Housing policies and programs 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.
Local housing policies and 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 policies or 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. Policies and programs listed here from jurisdictions’ Housing Elements are intended to allow readers to review the text themselves and see if a city or county is doing all they can to reach their affordable housing goals.
To further policy innovation and local action, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) contacted all of the region's jurisdictions to track the adoption of key housing policies throughout the nine county Bay Area in four major categories Protect, Preserve, Produce, and Prevent. This data is from ABAG’s Policies and Program list and was last updated in 2018/2019.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development tracks all of the ongoing and completed programs from 2018 onward and can be seen in the table below.
YEAR | PROGRAM NAME | PROGRAM OBJECTIVE | STATUS | ACCOMPLISHED DATE | HOUSING CYCLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.H.1 | Continue to use PUD zoning to offer greater housing choice for residents and greater flexibility for developers than in conventional zone districts. The PUD Zone enables developers to provide a great range of housing units that can accommodate a variety of needs. | The City has continued to emphasize the benefits of PUD Zoning and again used it on for a development project in 2020 (Lawler Mixed Use). | 2015-2023. Consider using PUD zoning where appropriate and as projects are submitted to the Development Services Department. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.E.1 | Provide financial incentives to make construction of affordable housing for extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households economically feasible by applying for state and federal subsidies. | This program is ongoing. The City will continue to seek opportunities to apply for available funding. | Apply for additional funding as Notices of Funding Available (NOFAs) are released by the state. The City will post the Housing Element on the City's website as soon as it is adopted and contact affordable housing developers annually to providethem with a list of vacant and underutilized sites for the development of affordable housing (also see Program 1.C.1). | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.C.1 | Annually review and update the City's inventory of properties that are suitable for redevelopment/reuse and continue to identify the potential number of additional dwelling units on such sites based on the age, condition, and density of existing land uses in relation to zoning or specific plan requirements. The City will continueto make the inventory available to interested residential developers via the City's website and through predevelopment meetings. | The Housing Element has been posted on the City's website and the City will continue to engage affordable housing developers. The City has developed a list of affordable housing developers for reference. | Post the Housing Element on the City's website as soon as it is adopted (January 2015) and contact affordable housing developers annually to provide them with a list of vacant and underutilized sites for the development of affordable housing (also see Program 1.E.1). | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.C.2 | Continue to provide regulatory and financial incentives to increase the probability that residences will be constructed in commercial zones, either as single use projects or in mixed-use developments, particularly within the Waterfront District Specific Plan. | This program is ongoing. | The City will continue to work with developers to provide regulatory incentives including fee deferments and flexible developments standards as projects are submitted to the Development Services Department. The City will assist developers with securing additional financing as projects are submitted to the Development Services Department and funds are available. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.F.2 | Continue to allow construction of duplexes on corner lots and other flexible housing designs according to City Design Guidelines. | This program is ongoing, but the City has not yet had an opportunity to implement. | 2015-2023, as projects are received through the Development Services Department. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.I.1 | As required by state law (Government Code Section 65400), annually review and evaluate the City's progress in meeting Housing Element objectives and prepare a report to the City Council on annual achievements… | The City has continued to report annually on the Housing Element. The adopted element has been provided to the Solano Irrigation District (SID) and Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District (FSSD). | Submit annual reports starting April 2015, and annually thereafter. The City will submit its adopted Housing Element to local an water proividers upon adoption of this Housing Element. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.F.1 | Continue to implement the second dwelling unit ordinance that follows the requirements of state law (Government Code Section 65852.1) in allowing second dwelling units on any residential lot subject to ministerial review. | The City updated its Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance to come into compliance with state law in 2020. | The City will amend the Zoning Ordinance to include the state law language that was passed in 2005 which removed discretionary review. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 2.B.1 | The Suisun City Housing Authority will continue to seek additional Section 8 vouchers for its very low-income residents to reduce the number of such households paying more than 30 percent of their incomes for housing expenses when funding for additional vouchers becomes available and the Authority is able to apply for such funding. | This program is ongoing and the Housing Authority will continue to seek additional vouchers. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.E.2 | Continue to seek interested nonprofit housing sponsors/developers to make use of available financing techniques for affordable housing projects for extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate income households. The City will identify for-profit and nonprofit housing developers interested in developing affordable housing in Suisun City. | Staff will continue reaching out to developers regarding this program. | Develop a list of for-profit and nonprofit housing developers by July 2015 and contact, annually or as funding for sites, potential projects, and funding is available. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.B.1 | As part of the process of assessing a proposed residential development, evaluate the potential to incorporate other uses within the project or in conjunction with the project, including but not limited to project-serving retail, job centers, or services such as child care. | This program is ongoing and many of the concepts of the program have been incorporated into the various mixed use zoning districts the City offers. | Ongoing. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.D.1 | Review and adopt, as appropriate, a program requiring developers of residential development to either: (a) provide a percentage of their units at a below-market rent or prices; (b) pay a fee; (c.) propose alternative measures to meet their affordable housing requirements determined by an ordinance that will be drafted. | This program is ongoing. Staff is working on addressing this program. | The City will review and adopt, as appropriate, an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance within one year of adoption of Housing Element. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.G.1 | Evaluate development proposals based on development standards, the distinctiveness of design, and compatibility with existing residential development in the vicinity of the proposal. The City will evaluate the compatibility with the physical and environmental characteristics of the area in which a development proposal is to be located, and by using the specific plan and planned unit development processes, the City will encourage the distinctiveness of new residential neighborhoods. | This program is ongoing. | 2015-2023, as projects are received through the Development Services Department. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1.E.3 | Annually meet with representatives of Solano County, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, and/or other jurisdictions to determine interest in, and feasibility of, applying for a mortgage revenue bond or mortgage certification allocation. | The City will again reach out to the other communities to discuss opportunities. | Annually meet representatives from the County and representatives from the other cities in the county to discuss interest in applying for mortgage revenues bonds or mortage credit certificates. If feasible, apply for the first allocation in 2016. If the program is successful, the City will apply for the second allocation in 2017. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | Continue to check building plans for compliance with state energy conservation standards for new residential buildings. | The City will continue to comply with applicable codes and regulations. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | Continue to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for accessibility and adaptability of new residential buildings to meet the needs of mobility-impaired persons. | This program is ongoing. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | Assist nonprofit housing corporations seeking to acquire and maintain privately owned, government-subsidized housing developments that could convert to market-rate housing under state or federal loan agreements. Acquisition will be negotiated sale. Note: At present, there are three "at-risk" assisted rental housing projects in Suisun City. | This program is ongoing. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | Substantial energy conservation and reduced utility payments can be realized from weatherizing and insulating older dwelling units. Many low-income homeowners, and owners of rental units whose occupants are low-income, lack the financial resources to undertake such home improvements. | The City will continue to assist in facilitating this program. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | The City will encourage affordable rental housing developments for low- and moderate-income households to contain an appropriate percentage of three- and four-bedroom units. | This program is ongoing. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | The state energy conservation requirements address energy conservation in the construction of dwelling units. Additional energy conservation can be obtained from development patterns that encourage conservation. The City will continue to implement design guidelines for site development that encourage energy conservation. | This program is ongoing. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | 1999-12-30 00:00:00 | Cooperate with, and provide assistance to, organizations seeking to develop or convert residential buildings for use as group homes for persons with disabilities that prevent them from using conventionally designed housing. | This program is ongoing, but City has not yet had a chance to implement program. | Identify locations within the City by December 2015. Apply for funding, as developments are proposed. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |