Understanding Housing Brochure 2019-0912.Xps

UNDERSTANDING HOUSING IN VACAVILLE

Community Development Department City of Vacaville, September 2019

What is housing?

Vacaville is a great place to call home. Residents want safe, func- tional and aﬀordable places to live. Home may be an apartment, a townhome, a single-family dwelling, a manufactured home, or other housing.

As our lives progress through various phases, so do our housing needs. A young single person may want an apartment to rent. A couple may look for a townhome or duplex. A single-family home with a yard may be ideal for a household with children. Empty nesters may be looking to downsize to a smaller home with less yard. An apartment may be ideal for a senior needing less mainte- nance obligations.

Home is where you hang your hat.

With careful planning, Vacaville can be home for people in every phase of life.

Understanding Housing in Vacaville

Why housing is important

In addition to fulfilling residents basic need for shelter, having a balanced mix of housing available brings other benefits to the “Strive to maintain a reasonable community: balance between employment income levels and housing costs • Economic Development. A solid housing stock is critical within the city, recognizing the to attracting businesses that help the local economy. Com- importance of housing choice and panies will only locate, remain and invest in Vacaville if their affordability to economic employees can find a good place to live. development in the city.”

• Shorter commutes reduce traﬃc. Having housing close Vacaville General Plan Policy LU-P4.2 to where people work reduces vehicle miles traveled and enhances“Home quality is whereof life.

• Wellyou-being. hang Housing your hat.” contributes to the well-being of children, parents and individuals.

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Housing Types

Vacaville’s General Plan encourages development of a range of housing types. Diﬀerent housing types are needed to meet the needs of households in various stages of life.

Apartment Condominium An apartment is a dwell- A condominium is an ing unit in a building that apartment where each unit has three or more units. can be owned individually. Apartments are typically rented.

Duplex/Duet Townhome A duplex is a residential A townhome is dwelling building with two dwelling attached to similar units units. where each has its own ground ﬂoor entrance. A duet is a duplex with a Townhomes may or property line between the may not be on their units so that each unit can own lot. be owned individually.

Single-family Accessory dwelling dwelling unit (ADU) A single-family dwelling is Also known as a “granny a building with one unit, ﬂat,” an ADU is a small usually on its own separate dwelling unit within or lot. Single-family dwell- built on the same site as ings can be owned or a single-family dwelling. rented.

Manufactured Home A manufactured home is a home that is built oﬀsite and brought to lot. “Encourage development that broadens the choice of type, size, and aﬀordability of housing in Vacaville.”

Vacaville General Plan Policy LU-P12.1

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Housing Density

Housing Density is the number of dwelling units per acre of land. Both lower and higher density housing have ad- vantages. The Vacaville General Plan encourages housing in a range of densities.

Lower Density Housing Higher Density Housing • More yard space • Usually lower cost per unit • Usually larger dwellings • Uses less land, conserves • More eﬃcient provision of utilities and services • Less traﬃc per unit

Low Medium-High 3.1-5 units/acre 14-20 units/acre Typical Housing: Typical Housing: Single-family dwellings on Two story multiplex 5,000—10,000 sq. ft. lots apartments, condominiums

Low-Medium High 5.1-8 units/acre 20.1-24 units/acre Typical Housing: Typical Housing: Single-family dwellings on Two to four story apart- 3,600—5,000 sq. ft. lots ment complexes

Medium 8.1-14 units/acre Typical Housing: Duplexes/Duets “Provide high-quality housing in a range of Townhomes residential densities and types.” Single-family dwellings on 2,000—3,600 sq. ft. Vacaville General Plan Goal LU-12

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Existing Housing

As of 2019, Vacaville has approximately 35,000 housing units of various types and ages.

Type. About 75 percent of housing in Vacaville is Age. Most housing in Vacaville is under 50 detached single-family dwellings, including manufac- years old. About 40 percent was built in the tured homes. 1970s and 1980s.

Owned and Rented. About 40 percent of housing Occupied and Vacant. About 4 percent of housing in in Vacaville is renter-occupied. Vacaville is vacant.

Source: American Community Survey 2013-2017 5-Year Estimates

Understanding Housing in Vacaville

Understanding Housing Construction

Since 2015, an average of 325 dwelling units per year have been built in Vacaville. Single-family dwellings comprise about 85 percent of these and multi-family dwellings comprise about 15 percent.

Since 2015, an average of 325 new dwelling units per year have been built in Vacaville.

Private developers have built 96 percent of these units. Only about 4 percent were built by nonproﬁt builders using public grants or subsi- dies. These are restricted for low- and very low-income households.

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Housing Need

Ideally if you, your family, friends, or co-workers want to live in Vacaville, you would be able to ﬁnd a suitable home you can aﬀord. The city needs enough housing so this is possible.

Housing Vacancy Rates. One good measure of whether housing needs are being met is vacancy rates. Recent surveys show apartment rental vacancy rates are between 2—3 percent, far below a healthy rate of about 5 percent (Source: Vacaville Department of  Housing Services).

General Plan Housing Projections. The Vacaville General Plan projects that an average of approximately 445 dwelling units per year will be constructed in Vacaville by 2035, totaling around 7,600 additional dwelling units. The majority of these can built in already ap- proved housing projects. The remaining units can be accommodated on land already with the Vacaville Urban Growth Boundary.

