By Colton McAllister, Politics Reporter

A controversial housing bill from Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) squeaked through the Assembly this week by just one vote, setting up a final showdown in the Senate.

Senate Bill 79 would force cities across California to approve high-density housing near transit stops, overriding local zoning rules. Projects up to 14 stories could be built in areas currently zoned for single-family or smaller multifamily homes, with streamlined approval that sharply curtails local review.

Wiener and other supporters frame the measure as part of California’s push to address a long-running housing shortage by building more units where transit already exists. They argue that high-rise development near train stations and bus corridors is a necessary step toward easing pressure on the state’s skyrocketing housing costs.

Opponents, led by groups such as Our Neighborhood Voices, call the bill a developer giveaway that guts community control. “SB 79 will benefit developers, destroy neighborhoods, and do nothing to address the housing affordability crisis,” the group wrote in a call to action as the Assembly vote approached. Critics also warn that the bill ignores safety concerns, including evacuation in wildfire-prone areas and earthquake risks.

The fight over SB 79 has drawn unusually sharp attention at the Capitol. The measure advanced from the Assembly on a razor-thin margin, signaling discomfort even among some Democrats. Opponents are now mobilizing for the Senate’s concurrence vote, urging lawmakers to reject the bill in its final form.

If approved, SB 79 would join a growing list of state-level housing mandates that shift decision-making power away from city halls and toward Sacramento. For neighborhood groups, that represents the heart of the battle: whether local communities or state lawmakers should decide what gets built on their blocks.