In San Francisco, opponents warn SB 79 could open the door to 7- to 15- story towers across 95% of the city, permanently reshaping neighborhoods with no guarantees of affordability, safety, or infrastructure.

SB 79 ignores San Francisco’s earthquake vulnerability, narrow streets, and aging infrastructure. Without necessary upgrades, density increases pose serious safety hazards. 

SB 79 allows developers to build large-scale, high-density projects based solely on proximity to transit stops—even proposed, not-yet-built ones. It has already passed the State Senate and now faces a vote in the Assembly.

San Francisco is Not Exempt

To secure votes, Senator Wiener is dangling a so-called “conditional exemption” for cities with housing elements as extreme as SB 79. For San Francisco, this is not relief — it is a trap.

The north and west sides already face Mayor Lurie’s aggressive upzoning maps, which satisfy Wiener for now. Meanwhile, residents of the Mission, Bernal Heights, Potrero, and other eastern neighborhoods were promised relief from further upzoning after years of major changes. Historic neighborhoods like Chinatown and North Beach are in the path of 79 too.

SB 79 breaks that promise subjecting these communities to further upzoning that drive demolitions, displacement, the loss of small businesses, and make neighborhoods even less affordable.

Residents call this a betrayal of public trust — broken promises that divide the city while handing Senator Wiener, and his YIMBY lobbyist, exactly what they want.