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California has been wrestling with a housing crisis for decades, and the state legislature may finally be ready to turn the tide. A new proposal, SB79, aims to break through the zoning barriers that keep housing locked up in low-density enclaves. The bill would open the door to mid-rise apartments near transit corridors, simplify approval processes, and strengthen accountability for cities that consistently fail to meet their housing production goals. At its core, this reform is about shifting from a system designed to slow growth toward one designed to make room for it. The need is glaring: California has some of the nation’s highest housing costs, and a generation of workers and families is being priced out of opportunity. For too long, restrictive zoning has acted as a gatekeeper, protecting exclusive neighborhoods while fueling sprawl on the edges. If SB79 passes, it will challenge the entrenched politics of exclusionary zoning. Cities that have grown accustomed to dragging their feet may find themselves legally bound to allow the housing the state desperately needs. That shift could represent one of the most significant housing policy changes in the U.S. since New Jersey’s Mount Laurel doctrine or Oregon’s recent zoning reforms. But policy is only half the battle. Implementation is where this bill will rise or fall. Streamlined approvals won’t mean much if cities respond with endless design requirements, costly fees, or political stonewalling. And mid-rise apartments near transit sound great on paper, but they’ll still require political courage to win over neighbors who fear change. For planners, this moment is both challenge and opportunity. It’s a reminder that zoning reform isn’t just technical work — it’s political, cultural, and deeply tied to the identity of communities. California’s success or failure will ripple nationwide. If the state proves it can meaningfully reform its housing system, it could embolden other states facing similar shortages. If it fails, it will reinforce cynicism that zoning reform is politically impossible. Either way, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Cities thrive when they make room for people. California has spent decades defending the opposite — now it has a chance to flip the script.