Big news! We’ve added new housing program data - check them out under “Housing Programs” on each city page.
Housing programs are the strategies that cities and counties legally have at their disposal to produce more and preserve existing affordable housing, as well as protect existing residents from getting displaced from their homes and communities.
Local housing programs, as part of a housing element, have significant impacts on a city or county reaching its affordable housing goals. Each additional housing policy has a significant impact on the residents who are most in need of affordable housing. However, the number of programs that a jurisdiction includes in their housing element is not meant to imply how well a city or county is addressing local housing needs since the quality and impact of each will need to be determined as well.
Use the below data to explore this jurisdiction’s approaches to affirmatively furthering fair housing for the 6th element cycle, and review the actions, deliverables, and deadlines committed to for each program.
PROGRAM NUMBER | ACTIONS | DELIVERABLE | DELIVERABLE DATE |
---|---|---|---|
1.A | To accommodate the remaining moderate-income RHNA of 7 units, the City will identify and
rezone sufficient vacant land or land with redevelopment potential to provide capacity for this
shortfall. Appendix B (Housing Capacity Analysis and Methodology) identifies potential parcels
for rezoning to address this shortfall and provide excess capacity throughout the planning period.
Separate programs detail specifics of various rezoning actions that would provide additional
capacity for all income levels.
| The City will amend the Zoning Map and/or Zoning Ordinance to
create the opportunity for at least 7 moderate-income housing units; proposed rezoning
would accommodate additional capacity for 42 moderate-income housing units.
Geographic Targeting: The rezone sites create additional opportunities for lower-income
housing capacity in Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAAs) and
neighborhoods categorized as High Resource according to TCAC Opportunity maps. In
the event that new sites need to be identified during the planning cycle due to the necessity
to retain capacity at all income levels, sites within RCCA’s will be given priority.
| Sites rezoned to address shortfall by January 31, 2024. Note: this program has been completed as of January 9, 2024. Quantified |
1.B | The City shall promote and facilitate ADU construction to facilitate an annual production of
approximately 15 units per year (118 units during the planning period) by:
• Continuing to implement a public information and proactive outreach campaign via the
City’s website to support residents to construct ADUs, inform property owners of the
standards for ADU development, permitting procedures, and construction resources, as
well as the importance of ADUs in providing affordable housing to lower-income
households.
• Promoting the construction of ADUs in high-resource areas and areas of concentrated
affluence at least annually by supplying informational materials in community gathering
places and/or as mailers to residents in high-resource areas.
• Working with small home manufacturers to develop and promote pre-approved, permitready building plans to reduce construction costs. Plans will cover a variety of unit sizes,
bedroom counts, and architectural styles.
• Promoting the availability of funding for ADUs, including the CalHFA ADU Grant Program
that provides up to $25,000 to reimburse homeowners for predevelopment costs
necessary to build and occupy an ADU.
• Collecting and monitoring the production and affordability of ADUs throughout the planning
period and the progress made according to the assumptions described in Appendix B.
• Ensuring continued compliance with State ADU law and promptly amending the Zoning
Ordinance as needed.
• Participate in the Napa Sonoma ADU Center, which will be expanding their services to
cities and towns in Marin County as of Winter 2024, including dedicated staff to answer
ADU-related questions, staff to work with property owners on feasibility reports,
educational newsletters, webinars, and other shared resources.
| Adopt and provide City Standard Permit-Ready ADU Plans (2024).
Construct at least 118 ADUs by the end of the planning period. Maintain compliance with
State law through prompt Zoning Ordinance amendments as needed.
Geographic Targeting: Aim to achieve 50 percent of quantified ADU objective (i.e., 59
units) in RCAAs and High Resource neighborhoods.
| Ongoing; if ADU targets are not being met by January 2027, the City will review and revise efforts to increase ADU construction (e.g., fee waivers, local financing program for ADUs, etc.) no later than July 2027. The City’s action shall be commensurate with the level of shortfall from construction targets (i.e., if shortfall is significant, a rezoning action may be required, if shortfall is slight, additional incentives may be appropriate). The City will work with the Napa Sonoma/Marin County ADU Center to release an RFQ by for permit ready standard ADU plans; by January 2025 the City will have adopted standard ADU design plans in compliance with AB 1332. Quantified |
1.C | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 15.A]
The City will provide an annual status report to the City Council and HCD on the status of the
General Plan housing programs and their implementation as required by State law. This status
report will also address no net loss requirements as necessary throughout the planning period.
