SB 9: Not all Santa Clara County cities see new state housing law the same way

CITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA are deciding if they are going to welcome or fight a statewide housing bill that could change the makeup of neighborhoods.

Senate Bill 9, effective as of Jan. 1, allows property owners to build additional housing on an existing lot which they could then sell. Homeowners on lots larger than 1,200 square feet and who have occupied the home for the last three years would be allowed to subdivide their land and build up to four additional units. The bill streamlines the permit process and gives cities less say in turning down potential building projects, but some say there’s room for improvement.