Legislation text:

https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1123/id/2927306

Here’s a comprehensive overview:

Purpose and Goals

SB-35 was designed to:

• Increase housing supply, especially affordable housing.
• Streamline approvals for housing projects in jurisdictions failing to meet their Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) targets.
• Remove local political barriers to housing development by enforcing a ministerial (non-discretionary) approval process 

Key Provisions

To qualify for SB-35 streamlining, a project must:

• Be in a jurisdiction that has not met its RHNA goals.
• Include a minimum percentage of affordable units:
• 10% if the jurisdiction failed to meet above-moderate income RHNA goals.
• 50% if it failed to meet low-income RHNA goals 
• Comply with objective zoning and design standards.
• Be on land zoned for residential use and not in ecologically protected areas.
• Be a multi-unit development (not single-family homes).
• Use a skilled and trained workforce, meeting prevailing wage requirements 

Approval Timeline

• Projects with fewer than 150 units: 60-day approval window.
• Projects with 150 or more units: 90-day approval window.
• If the local agency fails to act within the deadline, the project is automatically deemed approved 

Impact and Implementation

• SB 35 has led to the approval of thousands of housing units, including major projects like the Vallco Mall redevelopment in Cupertino and 681 Florida Street in San Francisco
• As of 2023, over 18,000 units had been proposed under SB 35, with two-thirds designated as affordable housing 

Challenges and Criticisms

• Local opposition: Many cities opposed SB 35, citing loss of local control over zoning.
• Legal challenges: Cities like Huntington Beach sued the state but lost in court 

Limited use: Despite its potential, SB 35 has not been widely adopted due to financial and political hurdles 

• Concerns about gentrification and reduced public input in planning processes 

Recent Amendments

• SB 423 (2023) extended SB 35’s sunset date to January 1, 2036, expanded its scope to charter cities, and narrowed exemptions in coastal zones 

SB 35 – Key Points

• Purpose: Streamlines housing development approvals in cities that fail to meet state housing goals.
• Eligibility Criteria:
• Jurisdiction must be non-compliant with RHNA targets.
• The project must include affordable housing (10–50% depending on income category).
• Must comply with objective zoning and design standards.
• Located on residentially zoned land, not in protected areas.
• Must be a multi-unit development.
• Labor Requirements:
• Use of a skilled and trained workforce.
• Must pay prevailing wages.
• Approval Process:
• Ministerial (non-discretionary) approval—no public hearings.
• Approval deadlines:
• 60 days for projects <150 units.
• 90 days for projects ≥150 units.
• Automatic approval if deadlines are missed.
• Impact:
• Thousands of units have been approved, with many being affordable.
• Used in significant developments like Cupertino’s Vallco Mall.
• Recent Update:
• SB 423 (2023) extended SB 35 to 2036 and expanded its scope to charter cities.