
Introduction
In 2023, Circulate San Diego co-sponsored Assembly Bill 1287, which created one of the most productive and impactful housing reforms in California.
The law was authored by Assemblymember David Alvarez and signed by Governor Newsom. It expanded upon California Density Bonus Law, allowing projects to be twice as large as underlying zoning, if they include a percentage of permanently affordable homes. The bill creates a win-win for more affordable and market-rate homes.
How AB 1287 Works:
Under ordinary zoning rules, a multifamily property is allowed to be developed into a certain number of new homes, called a “base density.” AB 1287 allows for a multifamily development to set-aside a percentage of the base density as permanently affordable homes, in exchange for certain concessions, and permission to build up to 100 percent more homes overall.
The benefits under AB 1287 vary on a sliding scale depending on the percentage of affordable units, and the level of affordability for those units. For AB 1287 projects seeking the maximize benefit, most will set aside 15 percent of their base density at the very-low income level, and another 15 percent of base density at the moderate-income level. With this combination, a development is eligible for a 100 percent bonus, doubling what was allowed by local zoning rules.

History of AB 1287
Before 2020, California Density Bonus Law incentivized developments to set-aside only 11 percent of their base density as affordable, in exchange for a 35 percent bonus.
While serving as the Director of Policy for the San Diego Housing Commission, Colin Parent organized a group of housing stakeholders to develop a proposal to create a local enhancement to Density Bonus Law. The proposal would allow for a development to set aside up to 15 percent of their units as affordable, in exchange for a new 50 percent bonus. After Parent joined Circulate San Diego, the proposal was taken up by Mayor Faulconer's administration, and Circulate lead a coalition that successfully pushed the City of San Diego to adopt its enhanced “Affordable Homes Bonus Program.” The program has been a remarkable success, generating many more affordable and market-rate homes.
In 2020, Circulate co-sponsored Assembly Bill AB 2345 from Lorena Gonzales, that brought San Diego’s 50 percent bonus program statewide. That was the most substantial housing production bill signed that year by Governor Newsom. In 2020, AB 2345 was co-sponsored by Circulate San Diego and Up for Growth.
In 2023, AB 1287 further expanded Density Bonus Law, bringing the available bonus from 50 percent to 100 percent. That expansion represented a 33 percent increase in multi-family development capacity for the entire state of California, one of the largest single up-zones in the history of the United States. The bill was co-sponsored by Circulate San Diego, SPUR, and the Bay Area Council.

Additional Resources
Over the years, Circulate San Diego has conducted a variety of successful advocacy campaigns to expand housing bonus programs, both locally and statewide. We have produced a number of reports documenting the success of the programs.
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- Circulate San Diego Report: Home Run for Homes (2022)
- Circulate San Diego Report: Equity and Climate for Homes (2020)
- Circulate San Diego Report: Good Bargain (2020)
- Circulate Report: Early Win for Affordable Homes Bonus Program (2017)
- Letter: Coalition Supporting San Diego's Enhancement to Bonus Program (2016)
- Bonus Production in San Diego until 2016 (2016)
- Original 50% bonus proposal from San Diego Housing Commission (2014)
- AB 1287 Fact Sheet
- AB 1287 Bill Text
- Guide to the California Density Bonus Law (Myers Nave, 2021)
Press
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- ,Press Release: Assemblymember Alvarez to Announce Legislation to Build More Affordable Homes, February 24, 2023
- Bill offers incentives to build middle income housing, KPBS, February 28, 2023
- New bill could create affordable middle-class housing for Californians, CBS 8, July 3, 2023
- AB-1287 Density Bonus Law: maximum allowable residential density: additional density bonus and incentives or concessions, California Legislative Information, October 12, 2023
- Governor Signs AB 1287, Creating Density Bonuses For Middle-Income Apartments and Condos, East County Magazine, October 13, 2023
- San Diego housing reform migrates to the state, AXIOS, October 17, 2023
