Housing Policies

There are 56 policies and implementing actions in the housing chapter of the North Fair Oaks Community Plan. Of these, 23 have been completed, five have been initiated and partially completed, sixteen are ongoing and twelve have not yet been initiated. Seventy-nine percent of the policies and implementing actions in the housing chapter of the Plan have been completed, initiated and partially completed or are ongoing and 21% have not been initiated.

Click on the plus (+) symbol to expand each policy and its completion status. Priority goals or policies are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦).

Completed

23

Initiated and Partially Completed

5

Ongoing

16

Not Initiated

12

    • Policy 1A.1: Work with housing developers to identify sites with the potential to accommodate affordable housing. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1A.2: Identify and map all sites that are potentially appropriate for housing development and make parcel-specific information publicly available to developers and other members of the public on request. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1D.3: Modify minimum lot size requirements for multifamily attached ownership housing projects, and/or adopt waivers or exceptions to minimum lot size requirements for these projects separate from the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1D.4: Establish allowed or required densities of housing in designated areas that ensure that housing is built to sufficient densities to significantly increase overall housing supply, provide for a variety of housing options, and provide inclusionary affordable housing. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1D.5: Encourage legal accessory dwelling units (“second units” or “in-law units”) by streamlining approvals, adopting appropriate parking requirements, creating and making available pre-approved, neighborhood-specific architectural designs for accessory units, by promoting accessory dwelling units as an encouraged and facilitated form of residential development in North Fair Oaks, and by promoting the fact that the County will assist, facilitate, and streamline approval of accessory units to the maximum possible extent. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1F: In the case of conflicting or unclear regulations or policies, and in the course of discretionary approvals, interpret zoning, land use, and other policies and regulations in a manner that prioritizes creation of new residential uses, particularly affordable and special needs housing, and that discourages reduction of affordable housing stock, including demolition or conversion of residential uses. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2A.1: Implement the land use and zoning regulations incorporated in Chapter 2, Land Use Designations, increasing permitted residential densities in appropriate areas, encouraging and facilitating mixed-use development, and expanding areas in which residential uses are allowed. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2A.5: Modify minimum lot size requirements for multifamily attached ownership housing projects, and/or adopt waivers or exceptions to minimum lot size requirements for these projects separate from the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2B.1: Encourage legal accessory dwelling units (“second units” or “in-law units”) by streamlining approvals, adopting appropriate parking requirements, creating and making available pre-approved, neighborhood-specific architectural designs for accessory units, by promoting accessory dwelling units as an encouraged and facilitated form of residential development in North Fair Oaks, and by promoting the fact that the County will assist, facilitate, and streamline approval of accessory units to the maximum possible extent. Status: Complete

    • Policy 3A.2: Publicize the Department of Housing’s rehabilitation loan programs for multifamily units serving low-income tenants and single-family homes occupied by low-income owners and provide targeted publicity and outreach in English and Spanish to North Fair Oaks. Status: Complete

    • Policy 3A.2: Publicize the Department of Housing’s rehabilitation loan programs for multifamily units serving low-income tenants and single-family homes occupied by low-income owners and provide targeted publicity and outreach in English and Spanish to North Fair Oaks. Status: Complete

    • Policy 3B.1: Adopt a program to undertake periodic external and internal residential building code inspections for multifamily rental properties. Status: Complete

    • Policy 4D.2: Disallow stand-alone parking lots and structures in high-density and multifamily residential neighborhoods. Prohibit conversion of residential uses to parking and make stand-alone parking a conditional use in higher density and multifamily residential neighborhoods. Status: Complete

    • Policy 4D.4: Prohibit conversion of single-family residential districts to non-residential zoning, except in limited cases where such conversion provides overriding community benefit such as projects to develop parks, recreational uses, community centers, job training centers, childcare, and other entirely nonprofit, wholly community benefiting uses, to be determined and approved only on a discretionary, project-by-project basis. Status: Complete

