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Assembly Bill 1287
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 maxim 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 furhter expanded Density Bonus Law, brining 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)
- 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
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Circulate Webmaster published Letter: Support on behalf of SANDAG for the San Diego Rail Optimization and Asset Resiliency Application in Policy Letters 2022-04-19 15:18:00 -0700
Support Letter: Support for the San Diego Rail Optimization and Asset Resiliency Application
Circulate San Diego wrote a letter on behalf of SANDAG and the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TRICP), to support the San Diego Rail Optimization and Asset Resiliency (SD ROAR) application. Read the entire letter [PDF].
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Circulate Webmaster published Letter: Support for SANDAG’s Smart Growth Incentive Program for the Mid- City Communities Plan Update: Smart Growth Study in Policy Letters 2022-04-19 15:13:14 -0700
Letter: Support for SANDAG’s Smart Growth Incentive Program for the Mid- City Communities Plan Update: Smart Growth Study
Circulate San Diego wrote a letter in support of the City of San Diego’s application for the proposed Mid-City Communities Plan Update: Smart Growth Study. Read the entire letter [PDF].
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Circulate Webmaster published Letter: Support for the City of Chula Vista Trails Master Plan, Smart Growth Incentive Program Grant Application in Policy Letters 2022-04-19 15:09:16 -0700
Letter: Support for the City of Chula Vista Trails Master Plan, Smart Growth Incentive Program Grant Application
Circulate San Diego wrote a letter in support of the City of Chula Vista's application for a Smart Growth grant from SANDAG’s Smart Growth Incentive Program. Read the entire letter [PDF].
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Circulate Webmaster published Stories from the Field with Angelica Rocha in Blog Posts 2022-04-19 13:48:30 -0700
Stories from the Field with Angelica Rocha
Read moreStories from the Field, Berkeley SafeTREC’s Lisa Peterson chatted with Angelica Rocha, former Senior Planner at Circulate San Diego.
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Intro Spotlight: Jeremy Bloom
Read moreIn keeping with our tradition of interviewing new team members, we asked our new Director of Development, Jeremy Bloom, a few questions so that you all can get to know him!
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Circulate Webmaster published Intro Spotlight: Carlisle Dockery in Blog Posts 2022-04-19 13:39:50 -0700
Intro Spotlight: Carlisle Dockery
Read moreIn keeping with our tradition of interviewing new team members, we asked our new Associate Planner/Outreach Specialist, Carlisle Dockery, a few questions so that you all can get to know her!
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Circulate Webmaster published Intro Spotlight: Dara Braitman in Blog Posts 2022-04-19 13:24:57 -0700
Intro Spotlight: Dara Braitman
Read moreIn keeping with our tradition of interviewing new team members, we asked our new Director of Planning, Dara Braitman, a few questions so that you all can get to know her!
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Circulate Webmaster published SDGE Offers Safety Guidelines for Outdoor Dining in Blog Posts 2022-04-19 12:54:51 -0700
SDGE Offers Safety Guidelines for Outdoor Dining
Read moreSDGE is offering safety guidelines for businesses using the Spaces and Places program for outdoor dining or other business uses. Circulate previously advocated in favor of the Spaces as Places program because it was an opportunity transform San Diego’s streets into vibrant community spaces. SDGE’s recommendations are available here.
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Circulate Webmaster published Report: Transit Oriented Development in Policy Letters 2022-04-19 12:38:40 -0700
Report: Transit Oriented Development
Read moreCirculate San Diego released a report today on how the City of San Diego can better implement Transit Oriented Development (“TOD”). TOD benefits housing affordability, economic development, and the climate. However, a variety of barriers exist to prevent TOD in San Diego.
This report recommends a variety of specific, detailed, and actionable policy reforms that can be adopted city-wide to implement TOD. The full report can be viewed online at https://www.circulatesd.org/plan_diego_report_transit_oriented_development.
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Farewell: Angelica Rocha
Farewell: Angelica Rocha
In keeping with our tradition, we ask our team members to share a few last words about the great work they have done and their experience with us.
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Intro Spotlight: Kim Kantrud
Read moreIn keeping with our tradition of interviewing new team members, we asked our new Assistant Planner, Kim Kantrud, a few questions so that you all can get to know her!
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Circulate Webmaster published Downtown Library and Ballpark Walk in Walking Maps 2022-04-05 16:07:00 -0700
Downtown Library and Ballpark Walk
About the walk
This round trip, 2.2-mile route should take about 46-minutes and is primarily new sidewalks and wide promenades, the only steps can be avoided with an elevator up to the suspension bridge. On game night arrive before the fans if you need to park. Consider using public transportation; it makes more sense, downtown connects to all MTS trolley lines. Spectacular architecture surrounds you: San Diego’s World Class Central Library, the Ballpark and the Convention Center Complex, resulting from the redevelopment effort. Admire the murals and galleries, and explore the many facets of our rich San Diego history. Fish at the Embarcadero Marina Park South and experience renowned Southern California sunsets all year long! Take your time as this is only a 45-minute walk and there is so much to see.
Click here to view the Downtown Library Ballpark Walk in a larger map. -
Circulate Webmaster published SANDAG Reboot Update: Final Plan in Blog Posts 2022-03-28 15:42:49 -0700
SANDAG Reboot Update: Proposed Final Regional Plan
Read moreOn November 30, SANDAG released its Proposed Final 2021 Regional Plan. The plan is broadly similar to the Draft 2021 Regional Plan, with the biggest changes coming in where SANDAG expects to generate revenues. As with the Draft Plan, the Proposed Final Plan reflects a shift away from highway funding towards transit.
Circulate published a report titled “SANDAG Reboot” earlier this year that summarizes the important elements for what was actually in SANDAG’s initial Draft Plan.
