![]() Some argue that single-family zoning is intrinsically linked with the "California Dream" of owning a family home with a big private backyard. This severely limits the types of housing that can be built and pushes the boundaries of urban expansion ever outward. Almost 66% of all California residences are single-family housing and nearly 75% of all developable land is zoned single-family. One of the greatest challenges facing housing construction is the predominance of single-family zoning, which allows only one house per lot. And yet, it's still nowhere near enough to meet the demand. The resulting ADU boom has helped increase the number of new housing units built over the past few years. State legislation passed in 2017 legalized the building of accessory dwelling units in all California cities, regardless of zoning. It is estimated that California will need 3.5 million additional units of housing by 2025 to meet the demand however, fewer than 80,000 new homes are currently built per year. A few cities have received formal reprimands from the State Attorney General for adopting ordinances that violate the requirements and intentions of SB 9.Ĭalifornia is confronting a shortage of affordable housing-particularly in urban areas like Los Angeles-which is increasing rental burden and driving displacement throughout the state. ![]() However, local governments are allowed to impose their own objective design standards and limitations, as long as they don't directly conflict with the state law. Senate Bill 9 went into effect statewide on Januand all California cities must comply. This change is intended to simplify and expedite the permitting process, making it easier and more accessible for homeowners to build additional housing on their property. Where the review process used to be discretionary (subjective, case-by-case), it is now subject to ministerial approval (objective, consistently applied). Specifically, SB 9 alters the municipal review process for two-unit housing developments on single-family lots and for the subdivision of property. SB 9 provides a legal, streamlined process for homeowners to subdivide their urban single-family residential lot and/or build additional residential units on their property. ![]() The so-called "duplex bill" is part of an initiative to address California's housing crisis. Senate Bill 9, also called the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (“HOME”) Act, was signed into law on September 16, 2021.
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