| Submission of compliant Annual Progress Report (APR) to HCD.
| Annually by April 1 (submitted to HCD) |
1.D | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Programs 1.B and 1.C]
The City will actively participate in the ABAG Regional Housing Needs Determination and other
regional discussions about meeting housing needs. The City will meet with ABAG staff to provide
land use, housing, employment, and other information related to the RHNA formula to ensure that
the allocation accurately represents Novato’s fair share of the region’s housing needs.
| Collaborate with State and regional staff to develop and implement
effective housing policy. Participate in at least one ABAG-sponsored housing planning or
information program per year.
| Ongoing Quantified |
1.E | To ensure completion of the approved/entitled (i.e., pipeline) projects identified in Table B-3 of
Appendix B (Housing Capacity Analysis and Methodology) within the planning period, the City will
monitor project progress towards completion and will coordinate with applicants to facilitate
remaining approvals and permits. If a pipeline project is not approved, the City will ensure
adequate capacity for the remaining RHNA by each income category is maintained at all times
consistent with SB 166 (No Net Loss).
Annually, and coinciding with preparation of the Annual Progress Reports (Program 1.C), the City
shall evaluate remaining pipeline projects and consider on a project-by-project basis what
appropriate actions might be taken to facilitate their completion within the planning period,
including but not limited to assignment of additional staff and technical assistance for project
applicants. At the midpoint of the Cycle, if the City determines that a pipeline project is not
anticipated to be completed in the planning period, the City shall complete rezoning within 18
months to maintain adequate RHNA capacity at all income levels. The City will track each site in
its inventory and report annually to the City Council on the adequacy of available sites compared
to the progress made towards meeting the RHNA.
| Annually track status of identified sites, evaluate actions necessary to incentivize project completion, and report to City Council (by April 1 of each year), midcycle review of pipeline projects and (if necessary) rezoning within 18 months | |
2.A | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 7.E]
To increase affordable housing opportunities, the City will develop and adopt a TDR
Ordinance, subject to clear applicability criteria and operations standards.
| Amend Zoning Ordinance; development of affordable housing
Facilitate TDR transactions to produce eight multi-family residential units by the end of the
planning period.
| June 2025 Quantified |
2.B | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Programs 7.F, 9.E, 9.F, 9.H, 10.A]
The City will continue to apply resale controls and income restrictions to ensure that affordable
housing provided through incentives, density bonus, General Plan amendments, re-zonings, and
conditional approvals remains affordable over time to the income groups for which it is intended.
Continue to fund administration of existing and future affordable housing developments/programs
including, as appropriate, through the services of an outside consultant for management of all or
some of the affordable housing contracts in Novato in order to ensure on-going affordability, and
continued implementation of resale and rental regulations for affordable housing units, including
for Special Needs populations, and assure that these units remain at an affordable price level for
the longest term possible.
| Continue to perform annual monitoring program of units with
covenants and require notification at sale. Continue 100 percent coverage of units covered
by management agreements. Conservation of 1,326 income-restricted rental and for sale
units.
Geographic Targeting: Owned and rented Below Market Rate (BMR) units Citywide.
| Ongoing Quantified |
2.C | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 14.A]
Continue to work toward the maintenance and development of local sources of funding to support
affordable housing, including:
• Continue accepting in-lieu fee payments as prescribed under inclusionary requirements
for residential development;
• Voluntary donations, grants, and matching funds;
• Land acquisition or donation and land banking; and,
• Work with special districts that serve Novato to provide reductions in connection fees for
deed-restricted affordable housing units.
• Identify and pursue funding focused on meeting the housing needs of ELI and Special
Needs households.
| Obtain a two percent annual average increase in the value of inlieu funds, or other local funding sources over the planning period. By 2031, contribute
local funding towards at least 135 BMR units and units for ELI and Special Needs
households.
Geographic Targeting: Prioritize all actions that help to achieve lower- and moderateincome housing units in RCAAs and High Resource neighborhoods.
| At least annually and Ongoing Quantified |
2.D | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 14.B]
To promote the development of affordable housing projects, and when requested by a project
sponsor, assist in securing funding for lower- and moderate-income housing developments
through one or more of the following actions:
• Apply for State and federal funding on behalf of a nonprofit, under a specific program to
construct affordable housing including persons with physical disabilities, developmental
disabilities, ELI, and other Special Needs populations.
