Supporters of the California zoning reform bill SB 79 say it will unleash a wave of multistory apartment buildings. In low-rise-loving Los Angeles, that could be a tall order.
When California Governor Gavin Newsom signed State Bill 79 into law on Oct. 10, supporters of the pro-housing “Yes In My Backyard” movement celebrated a legislative victory that had been called a YIMBY “holy grail.” By legalizing multistory apartments near transit stops in the state’s most urbanized counties — and crucially, in areas formerly zoned for single-family homes — SB 79 was hailed as a huge step toward closing California’s longstanding affordable housing gap.
Along with recent reform of the state’s infamous project-delaying environmental review law, CEQA, SB 79 boosters like the advocacy group California YIMBY say that the legislation can unlock the promised goal of “housing abundance” when it comes into effect on July 1, 2026.
Now comes the hard part — especially in places like Los Angeles. There, SB 79 faces fierce opposition from community groups who see it as a destroyer of neighborhoods, and from lawmakers like Mayor Karen Bass and a majority of the city council who believe it usurps local control.