ICLC Celebrates Passage of SB 79, Advancing Housing Justice in California
SB 79 opens the doors for more affordable and mixed-income housing near transit and strikes a blow against exclusionary zoning while protecting rent-stabilized units.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 15, 2025) — Inner City Law Center (ICLC) proudly celebrates the passage of Senate Bill 79, a landmark bill designed to expand access to affordable housing across California. Authored by Senator Scott Wiener, the bill passed both chambers of the California Legislature over the weekend and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.
SB 79 is a bold step toward addressing California’s housing crisis by legalizing midrise, multifamily housing near the state’s best public transit stops while also protecting rent-stabilized apartments, preventing displacement, and ensuring every new development includes affordable housing.
“At the core of California’s homelessness crisis is the simple reality that we do not have enough housing. SB 79 tackles this problem head-on by opening the door to more affordable homes where people need them most — near jobs, schools and transit,” said Jed Leano, Senior Policy Advisor at Inner City Law Center.
“For the last 108 years since the Supreme Court declared explicitly race-based zoning is illegal, localities have continued to find innovative ways to reinforce and protect neighborhood segregation,” said Mahdi Maji, Director of Policy at Inner City Law Center. “SB 79 takes a giant leap toward addressing the racist legacy of zoning by allowing for more housing that is affordable for all Californians, regardless of background or income, to be built near transit. This change will make housing more affordable for all Californians.
As SB 79 moves to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature, ICLC urges him to swiftly sign this critical legislation into law and make good on his promise to meet the urgent demand for housing in California.
ICLC extends our deepest gratitude to Senator Scott Wiener for his leadership in authoring SB 79, as well as to our bill co-sponsors — Abundant Housing LA, Bay Area Council, California YIMBY, Greenbelt Alliance, SPUR, and Streets for All. We are grateful to the broad SB 79 coalition of housing, environmental, transit, labor and housing and homeless advocates, especially fellow homeless advocates — PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), The People Concern, The Sidewalk Project, S.P.Y. (Safe Place for Youth), St. Joseph Center, and Union Station Homeless Services — for their steadfast partnership in the fight to ensure every Californian has a safe, affordable home.
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About Inner City Law Center
Inner City Law Center is a nonprofit, poverty-law firm based in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. As the only legal-services provider with offices in Skid Row, Inner City Law Center fights for housing and justice for low-income tenants, working-poor families, housing insecure veterans, people experiencing homelessness and people living with disabilities or HIV.
Media Contact: Jacqueline Burbank, Communications Manager, jburbank@innercitylaw.org or (213) 947-7902