    • Policy 4D.5: Discourage rezoning of residential districts to non-residential uses, except in cases of mixed-use projects or mixed-use zoning that will provide sufficient replacement of existing residential use; projects that will provide one-for-one replacement of residential uses in other appropriate areas of the community; or, in limited cases, projects that exclusively provide public and community benefit, such as community centers, job training centers, health clinics, childcare, and similar nonprofit uses. Status: Complete

    • Policy 4D.6: Prohibit and/or discourage residential demolitions, particularly multifamily residential demolitions, except in cases where the applicant/developer has committed to full replacement of residential uses on-site or in other parts of the community or the applicant/developer has committed to provision of another acceptable community benefit, as described above. Status: Complete

    • Policy 4D.7: Disallow rezoning of residential properties that formerly contained active residential uses that have been demolished or that are unoccupied. In reviewing applications for rezoning, consider these properties as though they contain active residential uses, and only allow rezoning consistent with ongoing residential uses, or in cases of overriding community benefit, as described above. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5A.1: Encourage developers to include large family units in multifamily rental and ownership housing projects. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5A.3: Prioritize County assistance to proposed affordable housing projects that include large units and special needs units. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5B.1: Encourage construction of new accessory dwelling units by streamlining approvals, adopting parking requirements appropriate for second units, preparing and providing pre-approved architectural designs and design guidelines, and by publicizing accessory dwelling units as a type of housing that is encouraged and facilitated in North Fair Oaks. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5B.2: Provide rehabilitation assistance for accessory dwelling units in need of repair and upgrade. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5B.3: Explore a code compliance amnesty program for illegally constructed and non-coded-compliant accessory dwelling units, coupled with provision of rehabilitation assistance, to legalize illegal and non-compliant accessory dwelling units. Status: Complete

    • Policy 7A.1: Modify permitted development densities appropriately to facilitate additional housing near transit in designated areas, as described in Chapter 2, Land Use Designations. Status: Complete