• Provide financial incentives such as waiving City fees for 100 percent affordable housing
projects within the City of Novato.
• Provide funding to participate in a multi-jurisdictional housing finance program (such as a
Mortgage Revenue Bond or Mortgage Credit Certification Program).
• Seek matching grant funds to leverage the City’s affordable housing funds for specific
projects and programs (such as mortgage buy-downs, first time homebuyer, etc.).
| Obtain a two percent annual average increase in the value of
partner funding sources over the planning period. By 2031, contribute partner funding
towards at least 135 BMR units and units for Special Needs households.
Geographic Targeting: Prioritize all actions that help to achieve lower- and moderateincome housing units in RCAAs and High Resource neighborhoods.
| Investigate funding opportunities to secure funding with project sponsors to locate funding on at least an annual and ongoing basis. Obtain one percent of annual average increase of funding sources by June 2026, and obtain an additional one percent by June 2029. Quantified |
2.E | Pursuant to Chapter 727, Statues of 2004 (SB 1087), the City, upon completion of an amended
or adopted Housing Element, is responsible for immediately distributing a copy of the Housing
Element to area water and sewer providers. The legislation allows for coordination between the
City and water and sewer providers when considering approval of new residential projects. Water
and sewer providers must grant priority for service allocations to proposed developments that
include housing units affordable to lower-income households. Chapter 727 was enacted to
improve the effectiveness of the law in facilitating housing development for lower-income families
and workers. Additionally, City staff and elected officials will work with District staff and elected
officials to reduce fees for 100 percent lower-income housing projects.
| Priority for water and sewer service granted to lower-income housing units.
| Upon adoption of the 6th Cycle Housing Element |
2.F | Currently, the City has an unusually large number of residential units that are noted as being
vacant according to U.S. Census data. The City does not keep an inventory of vacant units. These
residential units represent a potential resource in addressing unmet housing needs in the
community. This program is aimed at identifying and incentivizing property owners to utilize or
redevelop vacant residential properties. The primary issues are determining criteria on what
constitutes a vacant site and determining a fee or assessment to deter owners from keeping
residential properties vacant. The City will contact property owners of vacant residential properties
to collect their insights on a new program focused on identifying and inventorying vacant
residential units and then find ways to incentivize utilizing and/or redeveloping these residential
units.
| Hold three meetings with property owners of residential vacant
properties. Adopt a program based on input from the meetings.
| June 2025 |
2.G | Continue to implement the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) and actively pursue
strategies to improve its effectiveness in producing affordable housing units in conjunction with
new development. The following actions will be undertaken by the City:
1. Study the following amendments to IHO and adopt such amendments provided they
are not found to be an undue constraint on the production of housing:
o Restructuring the City’s current IHO to remove different inclusionary rate
requirements by project size, and instead apply inclusionary requirements to all
projects beyond a certain project size threshold based on the number of units. For
example, exclude projects from the inclusionary requirement under 10 units, and
require all projects with 10 or more units to comply with the inclusionary
requirements. Restructuring the inclusionary ordinance this way may help simplify
the policy, which may help project applicants navigate and design projects that
comply with the policy. Restructuring the City’s current ordinance may also
improve the efficiency of testing the feasibility of the policy in the future.
o Reevaluating the feasibility of the City’s inclusionary requirements every three
years to ensure that the ordinance is not inhibiting housing production as market
conditions change over time. There has been no evidence that the current
inclusionary ordinance is preventing housing production.
o Updating the City’s inclusionary requirement on rental residential development
projects to be 15 percent with units made affordable to low-income households
o Updating the City’s inclusionary requirement on for-sale residential development
projects to be either 15 percent with units made affordable to moderate-income
households, or 12 percent inclusionary rate with half of the units made affordable
to moderate-income households and half made affordable to low-income
households.
