State Sen. Scott Wiener believes a new bill will help ensure the efforts to build affordable homes won't run into more red tape in the years ahead.
With Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) set to expire in less than two years, Wiener is introducing Senate Bill 423 (SB 423) to keep the legislation in place and even strengthen it into the foreseeable future.
Wiener believes SB 35 helped turn the tide when it was passed six years ago. That bill helped speed up housing permits and blocked so-called frivolous court appeals that can and often did tie new housing projects up for years.
"It has been absolutely transformational," Wiener said.
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Wiener said under the current law, more than 18,000 homes have either been built or are being built – 75% of those being below market rate.
Wiener said letting SB 35 expire would be unconscionable, especially because California is now required to build 2.5 million new homes in the next eight years to try to address the housing crisis.
"It’s going to take all of the tools in the tool kit to be able to do that," Wiener said.
In San Francisco, 2,000 homes have been built with help from SB 35 and another 1,000 are in the process.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed endorsed the plan to extend SB 35, saying, in a statement, the streamlined permitting process has been crucial in getting new housing built more quickly in the city. She also said it's critical if the city plans to meet its required new housing goal in the next eight years.
