OPINION – Sacramento is once again positioning itself as the ultimate land-use authority—this time with Senate Bill 79, a sweeping “by right” housing law for virtually any property within a half-mile of a qualifying transit stop.
The sales pitch is familiar: more housing near transit will lower costs, boost ridership, and fight climate change. But peel back the glossy talking points and you find a measure that shifts massive, unfunded infrastructure costs onto local taxpayers, dilutes affordability requirements, and targets growth in the neighborhoods least able to absorb it.
If the promise sounds ambitious, the price tag will bring you back to reality…