KQED: Controversial Housing-Near-Transit Bill Advances to Next Stop in Legislature

Governor’s May Revise Emphasizes Need for Urgent Advocacy Now to Restore Affordable Housing Investments

May 20, 2025

The interior of a crowded subway train. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

A controversial bill that would allow more apartments near public transit stations throughout California narrowly squeaked through the state Senate on Tuesday.

The bill, SB 79, needed 21 “yes” votes to pass, and it had none to spare, with senators voting 21–13 to advance it to the Assembly. Authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, SB 79 would enable the construction of buildings between four and nine stories tall near certain high-frequency bus stations, train and ferry stops. Wiener said the goals of the bill are twofold: to buoy beleaguered public transit agencies still recovering from pandemic-era ridership dips and to boost housing construction.