Multifamily zoning approvals in Long Beach

Long Beach regulates multifamily through the residential and mixed-use base districts of Title 21. Three routes add to that base: the state's SB 79 standards near Metro A Line stations, the city's own Enhanced Density Bonus, and the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that applies to most rental projects of 10 or more units.

SB 79 at the Metro A Line

SB 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, took effect July 1, 2026. Long Beach's eight Metro A Line stations are Tier 2 stops. A qualifying project of five or more units, at 30 units per acre or more, gains a maximum density, floor area ratio and height that the city may not restrict, scaled to distance from the station: 140 units per acre, a floor area ratio of 4.0 and 85 ft within 200 ft; 100 units per acre, 3.0 and 65 ft within a quarter mile; 80 units per acre, 2.5 and 55 ft within a half mile. A project of 11 or more units adds on-site affordable units under the statute, or under the city's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance where that requires more. SB 79 itself creates no administrative approval; the project follows the city's regular review, unless it separately qualifies under SB 35 or SB 423 for what the city's own memo calls the state's "streamlined ministerial approval."

The Enhanced Density Bonus and Inclusionary Housing

Ordinance No. ORD-26-0017 updated the city's Enhanced Density Bonus (LBMC Chapter 21.68) to align it with the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and add special bonuses for community benefits. The density bonus for the affordable component may reach 100 percent, and each special bonus adds up to a further 20 percent, to a cumulative cap of 120 percent. Separately, the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (LBMC 21.67) applies to a rental development of 10 or more units: the required share of very low and low income units is set by submarket area and rises on a schedule through 2027, for example from 8 percent in 2026 to 12 percent in 2027 and after in a High Resource Area. A project of nine or fewer units is exempt, and a developer may instead pay an in-lieu fee to the Housing Trust Fund.

Application and site plan review

An application for new construction goes through the Planning Bureau's site plan review process: a pre-application step, then review at the level the project's scope requires, from the Site Plan Review Committee up to the Zoning Administrator or the Planning Commission. A project scope that needs a hearing gets a posted public notice at least 14 days ahead, and an approval is followed by a 10-day appeal period before a building permit application.

Questions

Is SB 79 in effect in Long Beach?

Yes, since July 1, 2026, at the city's eight Metro A Line stations, all classified Tier 2; the standards that apply decrease in three bands measured out from each station.

Does Long Beach's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance apply to every rental project?

No, only to rental developments of 10 or more units; projects of nine or fewer units are exempt (LBMC 21.67).

Sources