    • Policy 7A.2: Reduce parking requirements for all types of development that demonstrate sufficient access to public transit. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1D.1: Continue to implement the County’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and continue to refine its implementation to address changing legal and market conditions. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 2A.2: Permit “by-right” residential or residential mixed-use development in Multifamily Residential and Neighborhood Mixed-Use zones, as indicated in Chapter 2, Land Use Designations, and establish minimum densities of 30 dwelling units/acre for residential-only developments in the Commercial Mixed-Use zone. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 6A.2: Explore allowing various kinds of special needs housing, including transitional housing, “by right” on sites with appropriate densities in North Fair Oaks. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 6C.2: Promote programs that provide accessibility modifications (such as ramps, grab-bars in tubs/showers, and other modifications) for seniors and others needing such modifications in their home. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 8A.1: Explore permitting transitional and/or permanent supportive housing by right on sites identified for multifamily housing in North Fair Oaks. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 1B: Provide technical and financial support to affordable housing developers, including funding, information on available housing sites, information on regulatory requirements, information on other resources available, and other support needed to facilitate successful development of affordable housing. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 1C: Require and promote affordable housing as a community benefit provided in exchange for development bonuses and exemptions, such as building height in excess of normally permitted maximum height, development density in excess of maximum density, lot coverage in excess of allowed coverage, or other exceptions or bonuses. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 1D.2: Implement parking reductions appropriate for the actual parking needs of new projects and encourage “unbundling” of parking spaces in new rental developments, allowing tenants to pay for parking only if they need it. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 1E.2: Continue to work with appropriate agencies to provide low-cost loans, grants and other resources to low- and moderate-income homebuyers in North Fair Oaks. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 2A.4: Implement parking reductions appropriate for the actual parking needs of new projects and encourage “unbundling” of parking spaces in new rental developments, allowing tenants to pay for parking only if they need it. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 3A.1: Provide owners of rental property that serves low-income residents with assistance in code compliance, to help preserve the area’s stock of existing unregulated affordable housing. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 3B.2: Provide the North Fair Oaks community with readily available information on ways to pursue code compliance, code enforcement, and health and safety complaints, and ensure that complaints are investigated and resolved expeditiously. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 3C.1: Expand and target County efforts to encourage North Fair Oaks residential property owners to use various residential energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization programs provided by the County and other sources. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4A.1: Work with government and nonprofit agencies to promote foreclosure prevention measures such as expanded homeowner education and consumer credit counseling for individuals and families. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4A.2: Expand outreach and information to local residents and community groups about available local, state or federal homeownership assistance programs. These resources should be provided in English, Spanish, and other languages as needed to meet the needs of local residents. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4A.3: Provide residents with information and resources on ways to obtain assistance in preventing evictions, including information on fair housing organizations, tenant assistance organizations, and other resources. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4A.4: Provide information to residents who have been displaced from housing or are at immediate risk of displacement on available services and resources to assist with provision of temporary housing, alternative permanent housing, affordable housing resources, financial resources, relocation assistance, and other options for displaced residents. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4B.3: Monitor the risk of conversion of long-term restricted affordable housing to market-rate housing, and if units are at risk of conversion, help preserve the units by providing resources and assistance, including partnership with nonprofit organizations, assistance to existing tenants, financial assistance, and other appropriate strategies. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4C.1: Work with nonprofit partners to implement a shared housing program in North Fair Oaks targeted to senior homeowners and other homeowners at-risk of losing their homes to help match at-risk homeowners with appropriate lower-income renters in need of affordable housing options. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 6A.1: In provision of funding and other assistance, continue to give high priority to affordable and supportive housing that serves special needs populations. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 8A.3: Continue to provide financial and other assistance to homeless service providers in North Fair Oaks. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 1E.1: Provide funding assistance to housing projects that create long-term affordable homeownership housing. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 2A.3: In designated areas, as described in the Chapter 2, Land Use Designations, offer development incentives, bonuses and/or exemptions such as building height in excess of maximum baseline permitted height, allowed density in excess of maximum baseline density, and other exemptions in exchange for provision of community benefits such as provision of affordable units in excess of units required by the Inclusionary Ordinance, provision of large family units, public amenities such as recreational and open space, or other community benefits. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 3A.3: Pursue funding to: conduct a focused inventory of apartment buildings in North Fair Oaks that are at seismic risk and create a strategy to assist at-risk structures with seismic upgrades. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 4B.1: Inventory all affordable housing stock in North Fair Oaks that is required to remain affordable on a long-term basis due to deed restrictions or other agreements. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 4B.2: Monitor the inventory of long-term restricted affordable housing on an ongoing basis and ensure that all such housing continues to meet the terms of affordability agreements. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 4D.1: Encourage, at minimum, one-for-one replacement of residential uses in cases of demolition or redevelopment of existing uses. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 4D.3: For new uses that result in reduction of overall housing in the community, require mitigation in the form of one-for-one replacement on-site or off-site in other parts of the community. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5A.2: Promote or, where appropriate, require a minimum percentage of larger units (two or more bedrooms) in new rental and ownership housing created with County assistance or created under the County Density Bonus ordinance, Inclusionary Housing ordinance, or other County regulations that require provision of affordable or special needs housing. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5C: Reduce parking requirements for expansions of existing single-family residential uses, consistent with the parking standards incorporated in Chapter 3, Circulation and Parking, in order to facilitate additional residential capacity in existing residential properties. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 6B: Encourage cooperative or co-housing development (multiunit developments with some shared facilities, such as cooking facilities, common facilities and others), through flexibility in subdivision design, flexibility in lot coverage standards, and other incentives and streamlining. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 6C.1: Promote and/or require universal design (design that is accessible to a wide range of users with different levels of ability) standards in all new construction projects in North Fair Oaks. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 8A.2: Work with affordable housing developers to identify sites near transit that would be suitable for transitional and/or permanent supportive housing. Status: Not Initiated