Rio Vista City Council
November 1, 2022

Rio Vista City Council / Planning Commission Joint Meeting of November 1, 2022 Agenda Page 1 of 3 The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2022-037, finding a proclaimed state of emergency exists in the jurisdiction of the City related to the COVID-19 virus pandemic and that conditions of that emergency pose a threat to meeting attendees' health and safety such that City legislative body meetings may be held via teleconference pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e) so long as the City (1) posts notice and agendas as otherwise provided by the Brown Act and applicable law, (2) allows members of the public to access the meeting via call-in line or internet-based service line, (3) provides details on the agenda on how to access the meeting and give public comment, (4) provides an opportunity to comment pursuant to Government Code section 54954.3 and allows a reasonable amount of time during public comment for a person to register, login, and comment, and (5) monitors the call-in line and/or internet-based service line to ensure no disruption hinders access or ability to comment, if there is, take no action until public access is restored. The City is not required to provide a location to attend in-person. The City is complying with these requirements and taking all reasonable steps to ensure that any member of the public may attend, participate, and watch the City's legislative bodies conduct their business. The public may participate and provide public comment in person or via Zoom Meeting.

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Meeting ID: 986 3115 4749
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Written comments that are received by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the Council meeting will be disseminated to the Council and made available to the public for review on the city’s website. Please provide the agenda item number in the subject line of your email or letter.

Public comments will no longer be read into the record. Comments must be sent to [email protected]. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact Pam Caronongan at 707-374-6567, to make alternative arrangements to submit public comment.

Rio Vista City Council / Planning Commission Joint Meeting of November 1, 2022 Agenda Page 2 of 3

JOINT MEETING OF THE

RIO VISTA CITY COUNCIL AND RIO VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION

RIO VISTA CITY COUNCIL

MAYOR RONALD KOTT

VICE MAYOR RICK DOLK

COUNCIL MEMBER EDWIN OKAMURA

COUNCIL MEMBER WALT STANISH

COUNCIL MEMBER ROBIE WILLIAMS

RIO VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION

CHAIRMAN TOM DONNELLY

VICE CHAIRMAN EMMETTE HOLTSLANDER

COMMISSIONER LISA DUKE

COMMISSIONER KEVIN MCNAMARA

COMMISSIONER NOEL O'BRIEN

COMMISSIONER CLINTON SCHOLTING

COMMISSIONER EMILIO TORRES
AGENDA
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2022
6:00 P.M. – JOINT MEETING BY TELECONFERENCE AND IN PERSON

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS

ONE MAIN STREET
RIO VISTA, CALIFORNIA 94571

1. CLOSED SESSION
None

2. CALL TO ORDER – ROLL CALLS FOR CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – CLOSED SESSION REPORT

3. PRESENTATIONS
None

4. PUBLIC COMMENT – See instructions on Page 1

5. DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS
City Council Members should disclose any communications they have had on the agenda items at this time.

Rio Vista City Council / Planning Commission Joint Meeting of November 1, 2022 Agenda Page 3 of 3

6. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
The purpose of the Consent Calendar is to group items together which are routine or have been discussed previously and do not require further discussion. They will be approved by a single motion and roll call vote. Any member of the City Council, City Staff, or the Public may request removal of an item for discussion; rescheduling of the item(s) will be at the discretion of the Mayor.

None

7. ACTION ITEMS

7.1 Review of the Draft Rio Vista General Plan Housing Element – Receive a presentation on the Draft Housing Element from PlaceWorks, the City’s Housing Element consultant, solicit public input, hold discussion, and possibly provide direction to PlaceWorks and/or City staff.

8. INFORMATION ITEMS
None

9. REPORTS

9.1 City Manager

9.2 City Council

10. CITY COUNCIL FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS (FOR PRESSING

MATTERS ONLY)

11. ADJOURNMENT
The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Disclosable public records related to an open session item on a meeting agenda distributed by the City of Rio Vista to the Rio Vista City Council are available on the city’s website & at City Hall for public review at 72 hours prior to a regular meeting and 24 hours prior to a special meeting or, in the event information is delivered to the Council less than 72 or 24 hours prior to an open meeting, as soon as it is so delivered. To arrange for alternative agenda document format or to arrange aid or services to modify or accommodate persons with a disability to participate in a public meeting contact the City Clerk 48 hours in advance of the meeting date by calling 707/374-6451. Pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, including without limitation, California Government Code Section 65009 and or California Public Resources Code Section 21177, if you wish to challenge in court any of the above decisions (including any action regarding planning, zoning and/or environmental decisions), you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing(s) described in this notice/agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the public hearing.

CERTIFICATION OF POSTING – I, Pam Caronongan, City Clerk, for the City of Rio Vista, declare that the foregoing agenda for the November 1, 2022 Regular Meeting of the Rio Vista City Council was posted and available for review on October 26, 2022 on the City’s website and during open hours at City Hall, One Main Street, Rio Vista, California, in accordance with Government Code §54954.2(a).

SUBJECT: JOINT CITY COUNCIL / PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW OF THE

DRAFT RIO VISTA GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT
DATE: November 1, 2022

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council and Planning Commission receive a presentation on the Draft Housing Element from PlaceWorks, the City’s Housing Element consultant, solicit public input, hold discussion, and possibly provide direction to PlaceWorks and/or City staff.

BACKGROUND
PlaceWorks staff will provide a briefing on the Housing Element update and will review key provisions of the Draft Housing Element.

The Draft Housing Element was released for public comment on October 7, 2022 and comments on the document may be submitted through November 6, 2022. This discussion will accomplish the following objectives:
• Brief the Council and Commission on the status and next steps of the Housing Element update.
• Provide the Council and Commission with an opportunity to comment on key provisions of the Draft Housing Element and provide direction to staff as appropriate.
• Provide a public forum for members of the community to learn about and comment on the Draft Housing Element.

Following the close of the public comment period PlaceWorks will update the Draft Housing Element as needed to address comments and then will submit the Draft Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

This submittal will initiate HCD’s review of the Housing Element, a process that will include one or more rounds of review by HCD.

Agenda Item #7.1

Upon completion of the HCD review process the Housing Element will be presented to the Planning Commission for recommendation and the City Council for adoption – hearings anticipated in May/June of 2023.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Comments from the City Council and the Planning Commission do not constitute final action on the Draft Housing Element and no formal decision is requested. Therefore, no review under CEQA is required at this time.

SUBMITTED BY
Paul Junker, Contract Planner
2023-2031
Housing Element
City of Rio Vista
Public Review Draft | September 2022

ORANGE COUNTY • BAY AREA • SACRAMENTO • CENTRAL COAST • LOS ANGELES • INLAND EMPIRE www.placeworks.com
Prepared By:

PlaceWorks
101 Parkshore Drive, Suite 200
Folsom, California 95630
916.245.7500
City of Rio Vista
2023-2031

HOUSING ELEMENT
Public Review Draft | September 2022

City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page iii
Table of Contents

1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 Housing Element Organization .............................................................................................. 2 Background ............................................................................................................................ 3 General Plan Consistency ...................................................................................................... 4 Regional Housing Need ......................................................................................................... 4

2. Public Outreach and Engagement ...................................................................................... 5 Local Stakeholder Consultations ........................................................................................... 6 Joint Planning Commission/City Council Study Session ...................................................... 6 Public Comments ................................................................................................................... 6 Noticing of the Draft Housing Element ................................................................................. 6

3. Review of Previous Housing Element ................................................................................ 7 Progress Toward Meeting Quantifiable Objectives ............................................................... 7 Efforts to Address Special Housing Needs ............................................................................ 8 Progress Towards Meeting Housing Element Programs ....................................................... 8

4. Goals, Policies, and Programs........................................................................................... 24 Housing Goals ...................................................................................................................... 24

5. Housing Resources and Opportunities ............................................................................ 38 Regional Housing Needs Allocation .................................................................................... 38 Availability of Land ............................................................................................................. 39 Financial Resources ............................................................................................................. 48 Opportunities for Energy Conservation ............................................................................... 52

6. Constraints to Housing Production .................................................................................. 54 Governmental Constraints ................................................................................................... 54 Nongovernmental Constraints ............................................................................................. 79 City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page iv
List of Tables
TABLE 1 Regional Housing Need 2023–2031 .............................................................................. 5 TABLE 2 Regional Housing Needs Allocation Compared to Permits Issued, 2015 – 2021......... 7 TABLE 3 Review of Previous 2015-2023 Housing Element Programs......................................... 9 TABLE 4 Quantified Objective Summary ................................................................................... 37 TABLE 5 Regional Housing Needs Allocation, 2023–2031 ........................................................ 39 TABLE 6 Realistic Capacity: Project Examples .......................................................................... 41 TABLE 7 Vacant Sites.................................................................................................................. 42 TABLE 8 Approved Projects ........................................................................................................ 46 TABLE 9 Summary of Residential Capacity Compared to the 6th Cycle RHNA ....................... 47 TABLE 10 Financial Resources for Housing Activities ............................................................... 48 TABLE 11 General Plan Residential Development District Densities and Standards1 ................ 56
TABLE 12 Residential Zoning Districts ....................................................................................... 58 TABLE 13 Zoning Ordinance Residential Development Standards ............................................ 60 TABLE 14 Parking Standards ...................................................................................................... 61 TABLE 15 Housing Types Permitted by Zoning District ............................................................ 62 TABLE 16 Single-Family and Multifamily Development Process .............................................. 68 TABLE 17 Development Review Time Frames ........................................................................ 68 TABLE 18 Typical Building and Capital Impact Fees (Non- Development Agreement) ......... 72 TABLE 19 Typical Building and Capital Impact Fees for Trilogy Senior Housing Development ............................................................................................................. 74 TABLE 20 Development Processing Fees ................................................................................... 76 TABLE 21 Project Application Fees ............................................................................................ 76 TABLE 22 Fee Comparison for Cities in Solano County ............................................................ 78 TABLE 23 Interest Rates .............................................................................................................. 80 List of Figures
FIGURE 1 Vacant Sites and Approved Project Map .................................................................... 44 FIGURE 2 Reduced Fee Area ....................................................................................................... 77 City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 1

1. INTRODUCTION
California Housing Element law requires every jurisdiction to prepare and adopt a housing element as part of its general plan. In California, it is typical for each city or county to prepare and maintain its own separate general plan and housing element. However, Solano County and all the seven cities in Solano County, with the help of the Solano Transportation Authority (STA), formed the Solano County Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Housing Element Collaborative to provide a regional approach to the Housing Element. This approach provides an opportunity for countywide housing issues and needs to be more effectively addressed at the regional level rather than just at the local level.

Regional efforts also provide the opportunity for the local governments in the county to work together to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) assigned to the Solano County region. In addition, economies of scale can result in significant cost savings to jurisdictions preparing a joint housing element.

The primary objective of the project is to prepare a regional housing needs assessment and regional assessment of fair housing to supplement local analyses of constraints, sites, and fair housing issues.

The following jurisdictions are participating in the effort: Solano County, Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo. The purpose of the Housing Element is to identify housing solutions that solve local housing problems and to meet or exceed the RHNA. The City recognizes that housing is a need that is met through many resources and interest groups. This Housing Element establishes the local goals, policies, and actions the City will implement and/or facilitate to solve our identified housing issues.

California Government Code Section 65583 requires the Housing Element to include the following components:
 A review of the previous element’s goals, policies, programs, and objectives to ascertain the effectiveness of each of these components, as well as the overall effectiveness of the Housing Element.
 An assessment of housing needs and an inventory of resources and constraints related to meeting these needs.
 An analysis and program for preserving assisted housing developments.  A statement of community goals, quantified objectives, and policies relative to the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing.  A program that sets forth an eight-year planning period schedule of actions that the City is undertaking, or intends to undertake, in implementing the policies set forth in the Housing Element.

The element covers an eight-year time frame and replaces a Housing Element adopted in May 2015 that covered the period from 2015 to 2023. This element covers a period extending from 2023 to 2031.

City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 2

HOUSING ELEMENT ORGANIZATION
The City of Rio Vista prepared its Housing Element as part of a regional effort with the Solano County REAP Collaborative and is therefore organized slightly different than the last Housing Element.

Sections of the Housing Element were prepared on a regional level and other were focused solely on Rio Vista. The following sections describe the organization of the sections of the Housing Element.

The Rio Vista Housing Element is organized into the following sections.

Section 1 – Introduction: This section provides information on the State of California’s requirements, the purpose of the Housing Element, the organization of the document, and General Plan consistency.

Section 2 – Public Outreach and Engagement: This section summarizes public outreach and engagement efforts, including local stakeholder consultations, joint planning commission/City Council study sessions, public comments received, and noticing of the draft Housing Element.

Section 3 – Review of Previous Housing Element: This section contains an evaluation of the prior Housing Element and its accomplishments and analyzes differences between what was projected and what was achieved.

Section 4 – Goals, Policies, and Actions: This section sets forth the City’s goals, policies, and actions that are designed to address the housing needs in Rio Vista. Based on the findings of all of the previous sections, the Goals, Policies, and Actions section identifies actions the City will take to meet local housing goals, quantified objectives, and address the housing needs in Rio Vista.

Section 5 – Housing Resources and Opportunities: This section describes the City’s housing resources as well as the City’s existing housing stock and the potential areas for future housing development. This section also discusses opportunities for energy conservation, which can reduce costs to homeowners and infrastructure costs to the City.

Section 6 – Governmental and Nongovernmental Housing Constraints: This section analyzes potential governmental and nongovernmental constraints to housing development in Rio Vista. This includes the City’s planning, zoning, and building standards that directly affect residential development patterns as well as influence housing availability and affordability. Potential nongovernmental constraints include the availability and cost of financing, the price of land, and the materials for building homes.

The Appendices to the Housing Element are as follows.

Appendix 1 – Regional Housing Element Public Outreach: Describes the opportunities the City provided for public participation during the preparation of the updated Housing Element.

Appendix 2 – Regional Housing Needs Assessment: This focuses on demographic information, including population trends, ethnicity, age, household composition, income, employment, housing characteristics, housing needs by income, and housing needs for special segments of the population.

City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 3
Appendix 3 – Regional and Local Fair Housing Assessment: Includes an Assessment of Fair Housing that aims to combat discrimination, overcome patterns of segregation, and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.

BACKGROUND
The City of Rio Vista is an incorporated city in Solano County, California, with an estimated population of 9,961 persons.1
Rio Vista is adjacent to the west side of the Sacramento River, about 22 miles east of the City of Fairfield, which serves as the county seat.

Over the past decade, Rio Vista has seen rapid development of age-restricted communities in response to its increased desirability as a place of residence for persons of retirement age as well as for those who commute to the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area metropolitan regions. The following factors affect the increase in demand for housing in Rio Vista:
 Rio Vista’s location within the Bay Area (defined by the nine counties that border San Francisco Bay) along Highway 12, its proximity to the Sacramento metropolitan region, and the “small-town” feel of the community are primary attractions for current and future Rio Vista residents.
 Urban areas to the west and east of Rio Vista are major employment centers with many desirable amenities. At the same time, these areas are subject to higher housing costs, higher crime rates, traffic congestion, and reduced open space. By contrast, Rio Vista fares better at all levels.
 Both long-time residents and newcomers to Rio Vista would like the city to retain its smalltown qualities. New housing development has often adversely affected communities, due to increased demand for infrastructure and services and the construction of subdivisions that are indistinguishable from one another.

In an effort to balance these concerns with the need to provide for adequate, affordable housing, Rio Vista General Plan elements, such as the Community Character and Design element and the Resource Conservation and Management element, were adopted to protect the local environment and establish standards for new neighborhoods that will help sustain Rio Vista’s high quality of life. 1 Department of Finance, 2021.

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 4

GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The Housing Element has been reviewed for consistency with the City’s other General Plan Elements.

The Rio Vista General Plan’s last comprehensive update was adopted in 2002 and is the City is currently (2022) in the process of preparing a comprehensive update. The policies and programs in this Housing Element are consistent with the policy direction contained in the adopted General Plan.

The City will continue to review and revise the Housing Element, as necessary for consistency, once the comprehensive update is complete and when amendments are made to the General Plan.

Per Assembly Bill (AB) 162 (Government Code Section 65302.g.3), upon the next revision of the Housing Element on or after January 1, 2014, the Safety Element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to address the risk of fire for land classified as state responsibility areas, as defined in Section 4102 of the Public Resources Code, and land classified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, as defined in Section 51177. Senate Bill (SB) 379 (Government Code Section 65302.g.4) requires that the Safety Element be reviewed and updated as necessary to address climate change adaptation and applicable resiliency strategies. SB 1035 (Government Code Section 65302.g.6) requires that the Safety Element be reviewed and updated as needed upon each revision of the Housing Element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years. SB 99 (Government Code Section 65302.g.5) requires that on or after January 1, 2020, the Safety Element includes information to identify residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least two evacuation routes. As of 2022 and a part of the comprehensive update, the City is currently working to review and update the existing Noise and Safety Element, incorporating all State law changes, including applicable laws and any additional requirements and General Plan guidelines from the State of California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).

REGIONAL HOUSING NEED
State law (California Government Code Section 65580 et seq.) requires the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to project statewide housing needs and allocate the anticipated need to each region in the state. For the Bay Area, including Rio Vista, HCD provides the regional need to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), which then distributes the RHNA to the cities and counties within the ABAG region. ABAG allocates housing production goals for cities and counties based on their projected share of the region’s household growth, the state of the local housing market and vacancies, the jurisdiction’s housing replacement needs, among other criteria.

Rio Vista falls under the jurisdiction of ABAG. ABAG is responsible for developing a Regional Housing Needs Plan (RHNP) allocating the region’s share of the statewide housing needs to lowerlevel councils of governments. The RHNA is a minimum projection of additional housing units needed to accommodate projected household growth of all income levels by the end of the housing element’s statutory planning period. As shown in Table 1, Rio Vista is required to plan for 327 units during the 2023-2031 planning period at certain densities, 120 units of which must be affordable to lower-income (extremely low-, very low-, and low-income) households, 50 must be affordable to moderate-income households, and 157 for above-moderate income households.

City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 5
TABLE 1 REGIONAL HOUSING NEED, 2023–2031
Income Category Allocation
Very Low* 79
Low 41
Moderate 50
Above Moderate 157
Total 327
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, State Income Limits for Solano County, 2021; Solano County Subregion 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation, Final Methodology *It is assumed that 50 percent of the very low-income housing units are allocated to the extremely low-income category.

2. PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
State law requires cities and counties to make a diligent effort to achieve participation from all segments of the community in preparing a Housing Element. Section 65583[c][6] of the California Government Code specifically requires that “The local government shall make a diligent effort to achieve public participation of all economic segments of the community in the development of the Housing Element, and the program shall describe this effort.” The diligent effort required means that local jurisdictions must do more than issue the customary public notices and conduct standard public hearings prior to adopting a Housing Element. State law requires cities and counties to take active steps to inform, involve, and solicit input from the public, particularly low-income and racial and ethnic households that might otherwise not participate in the process. For all public meetings, the City offers translation services on request.

