Senator Wiener’s Major Housing Bills Move To Senate Floor

May 18, 2023

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Appropriations Committee passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) major housing bills SB 4 and SB 423 to the Senate floor, for a vote in the next few weeks.

Both SB 4 and SB 423 are impactful housing bills that will help California tackle its extreme housing shortage. SB 423 extends SB 35 (Wiener, 2017), a landmark law that streamlines construction in communities that have not met their housing goals. SB 35 accelerated permitting for more than 18,000 new homes in its first four years of existence. SB 4 allows faith institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their land by right, opening up tens of thousands of acres to affordable housing development.

“California needs powerful housing tools like these two bills to secure a prosperous and sustainable future,” said Senator Wiener. “Years of consultation with stakeholders from across the state have produced two common-sense, good government measures that have drawn massive and growing support from all corners. I look forward to seeing this powerful coalition — including labor unions, business groups, faith-based organizations, housing advocates, advocates for seniors, and environmentalists — pass both bills and take a bold step into a more prosperous future for our state.”

SB 4 is sponsored by the California Conference of Carpenters, Inner City Law Center, Jewish Public Affairs Committee, Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing (SCANPH).