San Jose yet to see an impact from state law made to increase affordable housing supply

by Joseph Geha, San Jose Spotlight January 31, 2023January 30, 2023

Sonoma County homeowner Johnny Sanphillippo stands on the back deck of his house across from an accessory dwelling he built on his property in a July 2018 file photo. As housing becomes less affordable and demand increases, communities are streamlining the permit process for accessory buildings in concert with a state law designed to do just that. But critics fear some larger cities like San Jose may see more traffic, noise and quality of life issues as a result. (Nicolás Boullosa/Flickr)

ONE YEAR AFTER a state law aimed at increasing housing supply went into effect, the destruction of single-family neighborhood character that many of the bill’s opponents raised alarms about has not yet come to pass.

Senate Bill 9 effectively ended exclusionary single-family zoning statewide, allowing homeowners in some long unchanged neighborhoods to subdivide their lots and build a total of up to four homes, so long as each lot is 1,200 square feet. So far, the law has produced no homes in San Jose and a limited number statewide.

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