On Monday, the California State Senate voted to send Senate Bill 9 to Governor Gavin Newsom who will now decide on whether to loosen up zoning rules in California that would allow duplexes and lot splitting in residential neighborhoods.
According to SB 9, it would make it easier to increase housing density in existing neighborhoods which are mostly single-family housing by allowing to create a streamlined process to split lots and convert homes into duplexes and possibly up to four units.
The bill passed the California State Senate in a 28-7 vote. Locally, Senator Steve Glazer voted no.
Here is a statement from the bills author:
Senate Leader Atkins Praises Senate’s Passing of SB 9: ‘Giving Californians the Opportunity to Pursue Their Version of the California Dream’
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate passed Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins’ SB 9, the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (HOME) Act, which now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s action. The bill is a critical piece of the Senate’s Housing Package, and would provide homeowners more options to create intergenerational wealth and widen opportunities for California’s working families.
“Growing up, my family moved between rentals—some better than others, but none of them ‘ours.’ Even though my mom and dad clocked into honest jobs their whole lives, the idea that the Atkins family could own a home of our own was hardly a goal—it was a far off fantasy. Today, too many hard-working California families are saying the same. With SB 9, we have the chance to change that,” Pro Tem Atkins said. “This bill would give homeowners the tools to help ease our state’s housing shortage while creating a new source of income in their own backyard. It would allow our communities to welcome new families to the neighborhood and help more folks set foot on the path to buying their first home. SB 9 is about giving Californians the opportunity to pursue their version of the California Dream, and I am grateful to my colleagues in both houses for standing by that objective and standing by this bill.”
SB 9, which passed the Senate on a 28-7 bipartisan vote, is the culmination of multiple years of collaboration and a shared determination to spur housing production in California. The bill was strengthened by the work of its coauthors, Senators Anna Caballero, Dave Cortese, Lena Gonzalez, Mike McGuire, Susan Rubio, and Scott Wiener, and Assemblymembers Robert Rivas and Buffy Wicks, and those who advocated for its advancement, including Speaker Anthony Rendon and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia. As a key piece of the Senate’s ‘Building Opportunities for All’ housing package, it also was supported by the Senate Housing Lead Group, which includes Senators María Elena Durazo, Richard Roth, and Nancy Skinner.
SB 9 streamlines a homeowner’s ability to build a duplex or split their current residential lot, allowing for a maximum of four units on a single-family parcel. The bill ensures homeowners, not investors, would benefit by requiring the owner to live in one of the units for a minimum of three years after getting approval for a lot split and prohibiting ministerial lot splits on adjacent parcels by the same individual. It strikes a balance between granting flexibility to homeowners and protecting local control, historic neighborhoods, and environmentally sensitive areas. One of the critical aspects of SB 9 is that it would allow more families to build intergenerational wealth—a currency that is key to combating inequity and creating social mobility. The bill also protects existing renters by excluding properties where a tenant has resided in the past three years. Working families would be able to find rentals in more neighborhoods, opening up stable housing and resources to them and cutting back on long commutes for workers.
Toni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. Having previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, she began her tenure in the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach.
Website of President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins
5 comments
The article is incorrect and alarmist to those opposed to housing. SB9 does NOT allow splitting a residential lot AND having an ADU on each lot, resulting in 4 housing units. Latest addendum by the Assembly has an EITHER/OR provision. A property owner can EITHER add an ADU for 2 units, OR can split a lot resulting in 2 units that are not allowed an ADU. The result is EITHER 2 / OR 2 units, NOT 4.
I don’t want ANY ADU’s in my single family housing neighborhood. We have too many people crowding in already and I will fight this if it comes to fruition. I will tie it up in the courts for years! This idio Atkins and her “California Dream” can go take a hike. It’s because of this witch and others like her, that I moved from San Diego! She’ll hear from me on this!
This is just as bad as this Airtbnb shit where suddenly you are living next to a “hotel” — with strangers coming and going — even though your area is not zoned for that.
If Newsom is dumb enough to sign it, then Larry Elder will void that signature.
Eileen, too late! Coward Gavin Newsome waited until AFTER the election to sign the housing bills. Unfortunately, the Republican party in California is too dysfunctional to have any balancing influence. Best way to play this, is to go with the flow! Tear down your 2 million dollar house, and replace it with a $10 million apartment building. Come to think of it, your neighbors have been holding back your wealth potential! Build, baby, build!
Comments are closed.