To meet the requirements of state law, the City of Rio Vista completed the public outreach at both the local level and as part of the regional Solano County Collaborative effort to encourage community involvement. These efforts included:
 Local Stakeholder Consultations
 Regional Stakeholder Consultations
 Community Workshops
 Online Community Survey
 Joint Planning Commission/City Council Study Session
 Planning Commission and City Council Meetings
Regional efforts included three sets of community workshops, consultations, and a community survey, all of which are discussed in detail in Appendix 1 – Regional Housing Element Public Outreach.

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 6

LOCAL STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS
To ensure that the City solicits feedback from all segments of the community, consultations were conducted with service providers and other stakeholders who represent different socioeconomic groups.

From January through March 2022, staff reached out to two local stakeholder organizations to offer the opportunity for each to provide one-on-one input on housing needs and programs. Of the two local organizations, one provided feedback via one-on-one interviews or with email responses and one did not respond. Additional feedback was received from seven regional organizations that serve Rio Vista residents.

In February 2022, Rio Vista Caring Actions Reaching Everyone (CARE) provided input to the City on housing conditions and needs for Rio Vista residents. One of the primary issues that Rio Vista CARE identified was a shortage of housing in the city, which is compounded by a competitive rental and real estate market. This challenge is even greater for lower-income residents, who are priced out of homeownership in the city and are served by only one lower-income apartment building, according to the organization. Rio Vista CARE shared that housing challenges have become even more pressing during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for those that have lost their jobs. The organization reported that several clients have been seeking updated Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) applications and the organization has provided rent or mortgage assistance to four families in a three-month period.

JOINT PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
On January 25, 2022, a Joint Planning Commission/City Council Study Session was held to introduce the 2023-2031 Housing Element update and to review new State laws. The public was also invited to attend and participate in this virtual event. Staff presented an overview of the Housing Element update process and required contents of the element, discussed early strategies and possible sites to meet the City’s RHNA, reviewed new state laws, and solicited feedback from the City Council, Planning Commission, and community members on these strategies and other housing needs in Rio Vista. No comments or questions were received during the study session.

PUBLIC COMMENTS
All comments received during the drafting of the Housing Element were considered and incorporated into the document as appropriate.

NOTICING OF THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT
Per California Government Code Section 65585, the draft Housing Element was made available for public comment for 30 days, from October 7, 2022 to November 6, 2022. Public comment was received, and an additional 10 business days was allowed to consider and incorporate public comments into the draft revision before submitting to HCD on November 21, 2022. The draft was made available on the City’s website and was noticed to residents through the same methods as the Planning Commission and City Council meetings. Additional direct noticing was sent to local housing advocate groups.

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 7

3. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS HOUSING ELEMENT
Per California Government Code Section 65588, “Each local government shall review its housing element as frequently as appropriate to evaluate all of the following: (1) The appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives, and policies in contributing to the attainment of the state housing goal. (2) The effectiveness of the housing element in attainment of the community’s housing goals and objectives. (3) The progress of the city, county, or city and county in implementation of the housing element. (4) The effectiveness of the housing element goals, policies, and related actions to meet the community’s needs, pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 65583.”

PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING QUANTIFIABLE OBJECTIVES
The 2015–2023 RHNA prepared by ABAG determined that zoning to accommodate 299 additional housing units needed to be in place in Rio Vista during the prior planning period to meet regional housing needs. ABAG disaggregated this allocation into four income categories: very low, low, moderate, and above moderate. Table 2 compares the 5th Cycle RHNA to the building permits issued during 2015 to 2021. The City issued permits for a total of 597 units, exceeding the RHNA allocation for moderate- and above moderate-income housing. Among these, less than 1 percent (four units) were for homes affordable to lower-income households.

TABLE 2 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION COMPARED TO
PERMITS ISSUED, 2015 – 2021
Income Category 2015 – 2022
RHNA
2015 – 2021
Building Permits Issued
Percentage of
RHNA
Accomplished
Very Low 45 0 0.0%
Low 36 4 11%
Moderate 48 155 323%
Above Moderate 170 438 257%
Total 299 597 200%
Source: ABAG Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan, July 2013, City of Rio Vista, May 2022

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 8

EFFORTS TO ADDRESS SPECIAL HOUSING NEEDS
California Government Code Section 65588 requires that local governments review the effectiveness of the housing element goals, policies, and related actions to meet the community’s special housing needs. As shown in the Review of Previous 2015-2023 Housing Element Programs matrix (Table 3), the City worked diligently to continuously promote housing for special-needs groups in a variety of ways. Some of the accomplishments are highlighted below:
 In December 2015, the City passed Ordinance No. 00-2015, a Condominium Conversion ordinance, that requires that, in the event that rental apartments are converted to condominiums or cooperatives, 10 percent be maintained as rental units.  The City continued to enforce the Uniform Building Code and ensure that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility was prioritized in construction projects.  In September 2021, the City passed Ordinance No. 010-2021 amending the zoning code to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) in accordance with state law.

PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING HOUSING ELEMENT PROGRAMS
Table 3 summarizes the programs from the 2015-2023 Housing Element. To the degree that such programs are recommended to be continued in the current Housing Element, these programs are reorganized and presented in Section 4, Goals, Policies, and Implementing Actions.

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
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TABLE 3 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS 2015-2023 HOUSING ELEMENT PROGRAMS Program Implementation Status Action
H-1. General Plan Review and Update. The City will ensure that residential development projects are consistent with the goals and policies of its General Plan. The availability of residential land can be ensured by periodically reviewing the City’s urban growth boundary and sphere of influence as designated in the General Plan. (The current city limits affords sufficient land for complete build-out of the Association of Bay Area Governments’ 20-year growth projections to the end of this General Plan horizon [2020]. It is not anticipated that additional residential land annexations will be needed within this Housing element cycle 2015-2023. However, pursuant to the City’s Municipal Services Review (2006) the City may annex land adjacent to the airport and industrial land on the western edge of town to generate employment opportunities. This will be necessary to promote an adequate jobs/housing balance as the City grows.

During the 5th planning period, the City of Rio Vista experienced challenges employing a full-time staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, rezone industrial land to residential uses, and complete zoning amendments to apply higher densities and incentives for housing production. The City did not annex any land but through the 2045 General Plan Update will dedicate approximately 50 acres of land to residential development.

Continue.

H-2. Zoning Ordinance Review and Update. To ensure that the Zoning Ordinance works in conjunction with General Plan policies to achieve housing and other City objectives, the City will review and modify its Zoning Ordinance by December 30, 2016. Review will be completed as staffing levels allow, but on a consistent basis throughout this planning period (2015-2023). A. General Zoning Text Modifications: 1. Remove the “non-conforming” status of existing second dwelling units, multifamily buildings on corner lots, or infill sites that otherwise could accommodate affordable housing units that are appropriate to these neighborhoods. 2. Specific accommodations will be made for farmworker housing (boardinghouses, dormitories, “rooms for rent” and incentives for such housing in multifamily districts).

The city successfully amended the zoning code to comply with the Housing Element programs. The city passed Ordinance Number 010-2021 to comply with state regulations for JADUs and ADUs. Through this ordinance the City hopes to expand housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income households. The City is also using its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, rezone industrial land to residential uses, and complete zoning amendments to apply higher densities and incentives for housing production.

Continue as Program H11.

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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 10
Program Implementation Status Action

3. Amended to ensure farmworker employee housing is permitted consistent with California Health and Safety Code §17021.5 and §17021.6. 4. Promote flexibility in densities and uses. 5. Revise existing C-2 zoning to encourage upstairs or “back of the store” living units in downtown commercial areas, where vacant or underutilized space exists, consistent with the Land Use element. 6. Define those conditions under which the conversion of affordable rental units to condominiums would be permitted. Prohibit the conversion of rental units to condominiums unless the City’s vacancy rate is greater than 5 percent. 7. To remove constraints on persons with disabilities, revise or change the definition of family as “FAMILY. One or more persons living together in a dwelling unit, with common access to, and common use of all living, kitchen, and eating areas within the dwelling unit.”

8. Review the Zoning Ordinance for any spacing requirements on persons with disabilities and remove such requirements, as necessary, to mitigate governmental constraints on housing. 9. The City shall facilitate construction of rental units that include day care facilities and are affordable to low- and very low-income single female heads of household. B. To address SB 2 requirements, the Zoning Ordinance will be amended to: 1. Add transitional housing and supportive housing within the codes definition section, and list as a permitted use within residential zone districts and in zones where residential uses are permitted, subject only to those restrictions that apply to other residential uses of the same type in the same zone. 2. Identify emergency shelters as a permitted use within the R-3, R-4, and C-H zone districts, permitted without discretionary action, but subject only to the same development and management standards that apply to other permitted uses within these zone districts.

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Program Implementation Status Action

3. Identify emergency shelters and transitional housing with a CUP within C-1, C-2, C-2A, C-3-1, and I-P-I zones. 4. Add definitions clarifying permitted uses. 5. Provide written, objective standards for emergency shelter to regulate the following, as permitted under SB 2. H-3. Subdivision Ordinance Review and Update. As staffing and financial resources allow, the City will complete its review and update of the Subdivision Ordinance. With properly developed and updated subdivision standards, the ordinance can help reduce the costs of development while balancing basic environmental, health, and safety needs. Since the high cost of land is a major factor in the overall cost of housing development, reducing allowable lot sizes can contribute substantially to a reduction in total housing costs (lower per-unit land and infrastructure improvement costs due to higher densities). The City will include requirements and criteria in the Subdivision Ordinance for converting rental apartments into condominiums or cooperative projects (e.g., maintaining a minimum percentage or number of rental units and a minimum vacancy rate before conversions can occur).

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City was able to update its subdivision standards. In 2018, the Planning Commission approved a vesting tentative map to create a 20-lot industrial subdivision named Liberty Industrial Park. The proposed park subdivision has additional development capacity for 14 buildable lots and 6 common area parcels. An entitlement extension for the 310-acre Brann Ranch subdivision was approved in 2021.

Delete.

H-4. Priority Development Area Plan. The City is in the process of preparing a Priority Development Area Plan for the downtown for developing more housing along with amenities and services to meet the day-to-day needs of residents in a pedestrian-friendly environment served by transit. The City will facilitate multifamily housing within the PDA and apply the State Density Bonus Laws to enhance project viability.

The City prepared its Downtown Plan for the PDA in 2017. The plan included developmental potential through underutilized parcels for commercial, residential, and other uses to accommodate for housing affordable to varying income levels. No applications for residential development projects have been submitted as of December 2020.

Delete. This was completed.

H-5. State and Federal Programs. The City will pursue participation in the state and federal programs listed below. The City will consider additional programs, depending on the availability of funding, Rio Vista’s eligibility for such funding, and the identification of eligible projects. The City will The City did not have staff capacity during the 5th planning period to actively pursue the specific Housing Element programs. The City applied and was granted both the Continue as program H5.

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make available an information sheet, as well as a link on the City’s website, to provide information to the public regarding the availability of these programs. The City will seek and pursue funding opportunities and prioritize local resources as available to assist in the development and rehabilitation of housing for extremely low- income households. As part of seeking funding and working with stakeholders, the City will at least annually evaluate funding and alternatives for incentives such as fee waivers, priority processing and facilitating entitlements to assist in the development of housing for extremely low-income households.

SB 2 grant and the LEAP grant. Each grant will help fund planning studies for the rezoning of industrial land to residential uses and fund the update of the 6th cycle Housing Element. With an updated Housing Element, the city can identify and apply for state and federal programs to assist the development and rehabilitation of extremely low-income households.

H-6. Capital and Improvement Program. The City will update its five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for all city public capital projects. The CIP will identify priorities, funding sources, and timing for design, construction, and operations. The City will use the CIP to ensure that adequate public facilities are provided in order to accommodate the projected housing production anticipated in all elements of the General Plan. The CIP will be developed in conjunction with the City budget, and will cover a period of five years from its inception. The CIP will be reviewed, amended, and adopted with the budget on an annual or biannual basis, as applicable. The CIP will include grant-funded projects, as well as projects funded from local revenue sources To ensure funds are available, the City updated its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for 2020 and 2021.

Modify, continue as program H-18.

H-7. Development Agreements. The City will use development agreements for all housing projects that are subject to affordability requirements. These agreements will identify the number of affordable units to be constructed; the unit sales or rental price; the income group to whom the units will be affordable; and the length of time the units will remain affordable. These requirements may be effected through deed restrictions on affordable housing units or other means necessary to ensure affordability over time. Development agreements will provide for mixed-use development, wherever applicable, to help achieve the City’s affordable housing During the 5th planning period, no development agreements were done. Final entitlement approvals were granted to the third phase of the Luminescence at Liberty and that project was cleared for development. This development is two projects in total and is planned for 850 units. The project commenced construction in early 2021.

Delete.

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objectives. The agreements will specify the type of units, income ranges, and parcel-by-parcel obligations. The agreements will describe strategies, including landowner obligations, funding, and subsidies. A provision for payment of in-lieu fees may be included, if appropriate. If adequate subsidies are not available to assist in achieving the 20 percent affordable housing requirement at the time of project construction, additional time may be given for the City and the developer to assemble the necessary financing. In all cases where in-lieu fees are used as an alternative to producing affordable units, the Community Development Department will review the projects based on the good faith effort by the owner to use all available subsidies, and the type of project and its ability to absorb the affordable units. The City will annually review all development agreements for compliance with affordability provisions. Any property owner who fails to comply with the requirements of a development agreement may be found by the City Council to be in default of the agreement The Development Agreement for Brann Ranch is currently under review with an extension in place to preserve the project entitlement.

H-8. Development Review. The City will use the development entitlement review process to ensure that development projects comply with affordable housing policies and are consistent with proposed development agreements, ordinance revisions, and other applicable regulations.

The Development Agreement (DA) for Brann Ranch received an extension in 2021 and the City is considering a second one year extension to the DA. No applications for new residential development projects have been submitted as of December 2020.

Continue as program H14.

H-9. Specific Plans and Planned Unit Development Permits. The City will ensure that specific plans and planned unit development permits (PUDs) are consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan. Specific plans, PUDs, and development agreements (see H-7 above) will identify programs that will be implemented to allow different types of housing units and to meet the 20 percent affordable housing requirement goals (for projects with 200 dwellings).

The Development Agreement for Brann Ranch is currently (2021) under review with an extension in place to preserve the projects entitlement. Development at Luminescence at Liberty and the Trilogy at Rio Vista (active adult community) were both developed during the 5th cycle. The City prepared its Downtown Plan for the Delete.

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PDA in 2017. The plan anticipated the development of underutilized parcels for commercial, residential, and other uses to accommodate for housing affordable to varying income levels.

H-10. Density Bonus Program. The City will develop and implement a density bonus program to help create affordable housing units without a direct cash outlay by the local government. This program will provide a property owner with the ability to increase the income and, therefore, the value of a property by allowing the developer to build more income- producing units than allowed under the base zoning. This increased income can then be used to help subsidize below-market rental rates for very low- and low-income households and to purchase housing for middle-income households. The City will also allow additional or equivalent incentives as allowed by state law when it is demonstrated that such incentives are necessary to make the project financially feasible and/or when the project’s physical or social characteristics warrant such incentives. Incentives will be provided in accordance with the State Density Bonus Law.

The City successfully adopted its Density Bonus Program in December 2015.

Continue as Program H12.

H-11. Unit Conversion Ordinance. The City will adopt a Unit Conversion Ordinance to ensure that adequate requirements and criteria are in place for converting rental apartments to condominiums or cooperative projects (e.g., maintaining a minimum percentage or number of rental units and a minimum vacancy rate before conversions can occur).

The City successfully adopted its unit conversion ordinance. In the event that rental apartments are converted to condominiums or cooperatives, 10 percent of the units must be maintained as rental units.

Delete. Program was completed.

H-12. Design Guidelines and Design Review. A new program has been created by merging Design Guidelines and Design Review objectives from the previous Housing Element. Consistent with the General Plan’s Community Character and Design Element, the City will prepare and adopt Design Guidelines for new developments. In order to ensure that future development projects are compatible with the character and setting of Rio Vista, design guidelines which address The City plans to adopt objective design standards mid-year of the 6th cycle planning period.

Modify, new Program H13.

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compatibility and environmental sustainability objectives will have to be created. The City will consider building orientation, ceiling height, street layout, lot design, landscaping, and street tree plantings/unit orientation (for the purposes of solar access and energy/water conservation) during subdivision review. Allow mobile homes and factory-built housing with permanent foundations that also meet all design review requirements. The City will require Universal Design standards for all new housing H-13: Monitoring Program. The City of Rio Vista will implement its monitoring program, as described in greater detail in the “Monitoring Program” section. The Monitoring Program provides mechanisms by which the City can periodically assess housing needs. The Annual Housing Supply Report, which is a part of this program, will annually evaluate the city’s residential vacancy rate to determine whether the rate is contributing to decreased housing affordability. The Monitoring Program will also include annual housing price/rental rates survey; annual affordable housing performance analysis (part of the annual General Plan progress report required by Govt. Code §65400); analysis of potential constraints/impediments on an ongoing basis; and monitoring reports on biannual specific plan area, planned unit development, and development agreement. Public meetings will be conducted before the approval of Annual Progress Reports to receive public participation, including outreach to those on the List of Stakeholders in Appendix – A.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, and evaluate and develop conceptual plans for housing on a Cityowned industrial parcel to present to City Council.

Delete.

H-14. Public Awareness/Education Program. The City will continue to educate its citizens regarding the necessity of providing the affordable housing needed to support the job growth occurring in Rio Vista. Specifically, this information focuses on the need to provide affordable housing close to jobs—in an effort to reduce the traffic and air quality impacts that result from long commutes. These efforts, by necessity due to the location of the City at a distance from employment in During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, and evaluate and develop conceptual plans for housing on a Cityowned industrial parcel to present to City Council.

Delete.

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urban centers, require commensurate efforts in the development of job centers in the City. In addition, programs will target community opposition to affordable housing projects— in an effort to remove negative perceptions. Education will occur through public hearings; presentations to various service organizations and other community groups; and articles published in the local newspaper, the City’s website, Public Education Channel, and the Chamber of Commerce newsletter. The City will promote and publicize the availability of state and federal funding for affordable housing (e.g., new construction, housing rehabilitation) in the form of loans and grants. Information will be available at City Hall and distributed through the local media, mailings to property owners within targeted areas, and mailings to local contractors and developers. The City will prepare a flyer with information on unfair housing practices and fair housing laws and will make the flyer available for viewing on the City’s website and will make hard copies available at the utilities bill counter at City Hall. Hard copies will also be provided to local service organizations, community centers, and agency offices, providing housing assistance to make available to the public/clients. The flyer will be prepared and posted by December 30, 2016. The flyer will summarize fair housing laws and provide contact information for agencies with the ability to address unfair housing grievances, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. H-15. Public Private Partnerships. The City will work closely with the business and development communities toward achieving the City’s affordable housing goal. The City has identified the following specific roles in this partnership to provide affordable housing: City of Rio Vista - The City will maximize potential funds available through existing state, federal, and local programs for its affordable housing program.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, and evaluate and develop conceptual plans for housing on a Cityowned industrial parcel to present to City Council.

Delete.

