CHIP vs SB 79 vs SB 684 / SB 1123:What should you check for a Los Angeles property?

Three starting points, different questions

Research path / Transit and local implementation

SB 79 and Los Angeles Low-Rise

Planning reports that SB 79 took effect July 1, 2026; LA’s Low-Rise and Phased Implementation ordinances became effective June 30. The City’s phased approach includes temporary exemptions and permanent exclusions. It is not enough to draw a circle around a station.

Have ready

Parcel match, zoning and overlays, displayed transit/program category, existing housing, proposed work, and affordability concept.

Open first

The City SB 79 hub and its current ZIMAS mapping. The City-linked StoryMap remains labeled draft/exploratory.

Do not assume

A mapped area establishes approval, or an SB 79 result is a Low-Rise result. Each needs its own context.

Low-Rise belongs in the CHIP conversation. Ordinance 188967 (PDF) updates MIIP and renames the former Corridor Transition incentive area to Low-Rise. Older CT maps and training materials are still linked on the CHIP page; read them alongside the adopted update.

Investigating SB 79 / Low-Rise for a specific address? Follow the five-step property research sequence.

Research path / Housing incentives

CHIP: identify the pathway first

The question: Which incentive and affordability framework should the project team investigate? Planning identifies three programs under the Citywide Housing Incentive Program:

Have ready

Zoning, General Plan designation, lot area, applicable plans/conditions, proposed unit mix and affordability, ownership category, and requested incentives or waivers.

Open first

The City CHIP page’s Procedures and Resources section, then the program’s referral forms for the applicable Zoning Code chapter.

Do not assume

One density number or a “CHIP” label answers every pathway. Base density, proposed units, and the requested incentives serve different purposes.

Planning’s Maximum Allowable Residential Density (MARD) guide (PDF) distinguishes base density from total proposed units and explains how program thresholds differ. Its procedures chart (PDF) distinguishes review paths by requested incentives and waivers. Low-Rise also has specific limits on combining incentives in Ordinance 188967, Section 9.

Research path / Subdivision and ownership housing

SHRA, SB 684, and SB 1123

SHRA is the framework. SB 684’s amendments took effect July 1, 2024. SB 1123’s amendments took effect July 1, 2025 and expanded eligibility to qualifying vacant single-family-zoned sites. The City’s current implementation memo also incorporates AB 130 (2025); an old SB 684-only checklist is incomplete.

Have ready

Pre-subdivision lot area and zoning; existing structures and occupancy history; proposed lots, units, and ownership structure; prior subdivisions; Housing Element site status; environmental constraints and access.

Open first

The City SHRA page. Its ZIMAS directions are: enter the address → Planning and Zoning → SHRA / SB 684 Eligibility. Use the linked filing checklists and implementation memo for the project review.

Do not assume

A site screen confirms the project. “Vacant” is defined by the law; merely unoccupied is insufficient. SHRA is also distinct from the City’s Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance.

See the October 28, 2025 implementation memo (PDF), including FAQ 1 on vacancy and FAQ 10 on Small Lot Subdivision standards. The memo expressly covers Chapter 1; confirm the applicable guidance for a Chapter 1A site.

Keep draft proposals separate. Planning’s Missing Middle LA page identifies its September 2026 package as a second draft for public review. Proposed Starter Home and Small Lot changes should not be treated as adopted SHRA requirements.

Can more than one program matter?

Yes, but investigate the permitted relationship. Low-Rise is within MIIP. Separately, the City’s SHRA memo, FAQ 2, pages 12–13 (PDF), describes using affordable-housing incentives with an SHRA project, subject to both frameworks.

That is not unrestricted stacking: the memo preserves SHRA limits, distinguishes local standards from SHRA standards, and specifies simultaneous filing. Ask Planning to confirm a proposed combination, particularly where Low-Rise’s own incentive limits are involved.

Official source directory

Verify the pathway with the agency

Reviewed September 17, 2026. Follow each program page to current forms, maps, and contact instructions.