Density is an essential element to solving the housing crisis plaguing California. In 2019, the state adopted several new laws to support density and make it easier for property owners to add new units. Specifically, new laws are facilitating the addition of accessory dwelling units or ADUs, and it could have a big impact in adding housing supply to the market.

"Several California laws adopted in 2019 to facilitate accessory dwelling units directly benefit property owners," Matt Fogt, a partner at Allen Matkins, tells GlobeSt.com. "The primary laws of interest are Assembly Bill 68, Assembly Bill 881, and Senate Bill 13. The three bills overlap significantly and amend California Government Code Section 65852.2. We anticipate that many multifamily owners will be able to quickly create additional units within their existing multifamily projects based on these recent changes.

However, it isn't only owners of single-family homes that are benefitting. According to Fogt, the legislation could also make it easier for multifamily owners to ad additional units. "There are three significant impacts made by these new amendments that make it easier for multifamily homeowners to add additional units with less hassle: quicker approval processing, eliminated or reduced parking requirements, and eliminated or reduced fees," he says.