NFABC Town Hall: "Overruled! How State Housing Laws Override Local Communities"
Thursday, Sept 18, 2025 | 6:30–8:00 PM
Phil’s BBQ Event Center – Board Room, San Diego

Why This Town Hall?

California faces an urgent housing affordability crisis but top-down laws may unintentionally threaten neighborhood character, homeowner rights, and public safety. Join Neighbors for a Better California (NFABC) for a critical panel discussion about how recent and pending state housing laws affect communities and how we can protect neighborhoods from unintended harm.

What’s At Stake? Key Bills We’ll Discuss

AB 130 & SB 131 (2025 CEQA Overhaul)

Recently inscribed into law, these budget trailer bills create sweeping CEQA exemptions for infill housing, dramatically speeding up development in urbanized communities.

Implications for neighborhoods: Faster permitting but fewer local environmental reviews, fewer community input opportunities, and potential ecological risks.

SB 79 – Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act

This pending bill would upzone areas around transit stations, allowing 4–9 story buildings, streamlined permits, and density bonuses. It mandates affordable units and includes “fire flexibility” to adapt planning for wildfire-prone regions.

Neighborhood concerns: May override local housing plans and public participation, along with potential displacement and service strain.

SB 1037 & AB 2023 – Enforcement & Penalties for Housing Element Noncompliance

• SB 1037 imposes fines of $10K–$50K per month on local jurisdictions found in violation of housing element laws.

• AB 2023 strengthens the legal gravity of HCD’s findings of non-compliance and adjusts timelines for rezoning based on compliance.
  
  Local communities may face heavy penalties without flexibility or resources to adapt.

AB 3093 – Expanding Housing Element Requirements

Adds requirements to plan for extremely low- and acutely low-income housing, mandates coastal zone alignment between housing and zoning, and requires review of historic preservation rules for housing impact.

This could pressure neighborhoods to permit more housing even in sensitive or historic areas.

SB 684 / SB 1123 – Streamlining Multifamily Subdivisions

These laws streamline ministerial approvals for subdividing multi-family lots into up to 10 housing units (SB 684) and apply similar legislation to single-family vacant lots (SB 1123).

The result: quicker approval but reduced local say over density and neighborhood layout.

AB 457 – Farmworker Housing Streamlining

Targets Fresno, Madera, and Merced Counties by expanding eligibility and increasing the permitted size for ministerially approved farmworker housing developments LegiScan.

Good for housing farmworkers—but may bypass conditional-use review that local communities rely on for context and safety.

Be Part of the Conversation

Our panel of local leaders and the audience will explore how these laws affect:

• Fire safety, parking, infrastructure, and neighborhood services

• Property rights and homeowner protections

• Developer incentives versus community benefits

• Environmental justice and planning transparency

Submit your questions ahead of time or ask them live. Your voice matters.

Meet the Voices on Our Panel

• Facilitator

  • Marcella Bothwell, MD, MBA – Chair, Pacific Beach Planning Group & Founder, San Diego Parks Foundation

• Speakers

  • John Terrell, AICP – Certified Planner & Retired Community Development Director, Moreno Valley

  • Charlie Nieto – President, Pacific Beach Town Council & Former San Diego Youth Commissioner

  • Richard Bailey – Former Mayor, Coronado

  • Shane Harris – CEO, S Harris Communications

  • Rick Snyder -

Event Details

• When: Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 6:30–8:00 PM

• Where: Phil’s BBQ Event Center – Board Room, 3750 Sports Arena Blvd, San Diego, CA 92110

• Admission: Free and open to all. Doors open at 6:00 PM.

RSVP & Submit a Question

About NFABC

Neighbors for a Better California is a grassroots community committed to addressing California’s housing crisis responsibly, promoting solutions that uphold fire safety, preserve neighborhood character, respect homeowner rights, and ensure equitable development.