California Passes Historic Transit-Housing Bill

Published October 10, 2025

https://growsf.org/news/2025-10-10-sb79-historic-transit-housing-bill/

The Facts

Governor Newsom just signed Senate Bill 79 into law, marking a historic step toward addressing California's housing crisis by enabling denser development near public transit. The bill, written by State Senator Scott Wiener, will make it easier for homebuilders to create new homes near high-quality public transit, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable growth, and making homes more affordable for young families.

SB 79 establishes state zoning standards that override local restrictions to allow denser housing near major transit stops. For Tier 1 stations like BART, buildings can reach nine stories within 1/4 mile of the station, and six stories within half a mile. Heights can be further increased if builders incorporate more low-income homes.

The Context

California has a shortage of over 3.5 million homes, driving the highest cost of living in the nation. Local zoning restrictions make it nearly impossible to build enough homes to meet demand. This shortage has led to skyrocketing rents and home prices, pushing many families out of their communities.

The California Legislature passed Senate Bill 79 on September 12, 2025, but it was pending the Governor's signature until today. The Senate passed the measure 21-8 after the Assembly approved it 41-17 the previous day. The bill, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, must be signed by October 12. The bill gained crucial momentum after the State Building and Construction Trades Council dropped its opposition in exchange for amendments requiring union labor on projects over 85 feet tall.

SB 79 is Senator Wiener's third attempt to pass similar legislation after previous versions failed in 2018 and 2020.

It's not yet 100% clear how SB 79 will interact with Mayor Lurie's Family Zoning Plan. Some analysts believe Lurie's plan will take precedence, while others think builders may be able to choose the more permissive standard between the two. The details will likely be worked out in future regulations and legal interpretations.

The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The GrowSF Take

SB 79 provides a powerful, state-level antidote to the local obstructionism that has fueled California's affordability crisis. This is a victory for every young family looking for an affordable home.

When local governments fail to act, the state must step in with solutions that put families' needs above neighborhood politics. After years of persistence, Senator Wiener has delivered a bill that will unlock hundreds of thousands of new homes where people want to live.

Our hats are off to Senator Wiener for his tenacity and vision. This is a landmark moment in California housing policy, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on communities across the state.

---

Restaurant Permits in SF Get Simpler and Smarter

Published October 9, 2025

https://growsf.org/news/2025-10-09-restaurant-permits-simpler/

The Facts

San Francisco quietly rolled out two policies last month to streamline restaurant permitting after business owners complained about contradictory directions from multiple health inspectors, according to St. John Barned-Smith at The Chronicle. The Department of Public Health now requires a single inspector to manage each permit application from start to finish, ending the frustrating practice of sending different inspectors who gave conflicting guidance.

The city also expanded exceptions to equipment upgrade requirements, such as allowing restaurants with bars to forego a separate three-compartment sink if one already exists on the same floor, and allowing existing hot water systems to remain if they're already adequate for the business's needs. These changes reduce unnecessary costs for small businesses without compromising public health.

The Context

The changes followed a Golden Gate Restaurant Association survey that documented widespread frustration with the city's permitting process. According to the Chronicle's reporting, owners described receiving contradictory directions from multiple inspectors, facing inconsistent requirements when businesses changed hands, and being hit with last-minute facility changes just before opening.

The GrowSF Take

Effective governance is about fixing real problems for real people, and streamlining processes to make them more efficient. When restaurant owners waste weeks navigating contradictory inspector demands, that's not oversight—it's dysfunction. Assigning a single inspector creates clear responsibility and eliminates needless confusion and delays.

The equipment exceptions are equally sensible. Requiring duplicate sinks on the same floor serves no public health purpose while adding unnecessary costs to small businesses. Mayor Lurie deserves credit for listening to business owners and delivering concrete solutions that cut red tape.

---

State Finally Allows SF to Stop Sales of Stolen Goods

Published October 9, 2025

https://growsf.org/news/2025-10-09-state-allows-sf-stop-stolen-goods/

The Facts

San Francisco is finally able to crack down on street vendors selling stolen goods. Until now, it was illegal for San Francisco police to enforce laws against vendors who couldn't prove their merchandise was legitimately obtained, due to state laws that decriminalized both theft and street vending.

