Part 12/14:
If the goal of SB79 is to produce a flood of affordable housing units, critics argue it’s doomed to failure. Without direct subsidies or a radical overhaul of land costs and permitting processes, the supply increase will largely comprise market-rate or luxury units that do little to address the core affordability issue.
Concluding Thoughts
In sum, SB79 reflects a familiar pattern in California’s housing policy—well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective measures driven by ideology rather than economics. It aims to promote density near transit hubs, but its vague language and market realities suggest it will create more developments that are inaccessible to the average Californian.