A message from our friends at United Neighbors

12/11/25

Hi All,

In January 2026, the Planning Department will present a detailed analysis of four options (recommendations)  for implementing SB 79, which becomes state law in July 2026. The City Council will choose one.

A quick reminder of what SB 79 does: it dramatically increases allowable density within ½ mile of qualifying transit stops—affecting about 150 LA neighborhoods. It permits 6–7 story buildings in single-family areas with no design constraints and no parking requirements. At full buildout, SB 79 could allow more than 5 million units in LA, even though the state says the city needs 450,000.

The four options the Council will consider are:

    • A: Allow SB 79 to take effect as written.
    • B: Delay implementation for four years in sensitive areas (high fire, sea level rise, historic, low resource); SB 79 applies everywhere else.
    • C: Delay those sensitive areas but also proactively rezone additional single-family neighborhoods to multifamily.
    • D: Develop an Alternate Plan (allowed by SB 79) showing where LA chooses to add density without reducing the total allowed. This must be ready by Feb. 2026.

We initially supported Option D, but meeting the February deadline is unrealistic. We shifted to Option B, which still leaves many communities exposed but avoids premature rezoning. Meanwhile, our intention was to push for a state legislative fix.

We now believe LA must pursue a state legislative fix immediately that gives the city enough time to prepare a responsible Alternate Plan (D). A city as large and complex as LA needs at least a year to conduct this level of site-by-site analysis. That’s what we need to push for.

We need the Council, the Mayor, and state legislators to support this effort. We’ve spoken with the mayor, some councilmembers and state representatives; they like the idea but will probably not act without public pressure. This will be a major focus for United Neighbors next year. 

If you meet with your councilmembers in the meantime about SB 79, consider emphasizing: 

All current options are inadequate; LA needs a state bill granting more time to produce an Alternate Plan.

Lawsuit:

Given the challenges, the City may also need to consider legal action. SB 79 applies only to 8 of 58 counties and restricts cities’ ability to pursue alternative plans, raising serious validity concerns.

Other Issues:

Public safety is not being adequately addressed in this bill. As density grows, LA has not studied evacuation capacity as required by AB 747 (2018). Many neighborhoods also lack ADA-compliant pedestrian routes, which must be considered when adding new housing.

We’ll begin coordinated letter-writing in the New Year once City Hall is fully back to business.  Thank you all for continuing to advocate for good planning.

Best,

Maria, Cindy, Jeff, Marc