But on October 6, 2025, Governor Newsom signed SB 276, finally allowing "city supervisors to pass an ordinance to crack down on sidewalk vendors dealing toiletries, snacks, and anything else with an unclear provenance," according to George Kelly at The Standard. The legislation was authored by state Senator Scott Wiener and backed by Mayor Daniel Lurie, and enables the city to issue citations, pursue misdemeanor charges, and confiscate merchandise from vendors who cannot provide proof of purchase.

The Context

The open-air fencing crisis is a predictable result of a decade of misguided state policy. First, Proposition 47 in 2014 downgraded the theft of goods under $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. Then, the state's 2018 Safe Sidewalk Vending Act decriminalized street vending and severely restricted cities' ability to use police for enforcement.

This combination effectively decriminalized both theft and the primary venue for selling stolen goods, leading to a surge in organized retail crime that pushed legitimate sidewalk entrepreneurs out of business.

The GrowSF Take

Sacramento didn't just allow this crisis to happen; it created the conditions for it through ideological policies with predictable, disastrous consequences. When you decriminalize theft and sidewalk fencing, you get more theft and more fencing.

---

More Common-Sense Housing Reforms Passed

Published October 9, 2025

https://growsf.org/news/2025-10-09-common-sense-developer-fee-reform/

The Facts

The Board of Supervisors just made it less financially risky to build new homes. On Tuesday, they passed legislation, sponsored by Supervisors Bilal Mahmood and Matt Dorsey, to postpone collection of development impact fees until a project receives its certificate of occupancy. This change lowers the cost of construction by reducing the risk premiums that developers must pay when financing new housing.

The ordinance brings San Francisco into compliance with state law. Only Supervisor Jackie Fielder voted against it, even though doing so would have put the city in violation of state law.

The Context

State law SB 937 took effect January 1, 2025, prohibiting local agencies from collecting development impact fees until a residential project is completed and occupied. The law aims to reduce upfront housing costs by eliminating the need for developers to finance these fees through expensive construction loans during the building process.

Previously, San Francisco collected these fees at or before building permit issuance, creating significant upfront costs that made housing development more expensive. The new timing aligns payment with project completion, when developers can pay the fees from sales or rental revenue, or from refinancing the property from its high-interest construction loan to a lower-interest permanent loan.

The GrowSF Take

Thank you to Supervisors Mahmood and Dorsey for sponsoring this legislation. It's always good to bring the city into compliance with state law, and even better that doing so makes building new homes easier.

Under the old system, developers had to front potentially millions in fees during the riskiest phase of construction, when projects could still fail or face delays. Now they pay only after reaching certificate of occupancy, when the building exists and can generate revenue. This shifts payment from the highest-risk moment to the lowest-risk moment in the development process.

It's deeply concerning that Supervisor Fielder voted against bringing San Francisco into compliance with mandatory state law. When the state passes housing reform legislation, local officials should implement it promptly—not resist measures designed to make housing development financially viable.

---

Everybody loves Waymo

Published October 8, 2025

https://growsf.org/news/2025-10-08-everybody-loves-waymo/

The Facts

Our latest polling shows an overwhelming majority of San Franciscans support autonomous vehicles. Support has surged to 67%, up dramatically compared to just 44% in 2023. Opposition has collapsed from 51% to just 29%.

The #1 reason people say they support autonomous vehicles is their safe driving.

The Context

Public support for autonomous vehicles has been stop-and-go in San Francisco. While many residents were excited about the technology when it was first introduced, many others expressed concerns. A few high-profile incidents, particularly with Cruise, contributed to this skepticism.

In 2023, some anti-technology activists placed traffic cones on Waymo hoods to try to sabotage the cars. Today, Waymo has driven nearly 30 million miles in San Francisco, and almost 100 million miles overall, while experiencing a fraction of the crashes compared to human drivers.

Peer-reviewed research based on 56 million miles of driving shows Waymo vehicles experience 82% fewer crashes with bikers and motorcyclists and 92% fewer crashes with pedestrians than human drivers. University of San Francisco researcher Billy Riggs notes that sophisticated autonomy creates "rapid, exponential adoption" once people experience the safety firsthand.

The GrowSF Take

We have never seen such a dramatic and rapid shift in public opinion about any issue.

This shift highlights two things about human nature: people are naturally cautious about new technology, but quickly change their minds as they get used to it. Waymo's consistent safety record has won over skeptics and turned them into supporters.

We think this offers a lesson for San Francisco government: don't be afraid to embrace innovation, even if it seems controversial at first. Over time, the benefits will become clear, and public opinion will shift in your favor.

---