2. Monitor the ongoing effectiveness of the IHO in producing new housing units on-site.
Monitoring will include a review of the extent to which developers are building on-site
affordable units versus using alternative methods of compliance, as allowed by State
law (AB 1505). The City will align its inclusionary program with the goal that a majority
of required inclusionary units over the course of the next eight years are either
provided on-site or constructed off-site at the same time as projects are constructed if
it is demonstrated that alternative methods are being disproportionately accessed. At
the mid-point of the Housing Element cycle, if it is determined that the Inclusionary
Zoning Ordinance is not meeting this goal, evaluate and modify the Ordinance so that
it can better achieve that objective, including consideration of additional incentives to
encourage units to be constructed. As part of the IHO review, conduct meetings with
developers to identify specific changes that may be considered by the City.
| Amend the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance and achieve higher
proportions and/or lower affordability levels of inclusionary units from projects approved
consistent with the amended Ordinance. Produce at least 225 BMR units as a result of
IHO requirements.
Geographic Targeting: Achieve lower- and moderate-income housing units in RCAAs
and High Resource neighborhoods. | Study the IHO (June 2024); amend the IHO based on study (June 2025); evaluate IHO (and modify, if needed) (June 2027) Quantified |
3.A | Currently, the Zoning Ordinance contains a provision in its Affordable Housing Requirements
ordinance that states affordable dwelling units that qualify a housing development for a density
bonus are in addition, and do not count toward satisfying the affordable housing requirements.
This provision is not in compliance with State Density Bonus law, specifically Government Code
Section 65915(o)(6), which requires that the “total units” used for the calculation of a density
bonus include units designated to satisfy a city’s inclusionary zoning requirements, which would
include units produced as a part of Novato’s affordable housing requirements.
| Modify Municipal Code to reference requirements of State law.
| August 2024 |
3.B | The City’s Hillside and Ridgeline Protection regulations (Zoning Ordinance Division 19.26) apply
special development standards to all parcels with an average slope of 10 percent or greater, even
when a proposed project does not intend to build on land that exceeds 10 percent slope. In
addition, certain definitions within the regulations are difficult to apply consistently among parcel
characteristics and need to be made more understandable and universally applicable. The City
will study and revise the Hillside and Ridgeline Protection regulations to reduce their ambiguity
and streamline their application to relevant parcels, considering the difference between gross site
area and the area of a site that would be available for development.
| Amend Zoning Ordinance Division 19.26 to not require a proposed
project that does not intend to build on land that exceeds 10 percent slope to adhere to
the City’s Hillside and Ridgeline Protection regulations Reduce average processing time
for residential development of hillside parcels.
| June 2025 Quantified |
3.C | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 3.A]
State law (e.g., Housing Accountability Act, SB 330, etc.) requires many local housing approval
decisions to be based on objective standards. To comply with State law, local jurisdictions must
ensure that their design and development standards do not require interpretation, are verifiable
according to external criteria, are knowable in advance, and provide a clear review and approval
process. Marin County and several cities and towns in Marin have collaborated on the
development of a toolkit for Objective Design and Development Standards (ODDS). Each of the
participating jurisdictions may customize the standards for their community and then officially
adopt them for local usage.
The City will undergo a study to develop objective design standards for multi-family housing.
Projects, with the intent of increasing density and development potential, reducing level of review,
and allowing multi-family projects by right, subject to the objective standards. Updates are
planned in two phases, first to amend current design guidelines, and second to amend the City
Code.
Streamlining the development of multi-family housing, paired with the City’s inclusionary housing
requirements, will stimulate the development of greater numbers of affordable/below market-rate
units, benefitting the Special Needs households identified in the Needs Assessment and heard
during the community outreach process.
| Reduce average processing time (from deemed complete) for both
design review and use permit applications by 10 percent from fourth quarter of 2023 to
fourth quarter 2025.
Geographic Targeting: As objective design standards will apply citywide, targeting will
apply throughout Novato, including High Resource single-family neighborhoods.
| Adopt standards from Marin County’s ODDS toolkit by October 2023. (Note: These standards were adopted by the City Council on September 26, 2023.) Demonstrate reduction of average processing time by December 2025. Quantified |
3.D | The City has adopted objective design standards for housing developments, including
community/residential care facilities. Additional Code amendments will follow to establish a single
review by the Design Review Commission to determine compliance with the objective standards
identified in Program 3.C. Code amendments will also be made to eliminate the Use Permit
process for mixed-use developments in commercial zones. Use Permits would apply only to the
commercial component that may or may not be a conditional use in the specific zone where a
project is located. Those commercial uses may or may not be known at the time of the
development proposal. If specific conditional uses are known, there will be concurrent processing
of design and land use approvals. If they are not known at the time, any required Use Permits for
the commercial uses may be processed anytime prior to initiation of operation of the use.
