Gov. Newsom signs new housing laws for California
Art by Sara Polster
Gov. Gavin Newsom this month signed Assembly Bill (AB) 628 as well as Senate Bill (SB) 79. The bills are part of housing laws that Gov. Gavin Newsom has passed in an effort to provide more housing, lessen homelessness and create more affordable housing for the state.
AB 628 was proposed by Assembly member Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) in February and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. AB 628 requires landlords to provide a working refrigerator and stove for all leased homes. The bill specifically states that broken refrigerators or stoves must be fixed or replaced by the landlords, unless the tenant can provide for their own. The bill also recommends that electricity, water and heat be maintained, aiming to improve living conditions for residents who rent.
Assembly member Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) proposed SB 79 in January 2025 to make zoning laws less restrictive and the bill is set to go into effect on July 1, 2026. SB 79 was primarily backed by the organization ¨Yes in My Backyard¨ (YIMBY), a group that pushes for more housing.
The bill will override previous zoning laws and promote denser, multi-family housing developments near transit-oriented development (TOD) zones. These zones include any developments near high-frequency public transportation, such as trains and subways, and the goal is to increase affordable housing units in California, especially near transit stops for lower-income and working communities.
However, SB 79 drew controversy among some California officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and State Assembly members. In a speech on Sept. 11, Assembly member Rick Chavez Zbur, who represents Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, expressed his opposition to the bill.
“A misguided solution to a real problem is not a real solution. SB 79 is not the answer to California’s housing crisis,” Zbur said.
Opponents of the bill, including Zbur, argued that SB 79 would erode control over local developments in their cities and would affect low-income, as well as single-family housing neighborhoods, by building multi-family units.
Carl Hansen, a former member of the Santa Monica Housing Commission and the current co-chair of Santa Monica Forward, an organization that prioritizes progressive policies, including affordable housing, argued in support of transport-oriented developments.
“As we think about growing our cities, it is also critical to think about how people will move around. TOD is a good strategy to ensure new development generates fewer CO2 emissions, traffic, and parking challenges from the transportation needs of new residents,” Hansen said.
Nathaniel Acker, an AP Government and Politics teacher at Samo, further emphasized the goal of the bill.
“The great hope is that it will increase affordable housing for Californians and potentially lower the cost of housing by having a much larger supply,” Acker said.
These initiatives are being enforced in high metro areas like Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Clara and other cities across California.