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Development Community - The City will encourage private developers and property owners to cooperate in financing sewer plant expansion as a means of facilitating development. Housing Development Corporations - The City will work with non-profit and for-profit housing development corporations specializing in housing for various special needs groups, including seniors, to accommodate housing that meets the needs of these groups. Emphasis will be on development of multifamily rental housing for older adults and the disabled with varying services and amenities, as identified in the City’s housing needs assessment. Examples include apartments with common areas designed specifically for social events of interest to older adults, independent living with common dining facilities, assisted care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities that will provide a continuum of care for senior residents of Rio Vista. The City will utilize many of the implementation measures discussed above to assist the development of both disabled-accessible and senior housing, including but not limited to, applying for state and federal funding, encouraging local banks to make private financing available, local government funding, development agreements (H-7), and applying density bonuses and equivalent incentives to proposed projects (H-10). The City will contact local advocates, the California Housing Development Corporation, the Solano County Agricultural Commissioner and the Farm Bureau to identify sites and revise ordinances to facilitate construction of farmworker housing. Farmworker housing will be specifically designated as an allowed use in the Agricultural zoning district (H-2). Pacific Gas and Electric - The City will inform the public of PG&E’s California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program. The CARE Program provides a monthly discount on energy bills for income qualified households and housing facilities. Qualifications are based on the number of persons living in the household and total annual household income H-16. Interagency Coordination. The City will continue to work with Solano County and other agencies to ensure that water, sewer, and utilities are available.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct Delete.

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The City will work with other jurisdictions to identify the need for homeless shelters. The City will work with a non-profit community organization to apply for state/ federal funding for the development of a homeless facility, if the need is established for Rio Vista. The City will cooperate with Travis Air Force Base officials to identify any unmet needs among military personnel for affordable housing in Rio Vista. planning studies, and evaluate and develop conceptual plans for housing on a Cityowned industrial parcel to present to City Council.

H-17. Special Housing Needs. The City will review and update, as needed, provisions for a variety special needs housing, including requirements under SB 2. The City will develop guidelines to ensure that rental housing developments contain an appropriate percentage of three- and four- bedroom dwelling units to benefit farmworkers and other special needs groups identified in this Element. The City will assist developers in applying for available state and federal programs. The City will also provide density bonuses and consider fee reductions for developers who include large-family units in rental housing developments. Work with the Solano County North Bay Regional Center to implement an outreach program that informs families within the City on housing and services available for persons with developmental disabilities. The program could include the development of an informational brochure, including information on services on the City’s website, and providing housingrelated training for individuals/families through workshops.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. However, the City will use its SB 2 and LEAP grant funding to conduct planning studies, and evaluate and develop conceptual plans for housing on a Cityowned industrial parcel to present to City Council.

Modify. New Program H-5.

H-18. Fee Structure. The City will conduct an annual review and revision of City financing mechanisms to ensure that adequate funding is available to provide for infrastructure and services needed to support growth, as well as to ensure that fees charged do not unnecessarily burden projects with fees in excess of the costs for providing services and infrastructure.

The City has an updated fee schedule and makes it available online.

Modify. New Program H-14.

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H-19. Americans with Disabilities Act. The City will continue to ensure that all construction projects requiring building permits comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as provided by the Uniform Building Code. The City will assist property owners and contractors in complying with ADA requirements when retrofit or rehabilitation projects are initiated for public or commercial structures.

The City continued to ensure that ADA accessibility was prioritized in the construction of projects.

Continue, combine with H-3.

H-20. Uniform Building Code. The City will continue to adopt current updates and enforce the Uniform Building Code to ensure that all new and rehabilitated housing constructed in Rio Vista complies with applicable health and safety requirements, including energy conservation and handicapped accessibility.

The City continued to enforce the Uniform Building Code. To ensure that building code standards for existing plumbing, electrical and other aspects of homes were maintained, the City continued to conduct inspections to ensure that buildings are built and remodeled to meet life and safety requirements.

Continue, combine with program H-13.

H-21. Regional Homeless Program. Work with CAP Solano to solve homeless issues. The City will ensure that temporary transitional shelters remain an allowable use within appropriate zoning districts. The City is on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Partnership of Solano County, a Joint Powers Agency created by the County of Solano and the cities within the County created to address very low income housing needs, homelessness, etc. (See H-27 for additional information).

The City continued to allow transitional shelters within permitted zoning districts. The City also participated on the CAP Solano Joint JPA board, which met monthly or bimonthly for 1-2 years. During this time, the homeless veterans’ home was built by Habitat for Humanity and the 2nd veterans’ home was completed in 2022. CAP Solano has been identified as a potential funding source for the project.

Continue, combine with program H-10.

H-22. Government Code §65853. As provided for in Government Code §65853, the City currently allows the installation of manufactured homes certified under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 on a foundation system, pursuant to §18551 of the Health and Safety Code, on lots zoned for conventional single-family residential dwellings. While During the 5th Planning Cycle, the City continued to allow the installation of manufactured homes certified under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of Delete.

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the project will be subject to architectural review, the manufactured home and the lot on which it is placed are held to the same development standards as those for a conventional single-family residential dwelling on the same lot. 1974 pursuant to Section 18551 of the Health and Safety Code.

H-23. Assisting “At Risk” Units. In an effort to preserve the assisted “at risk” units, the City will contact all state and federal agencies that might provide affordable housing funds to determine whether any funding is available for the preservation of assisted housing developments. The City will apply for affordable housing subsidies that may be available for this use, if necessary. The City will notice occupants as well as property owners of at-risk units before the due date for unit conversion.

There were no affordable units at risk of conversion during the 5th cycle.

Modify. New Program H-7.

H-24. Regulatory Incentives. The City will negotiate specific development standards, parking standards, development fee reductions and reimbursement of fees with affordable housing sponsors that may contribute to a reduction in the cost of housing for low- and moderate-income households. Design flexibilities will be provided in accordance with the State Density Bonus Law. Examples of such incentives and variation in design standards are found in the Summerset/Trilogy senior housing development.

During the 5th cycle no applications were received for residential projects; therefore, no incentives were negotiated.

Modify. Combine with Program H-5 and H-9.

H-25. Title 24- Building and Energy Code. The City will continue to update the regulations, as needed, to enforce Title 24 building and energy requirements to promote energy conservation During the 5th planning period, the City updated regulations, as needed, to enforce Title 24 building and energy requirements to promote energy conservation.

Delete.

H-26. Unfair Housing Practices Grievance Procedure. The City will post Fair Housing Laws on the City’s website and make available copies of the California Tenant/Landlord Handbook to the public. Further, the City will establish a procedure by which aggrieved parties can notify the City of unfair housing practices and the City which in turn refer the matter to state and federal agencies.

Due to the lack of funds and low staffing, the City was unable to actively pursue specific Housing Element programs.

Modify. New Program H-18.

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H-27. Extremely Low-Income Households Working Group By CAP Solano. The City is on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Partnership of Solano County, a Joint Powers Agency created by the County of Solano and the cities within the County created to address very low income housing needs, homelessness, etc. The Planning Manager of the City of Rio Vista serves on the Board and attends monthly meetings. The City of Rio Vista will propose that CAP Solano establish a working group consisting of developers, participating nonprofit organizations, service providers, community stakeholders, and other relevant organizations, to establish a County-wide strategy for promoting and assisting in the development of housing for extremely low- income households.

Due to challenges in staffing, constraints for implementing specific programs were presented.

Continue, combine with H-9.

H-28. Second Unit Amnesty Program. Rio Vista will continue the program to amend the Municipal Code to implement a Second Unit Amnesty Program. This program will offer incentives for property owner/applicants to register existing, unpermitted second units by demonstrating safe and habitable dwelling conditions. This Amnesty Program is intended to encourage healthy and safe conditions in existing units. This is an opportunity to legalize unpermitted second units for half the permitting cost. Some permit standards have been adjusted to accommodate existing buildings while focusing on tenant health and safety. A legal second unit can increase your property value. Free technical assistance will be available on how to legalize an unpermitted second unit. At the close of the Amnesty period, properties found in violation of County Code will be required to comply with more stringent Second Unit development standards, and increased fees will be assessed.

The City continues to facilitate the development of ADUs. The City worked with a few residents to ensure their ADUs were complaint. The City will continue to use the adopted ADU Ordinance in the Municipal Code 17.44.030, to ensure illegal ADUs are legalized and in compliance.

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Unpermitted second units in existence will be eligible to apply for a Second Unit Amnesty Permit provided the unit meets all requirements of the program. Existing second units eligible for a Second Unit Amnesty Permit may comply with the requirements of this Second Unit Amnesty Program rather than the standard UBC requirements. Second Unit Amnesty Permit applications submitted and found to be complete during the prescribed period will qualify for a full waiver of all associated planning and building fees. H-29. Senate Bill 1087. The City of Rio Vista, as the city’s water and sewer provider, will continue to comply with this state law which requires that water and sewer providers grant priority for service allocation to proposed developments that include housing units affordable to lower- income households. This law was enacted to improve the effectiveness of the law in facilitating housing development for lower income families and workers.

The City continued to comply with SB 1087.

Delete. Included in the body of the Housing Element.

H-30. AB 162 (Update of Flood Hazard Information). AB 162 requires Rio Vista to update the flood hazard information in the General Plan Safety Element, as well as related policies and programs in the Safety, Conservation and Land Use elements.

The existing Safety Element provides flood information that will be updated with the next General Plan update.

Delete. Included in the body of the Housing Element.

H-31. Establish a Housing Trust Fund. The City should study the possibility of establishing a Housing Trust Fund that pools funds for affordable housing construction from a variety of sources with different requirements and makes them available to local developers. As the fund builds-up, the City would study the possibility to encourage developers to provide accessible housing through fee waivers or other offsets.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. A land trust was not developed due to limited funds. If Community Development Block Grant funds become available, the City will explore this option.

Delete.

H-32. Hire a Housing and Grants Coordinator. Subject to availability of funds, the City should hire a Housing and Grants Coordinator with training (or trainable) in fair housing within the Community Development Department to apply for Housing, Business, Infrastructure, Planning and related grants and administer the grants.

During the 5th planning period, the City experienced challenges employing a fulltime staff. The City is working with Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG) who will be providing grant consulting services and will Delete. Planning staff will coordination housing programs.

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Example of programs that could be started include, but are not limited to, First-time home buyer assistance, housing construction, housing rehabilitation, senior housing, assisted-living/senior care, business start-up loans, etc. The City would provide referrals for assistance with loan modifications or refinancing for homeowners who are overpaying. be applying for and administering grants moving forward.

H-33. Sustainable Development and Green Programs. Encourage energy and natural resource conservation and reduce greenhouse gases. Provide outreach and education to developers and residents on green building and ways to incorporate sustainability in project design and existing structures. Advertise the availability of PACE or similar programs to residents.

Due to the lack of funds and low staffing, the City was unable to actively pursue specific Housing Element programs.

Modify. New Program H-19.

H-34. City Owned Parcel. The City may make a portion (up to five acres) of site, identified as Assessor Parcel 0178-020-070, available for the development of housing affordable to lower income households upon request from a developer. The property is currently vacant and the City will allow the highest residential density of 29.04 per gross acre and process all necessary entitlement through the City’s one-stop permit center. Should demand for a portion of this site arise from a developer of housing affordable to lower income households, the City will facilitate entitlements and incentives for a lot-split to create a new parcel of up to five acres.

As part of the 2045 General Plan process, the City will identify 5 acres of the 50-acre site on Harris Road for multifamily housing.

Delete.

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4. GOALS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS

HOUSING GOALS AND POLICIES
GOAL 6.1 ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADEQUATE HOUSING TO MEET THE CITY’S FAIR SHARE OF THE REGION’S HOUSING NEEDS FOR ALL ECONOMIC SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION.

Policy 6.1A: Ensure there is a sufficient supply of multifamily and single-family zoned land to meet the housing needs identified in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).

Policy 6.1B: Ensure that adequate infrastructure and public services are available to support preapproved, ongoing developments and future projects within the city.

Policy 6.1C: Facilitate the development of affordable housing by providing, when feasible, appropriate financial and regulatory incentives.

Policy 6.1D: Increase access to homeownership by coordinating with developers to identify units appropriate for homeownership for low- and moderate-income households and by working with other agencies to increase access to homeownership for first-time homebuyers and low- and moderateincome households.

Policy 6.1E: Encourage energy conservation in the development of new housing and the rehabilitation of existing housing.

Policy 6.1F: Grant priority for water and sewer to proposed developments that include housing that is affordable to low- and very low-income households.

GOAL 6.2 CONSERVE AND IMPROVE THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK WITHIN THE CITY OF RIO VISTA.

Policy 6.2.A: As the City’s housing stock ages, pursue all available federal and state funds to establish a housing rehabilitation program.

Policy 6.2.B: Focus rehabilitation assistance and community preservation efforts in the aging neighborhoods, which have a concentration of older and/or substandard residential structures.

Policy 6.2.C: Preserve the affordability of federal- and state-subsidized units at risk of conversion to market rate or other affordable housing resources.

GOAL 6.3 PROVIDE A BROAD RANGE OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES WITH EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING HOUSING WHICH MEETS THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

Policy 6.3.A: Encourage housing developers to produce affordable units by providing development standard incentives for projects that include new affordable units available to special needs groups.

Policy 6.3.B: Ensure the availability of suitable sites for the development of affordable housing to meet the needs of all household income levels, including special needs populations.

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Policy 6.3.C: Promote the development of special needs housing, such as housing for seniors; housing persons with physical, developmental, or mental disabilities; farmworkers, single parent households, and housing for extremely low-income persons.

Policy 6.3.D: Support family housing that addresses resident needs for childcare, youth services, recreation opportunities, and access to transit.

Policy 6.3.E: Participate regionally in addressing homelessness issues.

GOAL 6.4 REDUCE OR REMOVE GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL CONSTRAINTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT, AND MAINTENANCE OF HOUSING WHERE FEASIBLE.

Policy 6.4A: Periodically review and update the Zoning Ordinance to stay abreast of updates to State law to reduce constraints to emergency shelters, low barrier navigation centers, supportive housing, and group homes.

Policy 6.4B: Monitor State and federal housing-related legislation, and update City plans, ordinances, and processes as appropriate to remove or reduce governmental constraints.

GOAL 6.5 GOAL AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING BY TAKING MEANINGFUL ACTIONS THAT OVERCOME PATTERNS OF SEGREGATION AND FOSTER INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES.

Policy 6.5A: Support ongoing efforts by federal and State agencies and continue city efforts, in the enforcement of fair housing laws prohibiting discrimination in the development, financing, rental, or sale of housing.

Policy 6.5B: Engage actively with local tribal representatives to identify opportunities to preserve and feature tribal, cultural, historical, and archaeological resources.

Policy 6.5C: Facilitate increased participation among traditionally underrepresented groups in the public decision-making process.

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HOUSING PROGRAMS
H-1 Adequate Sites for Housing The City will monitor the sites inventory annually, and as projects are processed through the Community Development Department, to ensure sufficient capacity is maintained throughout the planning period to accommodate the City’s RHNA. Should the City fall into a no-net-loss situation, the City will identify a replacement site within 180 days to ensure the remaining RHNA is being met.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department (Planning Division) Time Frame: Annually monitor as projects are processed.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
H-2 Accessory Dwelling Units. The City will encourage the construction of ADUs throughout the city through the following actions, which are aimed at providing an increased supply of affordable units and therefore help reduce displacement risk for low-income households and increase mobility:
 Amend the municipal code to be consistent with the latest state legislation related to ADUs, ensuring that ADUs are permitted in all zones that permit single-family or multifamily uses, and permit the construction of a junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) on each lot in addition to an ADU, in accordance with California Government Code Section 65852.2.

The City will promote and incentivize construction of new accessory dwelling units through the following actions, which are aimed at providing an increased supply of affordable units throughout the city, thereby increasing housing mobility opportunities:
 Post information on City’s website and the Chamber of Commerce newsletter to inform property owners of the standards for ADU development, permitting procedures, and construction resources.
 Encourage developers, as projects are proposed, to design floor plans for all new market rate residential units to accommodate future conversions to ADUs/JADUs.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Make ADU materials available by December 2023; discuss opportunities with developers and/or property owners as projects are submitted to the Community Development Department.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: 4 ADUs (2 moderate and 2 above moderate) to improve housing mobility opportunities for above moderate-income households City of Rio Vista
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H-3 Support Affordable Development. The City will work with housing developers to expand opportunities for affordable lower-income housing for special-needs groups, including persons with physical and developmental disabilities, female-headed households, large families, extremely low-income households, and persons experiencing homelessness by creating partnerships, providing incentives, and pursuing funding opportunities.  Negotiate with affordable housing sponsors about specific development standards, parking standards, development fee reductions, and reimbursement of fees that may contribute to a reduction in the cost of housing for low- and moderate-income households.
 Provide design flexibilities in accordance with the State Density Bonus Law.  Promote the use of the density bonus ordinance, application process streamlining, and fee deferrals to encourage affordable housing, with an emphasis on encouraging affordable housing in higher-resource areas and areas with limited rental opportunities currently.
 Facilitate the approval process for land divisions, lot line adjustments, and/or specific plans or master plans resulting in parcel sizes that enable affordable housing development and process fee deferrals related to the subdivision for projects affordable to lower-income households.
 Give priority permit processing to projects providing affordable housing for specialneeds groups or with units in a range of sizes.  Establish a written policy and or procedure to provide to specify the Senate Bill (SB) 35 streamlining approval process and standards for eligible projects under Government Code Section 65913.4 by December 2023.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Administration Department Time Frame: Ongoing, as projects are processed by the City. Annually apply for funding Funding Source(s): Where feasible, leverage state and federal financing, including Low Income Housing Tax Credits, CHFA multifamily housing assistance programs, HCD Multifamily Housing Loans, CDBG funds, HOME funds, and other available financing.

Quantified Objective: 20 lower-income units to reduce displacement risk.

H-4 State and Federal Programs. The City will seek to leverage financial resources and work with qualified sponsors to support affordable housing through applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, Self Help Housing (CalHome Program), HOME funding, collecting the Low-Income Density Bonus Fee, and pursuing other financing resources, as appropriate. A particular emphasis will be placed on pursuing development programs and funds that meet extremely low-, very low- and low-income needs. The City will make available an information sheet, and add a link on the City’s website, to provide information to the public regarding the availability of these programs.

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The City will seek and pursue funding opportunities and prioritize local resources as available to assist in the development and rehabilitation of housing for extremely low- income households. As part of seeking funding and working with stakeholders, the City will at least annually evaluate funding and alternatives for incentives such as fee waivers, priority processing, and facilitating entitlements to assist in the development of housing for extremely low-income households.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Apply for funding on an annual basis. Organizations will be contacted annually regarding available funding. City Council will update at least once a year as part of the annual reporting process (Government Code Section 65400).

Funding Source(s): General Fund, Program Administration Funds (Housing Authority), HOME funds, CDBG funds, Technical Assistance Grants
Quantified Objective: 30 units affordable to lower-income households to reduce displacement risk.

