BIASC: SCAG'S SB 1087 "HOUSING KILLER" IS NOW LAW -- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DESERVES MAJOR SCAG REFORM

Building Industry says SCAG-backed legislation could increase housing costs, undermine local decision-making and raises serious questions about regional accountability.

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) today expressed strong disappointment with the enactment of Senate Bill 1087 (Cabaldon), legislation sponsored and advanced by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Despite being designated as a "Housing Killer" bill by the statewide California Building Industry Association, the SCAG-sponsored bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, September 30.

BIASC opposed the final version of the legislation because of concerns about housing affordability, local planning authority and the potential consequences of new regional transportation and land-use requirements.

The legislation comes as California continues to face a severe housing affordability and production challenge. BIASC believes SB 1087 will make that challenge more difficult by expanding the role of regional planning requirements tied to greenhouse-gas reduction and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) targets.

"California cannot solve its housing affordability crisis by creating additional uncertainty around where and how housing can be built," said BIASC CEO Jeff Montejano. "SB 1087 may now be law, but the larger issue remains: Southern California deserves a regional planning system that is transparent, accountable to its member cities and counties, and aligned with the state's housing goals."

BIASC's September 28 letter opposing the bill pointed to research cited from UC Berkeley's Terner Center regarding the significant gap between California's existing housing plans and the state's Vehicle Miles Traveled reduction objectives. The letter argued that these competing policy mandates could have significant consequences for housing production and affordability. 

LEGAL AND HOUSING CONCERNS

Jennifer Hernandez, who leads West Coast Land Use & Environmental Law with Holland & Knight and advised the industry on California housing and environmental law, emphasized the broader legal implications of the legislation.

"Sustainable Communities Strategies are not simply planning exercises," Hernandez stated. "They operate within a statewide legal and policy framework that can affect housing production, transportation funding and litigation. California should not impose new regional mandates without fully evaluating their consistency with existing housing laws and their affordability consequences."

That language reflects the legal arguments presented in BIASC's letter, which states that Sustainable Communities Strategies operate within a statewide framework that can be litigated and used in decisions involving transportation and affordable-housing funding.

MORE THAN HALF A MILLION EMAILS

Members of the public, BIASC members and coalition partners generated 510,723 emails voicing concerns to elected officials about SB 1087 — the largest grassroots advocacy effort in BIASC history.

The opposition effort also generated:

• Over 348,000 views of video demonstrating SB 1087 as a "Housing Killer" bill
  
  
• Over 28,000 social media likes
  
  
• Opposition from elected officials and regional stakeholders across Southern California

THE NEXT CHAPTER: SCAG REFORM

SB 1087's enactment does not end BIASC's involvement in regional policy.

BIASC will now focus on SCAG governance, transparency, accountability and the role of its 191 cities and six counties in major legislative and policy decisions.

"This is bigger than one bill," Montejano said. "The question now is how a regional organization representing millions of Southern Californians makes major policy decisions, how those decisions are communicated to its member agencies, and how elected representatives are given a meaningful voice in that process. Those are legitimate questions, and BIASC intends to pursue them."

BIASC will continue working with its members, local governments, elected officials and regional partners on reforms intended to strengthen transparency and accountability at SCAG.

About BIASC

The Building Industry Association of Southern California is the voice of the region's building industry, with five chapters offering localized services to building professionals from Ventura to the southern tip of Orange County.  For more than a century, the association has served its builder and associate members by anticipating, protecting, and promoting their common interests through a wide range of programs, services, councils, and committees. For more information on the Building Industry Association of Southern California, visit biasc.org. Follow BIASC on social media for the latest industry news: LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Contact:
Shannon Widor, Chief Public Affairs Officer
Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC)
[email protected]

SOURCE Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc.