About

The Housing Readiness Report aggregates available data from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, Association of Bay Area Governments, the National Equity Atlas and the Bay Area Equity Atlas in order to show existing population and housing conditions, city by city, and future potential for a city to equitably increase housing capacity to meet all of its housing needs, especially for the most vulnerable communities.

“Housing Readiness” – the potential future ability a city has to increase housing capacity, especially affordable housing for its most vulnerable population – is assessed using the following metrics:

• Affordable housing production: The city’s capacity and willingness to reach affordable housing unit goals as set by RHNA, especially in relation to meeting its existing population demographics.
• Housing policies: The number of housing policies and the potential impact of each policy that a city has enacted to protect tenants and prevent homelessness, and preserve and produce affordable housing.
• Housing Elements: Where in the process Bay Area cities are currently at with their housing plans, according to the State of California’s Housing and Community Development Department. Steps included in the process include: Not Submitted, In Progress, Adopted, and Certified.

The cost of housing in the Bay Area denies so many of us from having a stable and affordable place to call home, but it disproportionately impacts communities of color. When we look at the data on housing burden (housing costs exceed 30% of income), it is clear that Black, Latinx and Native American households are most likely to be rent-burdened. And when we look at diversity within cities, the evidence shows that communities of colors are being displaced at extraordinary rates.

The Housing Readiness Report utilizes data on housing burdens and diversity to help us understand what policies and plans cities have or will implement to keep communities diverse and vibrant.