H-5 Special Housing Needs Assistance. The City will work with housing providers to ensure that special housing needs and the needs of lower-income households are addressed for large families, female-headed households, female-headed households with children, persons with physical and developmental disabilities, extremely low-income households, and individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The City will seek to meet these special housing needs through a combination of density bonuses, regulatory incentives, zoning standards, new housing construction programs, and supportive services programs.  Provide density bonuses and consider fee reductions for developers who include largefamily units in rental housing developments.  Work with the North Bay Regional Center to implement an outreach program that informs households in the city about housing and services available for persons with developmental disabilities. The program could include the development of an informational brochure, including information on services on the City’s website, and providing housing-related training for individuals/families through workshops.  Pursue grants such as HOME matching grants, Community Development Block Grant, Farmworker Housing Grant Program, and other appropriate federal and state funding, to use in incentivizing development of special-needs housing of all types.  Encourage the development of single-room occupancy (SRO) facilities, transitional and supportive housing, and other special housing arrangements, including committing City funds to help affordable housing developers provide SRO facilities consistent with the Single-Room Occupancy Ordinance.
 Provide incentives which may include fee deferrals, parking reductions, and streamline review of housing that is not age-restricted to facilitate housing mobility and reduce City of Rio Vista
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displacement risk for families and individuals whose needs are not met by recent agerestricted development.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Planning Commission, City Council
Time Frame: Ongoing; as projects are processed by the Planning Division. Meet with North Bay Regional Center by December 2023, to identify program opportunities; develop program by December 2024.

Funding Source(s): General Fund, CDBG, HOME
Quantified Objective: Incentivize, support, and encourage the construction of 30 accessible units in close proximity to services and other resources in high-opportunity areas to facilitate mobility opportunities.

H-6 First-Time Homebuyer Assistance. The City will apply for funding and consider the implementation of a first-time homebuyer program to provide down payment assistance and closing cost assistance to low-income first-time homebuyers to reduce displacement of prospective homebuyers potentially priced out of the community. The City will promote the availability of this program in areas with concentrations of renters, particularly low-income renters.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Consider implementing a first-time homebuyer program by December 2025 and annually apply for funding thereafter. Develop informational materials by December 2023, updating annually as needed. Distribute and post on the City’s website and in City buildings by April 2024.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: Connect two first-time buyers with assistance programs annually to facilitate housing mobility opportunities.

H-7 Preservation of “At-Risk” Units. Though there are not currently any affordable units at - risk of converting to market- rate, the City shall maintain and update the affordable housing database as a mechanism to monitor and identify units at risk of losing their affordability subsidies or requirements. For complexes at risk of converting to market rate, the City shall:
 Contact property owners of units at risk of converting to market-rate housing within one year of affordability expiration to discuss the City’s desire to preserve complexes as affordable housing.
 Coordinate with owners of expiring subsidies to ensure the required notices to tenants are sent out at 3 years, 12 months, and 6 months.
 Reach out to agencies interested in purchasing and/or managing at-risk units.

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 Work with tenants to provide education regarding tenant rights and conversion procedures pursuant to California law.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Administration Department Time Frame: Annually monitor units at risk of converting; coordinate noticing as required by California law.

Funding Source(s): General Fund, State and federal grants Quantified Objective: Preserve lower-income units as funding expires to reduce displacement risk.

H-8 Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) Rental Assistance. The Solano County Housing Authority administers the Section 8 program for Rio Vista. In partnership with the Housing Authority, the City will implement a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) education program to share information about the program and available incentives with rental property owners and managers and trainings on avoiding discriminatory practices based on income or other protected classes. The City will distribute this information to property owners and managers across the city, increasing marketing as needed in areas with a lower proportion of voucher holders and in high resource areas, to improve access to affordable housing in all areas of the city and facilitate mobility opportunities for lower-income households throughout the city.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Solano County Housing Authority
Time Frame: Post information on the City’s website by December 2023, update annually; publish information in the City newsletter at least biannually with targeted outreach in high resource areas.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: Assist the Solano County Housing Authority with publicizing the Section 8 program at least biannually in the City’s newsletter. The City will also seek funding annually to support a biannual training for landlords or informational materials on source of income discrimination. The City will publish the names and contact information for the complexes in the Rio Vista area that accept Section 8 vouchers on the City’s website.

H-9 Extremely Low-Income Households. The City will encourage additional housing resources for extremely low-income residents, particularly seniors and persons with physical or developmental disabilities, through a variety of actions, including:
 Provide financial support annually, as available, to organizations that provide counseling, information, education, support, housing services/referrals, and/or legal advice to extremely low-income households, to mitigate risk of displacement and support housing City of Rio Vista
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stability for extremely low-income households, persons with disabilities, and persons experiencing homelessness.
 Expand regulatory incentives for the development of units affordable to extremely lowincome households and housing for special-needs groups, including persons with disabilities (including developmental disabilities), and individuals and families in need of emergency/transitional housing.
 Encourage the development of single-room occupancy (SRO) facilities, transitional and supportive housing, and other special housing arrangements.

The City of Rio Vista will also propose that CAP Solano establish a working group consisting of developers, participating nonprofit organizations, service providers, community stakeholders, and other relevant organizations, to establish a county-wide strategy for promoting and assisting in the development of housing for extremely low- income households.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department; CAP Solano Joint Powers Agency
Time Frame: Ongoing, as projects are processed by the Community Development Department. By December 2024, conduct outreach to organizations that support extremely low-income residents to understand funding needs; review and prioritize local funding at least twice in the planning period; and support expediting applications on an ongoing basis.

Propose working group to CAP Solano by July 2023; if accepted, assist with at least annual meetings of the working group
Funding Source(s): General Fund, CDBG, HOME
Quantified Objective: 30 lower-income units, including 15 units for extremely low-income households.

H-10 Regional Homeless Program. The City will cooperate with neighboring cities, the County, and other agencies in the development of programs aimed at providing homeless shelters and related services. During this coordination, the City will determine what actions to take, such as providing education on the financial assistance and programs available.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Administration Department Time Frame: Meet with homeless organizations biannually; make informational materials on homelessness resources available by December 2023
Funding Source(s): CAP Solano; State Grants; City’s General Fund Quantified Objective: Connect at least 5 residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness with assistance programs and resources.

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H-11 Zoning Ordinance Review and Update The City will amend the Rio Vista Zoning Ordinance to address the following development standards and barriers to special-needs housing:
 Employee Housing: Treat employee/farmworker housing that serves six or fewer persons as a single-family structure and permit it in the same manner as other singlefamily structures of the same type within the same zone across all zones that allow singlefamily residential uses. Treat employee/farmworker housing consisting of no more than 12 units or 36 beds as an agricultural use and permit it in the same manner as other agricultural uses in the same zone, in compliance with the California Employee Housing Act (Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6).  Transitional and Supportive Housing: Permit transitional housing and supportive housing as a residential use and only subject to those restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone (Government Code Section 65583(a)(5). Additionally, allow supportive housing in multifamily and mixed-use zones (Government Code Section 65583(c)(3)).
 Low-Barrier Navigation Centers: Permit low-barrier navigation centers by right in zones where mixed -uses are allowed or in nonresidential zones that permit multifamily housing (Government Code Section 65662).
 Single-Room Occupancy Units: Define single-room occupancy units in compliance with Government Code Section 65583(c)(1) and identify at least one zone where they will be permitted by -right.
 Residential Care Facilities: Allow residential care facilities for six or fewer persons, in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 1568.0831, and allow residential care facilities, regardless of size, in all zones that permit residential uses of the same type, in accordance with the City’s definition of family.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department (Planning Division) Time Frame: Complete Zoning Code Amendments by December 2024.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: 30 units; of these, encourage 20 units in areas with close proximity to resources and services to improve access to opportunity for lower-income and specialneeds persons.

H-12 Density Bonus Program. The City will continue to comply with California Government Code Section 65915, as revised and will promote the use of Density Bonuses to increase the supply of affordable housing in an effort to reduce displacement risk through increased supply and promote housing mobility opportunities. The City will produce informational materials on Density Bonus requirements and opportunities that will be made available at City of Rio Vista
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City Hall and on the City’s website, and provided to developers annually and when discussing projects.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Create informational materials by December 2023 and provide information to developers annually; update as changes are made to State Density Bonus requirements.

Funding Source(s): General Fund, Developer Fees
Quantified Objective: Facilitate the construction of 15 lower-income units to increase mobility opportunities; encourage density bonus units in high resource areas.

H-13 Objective Design Standards. Consistent with the General Plan’s Community Character and Design Element, the City will consider adoption of Objective Design Standards for new developments. Objective standards would ensure that future development projects are compatible with the character and setting of Rio Vista.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Planning Commission Time Frame: Adopt by December 2025, implement after adoption.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: 15 units over the planning period; of these, 10 units in high opportunity areas to promote access to resources and mobility for target households.

H-14 Development Review and Processing Procedures, and City Fee Review. The City will continually seek to improve development review and procedures to minimize the time required for review and project approval. This reduction in time will reduce the cost to developers and may increase housing production in the city. The City will also annually review and revise fees as necessary.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Public Works, Finance, Administration Departments
Time Frame: Annually review and revise, starting in June 2023 Funding Source(s): General Fund
H-15 Building Code. As new uniform codes are adopted every three years by the California Building Standards Commission, the City will review and revise its building codes for current compliance and adopt the necessary revisions to further local development objectives.

The City will also continue to ensure that all construction projects requiring building permits comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as provided by the Uniform Building Code. The City will assist property owners and contractors in complying with ADA City of Rio Vista
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requirements when retrofit or rehabilitation projects are initiated for public or commercial structures.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Administration Department Time Frame: Annually review and update the City’s building codes and as new codes are adopted by the State of California.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
H-16 Code Enforcement. The City will continue to implement code enforcement activities on a complaint basis and if needed, will enact a proactive code enforcement for ensuring compliance with building and property maintenance codes, which will include property maintenance, abandoned vehicles, housing conditions, overall blight, and health and safety concerns. The City will continue to ensure compliance with building and property maintenance codes.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Conduct code enforcement on a complaint basis and evaluate the need for a proactive basis by December 2025.

Funding Source(s): CalHome, CDBG funds
Quantified Objective: Reduce displacement risk for five lower-income households and facilitate place-based revitalization (see H-15).

H-17 Housing Rehabilitation. To assist homeowners with property maintenance and to reduce displacement risk, the City will seek appropriate funding through the CalHome Program and the CDBG Program to provide housing rehabilitation loans and weatherization services for all residents, with a targeted emphasis on promoting the availability of this funding in areas of concentrated poverty or overpayment.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Starting in April 2023, apply for funding annually, and as NOFAs are released.

Funding Source(s): CalHome, CDBG funds
Quantified Objective: Reduce displacement risk for lower-income households and facilitate place-based revitalization by seeking funding to assist at least 5 households with rehabilitation efforts.

H-18 Fair Housing Practices. Fair housing is defined as a condition where individuals of similar incomes in the same housing market have a like range of choice available to them regardless of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, or other such factors. To comply with AB 686, the City has City of Rio Vista
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included an Assessment of Fair Housing in this Housing Element and identified the following actions to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH).  Implement the following actions:
 Actions to support place-based revitalization: H-16, H-17, H-19  Actions to encourage affordable housing in high resource areas: H-8, H-12  Actions to facilitate housing mobility opportunities: H-2, H-5, H-6, H-8, H-12, H-13  Actions to reduce displacement risk: H-2, H-4, H-5, H-6, H-7, H-9, H-12, H-16, H17, H-19  By December 2024, further fair housing practices in the community by publicizing and providing information on fair housing laws and owner and renter rights and responsibilities, as well as referrals to the local fair housing hotline. In addition, the City will include the fair housing complaint hotline number on City housing flyers and on the City’s website.
 Establish a procedure by which aggrieved parties can notify the City of unfair housing practices and the City will in turn refer the matter to local, state, and federal agencies.  Seek funding annually to contract directly with a fair housing service provider, such as Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC).
 With or without an ongoing contract, coordinate with local fair housing service providers to conduct biannual trainings for landlords and tenants on fair housing laws, rights, and responsibilities and ongoing access to legal counseling.  By December 2025, provide information on the City’s website about affordable homeownership and rental options in the city and update as new opportunities become available. By request, help lower-income households locate affordable housing opportunities.
 Work with Solano Mobility to develop a fact sheet, or similar informational materials, of Solano Mobility programs to be posted on the City’s website, social media, and in public buildings by January 2025, and advertised annually in the City’s newsletter to help connect seniors and other residents to services in the city and throughout the county.  Conduct a survey of unmet transit needs at least once during the planning period and, if a need is identified, apply for funding annually after the survey to expand or change Rio Vista Delta Breeze routes.
 Meet with the Rio Delta Unified School District annually, beginning in 2024, to identify strategies to alleviate barriers to construction of non-age-restricted housing.  Facilitate place-based revitalization and promote healthy environments for new housing by evaluating transitional buffers between residential and nonresidential uses, investing in active transportation infrastructure, and working with Solano County to reduce impacts associated with solid waste and agricultural uses. Meet with Solano County at least City of Rio Vista
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biannually to discuss best practices for reducing impacts of nonresidential uses and identify funding for active transportation infrastructure in the City’s 5-year Capital Improvement Program.
 Coordinate a meeting with local developers of affordable housing, including developers of alternative options such as community land trusts, at least once by June 2025 to discuss opportunities to build affordable homeownership opportunities.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Administration Department, City Council
Time Frame: Refer to each strategy in the AFFH program for specific timeframes.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: Connect 25 lower income households with fair housing counseling and/or fair housing services, education, and address barriers.

H-19 Sustainable Development and Green Programs. Promote energy and natural resource conservation and reduce greenhouse gases:
 Provide outreach and education to developers and residents on green building and ways to incorporate sustainability in project design and existing structures.  Advertise the availability of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and Residential Solar Rebate Programs.
 Distribute information from PG&E and others that detail energy conservation measures and resources for existing buildings and new construction.  Advertise PG&E assistance programs for low-income households who want to make their homes energy efficient through the Energy Savings Assistance Program  Encourage developers to be innovative in designing energy-efficient homes and improving the energy efficiency of new construction.
 Promote California’s Low-Income Weatherization Program, which provides lowincome households with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy efficiency upgrades at no cost to residents.

Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Time Frame: Make information available on the City’s website and in public places, such as City Hall, by July 2023.

Funding Source(s): General Fund
Quantified Objective: Help to connect 10 lower-income households with energy conservation and weatherization assistance to reduce displacement risk and facilitate placebased revitalization through home improvements.

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H-20 Use of Sites in Previous Cycles. Pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2(c), any non-vacant sites identified in the prior fifth Cycle or vacant sites identified two or more consecutive planning periods, shall be provided by-right development when at least 20 percent of the units in the proposed development are affordable to lower-income households Responsible Agency: Community Development Department
Timeframe: Upon adoption of the Housing Element.

Funding Source: General Fund

QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES
Quantified objectives estimate the number of units likely to be constructed, rehabilitated, or conserved/preserved by income level during the planning period. The quantified objectives do not set a ceiling on development; rather, they set a target goal for the jurisdiction to achieve based on needs, resources, and constraints. Each quantified objective is detailed by income level, as shown in Table

4. TABLE 4 QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVE SUMMARY
Program Extremely
Low
Very
Low Low Moderate Above Moderate
RHNA 39 40 41 50 157
New Construction
H-2 Accessory Dwelling Units 2
H-3: Support Affordable Development 10 10
H-4: State and Federal Programs 5 10 15
H-5: Special Housing Needs Assistance 20 10
H-9: Extremely Low-Income
Households 15 10 5
H-11: Zoning Ordinance Review and
Update 5 10 10 5
H-12: Density Bonus Program 5 10
H-13: Objective Design Standards 5 10
Rehabilitation
H-16: Code Enforcement 3 2
H-17: Housing Rehabilitation 3 2
Conservation
H-6: First-Time Homebuyer Assistance 2
H-10: Regional Homeless Program 5
H-18: Fair Housing Practices 10 15
H-19: Sustainable Development and
Green Programs 4 6
Source: City of Rio Vista, July 2022
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5. HOUSING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
California law (Government Code Section 65583(a)(3)) requires that the Housing Element contain an inventory of land suitable for residential development, including vacant sites that can be developed for housing during the planning period and nonvacant (i.e., underutilized) sites with potential for redevelopment. State law also requires an analysis of the relationship of zoning and public facilities and services to these sites.

REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is the process required by the State of California to ensure that cities and counties are planning for enough housing to accommodate all economic segments of the community. The process is split into three steps: Regional Determination, RHNA Methodology, and Housing Element Updates.

1. Regional Determination: The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) provides each region with a Regional Determination of housing need, which includes the total number of units for the region, split into four income categories. Rio Vista is in the region covered by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). HCD provided ABAG with a Regional Determination of 441,176 units for the 6th cycle RHNA (2023-2031). This is the total number of units that the cities and counties in the ABAG region must collectively plan to accommodate.

2. RHNA Methodology: Councils of governments, including ABAG, are responsible for developing an RHNA Methodology for allocating the Regional Determination to each city and county in their region. This methodology must specifically state objectives, including, but not limited to, promoting infill, equity, and environmental protection; ensuring jobs-housing balance; and affirmatively furthering fair housing. Of the 441,176 units allocated to the ABAG region, 10,992 were allocated to Solano County. Solano County formed a subregion and established a methodology to distribute the units to each jurisdiction. Solano County’s methodology and unit allocations were approved by HCD in 2021.

3. Housing Element Updates: Each city and county must then adopt a housing element that demonstrates how the jurisdiction can accommodate its assigned RHNA through its zoning. HCD reviews each jurisdiction’s housing element for compliance with state law.

The City of Rio Vista’s share of the regional housing need was determined by a methodology prepared by Solano County as part of the Regional Housing Needs Plan, adopted in December 2021. In accordance with Solano County’s Regional Housing Needs Plan, the City must plan to accommodate 416 housing units between June 30, 2022, and December 15, 2030. Table 5 shows the City’s RHNA by income category. Of the 327 total units, the City must plan to accommodate 79 units for very lowincome households, 41 units for low-income households, 50 units for moderate-income households, and 157 units for above moderate-income households.

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TABLE 5 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION, 2023–2031
Income Category Allocation Percentage
Very Low* 79 24.2%
Low 41 12.5%
Moderate 50 15.3%
Above Moderate 157 48.0%
Total 327 100.0%
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, State Income Limits for Solano County, 2021; Solano County Subregion 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation, Final Methodology * It is assumed that 50 percent of the very low-income category is allocated to the extremely low-income category.

AVAILABILITY OF LAND
State housing element law emphasizes the importance of adequate land for housing and requires that each housing element “…identify adequate sites… to facilitate and encourage the development of a variety of housing types for all income levels…” (California Government Code Section 65583(c)(1)).

To allow for an adequate supply of new housing, land must be zoned at a variety of densities to ensure that development is feasible for a wide range of income levels. The identified land must also have access to appropriate services and infrastructure, such as water, wastewater, and roads.

To demonstrate the City’s capacity to potentially meet its RHNA, an adequate sites inventory was conducted. The inventory must identify adequate sites that will be made available through appropriate zoning and development standards and with public services and facilities needed to facilitate and encourage the development of a variety of housing types for households of all income levels.

The analysis of the relationship of suitable sites to zoning provides a means for determining the realistic number of dwelling units that could actually be constructed on those sites in the current planning period.

The sites were identified through a selection process that included input from the public, the Planning Commission, and the City Council. The identified sites are currently available and/or will be available prior to the start of the planning period. These sites will allow for the development of a variety of housing types that will meet the needs of all income groups as allocated by ABAG for the 2023-2031 planning period.

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Sites Identified in Previous Housing Element
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65583.2(c), a nonvacant site identified in the previous planning period and a vacant site that has been included in two or more previous consecutive planning periods cannot be used to accommodate the lower-income RHNA unless the site is subject to an action in the housing element requiring rezoning within three years of the beginning of the planning period to allow residential use by right for housing developments in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to lower-income households.

In the previous two Housing Element cycles, the Brann Ranch project and APN 0178010070 in Riverwalk (Site 16) both meet these criteria. Brann Ranch is identified to meet the City’s above moderate-income RHNA and is therefore not subject to Government Code Section 65583.2(c). The approximately 9.6 acres of APN 0178010070 that is been identified to meet a portion of the lowerincome RHNA already allows by-right development up to 28 units per acre. Additionally, the Housing Element includes Program H-20, which commits the City to allowing residential use by right on sites consistent with Government Code Section 65583.2(c), for housing developments in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to lower-income households.

Sites Appropriate for Lower-Income Housing
Housing element law requires jurisdictions to provide a requisite analysis showing that zones identified for lower-income households are sufficient to encourage such development. The law provides two options for preparing the analysis: (1) describe market demand and trends, financial feasibility, and recent development experience; or (2) use default density standards deemed adequate to meet the appropriate zoning test. According to state law (Government Code Section 65583.2(c)(3)(B)), the default density standard for Rio Vista is 20 dwelling units per acre (du/ac). The City has included vacant sites and approved projects (see Tables 7 and 8) that have a minimum of 20 units per acre and are assumed to accommodate the City’s lower-income RHNA.

Realistic Capacity
In general, the realistic residential development potential of vacant sites has been assumed to be 85 percent of the maximum permitted density of the applicable zone or land use designation, with the exception of specific plans where the final unit count has already been determined. To determine the realistic development potential on vacant and nonvacant sites, the City reviewed the density of pending residential development. On average, projects were approved at around 186 percent of maximum allowed density in the City of Rio Vista and 138 percent of maximum allowed density in the City of Dixon for 100 percent affordable projects. See Table 6 for project examples. The City is taking a conservative approach and assuming a 70 percent realistic capacity on all vacant sites. Project capacity is based on the number of units that have been approved.

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TABLE 6 REALISTIC CAPACITY: PROJECT EXAMPLES
Project Name/Address Location Acres Project Status GP/ Zoning Total Units Max Allowable Density Realistic Capacity* 150 Drouin Drive Rio Vista 0.52 Complete RM/R4 16 25 123% 640 S. Second Street Rio Vista 0.17 Complete RM/R3 10 25 235% 93 S. Second Street Rio Vista 0.15 Complete DW/C2 12 40 200% Heritage Commons Senior Apartments (100% affordable) Dixon 5.07 Complete MDR/
RM-4-PD
120 22 108%
Homestead (100% affordable)
Dixon 10.7 Approved MDR/
PMR
180 10 168%
Source: City of Rio Vista, October 2022 *Realistic Capacity does not account for density bonus units.

City of Rio Vista
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October 2022 Page 42Sites Inventory The City prepared an inventory of vacant and underutilized sites available to accommodate the City’s RHNA. Table 7 provides the characteristics of each site, including zoning, General Plan designation, acreage, and realistic capacity for the sites currently zoned for housing at varying densities. All sites included in the Table 7 have access and availability of water and wastewater. Figure 1 maps the location of each available site.

TABLE 7 VACANT SITES
Site
Number APN GP Des. Zoning
Max.

Allowable
Density
(du/acre)
Acreage
Realistic
Capacity
(70%)
Affordability Site Constraints
1 0178080060 Neighborhood
Residential
PUD 7 8.73 46 Above Moderate None
2 0178200060 Neighborhood
Residential
R-1 7 13.39 66 Above Moderate None
3 0178200050 Neighborhood
Residential
R-1 7 10.50 51 Above Moderate None
4 0049184150 Historic Residential R-2 14 0.22 2 Moderate None 5 0049177130 Historic Residential R-1 7 0.23 1 Moderate None 6 0049177010 Historic Residential R-1 7 0.15 1 Moderate None 7 0049151290 Multifamily Residential
R-2 14 0.25 2 Moderate None
8 0049291050 Neighborhood
Residential
R-1 7 0.31 2 Moderate None
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Site
Number APN GP Des. Zoning
Max.

Allowable
Density
(du/acre)
Acreage
Realistic
Capacity
(70%)
Affordability Site Constraints
9 0178171130 Neighborhood
Residential
R-1 7 0.24 1 Moderate None
10 0178181200 Neighborhood
Residential
R-1 7 4.32 21 Moderate None
11 0049192180 Multifamily
Residential
R-3 28 0.43 8 Lower None
12 0049132020 Highway
Commercial
R-4 28 1.83 37 Lower None
13 0049151420 Neighborhood
Residential
R-3 28 1.00 14 Lower None
14 0049132010 Neighborhood
Residential
R-4 28 0.73 15 Lower None
Lower Income Capacity 74 Moderate Income Capacity 30 Above Moderate-Income Capacity 163 Total Capacity 267 Source: City of Rio Vista, July 2022
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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 44
FIGURE 1 VACANT SITES AND APPROVED PROJECT MAP
City of Rio Vista
2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 45
Approved Projects
The City is relying on three approved projects to meet a portion of the City’s RHNA: Brann Ranch, Riverwalk, and Liberty. Table 8 provides a summary of the projects and available capacity. Figure 1 maps the location of each project.

Brann Ranch
Originally approved in 1993, the Development Agreement for Brann Ranch proposes 860 marketrate units on a 310-acre site north of State Route 12, west of Liberty Island Road, and south of McCormack Road. In 2006, the City amended the Development Agreement to allow for a larger school site, add a fire station, and update the development standards to align with the latest General Plan. In May 2021, Encore Liberty II purchased the property from Grizzly Inc. and the City authorized the transfer of development rights to the new developer.

Riverwalk
Riverwalk is an approved, 236-acre Planned Unit Development north and east of the intersection of Highway 12 and Church Road. The Riverwalk Project will consist of approximately 738 single-family homes, 229 multifamily residential units, commercial, and open space development. Approximately

9.6 acres in the northwest corner of the project are zoned R-3 and allow up to 28 dwelling units per acre, suitable for affordable development. The project is proposed to be carried out in several phases.

An environmental impact report (EIR) was prepared for the project in 2007. The EIR was certified by the City Council in January 2007, and the project was approved in October 2008.

During the 4th cycle planning period, in 2006, the Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed north of Airport Road and adjacent to the municipal airport. It was designed to serve the Riverwalk project; the majority of the Del Rio Hills; portions of the industrial/employment areas east of Church Road; and all of the Brann, Liberty, and Trilogy projects. The Beach Treatment Plant will be decommissioned during the 6th cycle planning period, with capacity taken over by the Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plan.

Liberty
Liberty is a 311-unit age-restricted community in northern Rio Vista for which construction is underway. Encore Capital Management, an affiliate of Encore Liberty II (see Brann Ranch, above), acquired the Liberty subdivision in 2016. Approximately 57 parcels in Liberty have already been issued building permits, and the remaining 254 parcels are projected to be developed within the next two or three years. Liberty is expected to be built out within the next 2-3 years.

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TABLE 8 APPROVED PROJECTS
Site
Number APN GP Designation Zoning
Max.

Allowable
Density
(du/acre)
Acreage
Realistic /
Approved
Capacity
Affordability
Brann Ranch
15 0048110060
Neighborhood Residential,
Neighborhood
Service/Mixed-Use
0048110460 R-1 7 310 860 Above Moderate 0048110470
Total Capacity 860
Riverwalk
16 0178010070 Neighborhood Residential R-3 28 9.6 229 Lower Multiple Neighborhood Residential R-1 7 736.3 738 Above Moderate Total Capacity 967
Liberty
17 0176361120 Neighborhood Residential R-1/PUD 7 161.4 254 Moderate Total Capacity 254
Source: City of Rio Vista, July 2022
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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
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Accessory Dwelling Unit Potential
California Government Code Section 65583.1(a) states that a town, city, or county may identify sites for accessory dwelling units (ADU) based on: the number of ADUs developed in the prior housing element planning period; whether ADUs are permitted by right; the need for ADUs in the community; the resources or incentives available for their development; and any other relevant factors. Based on recent changes in state law that: reduce the time to review and approve ADU applications, require ADUs that meet requirements to be allowed by right, eliminate discretionary review for most ADUs, and remove other restrictions on ADUs, it is anticipated that the production of ADUs will increase in the 6th cycle housing element planning period.

The City did not issue any building permits for ADUs during the previous planning period. However, with additional funding to support ADU construction and marketing of resources, the City anticipates that four ADUs will be built in the city by 2031. To promote ADUs, the City has included Program H-2 to comply with State law and make construction of ADUs feasible for more property owners.

To determine assumptions on ADU affordability in the ABAG region, ABAG conducted a regional analysis of existing ADU rents and prepared a draft report in September 2021. The analysis resulted in affordability assumptions that allocate 30 percent of ADUs to very low-income households, 30 percent to low-income households, 30 percent to moderate-income households, and 10 percent to above moderate-income households. However, no ADUs have been built in Rio Vista to date, so the City projects that new ADUs will serve moderate- and above moderate-income households, reflecting the pattern of single-family development. Therefore, the City projects there will be two moderateincome ADUs and 2 above moderate-income ADUs built during the planning period.

Summary of Capacity to Accommodate the RHNA
Table 9 compares the City’s RHNA to its site inventory capacity. Accounting for approved and pending projects, the vacant site capacity, and the projected ADUs, the City has a total surplus of 2,025 units. Breaking this down by income category, the City has a surplus of 183 units in the lowerincome category (including extremely low-, very low-, and low-income), a 236-unit surplus in the moderate-income category, and a 1,606-unit surplus in the above moderate-income category.

TABLE 9 SUMMARY OF RESIDENTIAL CAPACITY COMPARED TO THE 6TH CYCLE RHNA
Income Category RHNA Vacant Site
Capacity
Approved
Projects
Projected
ADUs
Total
Capacity Surplus
Very Low 79
74 229 0 303 183
Low 41
Moderate 50 30 254 2 286 236
Above Moderate 157 163 1,598 2 1,763 1,606
Total 327 267 2,081 4 2,352 2,025
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FINANCIAL RESOURCES
The City of Rio Vista has access to a variety of existing and potential funding sources for affordable housing activities. These include programs from federal, state, local, and private resources. This section describes the key housing funding sources currently used in the city, which include Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the state and Section 8 rental assistance. Table 10 lists a range of potential financial resources that may be utilized in Rio Vista.

TABLE 10 FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR HOUSING ACTIVITIES
Program Name Description Eligible Activities
Federal Programs
Community
Development Block
Grant (CDBG)
Grants administered and awarded by the state
on behalf of HUD to cities through an annual
competitive process.
● Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● Homebuyer Assistance
● Economic Development
● Infrastructure
Improvements
● Homeless Assistance
● Public Services
HOME Investment
Partnership Act Funds
Flexible grant program for affordable housing
activities awarded by the state on behalf of
HUD to individual cities through an annual
competitive process.
● Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● Homebuyer Assistance
● New Construction
Section 8 Rental
Assistance Program
Rental assistance payments to owners of
private market-rate units on behalf of very
low-income tenants.
● Rental Assistance
Section 203(k)
Single-family home mortgage program
allowing acquisition and rehabilitation loans to
be combined into a single mortgage.
● Land Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● Relocation of Unit
● Refinancing of Existing
Indebtedness
State Programs
Emergency Shelter
Grant Program
Program funds to rehabilitate and operate
emergency shelters and transitional shelters,
provide essential social services, and prevent
homelessness.
● Support Services
● Rehabilitation
● Transitional Housing
● Supportive Housing
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Program Name Description Eligible Activities
Rural Development
Loans and Grants
Capital financing for farmworker housing.

Loans are for 33 years at 1% interest. Housing
grants may cover up to 90% of the
development costs of housing. Funds are
available under the Section 515 (Rental
Housing), Section 502 (Homeownership Loan
Guarantee), Section 514/516 (Farm Labor
Housing), and Section 523 (Mutual Self-Help
Housing) programs.
● Purchase
● Development/Construction
● Improvement
● Rehabilitation
Multi-Family Housing
Program (MHP)
Deferred payment loans for new construction,
rehabilitation, acquisition, and preservation of
permanent and transitional rental housing.
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
● Acquisition
● Preservation
California Housing
Finance Agency
(CalHFA) Residential
Development Loan
Program
Low interest, short-term loans to local
governments for affordable infill, owneroccupied housing developments. Links with CalHFA’s Down Payment Assistance
Program to provide subordinate loans to firsttime buyers. Two funding rounds per year. ● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
● Acquisition
California Housing
Finance Agency (Cal
HFA) Homebuyer’s
Down Payment
Assistance Program
CalHFA makes below-market loans to firsttime homebuyers of up to 3% of sales price.

Program operates through participating
lenders who originate loans for CalHFA.

Funds available upon request to qualified
borrowers.
● Homebuyer Assistance
CalHFA
Forgivable Equity
Builder Loan
The Forgivable Equity Builder Loan gives
first-time homebuyers a head start with
immediate equity in their homes via a loan of
up to 10% of the purchase price of the home.

The loan is forgivable if the borrower
continuously occupies the home as their
primary residence for five years.
● Homeowner Assistance
Low-Income Housing
Tax Credit (LIHTC)
Tax credits are available to persons and
corporations that invest in low-income rental
housing. Proceeds from the sale are typically
used to create housing.
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
California Self-Help
Housing Program
State program that provides technical
assistance grants and loans as well as deferred
payment conditionally forgivable mortgage
assistance loans for the rehabilitation or
construction of new affordable housing.
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
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2023 - 2031 Housing Element
October 2022 Page 50
Program Name Description Eligible Activities
CalHOME
Grants to cities and nonprofit developers to
offer homebuyer assistance, including down
payment assistance, rehabilitation,
acquisition/rehabilitation, and homebuyer
counseling. Loans to developers for property
acquisition, site development,
predevelopment, and construction period
expenses for homeownership projects
● Predevelopment, Site
Development, Site
Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● Acquisition/rehab
● Down Payment Assistance
● Mortgage Financing
● Homebuyer Counseling
Tax Exempt Housing
Revenue Bond
Supports low-income housing development
by issuing housing tax-exempt bonds
requiring the developer to lease a fixed
percentage of the units to low-income families
at specified rental rates.
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
● Acquisition
Affordable Housing
Sustainable
Communities Program
This program provides grants and/or loans, or
any combination, that will achieve GHG
emissions reductions and benefit
Disadvantaged Communities by increasing
accessibility of affordable housing,
employment centers, and key destinations via
low-carbon transportation.
● New Construction
Local Programs
Rebuilding Together
(Solano County)1
RTSC provides necessary home repairs for
low-income veterans/ senior / disabled
homeowners.
● Rehabilitation
Catholic Charities of
Yolo and Solano
Catholic Charities of Yolo and Solano helps
neighbors transition into safe and affordable
homes through assistance with rent and
move-in costs and a plan to prevent
homelessness and poverty.
● Rental Assistance
Section 8 Home
Ownership Program
(Vacaville Housing
Authority)2
The Vacaville Housing Authority (VHA)
Homeownership Program assists Section 8
Housing Choice Voucher participants by
paying a portion of their mortgage payment.

The Mortgage Assistance Payment is paid to
the lender for the home that the participant
chooses and purchases.
● Homebuyer Assistance
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Program Name Description Eligible Activities
Solano Habitat for
Humanity
Homeownership through sweat equity.

Homeowners also receive counseling and
training on homeownership and maintenance.

Homeowners buy their completed homes
from Habitat for Humanity and repay them
over 30 years through an affordable mortgage.
● Homebuyer Assistance
HERO Program
The California Home Energy Renovation
Opportunity (HERO) allows residential and
commercial property owners to finance energy
efficiency, renewable energy and water
conservation improvements through the
State's Property Assessed Clean Energy
(PACE) program.
● Rehabilitation
Private Resources/Lender/Bank Financing Programs
Federal National
Mortgage Association
(Fannie Mae)
Community
Homebuyers Program
Fixed-rate mortgages issued by private
mortgage insurers. ● Homebuyer Assistance
Mortgages that fund the purchase and
rehabilitation of a home.
● Homebuyer Assistance
● Rehabilitation
Low down payment mortgages for singlefamily homes in underserved low-income and minority cities.
● Homebuyer Assistance
California Community
Reinvestment
Corporation (CCRC)
Nonprofit mortgage banking consortium
designed to provide long-term debt financing
for affordable rental housing. Nonprofit and
for-profit developers contact member banks.
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
● Acquisition
Federal Home Loan
Bank Affordable
Housing Program
Direct subsidies to nonprofit and for-profit
developers and public agencies for affordable
low-income ownership and rental projects.
● New Construction
Freddie Mac
Home Works: Provides first and second
mortgages that include rehabilitation loan.

County provides gap financing for
rehabilitation component. Households earning
up to 80% MFI qualify.
● Homebuyer Assistance
Combined with
Rehabilitation
Bay Area Local
Initiatives Support
Corporation (LISC)
Provides recoverable grants and debt
financing on favorable terms to support a
variety of community development activities,
including affordable housing.
● Acquisition
● New Construction
● Rehabilitation
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Program Name Description Eligible Activities
Northern California
Community Loan
Fund (NCCLF)
Offers low-interest loans for the revitalization
of low-income communities and affordable
housing development.
● Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● New Construction
Low-Income
Investment Fund
(LIHF)
Provides below-market loan financing for all
phases of affordable housing development
and/or rehabilitation.
● Acquisition
● Rehabilitation
● New Construction
Administrative Resources
Mercy Housing
Mercy Housing California, with a regional
office in West Sacramento, is a nonprofit
housing developer active in the region.

Statewide, Mercy Housing has developed over
4,000 units of affordable multifamily and selfhelp housing for families, seniors, and formerly homeless persons, among others.
● New construction
Community Housing
Organizing
Corporation
The Community Housing Opportunities
Corporation (CHOC), based in nearby Davis,
has sponsored the development of
approximately 1,300 units of affordable rental
housing in Davis and in communities in Yolo,
Sacramento, Solano, and eastern Contra Costa
counties.
● New construction
1 Rebuilding Together Solano County (RTSC) was not offering the Home Rehab Program during the first half of 2022 due to COVID-19 concerns for homeowners as well as volunteers. 2 The administration of the Solano County Housing Authority and its Section 8 Housing Assistance Program is contracted to the City of Vacaville Housing and Redevelopment Department.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION
The cost of housing includes not only the rent or mortgage payment, but utility costs. Higher utility expenses reduce affordability. Building affordable homes is not the same as making homes affordable to live in. Cheaply built homes invite callbacks, complaints, and discomfort, and they waste energy.

Therefore, additional first costs to improve energy efficiency do not make housing less affordable in the long run. Energy efficiency in affordable housing, more than any other building sector, makes a critical impact on the lives of tenants. According to HUD, utility bills burden the poor and can cause homelessness.

Federal funds for rehabilitation, such as CDBG funds, can provide an important tool to assist homeowners with home upgrades that have the added benefit of assisting with energy conservation.

The California Department of Energy’s Energy Weatherization Assistance Program and other State funding programs, such as CalHOME, can provide similar assistance to fund rehabilitation projects that will promote energy conservation.

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More locally, the HERO Program provides low-interest loans that are repaid through annual property tax payments. Enrollment in California HERO is completely voluntary. The loans can be used to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements for residential and commercial property through the State's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. Potential benefits of using HERO include increased property values, lower utility bills, and a more comfortable home.

Rebuilding Solano also provides minor exterior repair services to low-income veterans, seniors, and disabled homeowners, specifically through home rehabilitation and smoke/carbon monoxide alarm installation, which may provide weatherization and energy conservation benefits.

PG&E provides a variety of energy conservation services for residents. PG&E also participates in several other energy assistance programs for lower-income households that help qualified homeowners and renters to conserve energy and control electricity costs. These programs include the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program and the Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) Program.

The CARE Program provides a 20 percent monthly discount on gas and electric bills to incomequalified households, certain nonprofits, facilities housing agricultural employees, homeless shelters, hospices, and other qualified nonprofit group-living facilities.

The REACH Program provides one-time energy assistance of $300 to customers who have no other way to pay their energy bill. The intent of REACH is to assist low-income customers—particularly the elderly, disabled, sick, working poor, and unemployed—who experience severe hardships and are unable to pay for their necessary energy needs.

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6. CONSTRAINTS TO HOUSING PRODUCTION
Various interrelated factors can constrain the ability of private and public sectors to provide adequate housing and meet the housing needs for all economic sectors of the community. These factors include potential constraints that result from governmental policies or actions and potential nongovernmental constraints that are generally driven by market conditions. Potential governmental constraints consist of land use controls, development standards, processing fees, development impact fees, code enforcement, site improvement costs, development permits, and approval processing. Potential nongovernmental constraints include land availability, land cost, construction costs, and availability of financing. The following section identifies both governmental and nongovernmental factors that may constrain affordable housing development. Subsequent sections provide programs that can help to minimize these constraints and facilitate housing production for all residents of Rio Vista.

GOVERNMENTAL CONSTRAINTS
Generally, governmental constraints include land development controls, development processing procedures, lengthy periods for application processing, application and development fees, scarcity of vacant residential land zoned at the appropriate densities to make a development financially feasible, and requirements to fund public services/facilities and infrastructure.

Compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements (Air Quality Management Plans, Congestion Management Plans, California Department of Fish and Wildlife requirements, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review, etc.) can also increase costs of housing construction, but would typically have a greater impact on development within more metropolitan areas than the City of Rio Vista. State and local standards for health, safety, and development patterns require that housing must meet certain standards for construction to protect health and safety and property values. Although these governmental controls on housing increase the cost of housing, it is not in the best interest of the community to disregard these standards. Therefore, housing programs are often required to subsidize or otherwise provide housing to those with limited financial resources. The governmental controls unique to Rio Vista that affect housing development are discussed further herein.

All zoning and development standards are available on the City’s website, consistent with zoning and development standard website publication and transparency requirements pursuant to Government Code Section 65940.1 (a)(1)(B)).

Land Use Controls
General Plan and Zoning density standards, subdivision regulations, and zoning standards, by their nature, limit the amount of development on a given site and therefore directly affect the cost of development. The regulations also identify minimum development standards for improvements, such as roads, utilities, parking areas, and drainage facilities. These standards are important since they are intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare; reduce future cost to the taxpayers for services; and avoid problems such as drainage impacts on existing development, flood damage, and land City of Rio Vista
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stability. Land development controls include policies and regulations contained in the City’s General Plan, Zoning Ordinances, Subdivision Ordinance, and building codes.

General Plan
In July 2002, the City of Rio Vista adopted a comprehensive update to its General Plan. The City’s General Plan guides residential development in the city by identifying land use designations and corresponding densities and setting forth a vision for the character and design for future development.

Residential land use designations in the General Plan Land Use Element call for development densities ranging from 0.1 to 25 dwelling units per acre. Table 11 provides density and development standards for the primary residential land use designations in the city. The General Plan includes residential-only and commercial-residential mixed-use designations for areas of the city in which projects with both commercial and residential components may share a site. This land use designation is intended to promote residential units within commercial districts to allow workers to reside closer to their place of work, while promoting a more vibrant commercial core. Please refer to the Land Use Map (Figure 4-3) in the City of Rio Vista General Plan 2001 for the location of all land use designations.

The General Plan also guides development of residential land uses by identifying comprehensive goals, policies, and standards to address community issues such as noise, affordable housing, circulation, safety, and the provision of municipal services and development, which also act as criteria for development within the city.

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TABLE 11 GENERAL PLAN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT DENSITIES AND STANDARDS1 Land Use
District
Allowable
Density Range
(Gross Dwelling
Units Per Acre)2
Minimum
Required
Density
(Base Density)3
Uses Allowed /
Performance
Standards
Intent
Neighborhood Core (NC)
5-20 du/ac 10 du/ac 20%-50%
nonresidential uses 25%-50% of residential units shall be multifamily Allows for some mix of uses suitable for commercial and regional-serving commercial needs. Made up of mediumto high-density residential neighborhoods with auto access from Highway 12 and provides a focus for public transit.

Neighborhood Service/MixedUse4
(NS/MXD)
5-20 du/ac 6 du/ac 10%-50%
nonresidential
Allows for some mix of uses, suitable for commercial and regional-serving commercial need. Intended use to accommodate neighborhood and local-serving uses. Made up of medium- to high-density uses. Includes existing residential and commercially designated property within Development Agreement areas (Brann, Gibbs, and Marks Ranches; and Trilogy).

Neighborhood Residential (NR)
5-7.5 du/ac, 1-16 du/ac on-site
5 du/ac 10% or less
nonresidential
Allows for some mix of uses compatible with predominantly single-family neighborhood. Made up of low- to medium-density residential neighborhoods within walking or biking distance of neighborhood centers, convenience businesses and services, and industrial/employment districts.

Downtown Waterfront (DW)
10-30 du/ac, 8-40 du/ac on-site
10 du/ac 60%-80%
nonresidential
Allows community- and regional-serving activities; commercial, public, employment, and higher-density residential. Remains the community’s civic and commercial focus. This historic district includes most of the medium- to high-density districts north of Bruning Drive and south of Highway 12.

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Land Use
District
Allowable
Density Range
(Gross Dwelling
Units Per Acre)2
Minimum
Required
Density
(Base Density)3
Uses Allowed /
Performance
Standards
Intent
Historic Residential (HR)
5-20 du/ac, 3-30 du/ac on-site
5 du/ac Primarily residential Allows primarily historic single-family uses while allowing multiple family structures and accessory apartments. Comprised of low- to-medium-, density.

Multifamily Residential (RM)
15-25 du/ac 15 du/ac High-density
residential
Allows for one- and two-story garden apartments and mobile home parks with multiple uses to provide a range of attractive, affordable options within the multi-family residential districts.

Edgewater Neighborhood (E)
None specified None specified Low-density, singlefamily residential consistent with existing subdivision lots.

Allows primarily single-family residential uses and is suitable for custom-lot subdivisions adjacent to Edgewater Drive, between the riverfront and Highland Drive. Made up of low-density residential neighborhoods.

Residential Estate (RE)

0.1-1 du/ac 0.1 du/ac Large-lot, singlefamily residential 40%-90% common open space; minimum 50% open space per 100 acres Allows primarily large lot or “estate” residential mix of uses include limited agricultural uses and institutional use buildings. Made up of very low densities within environmentally sensitive areas.

Source: City of Rio Vista, 2021 1. Additional details of each district can be found in the Land Use Element of the General Plan. 2. This is the gross allowable dwelling units per acre of land within the district, including streets, parks, and space used for other purposes than residential development unless specified as an on-site density. As a result, the density on any one development site or buildable lot within the district could be considerably higher than that listed above. On-site densities are net dwelling units on a developable site. 3. The base density is the average density that is required for an entire project. Individual parcels within a residential development may have a lower density per gross acre, but the overall project must average the base density. 4. Sites with mixed use designations have not been identified to meet the City’s RHNA.

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Zoning Districts
Under the Zoning Ordinance, development must comply with specific, enforceable standards such as minimum lot requirements, minimum setbacks, maximum building heights, and a list of allowable residential uses (Table 12). The City of Rio Vista Zoning Ordinance prescribes allowable land uses, height, bulk, density, and parking standards for each zone district in the city. The ordinance has not been comprehensively updated since its adoption; although a number of amendments have occurred as required by circumstances over the years, its basic format still dates from 1966.

TABLE 12 RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
Zone Allowable Density General Uses
R-1 Residential Low Density 7.2 du/ac
Intended for urban single-family
homes and related community
services.

R-E-1 Residential Estate One Acre 1 du/ac
Intended for urban single-family
homes and related community
services.

R-2 Residential Medium Density 14.5 du/ac (3,000 sq. ft. per dwelling unit)
Medium-density residential areas,
where a compatible mingling of
single-unit, dual-unit dwellings and
triplexes is likely to occur.

R-3 Residential High Density Refer to General Plan
Designation
Primarily for high-density residential
uses of a multiple dwelling nature and
related community services.

R-4 Residential High Density Refer to General Plan
Designation
Primarily for high-density residential
uses of a multiple dwelling nature and
related community services, as well as
small-scale limited office and
commercial uses.

Source: Rio Vista Municipal Code, 2020
Development Standards
Table 13 provides the residential standards required for all new development. It shows the maximum units per net acre for single- and multifamily residential zones. Neighborhood commercial (C-1) districts will allow residential development by right in this mixed-use zone on 2,500-square-foot minimum lots.

The cumulative effects of these summarized standards allow the City to achieve maximum housing densities and have not shown to slow down the planning and construction of new residential developments.

The R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones are fairly traditional zone districts, with typical lot sizes, yards, and building height for conventional residential development. The cumulative impacts of these building City of Rio Vista
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standards have not proven to be obstacles to housing developments. Rio Vista housing is much more affordable than Solano County and the Bay Area. In addition, by using the Planned Unit Development Overlay District and the flexible standards contained in the Waterfront Specific Plan Zoning District, the Rio Vista Zoning Ordinance has enough flexibility to permit special site planning, densities, open space, yards, amenities, and lot coverage to accommodate excellent planning principles or other incentives to accommodate affordable and moderate-income housing needs of the community.

Between 2015 and 2021, 660 building permits were issued for residential units and 275 units were completed.

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TABLE 13 ZONING ORDINANCE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS Minimum Yards Accessory Structures
Zone Min. Lot Area
Min.

Lot
Width
(ft.)
Front
(ft.)
Each
Side
(ft.)
Rear
(ft.)
Site Area per
Dwelling Unit
(sq. ft.)
Basic Floor
Area limit to
% of site area
Max. Height
of Main
Structure1
(ft.)
Max.

Height
(ft.)
Minimum
Distance to
Side Lot Line
(ft.)
Minimum
Distance to
Rear Lot Line
(ft.)
R-1 6,000 s.f. 60 20 5 15 6,000 40% 35 12 5 10
R-2
Duplex 6,000 s.f. 60 20 5 15 3,000 50% 35 12 5 10
R-2
Triple x 900 s.f. 60 20 5 15 3000 50% 35 12 5 10
R-3 6,000 s.f. 60 15 5 15 1,500 60% 35 15 5 1.5 R-4 6,000 s.f. 60 15 5 15 1,500 60% 35 15 15 1.5 C-1 4 acre NA 0 0 NA Per CUP Specified in CUP 35 As specified in use permit C-2 2,500 s.f. 25 As specified in Chapter 17.20 Per CUP 100% 50 As specified in use permit C-3-1 1 acre As specified in Chapter 17.24 60% 50 As specified in use permit C-3 7,500 s.f. As specified in Chapter 17.24 60% 50 As specified in use permit C-H 7,500 s.f. 50 As specified in use permit
100% less
minimum
yards
35 As specified in use permit
I-P-I
I-P
I0.5 acres 1 acre 25 30 20 20 20 25 50% 50 As specified in use permit M-G

0.5 acres or
3 acres
100% less
minimum
yards
Source: Rio Vista Zoning Ordinance, 2020
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Density Bonus
Under current state law (Government Code Section 65915), cities and counties must provide a density increase up to 80 percent over the otherwise maximum allowable residential density under the Municipal Code and the Land Use Element of the General Plan (or bonuses of equivalent financial value) when builders agree to construct housing developments with 100 percent of units affordable to low- or very low-income households. Section 17.78.150 of the Rio Vista Municipal Code implements the State Density Bonus Law, as codified at Government Code Sections 65915 and 65915.5, including any amendments to the law and is therefore in compliance with all Density Bonus requirements.

Typical Densities for Development
The City of Rio Vista is a small city in Solano County in the Central Valley between Sacramento and the Bay Area. Most of the city’s growth has been in single-family areas with residential lots generally varying in size from approximately 4,000 to 6,000 square feet in the R-1 and R-2 residential zones.

Multifamily densities typically vary in size from 12 dwelling units per acre to 80 units per acre, depending on the land use designation. In General Plan designations where minimum densities have been established, a map amendment would be required to develop below the minimum.

Parking Requirements
The City’s parking requirements for residential districts vary by housing type. Table 14 identifies the City’s parking requirements for different housing types, as specified in Section 17.48.010 of the Municipal Code. Locations and access to spaces are approved by the Planning Director in consultation with other City staff.

R-E-1 districts require two covered off-street parking spaces, while other districts do not, but in some cases, do require visual screening from the street. Covered spaces can be achieved by either a garage or carport to allow a car to be within a sheltered space. Many municipalities require covered parking for multifamily units as well as single-family units; some also require fully enclosed garages. The City’s parking standards for single-family and multifamily residential development is, therefore, not considered an onerous requirement that would drive residential development to other jurisdictions.

The City may reduce parking requirements to provide housing for special-needs groups.

TABLE 14 PARKING STANDARDS
Land Use Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces
Single-family 2 per unit
Studio 1 per unit
1 bedroom 1.5 per unit
2 bedrooms 2 per unit
3 bedrooms 2 per unit
Plus guest 0.25 per unit
Motels, Hotels, and Rooming Houses 1 per living or sleeping unit plus 1 space for each 3 employees
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Land Use Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces
Mobile Homes 1.5 per trailer unit plus 1 additional space for each 4 units
Source: Rio Vista Municipal Code, 2020
Provisions for a Variety of Housing
Housing element law specifies that jurisdictions must identify adequate sites to be made available through appropriate zoning and development standards to encourage the development of various types of housing for all economic segments of the population. This includes single-family housing, multifamily housing, manufactured housing, mobile homes, emergency shelters, and transitional housing, among others. Table 15 lists housing types permitted by zone district.

TABLE 15 HOUSING TYPES PERMITTED BY ZONING DISTRICT
Unit Type
Zone Districts
R-1 R-E-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 C-1 C-2
Single-Family P P P P P
Duplex P1 P P
Multifamily (3+ units) P1 P P
Mixed-Use Residential CUP2 P3
Accessory Dwelling Units P P P P P
Junior Accessory Dwelling Units P P P P P
Manufactured/Mobile Homes P P P P P
Mobile Home Parks P P
Single-Room Occupancy Units4
Transitional Housing5 CUP CUP
Supportive Housing5
Emergency Shelters P P P CUP CUP
Farmworker/Employee Housing P P P P
Convalescent and Other 24-Hour Care
Facilities6 CUP CUP CUP CUP CUP CUP
Source: Rio Vista Municipal Code, 2020
P = Permitted, CUP = Conditional Use Permit
Notes:

1. Single structure duplexes or triplexes are permitted provided that a minimum of 3,000 square feet of land is required for each dwelling unit, existing and proposed (Municipal Code Section 17.12.020).

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2. Residential uses are conditionally permitted on upper floors or adjacent to storefronts or offices where the nonresidential use occupies space fronting on a public street or at the front of a building (not separate residential structures) (Municipal Code Section 17.18.030).

3. Residential uses are permitted on upper floors if within structures architecturally designed for a commercial storefront on groundfloor or on ground or upper floors if building is architecturally designed for residential use (Municipal Code Section 17.20.020).

4. The City has included Program H-11 to amend the Municipal Code to define single-room occupancy units and identify zones where they are permitted, in compliance with Government Code Section 65583.

5. The City has included Program H-11 to amend the Municipal Code to permit both transitional and supportive housing as a single-family use, treated no differently than residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone. Additionally, the City will allow supportive housing as a permitted use without discretionary review in zones where multifamily and mixed-use developments are permitted, including nonresidential zones permitting multifamily uses (Government Code Section 65583(c)(3)).

6. The City has included Program H-11 to allow residential care facilities for 6 or fewer residents as a singlefamily use in all zones that permit uses of a similar type, and Program H-11 to allow residential care facilities for 7 or more residents as a single-family use in compliance with the definition of family.

Housing for Persons with Disabilities
The City has adopted and enforces the California Building Standards Code, 2019 Edition, known as The California Code of Regulations, including Chapter 11B pertaining to accessibility. This chapter incorporates provisions from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA; 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), which specifies that a number of the residential units in new multifamily construction of three or more apartments or four or more condominiums must be accessible or adaptable. Construction or conversion of residential facilities to accommodate persons with disabilities are held to the same standards as any other construction; ramps or other exterior improvements simply need to meet building and fire codes. Building officials and Planning staff maintain fluency in accessibility requirements for the construction and remodel of residential structures to ensure compliance with accessibility requirements for all projects. No particular constraints to accommodating necessary accessibility conversions have been identified or called to the City’s attention.  Reasonable Accommodations: The City’s Municipal Code includes administrative procedures for reviewing and approving requests for modifications to land use and zoning requirements or procedures regulating the siting, funding, development, and use of housing for people with disabilities to ensure reasonable accommodations (Section 17.66.120). There are no application fees and requests are processed within 45 days of a complete application for a reasonable accommodation. The written decision to approve, conditionally approve, or deny a request for a reasonable accommodation shall be based on the following findings, all of which are required for approval or conditional approval of a reasonable accommodation:
 The requested accommodation is requested by or on behalf of one or more disabled persons protected under the ADA.
 The requested accommodation is necessary to provide one or more disabled persons an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.

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 The requested accommodation will not impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the City as “undue financial or administrative burden” is defined in the ADA.  The requested accommodation will not result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the City’s zoning program, as “fundamental alteration” is defined in the ADA.  The requested accommodation will not, under the specific facts of the case, result in a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or substantial physical damage to the property of others.
 Separation Requirements: The City’s Zoning Ordinance does not impose any separation requirements between group homes or residential care facilities.  Site Planning Requirements: Site planning requirements are no different for these uses than other residential uses in the same zone.
 Parking Requirements: The City’s Zoning Ordinance requires that all multifamily uses provide handicapped parking spaces at a ratio defined in the Zoning Ordinance. For example, two spaces are required for parking lots providing a total of between 26 and 50 parking spaces (Section 17.48.010.H). However, parking requirements for a residential care facility for six or fewer individuals within a residential zone are no different than for any other single-family use.
 Definition of “Family”: The City of Rio Vista defines family as one or more persons living together in a dwelling unit, with common access to, and common use of all living, kitchen, and eating areas within the dwelling unit.

Residential Care Facilities
Health and Safety Code Sections 1267.8, 1566.3, and 1568.08 require local governments to treat licensed group homes and residential care facilities with six or fewer residents no differently than other by-right single-family housing uses. “Six or fewer persons” does not include the operator, the operator’s family, or persons employed as staff. Local agencies must allow these licensed residential care facilities in any area zoned for residential use and may not require licensed residential care facilities for six or fewer persons to obtain conditional use permits or variances that are not required of other family dwelling.

