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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HE-35. Housing Counseling Assistance | Provide housing counseling assistance to residents to help preserve homeownership and seek funding as needed. | The City HUD certified Housing Counseling Center provided individual non-delinquency post-purchase counseling to two (2) households to assist clients with options on continued affordability or refinance of existing mortgage debt and/or review of any applicable loan documents as well as provided housing counseling in financial management for these households. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-27 At-Risk Units (a) | Directory Maintenance: Maintain a directory of all below-market-rate units and when their regulatory restrictions expire. | The City maintains a directory of all below-market-rate units and when their regulatory restrictions expire. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (h) | Business License Requirement: Investigate implementation of a requirement that landlords complete training on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, other rent subsidy programs, fair housing, and reasonable accommodations in order to obtain or renew a business license. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-10 Infill Development (b) | Infrastructure Analysis: Conduct infrastructure analyses and targeted studies to understand existing capacity and conditions in infill areas to identify and prioritize improvements to support development. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (b) | Housing Choice Voucher Program Expansion: Apply for additional Housing Choice Vouchers as additional funding becomes available. | In 2023, the Vacaville Housing Authority applied for additional Family Unification Program Vouchers to assist families for whom the lack o fadequate housing is a primary factor in: 1) The imminent placement of the family’s child or children in out-of-home care, or the delay in the discharge of the child or children to the family from out-of-home care, and 2) Youth at least 18 years old and not more than 24 years old who left foster care at age 16 or older and who lack adequate housing. The Vacaville Housing Authority will continue to apply for additional Housing Choice Vouchers as opportunities become available. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (f) | Incentive Program: Increase voucher acceptance in high and moderate resource areas. Consider the feasibility of a landlord incentive program for landlords that accept voucher holding tenants. | In 2023, the Vacaville Housing Authority was approved to and developed a Landlord Incentive Program to increase voucher acceptance in high- and moderate- resource areas to increase opportunities for housing mobility. The program will launch in Spring 2024. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-40 Place-Based Community Conservation and Revitalization Strategies (a) | 2022 Capital Improvement Plan: Implement the place-based strategies contained in the 2022 Capital Improvement Plan including but not limited to Project 7, 20, and 12. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-9 Sites Included in Previous Cycles | Any non-vacant sites identified in the 5th cycle or vacant sites identified in two or more consecutive planning periods (capacity of 301 new housing units - 290 for lower-income, 11 for moderate-income) shall be provided by-right development when at least 20 percent of the units in the proposed development are affordable to lower-income households. | On July 25, 2023 City Council Approved Ordinance No. 1984 Implementing Housing Element Programs HE-9, HE-15, HE-18a, and HE-18b; adopting the newly created Residential High Density Limited Zoning District; and Amending Title 14 of the Vacaville Municiple Code by change of zoning map for various affected properties throughout the City of Vacaville and by change of Land Use and Development Code text to division 14.02 entitled interpretations and definitions, division 14.05 entitled planned growth, and division 14.09 entitled zoning. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (c) | Homeownership Program Implementation: Implement the Section 8 Homeownership Program and maintain the 1,392 vouchers currently allocated to the Housing Authority. | The Vacaville Housing Authority continued to implement the Section 8 Homeownership Program and maintained the 1,392 vouchers currently allocated to the Housing Authority. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-30 Emergency Housing (a) | Funding: Provide approximately $100,000 per year for other emergency housing related programs and activities through the Vacaville Family Resource Center. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (d) | Referral Services: Provide referral services and information to residents on programs. | The Vacaville Housing Authority continued to provide referral services and information to residents on programs ensuring that all information was offered digitally and physically and in languages as appropriate per the Housing Authority Language Assistance Plan. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (e) | Coordination: Coordinate with community-based organizations to reach qualified households. | The Vacaville Housing Authority continued to coordinate with community-based organizations that serve Vacaville’s’ special needs populations to reach households that would qualify for housing choice voucher programs. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-3 Variety of Housing Types (a) | Missing Middle Incentives: Publicize incentives for Missing Middle development. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-11 Streamlining Housing (b) | Priority for Special Needs and Residential Care Facilities: Allow for reduced processing time and streamlined procedures for special needs housing and residential care facilities land use applications. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-31. Homelessness Continuum of Care | Participate on the Community Action Partnership of Solano, Joint Powers Authority (CAP Solano JPA) | The City continued to participate in the role of Board Member and Fiscal Agent/Program Administrator with CAP Solano, JPA and oversee the Homelessness Continuum of Care. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-33 Housing Choice Voucher Program (a) | Housing Choice Voucher Program Implementation: Operate the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program and other rent subsidy program. | The Vacaville Housing Authority continued to implement the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-36 Educational Opportunities (a) | Application Support: Support applications by Vacaville Unified School District or individual schools to secure grant funding for teacher recruitment and retention bonuses, classroom materials, and other incentives. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-7 Emergency Shelters (a) | Emergency Shelter Operations: Activate and operate emergency shelters during extreme weather and catastrophic events. | The City began operating an emergency center during extreme weather beginning in November 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-10 Infill Development (d) | DTSP Implementation: Implement the DTSP and promote use of DTSP's residential prototypes. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | HE-11 Streamlining Housing (a) | Streamlining for Affordable Housing: Review proposed development and streamline the process for affordable housing. | No update in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |