San Luis Obispo needs more housing, of all types, for all income ranges, to support our residents and our economy. There is not enough housing for any income level – the majority of our workforce commutes from other cities, renters are being priced out of their homes and there aren’t enough units being built to keep up with demand. It hurts our economy, our environment and the fabric of our community.
An update to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is on the July 19 SLO City Council meeting agenda, and we are asking you to join the Chamber in advocating for a more holistic approach to this policy that will better serve the future of San Luis Obispo.
Background:
To address our housing crisis, we need to consider the entire housing ecosystem when policy is being developed. This update to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is an opportunity to get needed housing of all kinds built, not just secure a fixed number of deed-restricted Affordable units.
The proposed updates have a number of improvements that will help achieve these goals including:
- The shift to one standard citywide approach.
- Creating a pathway for projects that work within the State Density Bonus Law.
- Including all homes, not just multi-unit developments, in the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
- Reasonable inclusionary requirement on for-rent projects.
But, there are also elements of this ordinance that, if not amended, will result in a failure to meet the goal of creating more housing of all types, including Affordable Housing.
What’s next:
For the last few months, the Chamber’s Inclusionary Housing Task Force has been deep in the details of the proposal and has developed a suite of recommendations that would ensure the City is making the most of this opportunity to address the housing crisis. The recommendations are intricate, but include:
- Incentivizing smaller units so that this policy does not result in the production of only Affordable and luxury housing with nothing in between.
- Supporting Affordable Housing developers with a tiered, not flat fee structure.
- Providing design and placement flexibility to get more Affordable Housing built.
- Identifying additional funding sources for Affordable Housing, not just new construction.
A healthy community requires stairsteps in housing affordability, a variety of housing types, sizes and models that allow residents to move along the spectrum as their circumstances change. If implemented as is, the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance will result in a few lucky winners of the affordable housing lottery, and an abundance of luxury units for the wealthy, and nothing in between.
What we’re asking you to do:
The Inclusionary Housing Ordinance will be on the SLO City Council meeting agenda this Tuesday, July 19 at 5:30 p.m. This is where you come in. Email City Council members before July 19. Show up at City Hall on Tuesday to advocate for better housing policy. Share this information with your co-workers, friends and family members and get them on board.
You don’t need to be an expert – caring about our economy, our environment and our community qualifies you to be part of this discussion and to share your concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Read our Inclusionary Housing Ordinance FAQs and learn more about Affordable Housing.