These conditions contribute to your community’s housing needs.
The diversity index is developed by our partners at National Equity Atlas and defined as follows:
The diversity index measures the representation of six major racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Mixed/other race) in the population. The maximum diversity score (1.79) would occur if each group were evenly represented in the region.
Though the Bay Area has historically been one of the most diverse regions in the country, the Black and Native American populations have been steadily declining because of displacement.
Read more about how the lack of affordable housing affects your community - through the racial and economic lens of your community’s residents.
For most Californians, especially in the Bay Area, the largest share of their monthly income goes to housing. Those who contribute more than 30% of their gross income on housing are considered “rent burdened” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. And those who pay more than 50% of their gross income on housing are considered “Severely Rent Burdened”.
Nearly half of all Bay Area renters are rent-burdened, and 60% of Black and 55% of Latino renters are rent-burdened. Because so much of our rent-burdened neighbors’ gross income goes towards paying rent, that leaves less room for paying for other goods and services like warm clothes and nightly dinners. Lowering the amount a household pays for housing increases the budget for other essential needs, which will eventually lead to saving money overall and potentially building wealth.
Every city and county is required by law to plan for local housing needs for every level of affordability every decade according to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The progress towards meeting these housing goals can be tracked over time by measuring the number of housing permits issued by local cities and counties.
The number of permits your city issued determines whether it can meet its housing goals. Is your city planning for housing for every new job created, every baby born, or every existing worker who is commuting from out of town and wants to live closer to their job? Moreover, cities need to plan for homes at all affordability levels. While many cities across the Bay Area are on their way to meeting their goals for above moderate-income housing, they are severely lagging on issuing permits for very low- and low-income housing.
Housing policies are the strategies and laws 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.
The list above is not an exhaustive list of all possible policies, but is a list of the most commonly agreed-upon policies that have a proven track record of creating impact that multiple cities and counties throughout the Bay Area have enacted. The list is provided by the regional agency that monitors the enactment of housing policies, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
Learn more about all the policies listed
Local housing policies, as part of a city’s implementation of their Housing Element, has significant impact on the development and preservation of affordable housing and protections for a community’s renters. Each additional housing policy enacted has an exponential impact on the residents who are most in need of affordable housing opportunities. The more housing policies a city or county passes, the more likely they are addressing local housing needs. Conversely, the less housing policies a city or county passes, the more influence it needs from affordable housing advocacy to improve.
Right now, we have a once-in-a-decade chance to address current housing crisis, invest in our communities, and create better housing options for all. Getting involved now is the only way to ensure that your city includes the priorities in their local housing plan that will build the future your community deserves.
If you enjoy these Housing Readiness Report resources or want to let us know what you think,
The planning process for addressing housing needs in your community starts with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) determining how many homes should be planned locally to meet housing needs (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) and ends with your local elected officials passing a Final Housing Element.
There are various points throughout the planning process where you can make your voice heard and influence the plan. Please see the Housing Element Timeline and how you can get involved below.
Get ready to attend your local City Council or Board of Supervisor hearings – either virtually or in-person – by utilizing the advocacy and public messaging tools available here.
Whether you have 5 minutes, an hour or more, there are a number of ways for you to address your community’s housing needs.
These conditions contribute to your community’s housing needs.
The diversity index is developed by our partners at National Equity Atlas and defined as follows:
The diversity index measures the representation of six major racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Mixed/other race) in the population. The maximum diversity score (1.79) would occur if each group were evenly represented in the region.
Though the Bay Area has historically been one of the most diverse regions in the country, the Black and Native American populations have been steadily declining because of displacement.
Read more about how the lack of affordable housing affects your community - through the racial and economic lens of your community’s residents.
For most Californians, especially in the Bay Area, the largest share of their monthly income goes to housing. Those who contribute more than 30% of their gross income on housing are considered “rent burdened” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. And those who pay more than 50% of their gross income on housing are considered “Severely Rent Burdened”.
Nearly half of all Bay Area renters are rent-burdened, and 60% of Black and 55% of Latino renters are rent-burdened. Because so much of our rent-burdened neighbors’ gross income goes towards paying rent, that leaves less room for paying for other goods and services like warm clothes and nightly dinners. Lowering the amount a household pays for housing increases the budget for other essential needs, which will eventually lead to saving money overall and potentially building wealth.