Housing Mix. To provide housing to meet a variety of needs and The Vacaville General Plan aﬀordability levels, Vacaville General Plan Policy LU-P12.3 set a goal: projects that about 7,600 “Strive to maintain a citywide housing mix of approximately 75 per- additional dwelling units cent single-family and 25 percent multi-family attached housing.” will be constructed in While existing housing is close to this mix, only 21 percent of ap- Vacaville by 2035. proved housing projects are multi-family. About one-third of future projects will need to be multi-family to maintain this mix.

Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Every eight years the Association of Bay Area Governments allocates Vacaville a certain number of housing units by income level that it is required to plan for. The latest RHNA period is 2014—2022. As of the end of 2018, 253 very low income units and 53 low income units remained to meet the allocation. The next RHNA is anticipated to allocate housing for the 2022—2030 cycle.

The City does not build housing, so whether this amount of housing is actually built depends largely on private market forces.

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Renting and Owning

Both renting and home ownership are important options for Vacaville residents. Approximately 40 percent of Vacaville residents rent the place they live, while about 60 percent own their own home. Either option can be the best option for diﬀerent households.

Renting a place to live can be attractive for those who:

• Plan on living at that location only for a few years.

• Wish to have a landlord who is responsible for major repairs.

• Desire apartment living. 40 percent of Vacaville • Do not want to pay for or are unable to aﬀord a down pay- residents rent the place 40 percentment and of the Vacaville long term ﬁnancial resi- obligations of ownership. they live. dents rent the place they Owning a placelive. to live can be attractive for those who:

• Want to make a long term investment in the home.

• Want to make a place their own.

Both single-family and apartment units can be rented. Apartments can be owned when they are converted to condominiums.

A recent study showed that, on average, renter-occupied homes in Vacaville were maintained just as well as owner-occupied homes.

Source: Vacaville Community Development Department, August 2019

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Understanding Housing Aﬀordability

Housing is typically a the greatest single household expense. As a general rule, housing costs, including utilities, should cost no more than 30 percent of a household’s income. A household paying more than this is considered “cost burdened.” Below are some examples of households and the types of housing these could aﬀord.

Very/Extremely Low Income Moderate Income Household Household Typical annual income: $90,000 Typical annual income: $40,000 Examples: dental hygienist, truck Examples: hair stylist, ware- driver, business administrator house associate, loan officer Typical monthly rent: $2,250 Typical monthly rent: $1,000 Typical purchase: $400,000 What can afford: studio/one bed- What can afford: three bedroom room apartment townhome or house

Low Income Household High Income Household Typical annual income: $60,000 Typical annual income: $120,000 Examples: auto mechanic, correc- Examples: engineer, pharmacist, tional officer, administrative nurse assistant, teacher Typical purchase: $550,000 Typical monthly rent: $1,500 What can afford: four bedroom What can afford: two bedroom house apartment

As of July 2019, the median sales price of a single detached house in Vacaville was $455,000. Ac- cording to the California Association of Realtors, 46 percent of Vacaville households can afford to purchase a home at this price. As of April 2019, the average rent in Vacaville was $1,652 and $1,925 for a one and two bedroom apartment, respectively. A recent survey of housing for rent or sale showed very little was available that was afforda- ble for low or very low income households. High income housing has limited availability. Source: Vacaville Community Development, March 2019 Icons made by Freepik available from www.flaticon.com

Understanding Housing in Vacaville

Understanding Housing Assistance

There are various types of assistance for households that cannot aﬀord the entire cost of housing, or that need help getting into a housing unit. Housing assistance programs include:

• First Time Homebuyers Program

• Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

• Neighborhood Services The City of Vacaville Department of Housing Services is a good “Assist in the providing of place to start to ﬁnd information on these and other programs. direct assistance to households in need of housing.”

Vacaville General Plan Policy H.3-G 2

Department of Housing Services 40 Eldridge Avenue Suite 2 Vacaville, CA 95688 (707) 449-5675 (707) 449-6242 Fax (707) 449-5680 TTY [email protected] Monday-Friday 8:30a.m .to 5:00 p.m.

Understanding Housing in Vacaville Vacaville Housing Policies

General Plan Vision: Promote a balance of high-quality housing and commercial development within the Urban Growth Boundary.

General Plan Land Use Goals and Policies

Goal LU-12 Provide high-quality housing in a range of residential densities and types.

Policy LU-P12.1 Encourage development that broadens the choice of type, size, and aﬀordability of housing in Vacaville.

Policy LU-P1.3 Preserve the predominant single-family residential character of Vacaville City of Vacaville while providing other housing opportunities. Community Development 650 Merchant Street Policy LU-P4.2 Strive to maintain a reasonable balance between employment income levels and housing costs within the city, recognizing the importance of housing choice Vacaville, CA 95688 and affordability to economic development in the city. (707) 449-5140 (707) 449-5423 Fax General Plan Housing Element Policies (707) 449-5162 TTY communitydevelopment@ Policy H.1-G 1 Ensure a supply of housing of differing type, size, and affordability in order cityofvacaville.com to meet Vacaville's housing needs for the current and future residents and workers within www.cityofvacaville.com the community.

Policy H.1-G 2 In conjunction with policies in the Land Use Element of the Vacaville Gen- eral Plan, ensure that an adequate supply of developable land is available to meet Vacaville's housing need, particularly for aﬀordable housing.

Policy H.1-G 3 Remove constraints to the production and availability of housing to the extent consistent with other General Plan policies.

Policy H.3-G 1 Promote equal housing opportunity for all.

Policy H.3-G 2 Assist in the providing of direct assistance to households in need of housing.

Policy H.3-G 3 Provide aﬀordable housing homeownership opportunities.

The Vacaville General Plan is available at www.cityofvacaville.com/generalplan