz

Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners

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