Additionally, the City will continue to hold training sessions with the Design Review Commission,
Planning Commission, and City staff regarding State law provisions (e.g., Housing Accountability
Act, SB 330, etc.) including limited purview, number of public meetings, and timeframes for project
reviews. Additional actions include:
• Amend the Zoning Ordinance and modify City procedures to streamline the review of
development proposals to require only one hearing to determine compliance with objective
design standards; and,
• Remove Use Permit requirements for mixed use developments in commercial zones.
| Reduce average processing time (from deemed complete) for both
design review and use permit applications by 10 percent from fourth quarter of 2023 to
fourth quarter 2025. Permit at least 450 multi-family units in the form of missing middle
townhomes and apartments units by-right during the planning period.
Geographic Targeting: As with objective design standards, streamlining of the design
review process will apply citywide. Targeting will apply throughout Novato, including High
Resource single-family neighborhoods.
| Fourth quarter of 2023 with subsequent biannual legal training sessions (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031). |
3.E | California Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) (Government Code Section 65913.41) became effective January
1, 2018. The intent of SB 35 is to expedite and facilitate construction of affordable housing. SB
35 requires cities and counties that have not made sufficient progress toward meeting their
affordable housing to streamline the review and approval of certain qualifying affordable housing
projects through a ministerial process.
The City complies with State requirements of SB 35 as part of project review when projects are
proposed. However, the City must also adopt local procedures consistent with SB 35, including
an application form, checklist, and written policy and/or project approval guidelines to specify the
SB 35 streamlining approval process and requirements for eligible projects as set forth in
Government Code Section 65913.4 and the HCD Updated Streamlined Ministerial Approval
Process Guidelines. The City will make these forms and guidelines available on the City’s website.
| Hold biannual SB 35 information sessions for developers and
interested community members during the planning period.
| Develop department application form, handouts, and checklists and provide on City’s website within one year of Housing Element adoption Quantified |
3.F | The City will evaluate applying the residential development tax, park dedication and in-lieu fee,
public facilities fees, and traffic impact fees on a per square foot basis rather than per unit to
facilitate the development of higher densities and smaller, more affordable housing units. Based
on this evaluation, the City will adjust these fees in accordance with the provisions of AB 602. The
City will also coordinate with the various special districts which provide essential services (i.e.,
school and utility districts) to do the same.
| To ensure new projects help pay for the cost of maintaining City services and
infrastructure and eliminate development constraints for housing.
Geographic Targeting: As impact fees are applied to new development citywide,
targeting will apply throughout Novato, including High Resource single-family
neighborhoods.
| Complete comprehensive fee evaluation first quarter of 2025; amend fees second quarter of 2025. |
3.G | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 3.B]
To further reduce the impacts of parking requirements on the production of housing, the City will
assess and update multi-family parking standards citywide to reduce the required number of
parking spaces for three-bed units to 2.0 spaces per unit and establish lower rates for studios and
one-bed units.
| Reduce parking requirements for multi-family units by modifying Code.
Geographic Targeting: Citywide, with benefits anticipated in higher-density residential
neighborhoods immediately outside Downtown.
| June 2026 |
3.H | [Adapted from 5th Cycle Program 6.C]
The City will amend the Zoning Ordinance to provide automatic incentives for transit-oriented
development when specific criteria are met. Criteria may include, but are not limited to, the
project’s distance from transit stops, unit affordability, and the integration of transit-oriented
amenities. Incentives may include, but are not limited to, reductions in required parking, off-site
parking alternatives, and transit impact fee reductions. Parking reductions should be coupled with
programs to prevent overflow parking or other impacts on city mobility and emergency vehicle
access, such as centralized structured parking, regulated on-street parking, residential parking
permits, transportation demand management, red curb parking restrictions on narrow or marginal
streets, or other strategies.
| Reduce constraints to transit-oriented housing development and
amend the Code to reduce parking for transit-oriented development, achieving the
development of at least 250 units within Transit Priority Areas (TPAs) during the planning
period.
Geographic Targeting: Those parts of Novato within Transit Priority Areas (TPAs) (i.e.,
within half mile of a High-Quality Transit Stop). This includes areas within this half mile
distance of the City’s three SMART rail stations.
| Amend the Zoning Ordinance by June 2025. Quantified |