38 Responsibility: Community Development Department
Funding: General Fund
Timeframe: Ongoing, as projects are proposed; 2024 for City streamlining products and compliance with State law; proactive outreach conducted to housing developers with local and regional presence upon alteration and/or adoption of streamlined application process(es).
Geography: Citywide
Program 2-3: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
(Source: Previous Program 2-3)
Incentivize and promote the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) by providing technical assistance and resources for their development and rental through the following actions:
Maintain ADU webpage with accessible information, a simple application, and contact information for questions about and assistance with accessory dwelling units.
Partner with regional organizations that provide technical assistance, including site evaluations, for the development of ADUs and JADUs, and landlord/tenant support, such as the Napa Sonoma ADU Center and Homes for Sonoma. Share resources provided by these organizations, including webinars and technical assistance programs, through the City webpage, newsletter, and social media. Facilitate the development of JADUs by developing promotional materials specific to JADUs and their funding and making these available on the City’s ADU webpage.
In partnership with regional organizations, promote and publicize new allowances for ADUs and JADUs to the public, including place-based promotion for locations with higher income eligibility limits for the CalHFA ADU grant program Reduce penalties for existing unpermitted units and establish a process to legitimize such units. Promote and publicize this program through City website and social media to encourage people with unpermitted units to bring these homes up to code.
Annually report out on the City’s successes in the production of ADUs and JADUs with the City’s APR.
Review ADU production two years into the planning period and compare with Housing Element projections. If actual production is below the projected level, and the City is not meeting its RHNA targets proportional to the duration of the planning period, review options for providing a small grant program to assist eligible residents with costs associated with permit processing or implement other costreducing measures to increase ADU development as the budget allows. Such a
10.b
Packet Pg. 459 Attachment: Exhibit B1 - Cotati Adoption Draft Housing Element (2023-03-20) (Housing Element CC Resolution) 39 grant program shall prioritize ADUs affordable by design to lower and moderateincome residents, as funding allows. Responsibility: Community Development Department
Funding: General Fund
Timeframe: 2024; as specified for specific follow up actions including review of ADU/JADU production and affordability every two years with programmatic actions to accommodate the shortfall within six months of issue identification (i.e. replacement sites procedure identified in Program 2-1, and in a small grant program); establish process for legitimizing unpermitted ADUs by 2024; report on ADU/JADU production by April of each year; and proactive outreach actions including ongoing maintenance of existing ADU webpage, annual updates from nonprofit partners provided in the City’s newsletter, and specific outreach conducted to residents/owners of unpermitted ADUs within three months of the Community Development Department gaining knowledge of such dwellings.
Geography: Citywide
Program 2-4: Cottage Housing
(Source: New Program)
Continue to promote the Cottage Housing Ordinance established in the 5th Housing Element Cycle to incentivize smaller units and increase the supply of missing middle housing including multiplexes, courtyard cottages, and other such housing types deemed “affordable by design” and allowable under the Cottage Housing Ordinance. The City shall:
Review the success of the Cottage Housing Ordinance on an annual basis and report unit counts as part of the APR.
Assess programmatic constraints with outreach to developers utilizing the ordinance no less than twice per Housing Element planning period. Investigate a supplemental ordinance utilizing SB 10 framework in order to streamline existing provisions of the Cottage Housing Ordinance and expand upon those provisions as deemed appropriate by the City Council. Responsibility: Community Development Department
Funding: General Fund
Timeframe: Annual reporting in the APR; City Council to review SB 10 ordinance by December 2025
Geography: Applicable zones as identified by Cottage Housing Ordinance and Council findings
10.b
Packet Pg. 460 Attachment: Exhibit B1 - Cotati Adoption Draft Housing Element (2023-03-20) (Housing Element CC Resolution)