Opportunities for Streamlining Affordable and Attainable Housing

Project Contacts: 

By-Right Housing & ADU Ownership: Enrique Flores 
 Small Lot Subdivisions & Senior Housing: Sara Thornburgh

PDS.LongRangePlanning@sdcounty.ca.gov | (858) 505-6677
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Overview

The goal of the program is to provide opportunities for streamlining affordable and attainable housing through items that were directed during the adoption of the Housing Element in 2021, in addition to new items directed by the Board of Supervisors related to these efforts.

This program focuses on affordable housing and attainable housing. Affordable housing applies to housing where no more than 30% of household income is spent on housing. Attainable housing is applicable to segments of the population who do not qualify for affordable housing but still face high market-rate housing costs.

Based on best practice research and community engagement, projects within this program focus on providing homeownership pathways, housing for vulnerable populations, and streamlining the approval process for affordable and attainable housing under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).

ADU Ownership

The ability to sell ADUs separately from the primary residence on the same lot is a concept made possible through Assembly Bill 1033. AB 1033 is an opt-in legislation, meaning that the County can choose to develop a local ordinance that allows for the sale of ADUs as condominiums. Currently, the separate sale of ADUs is not permitted in the County; this ordinance could create a clear legal pathway for such sales.

This concept creates new pathways to homeownership by increasing the supply of smaller units available for sale within existing neighborhoods. These units are more likely to be offered at more attainable price points, therefore increasing access to housing for individuals and families across a range of income levels. This option may help reduce displacement and allow families the option to downsize by moving into the ADU and selling the primary home.  Providing opportunities to downsize could also help Seniors to remain in their communities, and age in place, while accessing the market sale value of a portion of their own property.

Staff is seeking feedback on whether to adopt the legislation and whether to include local criteria unique to the unincorporated County. Public input will be used to refine any local criteria that will be provided to the Board for consideration.

To stay informed of future Public Hearings related to this project, please subscribe here. For more information, please see the ADU Zoning Ordinance Amendment website.

Small Lot Subdivisions

Small lot subdivision allows for the development of smaller lot single family homes. The program does not change a site’s density or zoning, rather it provides more options to build housing at affordable price points. The units can be attached or detached, share a common driveway, and allow for reduced setbacks or parking. Small Lot Developments provide first-time buyers the opportunity to access affordable housing within higher price real estate markets.

The County currently does not have an ordinance to allow for small lot development. Applicants are required to obtain approval of a Major Use Permit for a Planned Development subdivision for reductions for lot size, setbacks, Flood Area Ratio, and other developments standards. Recent State laws allow for small lot housing developments in certain parts of the County. For more information on these laws, information about SB 684 and AB 803 is available on Housing Laws in Action. For more information about this project, please see the Senior and Starter Homes website.

Senior Housing and Assisted Living Facilities

Senior housing is a broad term that means any type of living facility for people who have reached the age of retirement. The County zoning ordinance defines a senior citizen as someone 62 years or older. For mobile homes, the zoning ordinance cites the California Civil Code, which lists a “senior homeowner” as someone 55 years or older.  

Assisted living is a facility where older adults live to receive help with the daily tasks of living such as eating, using the restroom, getting dressed, and taking a shower.

The County’s existing Density Bonus Program has an existing Affordable Senior Housing component. This program provides up to a 50% density bonus along with reduced parking requirements; however, very few projects take advantage of the program. There is no current program for assisted living. 

The program objective is to remove existing barriers to allow for more senior & assisted living housing facilities or provide additional incentives to encourage use of the existing program. The desired outcome would be to increase the provision of more affordable and accessible housing for older adults. As part of our initial project steps, we are identifying potential issues through conducting a risk assessment. We will be looking identifying options for project size, incentives, and concessions, and developing new programs. For more information about this project, please see the  Senior and Starter Homes  website.

County By-Right Program

By-Right programs create a process that involves no discretionary review or hearings to obtain project approval. Under a By-Right process a building permit can be issued if the project meets all objective zoning and design standards in effect at the time the application is submitted. The advantage of this process is that it provides more certainty for the community because projects must meet clear and objective standards to be eligible for the program. For developers, By-Right programs offer a predictable process that makes it easier to start a project and reduce the time and costs associated with project reviews and permit processing.  

The County By-Right program would provide an opportunity for the County to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals. RHNA is a process where local governments are given a minimum number of new homes to plan for. This allocation covers all income levels, and the County needs to incorporate this minimum number into its Housing Element – a part of its overall housing plan. RHNA sites are identified by considering zoning regulations, environmental considerations, and community input. The County’s Housing Element identified a total of 236 RHNA sites. The objective of this Board directed effort is to identify options for expanding the by-right program to all RHNA sites as well as mixed-use and commercial sites to determine if these locations can be eligible for streamlined ministerial process.  

Background

On July 14th, 2021, the County's Housing Element was adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board). During this hearing, the Board directed staff to explore the feasibility of developing three additional housing programs, including:

  • Exploring the feasibility of developing a Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance. 
  • Exploring the feasibility of developing a program that would facilitate/remove barriers to senior and assisted living housing development. 
  • Exploring the feasibility of expanding the by-right approval program for all sites within the Housing Element Site Inventory, and mixed use and commercial sites, if the developers agree to provide at least 20% affordable housing. 

For each of these efforts, the Board directed staff to identify program options, funding, and resource needs. 

Board Direction

On October 9, 2024, the Board of Supervisors received the materials for the Opportunities for Streamlining Affordable and Attainable Housing and directed staff to proceed with all the recommendations provided to develop the following:

  • Small Lot Subdivision Program
  • Senior Housing and Assisted Living Facility Program
  • Expanded By-Right Program
  • Development of a local Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Ownership Opportunities Program

Please see the Minute Order for more information.

Past Meetings

Previous Board of Supervisors Hearings