Insights
California Housing Law Explainers
Plain-English explainers of the state laws that change what you can build — SB 9, SB 330, AB 2011, density bonus, and more.
Pasadena Advances Repeal of Its SB 9 Lot-Split Ban in the Eaton Fire Burn Zone (Ordinances 7455 & 7457)
Pasadena's city council voted July 20, 2026 to begin repealing Ordinance Nos. 7455 and 7457, the interim urgency ordinances that blocked SB 9 lot splits and duplexes in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones inside the Eaton Fire burn area. A second reading is still pending. Here's what it means for burned parcels.
Montebello's Urgency Moratorium on SB 79 Applications (Ordinance No. 2495): What It Means
Montebello adopted Ordinance No. 2495, an interim urgency ordinance under Government Code § 65858, pausing SB 79 transit-oriented housing applications in the Washington Boulevard TOD Specific Plan Area while the city finishes its own specific plan around the future Metro E Line Greenwood Station.
SB 9 Lot Splits in California, Explained for Property Owners (2026)
SB 9 lets an owner of a single-family lot in an urbanized area split it into two lots — each at least 1,200 square feet and no smaller than 40% of the original — without a public hearing or CEQA review. Cities must decide a complete application within 60 days, and each resulting lot can hold up to two homes.
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