The City’s Zoning Ordinance allows 24-hour convalescent facilities with a conditional use permit in the R-1, R-E-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, and C-2 zone districts. While the Municipal Code includes definitions of small and large residential care facilities that comply with State law, they are not reflected in permitted uses. Therefore, to comply with Government Code Section 65583(a)(4), the City will revise the Zoning Ordinance to allow residential care facilities for six or fewer persons in all residential zones in the same manner as other residential uses of the same type in the same zone, and facilities for seven or more without a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) (Program H-11).

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Emergency Shelters
The California Health and Safety Code (Section 50801) defines an emergency shelter as “housing with minimal supportive services for homeless persons that is limited to occupancy of six months or less by a homeless person. No individual or households may be denied emergency shelter because of an inability to pay.”
California Government Code Section 65583(a)(4)(A) requires jurisdictions to allow emergency shelters in at least one zone with adequate vacant land without a CUP. Within identified zones, only objective development and management standards may be applied, given that they are designed to encourage and facilitate the development of or conversion to an emergency shelter.

The Rio Vista Municipal Code allows emergency shelters, serving no more than 16 persons at any one time, by right in the R-3, R-4, and C-H zone districts. Emergency shelters, including those that serve more than 16 individuals, are allowed with a CUP in the C-1, C-2, C-2A, C-3-1, and I-P-I. Much of the vacant land in these zones is near existing urban areas where current services are located, or where future services can reasonably be expected to be extended in the future. Vacant sites in the R-3, R-4, and C-H zones are at a wide range of sizes, suitable to accommodate shelters of various sizes. Vacant land suitable for emergency shelters includes one 0.43-acre parcel in the R-3 zone, 2.55 acres on two parcels in the R-4 zone, and 1.52 acres across four parcels in the C-H zone. Each of these parcels is in or near downtown and associated services.

Low-Barrier Navigation Centers
Government Code Section 65662 requires that the development of Low-Barrier Navigation Centers be developed as a use by right in zones where mixed uses are allowed or in nonresidential zones that permit multifamily housing. For a navigation center to be considered “low barrier,” its operation should incorporate best practices to reduce barriers to entry, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
 Permitting the presence of partners if it is not a population-specific site, such as for survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault, women, or youth  Pets
 Ability to store possessions
 Providing privacy, such as private rooms or partitions around beds in a dormitory setting or in larger rooms with multiple beds
Program H-11 has been included to comply with state law.

Transitional and Supportive Housing
Supportive housing is defined by Section 50675.14 of the Health and Safety Code as housing with linked on- or off-site services with no limit on the length of stay and which is occupied by a target population, as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 53260 (i.e., low-income person with mental disabilities, AIDS, substance abuse, or chronic health conditions, or persons whose disabilities originated before the age of 18). Services linked to supportive housing usually focuses on retaining housing, living and working in the community, and/or health improvement.

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Transitional housing is defined in Section 50675.2(h) of the Health and Safety Code as rental housing for stays of at least six months but where the units are recirculated to another program recipient after a set period. It may be designated for a homeless individual or family transitioning to permanent housing. This housing can take many structural forms, such as group housing and multifamily units and may include supportive services to allow individuals to gain necessary life skills in support of independent living.

Pursuant to Government Code Section 65583, transitional and supportive housing types are required to be treated as residential uses and subject only to those restrictions that apply to other residential uses of the same type in the same zone. The City will review and revise the Zoning Ordinance so that transitional and supportive housing, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, is permitted by right without a CUP in residential zones, and supportive housing is permitted in nonresidential zones that allow multifamily and mixed uses (Program H-11).

Employee Housing
The City does not have any land designated for agricultural uses and complies with Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6. However, to comply with the State Employee Housing Act (Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6), the City will amend the zoning code to regard employee housing serving six or fewer employees as a single-family dwelling for purposes of applying land use and zoning regulations (Program H-11). Additionally, this amendment will allow employee housing of no more than 12 units or 36 beds as an agricultural use and will be permitted in the same manner as other agricultural uses in the same zone.

Single-Room Occupancy
Extremely low-income households typically comprise persons with special housing needs, including, but not limited to, persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, persons with substance abuse problems, and farmworkers. AB 2634 (Lieber 2006) requires the quantification and analysis of existing and projected housing needs of extremely low-income households. Housing Elements must also identify zoning to encourage and facilitate supportive housing and single-room occupancy units.

To encourage and facilitate the development of housing affordable to extremely low-income households and in accordance with Government Code Section 65583, the City will define single-room occupancy units and identify zones where they are permitted (Program H-11).

Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) provide opportunities for affordable units. Government Code Section 65852.2 requires that ADUs be permitted ministerially in any residential zone or nonresidential zone that permits residential uses. In Rio Vista, ADUs and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) are permitted by-right in all zones where single-family and multifamily uses are permitted.

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Mobile Homes and Manufactured Housing
Under California Government Code Section 65852.3(a), jurisdictions must allow certified manufactured homes on all lots zoned for conventional, stick-built single-family dwellings. The only difference in regulation between manufactured homes and conventional single-family dwellings may be with respect to architectural requirements. The Rio Vista Municipal Code currently allows manufactured homes as a permitted use in all zones where single-family structures are permitted.

Building Codes and Enforcement
The latest (2019) edition of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) is enforced in Rio Vista. The City’s Building Department ensures that new residences, additions, and auxiliary structures meet all of the latest construction and safety standards. Building permits are required for any construction work. Rio Vista has no local building or construction code restrictions beyond those prescribed by the Uniform Building Code.

On- and Off-Site Improvements
Site improvement costs include the cost of providing access to the site, clearing the site, and grading the pad area. In the case of a subdivision, such costs may also include major improvements, such as building roads and installing sewer, water, and other utilities. As with land costs, several variables affect costs, including site topography and proximity to established roads, sewers, and water lines.

Engineering and other technical assistance costs are usually included with site improvements as these services are required to ensure that development is constructed according to established codes and standards.

The City requires residential project improvements to include drainage facilities, sidewalks, paved streets, landscaping, and water and sewer service. Minor and local streets have 52-foot rights-of-way, including 8 feet on each side for sidewalks; collector streets have 60-foot rights-of-way with 20 feet of dedicated improvements and 8 feet on each side for sidewalks; and major or industrial streets have 78-foot rights-of-way with 16 feet of dedicated improvements with an additional 7 feet on each side for sidewalks. These and other site improvement costs are typical of all cities in California and do not impose a significant constraint on the development of housing in Rio Vista. The City does not impose any additional requirements as conditions of approval for new development.

Review of Local Ordinances
The City does not have any locally adopted ordinances that hinder the development of housing.

Permit Processing and Procedures
The City’s Zoning Ordinance requires that all commercial, multifamily (over two units), and new subdivisions be reviewed for compliance with general community design standards, such as circulation, orientation of buildings, location and visibility of common areas, and landscaping.

Individual single-family homes are reviewed at the staff level; larger development projects undergo review by staff and the City’s Planning Commission.

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Rio Vista’s approval process may be slightly less cumbersome than is typical in Solano County, because there is no discretionary review body other than the Planning Commission that would add an additional step and more time to the procedural process.

As shown in Table 16, both single-family developments and multifamily developments are processed between 60 and 105 days. Development applications may take between 12 and 36 months to process; however, the time necessary for review largely depends on the overall size and complexity of the project, the degree to which it complies with adopted City standards, compliance with state and federal regulations, and the initial completeness of the development application. The timeframes are considered reasonable, and the City has been successful in efficiently processing development applications to accommodate timelines for development projects. Table 16 identifies the approximate time necessary to process residential development applications. Not all steps identified in Table 17 apply to every project, Table 17 is representative of typical multifamily and single-family projects.

TABLE 16 SINGLE-FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Type of Approval or Permit Time to Complete Approval Body Step 1: Site and Architectural Review 30 – 60 days Planning Commission Step 2: Building Permit Review 30 – 45 days, initial review Building Department Estimated Total Processing Time 60 – 105 days
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2022
TABLE 17 DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TIME FRAMES
Development Permit/
Review Process
Time Frame1
Single-Family
Residential
Multifamily
Residential
Planned Unit
Development (all
housing types)
Ministerial Review (e.g., one
unit and second unit)
5 days N/A NA
Pre-Application (encouraged
for more complex projects
and Specific Plans)
14 to 30 days 30-60 days (if it
includes 2 or more
meetings)
Approx. 8-12 months or
more (assumes about 4-6
bi-monthly meetings)
Site and Architectural Review 30 to 60 days 30-60 days Included in PUD Permit Conditional Use Permit
and/or Variance
30 to 60 days 30-60 days Included in PUD Permit
Zone Change and General
Plan Amendments
5 months to 1.5
years
5 months to 1.5 years Concurrent with PUD
Permit
Environmental Review
(depending on Initial Study
impacts)
1 to 14 months 1 to 14 months Concurrent with PUD
Permit
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Development Permit/
Review Process
Time Frame1
Single-Family
Residential
Multifamily
Residential
Planned Unit
Development (all
housing types)
Planned Unit Development
(PUD) Permit
2 to 12 months 2 to 12 months Aver. take about 2-4 years overall for larger-scale
projects
Developer Agreements NA NA 3 months to 1 year
(depending on complexity)
Civil and Site Grading Permit 30 to 45 days 30 to 45 days 30 to 45 days Building Permits 30 to 45 days,
initial review
30 to 45 days, initial
review
30 to 45 days, initial review
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2021

1. City Council action is required for zone changes, General Plan amendments, planned unit developments, and development agreements.

The Planning Division encourages all new multifamily dwelling developments to first submit a preapplication for initial feedback and obtain basic requirements and guidance from the Planning, Building, Public Works, Fire, and Police Departments. A Design Review Committee meeting can be held for project applicants to receive preliminary input from all City departments. When the applicant is ready to submit a formal application, depending on the zone (R-3 zone), the applicant would submit a Site and Architectural Review (SAR) and environmental application/initial study, or a CUP application, Initial Study (and variance application if needed) for the R-4, Waterfront Specific Plan, C1, or C-2 zones.

Once the application is deemed complete by the Planning Division, a public hearing is scheduled for approval of entitlements. Staff works with applicants and their architect to show consistency with all necessary zoning data (site area, allowed density, required parking, lot coverage, open space, setbacks, building renderings) to ensure that the submittal would address all City standards and would go through the planning process in an expeditious manner.

Site and Architectural Review and CUPs are both discretionary approvals authorized by the Planning Commission. Depending on the complexity of the project and the number of revisions requested of applicants, it usually takes approximately 15-60 days to process/approve a SAR for a single-family residential application, 30-60 days for a multifamily residential complex, and 30-90 days for a CUP, mixed-use development, and/or variance. Typical findings of approval for a SAR and CUP are as follows.

Typical City of Rio Vista SAR findings:

1. The project is consistent with the General Plan.

2. The project is consistent with the Zoning Ordinance.

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Typical City of Rio Vista CUP findings:

1. The proposed use is consistent with current City policies regarding land use and design, due to the small difference in land use changes within the overall community.

2. The proposed use is consistent with the City of Rio Vista General Plan and applicable elements thereof.

3. This project is Categorically Exempt, or a Negative Declaration or environmental impact report (EIR) has been prepared in accordance with CEQA.

4. Due to these findings and when subject to the following Conditions of Approval, the project will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents and businesses of the City of Rio Vista.

5. The project, as amended by these conditions and requirements, substantially meets the purpose, intent, and standards of the zoning district.

Multifamily projects, as part of a large-scale planned unit development (such as Brann Ranch PUD) can take anywhere from two to four years to complete all of the complex processing steps, plans, and environmental documents required by for Planning Commission and City Council consideration. This is because PUDs such projects require comprehensive site plans, , infrastructure plans, and complex environmental review (CEQA ) documents.

Although environmental documents can usually overlap some of their processing times with PUD permits to some extent, complex EIRs can often take about 18-24 months (from Draft EIR to certifying the Final EIR) of time beyond the basic PUD process. Sometimes, as part of the EIR process, there are mitigation measures that result in the PUD plans being modified to accommodate traffic, concerns by surrounding property owners, address design issues, and accommodate infrastructure demands of the project.

However, once a PUD permit and associated SAR review have been approved and public facilities/infrastructure has been installed, as long as the subsequent building permits comply with all City requirements, each individual permit for small groups of single-family dwellings or for a basic multiple-family structure usually take no more than about 10-20 working days to be issued by the Building Division. More complex building permit submittals may take longer if structural or other specialized plan submittals need to be reviewed by the City’s plan check engineer.

The actual time required to process a project varies from one project to another, and is directly related to the size, complexity, and nature of the proposal and number of approvals needed to complete the project (such as if there are any state and federal agencies involved with permits, like Caltrans and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). It should be noted that each project does not necessarily have to complete each step in the process (smaller projects consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance findings do not generally require EIRs, General Plan amendments, rezoning, or variances).

Also, the City tries to streamline reviews and approval procedures and to process related permits concurrently. For instance, a rezoning may be reviewed in conjunction with the required SAR application, tentative subdivision maps, any necessary variances, and an environmental determination, saving time, money, and efforts for the private sector and the City.

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After a multifamily project is approved, plan checking would be performed by the City’s plan check staff to expedite the review (usually within four weeks after a complete submittal by the architect, structural, and civil engineers). Throughout construction, the Building Division (with assistance from contract inspectors if needed) would perform building inspections to closely monitor the progress of the project. This process is usually very efficient and does not put any undue time constraints or costs on development.

The City’s land use process is not a constraint for processing multiple-dwelling unit projects and housing affordable to low-income residents.

Design Review
The residential architectural standards described in the Community Character and Design Element of the General Plan for both single- and multifamily developments are typical of Solano County cities.

Review criteria include such items as building articulation, façade elements and details that create interest, shade and shadow, a strong sense of entry, and orientation to public streets and rights-ofway. Elements such as bays, porches, eaves, and similar features are encouraged. Criteria for acceptable design elements for a variety of building types are provided in the Community Character and Design Element. The Zoning Ordinance calls for administrative review by Community Development Department staff of individual proposed new or expanded residential structures to ensure consistency with the surrounding area and with design criteria. This is considered appropriate to ensure aesthetic continuity within the city. Since the review is accomplished according to design criteria, and thus is not arbitrary, it is not considered an onerous obstruction to streamlined review of multifamily units.

While not codified in the Zoning Code, the Community Character & Design Element calls for varying front setbacks for garages in Action CD-8. These include a main building setback of 15 feet on lots at least 71 feet wide, with the garage to be placed anywhere as long as the driveway width does not exceed 25 percent of the lot width. For lots 45 to 70 feet wide, the Action calls for a 15-foot setback of the main building and 67 percent of garages on any given block to be set back at least 30 feet, and the remainder to have a minimum of 20 feet, or 15 feet if a side, “Hollywood” or swing driveway is used.

For lots less than 45 feet in width, the Element calls for a 15-foot setback of main buildings, and all garages to be in the rear half of the lot with alley access preferred. This requirement effectively reduces costs to developers by allowing for narrower roadway widths, which equates to less overall paving.

The reduced roadway widths are allowed for public and private streets, as long as the garage standards are met. Overall, the standards are designed to allow higher densities through better design, while reducing infrastructure costs. Processing time is reduced by avoiding the need to use private streets to take advantage of the reduced widths.

Proposed subdivisions are reviewed for compliance with zoning standards such as circulation, orientation of buildings, location and visibility of common areas, and landscaping. Currently, City staff conducts an informal review of the proposed building architecture using the General Plan’s Community Character and Design Element as a guide, but have included Implementing Action H-12 Design Guidelines and Design Review in Section G.

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Conditional Use Permits
A CUP is not required for multifamily developments within existing multifamily zone districts, so long as the project is in compliance with development standards set forth in the Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Ordinance allows residential development within C-1 commercial zone districts with approval of a CUP. A CUP is required to ensure any proposed residential uses would be compatible with surrounding commercial land uses and to ensure the public health, safety, and welfare. This is not considered an onerous requirement for areas intended primarily for commercial uses.

Senate Bill 330 Procedure
The City of Rio Vista permitting process is consistent with SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019.

Consistent with SB 330, housing developments for which a preliminary application is submitted that complies with applicable General Plan and zoning standards are subject only to the development standards and fees that were applicable at the time of submittal. This applies to all projects unless the project square footage or unit count changes by more than 20 percent after the preliminary application is submitted.

Senate Bill 35 Approvals
SB 35 requires jurisdictions that have failed to meet their RHNA to provide streamlined, ministerial entitlement process for housing developments that incorporate affordable housing. The City has included Program H-13 to establish a written policy or procedure and other guidance as appropriate to specify the SB 35 streamlining approval process and standards for eligible projects.

Impact and Application Processing Fees
Impact Fees
The City requires developers to pay impact fees to cover the City’s costs to provide services and utility infrastructure to new development. Impact fees are required by the City and the County. The Capital Impact Fees were adopted in 2009, and most recently revised in August 2010. These fees determine the real costs to the City of providing adequate services to new development. Impact fees are collected for municipal facilities, fire protection facilities, police facilities, park facilities, roadway facilities, etc., as shown in Table 18.

TABLE 18 TYPICAL BUILDING AND CAPITAL IMPACT FEES (NONDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT) Fees Single-family Residential Multifamily
Roadways $8,344.00 $5,810.77
Parks and Recreation Facilities $4,709.59 $2,649.01
Municipal Improvement Fee $4,016.48 $2,798.37
Police Facilities $787.00 $477.00
Fire Facilities $1,277.00 $774.00
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Fees Single-family Residential Multifamily
Water Connection $5,950.00 $5,950.00
Interim Water $80.01 $80.01
Sewer Facilities $6,610.76 $6,610.76
Collection System $967.43 $967.43
General Plan Revision Fund $90.27 $25.00
Solano Co. Public Facilities $9,150.00 $8,656.00
School Impact Fee1 $9,580.00 $3,382.00
Typical Building Permit $2,327.502 $1,201.903
Typical Plan Check4 $1,512.88 $781.24
Total Fees/Unit $55,402.92 $40,613.49
Total Building Valuation per unit (2022
Estimate) $329,942.00 $128,253
Total Housing Cost (not including land
costs) $385,344.92 $168,866.49
Typical Fees as a % of Total Housing
Costs 14.4% 24.1%
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2022

1. Based on the school impact fee of $4.79 per square foot for residential construction established by the State Allocation Board in February 2022. Estimates costs for a 2,000 square foot single-family home and an 800 square foot multifamily unit.

2. Based on the estimated construction cost of $329,942 for a 2,000-square foot, wood-framed, single-story home in Rio Vista with a two-car garage, using the Craftsman Book Company’s 2022 National Building Cost Manual. Construction costs include labor, materials, and equipment.

3. Based on the estimated construction cost of $128,253 per unit in a 40-unit multifamily structure with an average unit size of 800 square feet in Rio Vista, using the Craftsman Book Company’s 2022 National Building Cost Manual. Construction costs include labor, materials, and equipment.