- New law aims to create affordable housing for middle-income residents, NBC 7, October 19, 2023
- New California law aims to create more middle-income housing, ABC 10, October 20, 2023
- Middle-Income Homes Bonus Law by Assemblymember Alvarez Will Boost Affordable Housing, Times of San Diego, October 24, 2023
- AB 1287 – Legislature Creates An (Additional) Density Bonus For Very Low- And Middle-Income Households, Mondaq, October 31, 2023
- Governor Signs Ab 1287, Creating Density Bonuses For Middle-Income Apartments And Condos, East County Magazine, October 2023
- California's 2024 Housing Laws Part I: Laws Broadly Applicable to Housing, Including Market Rate Housing on November 15, 2023, Northern California Record, November 14, 2023
- New California law aims to create more middle-income housing. Will it work in San Diego?, The San Diego Union Tribune, November 6, 2023
- New California laws going into effect in 2024, CBS8, December 22, 2023
- Iconic Phoenix Hotel in Play, Positioned for Redevelopment, SocketSite, January 26, 2024
- Density bonus rules allow developers to double the size of some projects, Santa Monica Daily Press, January 30, 2024
- Housing project at S.F. parking lot stalled for a decade. Now the developer plans to supersize it, San Francisco Chronicle, February 7, 2024
- Developer Considering 8-Story or 14-Story Apartments for 875 Sansome Street, San Francisco, San Francisco YIMBY, February 9, 2024
- Letter: density is the future, Santa Monica Daily Press, February 13, 2024
- California Addressing Ongoing Housing Shortage with Legislation, The National Law Review, February 16, 2024
- Developers seizing 'supersized' density bonus opportunity, Daily Journal, February 22, 2024
- Developers Seizing 'Supersized' Density Bonus Opportunity, Holland & Knight, February 23, 2024
- Clocktower Center meeting slated Wednesday, Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 2, 2024
- Developer upsizes project at 1828 S. Western Ave. using AB 1287, Urbanize LA, July 23, 2024
- EGC taps new law to upsize apartment project in LA's Harvard Heights, The Real Deal, July 24, 2024
- Santa Cruz | Three-story Westside Village development moves forward, MSN, August 9, 2024
- Attorney General Rob Bonta Addresses 'Pink Tax' Violations, Alameda Post, August 28, 2024
- Renderings Revealed: Mixed-use development at 8811 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills, Urbanize LA, September 25, 2024
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New Details Surface For 14-Story 2812 Mission Street, Mission District, San Francisco, San Francisco YIMBY, September 28, 2024
East Bay developer oWow uses density bonus again to almost double Oakland project, the Business Journals, October 23, 2024 - OWow uses density bonus to supersize Oakland apartment project, The Real Deal, October 24, 2024
- Cityview seizes state density bonus to supersize Westchester apartment project, The Real Deal, October 25, 2024
- 12-story housing complex proposed at 505 S. Landfair Ave. in Westwood, Urbanize LA, October 28, 2024
- 2024 California Developers' Toolkit: Density Bonus Law, Housing Laws, & Strategies for Success, JD Supra, October 29, 2024
- 100 apartments proposed at 1320 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, Urbanize LA, November 26, 2024
- Landmark Properties proposes new apartment building to expand housing in Westwood, Daily Bruin, December 5, 2024
- 1320 Pico Blvd proposal includes 100 apartments in eight story building, Santa Monica Daily Press, December 6, 2024
- 52 apartments planned at 412 N. Oakhurst Drive, Urbanize LA, December 10, 2024
- High-Rise Apartment Projects Proliferate in Berkeley, Globest, December 16, 2024
- 12-story apartment tower planned at 11027 Strathmore Drive in Westwood, Urbanize LA, January 3, 2025
- LaTerra upsizing proposed project 4112 Del Rey Avenue using AB 1287, Urbanize LA, January 28, 2025
- Taller plan emerges for mixed-use development at 1828 S. Western Ave., Urbanize LA, February 12, 2025
- City Planning Commission approves 489 apartments at 6136 Manchester Ave., Urbanize LA, February 17, 2025
- Bigger plan emerges for mixed-use project at 55 N. La Cienega Blvd. in Beverly Hills, Urbanize LA, March 11, 2025
- Los Angeles City Planning Greenlights Major Westside Residential Development, The Pride Los Angeles, April 14, 2025
- Neighbors invited to weigh in as Pico project adds nearly 50% more housing, Santa Monica Daily Press, May 29, 2025

