Major California housing bill narrowed before its first legislative debate

Ahead of its first legislative committee hearing scheduled for next week, a Bay Area lawmaker has narrowed his bill aimed at building more housing near transit across California. 
Making sense of the story

• Under the newly amended Senate Bill 827 from Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), cities would be allowed to restrict building heights to four or five stories, down from a maximum of eight stories, within a half-mile of rail and ferry stops. Wiener also limited changes surrounding bus stops.
• The new version of the bill wouldn’t mandate height increases around bus stops, instead allowing for increased density and lower parking requirements. It also would apply only at bus stops with frequent service throughout the day, rather than just during rush hour.
• SB 827 tries to address the state’s longstanding shortage of homes and a push by climate regulators to build near mass transit through dramatically changing development rules, particularly in the state’s largest metropolitan areas. Earlier versions of the bill would have affected nearly all of San Francisco and, according to a Times analysis, about 190,000 parcels currently zoned for single-family homes in Los Angeles — roughly half such parcels in the city.
• Additional changes to the bill made this week try to address concerns relating to the promotion of gentrification. All projects greater than 10 units will have to set aside a portion for low-income residents. It further restricts the demolition of rent-controlled or formerly rent-controlled properties. And the developers will have to provide monthly recurring transit passes to all residents at no cost.

​Source: LA Times