4. Plan check fees are 65 percent of building permit fees, as presented in Table 20.

City staff calculated the typical permit, plan check, impact fees, and other fees for a typical singlefamily and multifamily housing unit and compared those fees to total housing costs based on 2022 improvement and land cost estimates. The total fees as a percentage of total new housing costs vary widely from about 14.4 percent for a typical single-family dwelling (estimated at approximately $164 per square foot construction cost), and about 24.1 percent for a multifamily unit (estimated at City of Rio Vista
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approximately $166 per square foot construction cost). Historically, multi-family dwellings have lower construction costs per foot, but due to high costs of materials currently, the cost per foot has increased significantly over the last 8 years. Further, multifamily dwellings typically higher percentage of building/impact fees to housing costs because some impact fees may tend to have a disproportionately higher fee to housing value ratio for smaller apartment and multifamily units, than single-family homes.

To address infrastructure needs for new developments, the City analyzed the development impact fees for all uses throughout the city (Annual Development Impact and Five-Year Fee Report). Solano Transportation Authority has added a regional impact fee on residential and nonresidential development throughout Solano County to provide local matching funds for major roadways, city arterials, and transit facilities. The adoption of these fees had marginally increased the housing costs.

A school impact fee is assessed by the River Delta Unified School District for all new home construction. The school impact fee is intended to defray the cost to the school district of new students generated by new development within the city. The school impact fee is levied on a per-square-foot basis and is currently $4.79 per square foot of livable residential space. This fee has been identified as a barrier to construction of housing that is not age-restricted. Therefore, the City has included Program H-18 to work with the school district to identify opportunities for fee waivers or deferrals to encourage development. Table 19 lists typical building and capital impact fees for Trilogy senior housing development.

TABLE 19 TYPICAL BUILDING AND CAPITAL IMPACT FEES FOR TRILOGY

SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT (DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT)
Fees ($) Typical Planned Unit Development Residential Unit (typical 1,558 square-foot Trilogy unit)
Water Connection $5,861.00
Interim Water $80.10
Sewer Facilities $6,610.76
Collection System $967.43
Fire Department - Other $90.00
Solano County Public Facilities $9,263.00
Community Park Improvement $1,950.37
California Building Standards Fee $11.00
Building Fee $1,900.00
Administrative Fee $35.00
Senior Municipal Improvement $4,652.00
Plumbing $320.08
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Fees ($) Typical Planned Unit Development Residential Unit (typical 1,558 square-foot Trilogy unit)
Plan Check Fee $1,235.00
Mechanical $320.00
General Plan Revision $90.27
Roadway Fee $9,492.00
Total Fees $42,878.09
Total Est. Building Valuation (2022) $259,995.60
Typical Improved Lot Cost (Based
on 2022 Costs) $540,878.09
Total Housing Costs $583,756.18
Typical building/capital fees as % of
total LGI Home cost 7.3%
Source: City of Rio Vista, April 2022.

City staff calculated the typical permit, plan check, impact fees, and other fees for a typical Summit at Liberty II senior housing unit and compared those fees to total housing costs. The building permit and capital impact fees as a percentage of total new senior housing costs are only about 7.3 percent for a typical senior dwelling unit. This is mainly because PUDs usually have much more upfront costs for site improvements; common areas; community facility amenities; and on-site road, parks, sewer, and water improvements. In addition, because senior developments do not have many school-aged children, school impact fees are assessed at a much lower rate than conventional subdivisions.

However, homeowners in PUDs usually have other ongoing fees and special assessments, such as homeowner’s association (HOA) dues, lighting and landscape maintenance districts, and community facility districts.

Development Processing Fees
The City of Rio Vista collects development processing fees and deposits to ensure reimbursement of the City for time spent by staff and consultants in processing requested development permits. Rio Vista also requires developer funding and/or construction of off-site extension of utilities, storm drain infrastructure, and requires the developer to construct all internal streets, curb, and gutter, and to improve segments of off-site roadways to accommodate increased traffic resulting from project development. Improvements are typically required as conditions of project approval or as a condition of the Development Agreement entered into by the City and the developer.

Development processing and permit fees and exactions can add to housing construction costs. In general, permit fees are typically high in rapidly growing communities or in areas of new development that expand the developed core, as supporting infrastructure is not in place and must be provided by new development. Development processing fees and application fees required by the City for a typical residential project, including multifamily development, are shown in Tables 20 and 21, City of Rio Vista
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respectively. Development fees for multifamily development are similar to single-family development.

Permit processing and development fees assessed by the City are generally lower than comparable jurisdictions. In some cases, the fees do not fully cover the cost of providing services and facilities.

TABLE 20 DEVELOPMENT PROCESSING FEES
Fee Type Fee Amount
Final Subdivision Map $2,500.00 plus $100.00 each lot or unit to be paid by applicant at the time application is made.1
Building Permit
Based on the valuation of the project. (For projects valued at $100,001 to $500,000, the fee would be $1,004.50 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof to and including $500,000 plus $35 administration fee)
Seismic Mapping Fee Residential: $0.21 per each $1,000 building valuation.

Grading Plan Review
Fees apply for all grading projects of 50 cubic yards or greater.

Consultant Plan Review: Actual contractor cost plus $36.75 administration fee; minimum charge of $125 (1 hour).

Consultant Field Inspections: Actual contractor cost; minimum charge of $250 (two hours). Additional fees may be charged based on consultant estimate of hours of work to be performed; additional fees may be charged prior to final permit if staff or consultant hourly cost exceeds fees paid at issuance of permit.

Grading Permit
The fee shall be charged at the currently adopted Employee Billable Rate for Building Inspector ($72.01/hour) plus $36.75 administration fee; minimum charge of one-half hour.

Plan Check 65% of Building Fee
Zoning Compliance
Review
Includes 1 hr. planning (minimum) or actual time required. $100 minimum or actual time required
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2022.
1 Deposit of additional funds may be required prior to continued processing of application or application may be denied in the event of hours worked exceeding initial fee.

TABLE 21 PROJECT APPLICATION FEES
Fee Type Amount
General Plan Amendment
$5,000.00 deposit (to cover all staff time, plus
outside consultants and legal counsel, additional
funds may be required should hours worked
exceed initial deposit amount.)
Rezoning/Zoning Ordinance Amendments
Annexation/Detachment
Planned Unit Development
Mobile Home Park Development
Development Agreement
Conditional Use Permit (Minor) $1,972
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Fee Type Amount
- Reduced Fee for the above item (for properties in
Figure 6-1, Reduced Fee Area)1 $986
Conditional Use Permit (Major) - Reduced Fee for the
above item (for properties in Figure 6-1, Reduced Fee
Area)1
$3,944
$1,972
Tentative Subdivision Map $2,500.00 plus $100.00 each lot or unit Amendment to Tentative Subdivision Map Parcel Map $2,500.00 plus $100.00 each lot or unit
Lot Line Adjustment2 $2,500.00 plus $100.00 each lot or unit Site and Architectural Design Review - Reduced Fee
for the above item (for properties in Figure 6-1,
Reduced Fee Area)1
$1,972
$986
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2022
1 Reduced Fee Area is delineated on Figure 2. The purpose of reduced fees in this area is intended to facilitate housing rehabilitation in the historic downtown, which contains the highest concentration of blighted units. 2 Lot line adjustments are processed by the Public Works Department and are subject to additional fees.

FIGURE 2 REDUCED FEE AREA
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As shown in Table 20, many of the fees assessed are based on project characteristics, such as valuation or grading quantities and, therefore, no standard amount can be provided. An example of development costs for a 1,558-square-foot, single-family home is given in Table 22.

Building permits must be secured before commencement of any construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration, or addition. Approval of permit applications is based on conformity with the Zoning Ordinance, although the City has the power to grant variances from the terms of the ordinance within the limitations provided in the ordinance.

As high as these fees may seem, the City of Rio Vista’s fees for new residential development are lower overall than fees charged in other cities in Solano County, and in most cities in growth corridors of the San Francisco Bay Area. In the neighboring City of Benicia, the equivalent fees run to over $68,683 per single-family unit. Similarly, in neighboring City of Dixon, equivalent fees for a comparable 2,000- square-foot single-family home are $66,307. Rio Vista’s development fees are generally comparable with fees charged by neighboring communities, as shown in Table 21.

Affordable housing is defined as a residential housing unit that is deed restricted to preserve the unit for residents with income within limits set forth by the County’s Housing Authority.

TABLE 22 FEE COMPARISON FOR CITIES IN SOLANO COUNTY
City Impact Fees to Construct Single-Family Home on Improved Lot1 Rio Vista2 $55,403
Benicia3 $68,683
Dixon4 $66,307
Source: City of Rio Vista, 2022
1 Fees include the City’s Capital Improvement Fees (impact fees), school district impact fees and Solano County Public Facilities Fee
2 Rio Vista fees for a 2,000-square-foot, single-family house. 3 Benicia fees are for a 3,000-square-foot, single-family house. 4 Dixon fees are for a 2,000-square foot, single-family house.

Subdivision Standards
General standards for off-site improvements, such as streets, sidewalks, bikeways, and street lighting, are defined in the City’s Standard Plans and Specifications, which were established under the Subdivision Ordinance and are updated periodically. The minimum width for streets in a residential development is 36 feet from curb to curb. Exceptions are made only for existing public alleys or infill residential projects, which may be as narrow as 20 feet, subject to approval by the Fire Department and City Engineer. This street width is a standard requirement in Solano County and is typical of most neighboring communities, including Fairfield and Suisun City.

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With the advent of newer development approaches, such as “smart growth,” “performance regulations,” and “New Urbanism,” a number of California communities are re-thinking the conventional wisdom of these standards. Streets of the typical standard tend to accommodate higher automobile speeds, are devoid of public landscaping or street trees, do not relate to the density of the neighborhood or the amount of auto traffic anticipated, and place an additional burden on low-income residents by eliminating alternatives and increasing reliance on more expensive automobile transportation.

The performance street standards proposed by the policies of the Circulation and Mobility Element and the Community Character and Design Element of the current General Plan call for narrow streets where density and traffic considerations allow, multiple connections to destinations, and shorter blocks to foster easier walking and transit access. As part of the General Plan 2045 update, the City will review and revise these standards, as necessary, and larger projects will be encouraged to use the General Plan performance standards through the Development Agreement and PUD procedure.

As in most Bay Area communities, developers are expected to pay the cost of water and sewer connections and a share of the costs of any expansion of water or sewage treatment facilities necessitated by development. These required improvements do not exceed the standards typically found in the Bay Area and do not constitute undue development constraints.

NONGOVERNMENTAL CONSTRAINTS
Available Dry Utilities
Dry utilities, including cable, electricity, and telephone service, are available to all areas within the city.

There is sufficient capacity to meet the current need and any future need. Service providers are as follows:
 Cable: Xfinity
 Electricity: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
 Telephone: Frontier
 Internet Service: Comcast
Financing Availability and Interest Rates
The availability of money or capital is a significant factor that can control both the cost and supply of housing. Two types of capital affect the housing market: (1) capital used by developers for site preparation and construction, and (2) capital for financing the purchase of units by homeowners and investors. Currently, the interest rate for a 30-year home loan is around 5.0 percent.

Table 23 illustrates interest rates as of May 2022. The table presents both the interest rate and the annual percentage rate (APR) for different types of home loans. The interest rate is the percentage of an amount of money that is paid for its use for a specified time, and the APR is the yearly percentage rate that expresses the total finance charge on a loan over its entire term. The APR includes the interest rate, fees, points, and mortgage insurance and is therefore a more complete measure of a loan’s cost City of Rio Vista
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than the interest rate alone. However, the loan’s interest rate, not its APR, is used to calculate the monthly principal and interest payment.

TABLE 23 INTEREST RATES
Loan Length Interest APR
Jumbo Loans
15-year fixed 4.375% 4.536%
30-year fixed 4.500% 4.614%
Conforming and Government Loans
15-year fixed 4.375% 4.675%
30-year fixed 5.125% 5.304%
Source: www.wellsfargo.com, May 2022.

Notes: In 2022, a conforming loan is for amounts not exceeding $647,200, while a jumbo loan is for amounts greater than $647,200.

Interest rates for loans taken out to purchase homes in the city, and the availability of such loans, depends largely on the creditworthiness of the borrower. Within the current lending and economic environment, it can be challenging for very-low-, low-, and in some cases even moderate-income first-time homebuyers to acquire sufficient savings and income to obtain and provide for a down payment, qualify for a loan, pay closing costs, and make monthly mortgage, tax, and insurance payments. The City has included Program H-16 to promote the availability of local, regional, and state homebuyer assistance programs to offset the burden of rising interest rates for lower-income buyers.

Land Costs
Land costs are one of the major components of housing development costs. Land prices vary to such an extent that it is difficult to give average prices within small geographic regions. Factors affecting the costs of land include overall availability within a given subregion; environmental site conditions and constraints; public service and infrastructure availability; aesthetic considerations, such as views, terrain, and vegetation; the proximity to urban areas; and parcel size. Generally, more remote areas have less expensive land available and larger tracts of land, while smaller, more expensive parcels are closer to urbanized areas.

As of June 2022, there were no vacant sites listed for sale in Rio Vista. However, in neighboring communities Isleton, Fairfield, Rockville, Hartley, and other unincorporated areas of Solano County, the average cost for an acre of vacant land was $411,970, with prices ranging from $23,092 to $886,905 per acre (according to a survey of LoopNet.com listings performed in 2022). The maximum price range is significantly higher now compared to vacant land cost in 2013; however, there are a few lots available at a lower price range. While land prices declined during the economic recession, they have been increasing as shown by the current price range for available vacant land. Additionally, the shortage of available land in Rio Vista may be an indicator that land presents a barrier to development.

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Construction Costs
Construction costs vary widely depending on the type of structure being built. For instance, the total construction cost of a multifamily structure will be significantly higher than a single-family home, though the cost of each unit in the multifamily structure will be less due to economies of scale.

According to the Craftsman Book Company’s 2022 National Building Cost Manual, using zip code modifiers for the 94571-zip code, construction costs for a single-family home are approximately $164 per square foot. This is based on costs calculated for a 2,000-square-foot, wood-framed, single-story, four-cornered home, of good quality construction and including a two-car garage and forced-air heating and cooling in Rio Vista. Estimated total construction costs for such a home are $329,942.1 These construction costs include labor, materials, and equipment but do not include costs of buying land.

Costs for multifamily construction are approximately $166 per square foot. This is based on costs calculated for a four-story building in Rio Vista with 40 units and an average unit size of 800 square feet each. The calculation is for a wood or light-steel frame structure, including forced-air heating and cooling and constructed of good quality materials. The estimated total construction costs for each unit $128,253, and total construction costs for the building are $5,319,893. These construction costs include labor, materials, and equipment but do not include costs of buying land or off-street parking.2
Without subsidies, new single-family detached residences and, to some extent, new multifamily units are not considered affordable to construct for low-income households. In certain cases, greater density can increase the affordability of residential projects by reducing per-unit costs and associated land costs per unit.

Construction costs represent a real constraint on the improvement and purchase of housing within the City of Rio Vista by affecting the ability for a builder to profit from selling the units constructed or for a prospective home purchaser to bear the costs. This constraint, however, lies largely outside the jurisdiction of the local government, being that it is largely dependent on global demand for materials, labor market conditions, and the overall vigor of the real estate market.

Infrastructure and Environmental Constraints
Environmental factors and a lack of necessary infrastructure or public facilities (e.g., water, sewer, roads) can constrain residential development in a community by increasing costs and reducing the amount of land suitable for housing construction. Environmental constraints, such as flooding, sensitive biological resources, and seismicity can also affect the physical and financial feasibility of the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing. This section discusses the most relevant of these constraints to housing production in Rio Vista. It should be noted that SB 1087 requires water and sewer providers, in this case the City of Rio Vista, to grant priority service to developments that include housing units affordable to low-income households. The City of Rio Vista, as the city’s water and sewer provider, will continue to comply with this state law. 2 2022 National Building Cost Manual and 2022 94571 zip code modifiers, Craftsman Book Company.

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Water Supply
The projected new housing in the city will not adversely affect the service capabilities for providing water to the city’s residents. At present, the city’s water supply and treatment capacity are sufficient to meet the needs of build-out within the city limits consistent with the General Plan. Water availability is not a constraint to production of new housing units to meet the housing needs of the community identified by this element. Additional information regarding primary and supplemental municipal water sources is provided in Chapter 12, Public Facilities and Services Element, of the Rio Vista General Plan.

Wastewater Facilities
The Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant is north of Airport Road adjacent to the municipal airport. During the fourth planning cycle, the plant was planned to serve the majority of the Del Rio Hills and Riverwalk/Seeno properties, portions of the industrial/employment areas east of Church Road, and all of Brann, Gibbs, and Trilogy projects. According to the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Region), as of 2021, there has been a slowdown in population growth. As a result, the wastewater treatment plant has received approximately 0.25 million gallons per day (MGD).

The facility can accommodate a peak flow of up to 3.0 MGD. With the plant receiving 0.25 MGD, the Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant has the capacity to continue serving the existing communities and additional housing.

The old Rio Vista wastewater plant is on Beach Drive, south of the former Army Reserve base. The plant currently has enough capacity for the existing community and Homecoming, Rio Vista Business Park, Vineyard Bluffs, and parts of the Del Rio Hills property.

Environmental Constraints
The Safety Element of the General Plan provides an expanded discussion of environmental conditions that must be taken into consideration for development within the city. Of particular concern to developing affordable housing would be flooding concerns associated with inadequate drainage infrastructure and the Sacramento River. Infrastructure improvements that could be necessary to construct housing would add to construction costs associated with providing affordable units. Areas within the identified 100-year floodplain would not be appropriate for residential development, but these areas make up only small portions of the city along the Sacramento River and Watson Hollow Creek. Please refer to Figure 11-2 of the General Plan showing the 100-year floodplain area in relation to the city.

For projects in areas subject to localized flooding, additional drainage and flood-control measures would be required to ensure flood protection. Policies related to mitigating the risks of flooding may be found in the Safety and Noise Element of the General Plan. This would represent a financial and technical constraint to development of residential uses in this portion of the city but would not preclude residential development. As one of the implementing actions, the City will comply with AB 162, which requires Rio Vista to update the flood hazard information in the General Plan Safety and Noise Element, as well as related policies and programs in the Conservation and Land Use Element with this revision of the Housing Element.

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Similarly, transportation-generated noise could also be a constraint to building appropriate housing, as it could require greater setbacks from roadways or additional sound-attenuating construction materials and techniques, thereby adding to the costs of construction or reducing the profit margin for developers. Natural gas production wells present a unique constraint to residential siting and construction in Rio Vista, as they require setbacks to meet noise and safety standards and may negatively affect property values in the immediate vicinity. Although residential developments in Rio Vista have successfully worked around natural gas production wells, this is considered a constraint to producing housing, as required setbacks could reduce the achievable density around wells.

The Sensitive Local Resource Areas (SLRAs) identified in Figure 10-2 in Chapter 10 of the General Plan identify areas possessing a great variety of natural resources that exemplify Rio Vista’s natural features. These include areas along the watercourse of Watson Hollow and prominent landforms within the Montezuma Hills. While these are the most easily identifiable sensitive areas in terms of landforms and natural diversity, each project would require more detailed environmental review to determine potential impacts and appropriate mitigation measures for such impacts. It can be assumed that some areas within the SLRAs would present constraints to development due to sensitive resources on-site, although specific constraints to development cannot be determined without further study.