Davis is facing a large affordable housing deficit, and without large-scale projects like Village Farms and Willowgrove, the city will not be able to meet its state-mandated housing requirements.
Davis voters must decide whether to approve the proposed Village Farms development, which promises affordable housing, or to continue the city’s decades-long trend of underproduction and risk losing Measure J, which could result in even less affordable housing.
Tenants of the Del Island apartment complex have filed a lawsuit against the property’s corporate owners and the City of Coronado, alleging that they violated state affordable housing laws and led to the displacement of low-income residents.
The National Fair Housing Alliance has expressed concern that two executive orders issued by the Trump administration could undermine key civil rights protections without meaningfully increasing housing supply.
The Davis City Council voted to clarify language in the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance to ensure that land dedication is accompanied by sufficient resources to realistically allow affordable housing units to be constructed.
The City of Davis is proposing an ordinance amendment that would require developers who dedicate land for affordable housing to also provide financial resources to ensure the homes are actually constructed.
The League of Women Voters of Yolo County will host a public forum on affordable housing on March 12th, featuring local housing leaders and opportunities for audience questions.
A survey released by the Village Farms project team found that 61% of likely Davis voters would vote “Yes” on Measure V, which will appear on the June 2 ballot, after hearing detailed information about the project.
The Trump administration is proposing changes to the Section 214 program that would require all residents of subsidized housing to provide proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status, potentially leading to the eviction of mixed-status families and the loss of housing assistance for U.S. citizens.
The proposed Affordable Housing Plan for the Willowgrove development in Davis, California is advancing through city review, with the Social Services Commission set to consider its approval.
State Sen. Anna M. Caballero has introduced Senate Bill 1091 to create a statewide program to acquire and preserve existing affordable housing for low-income Californians, with $500 million allocated in both Senate and Assembly affordable housing bond proposals to support the program.
YIMBY Action has launched a petition urging The French Laundry to withdraw its opposition to a proposed affordable housing complex in Yountville, highlighting the urgent need for housing near jobs in Napa Valley’s hospitality and agricultural economy.
The Village Farms Davis project has been falsely accused of having adverse environmental impacts, but data and facts show that it is designed to meet or exceed environmental standards and will not have any significant negative effects on the surrounding area.
A new study from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality has found that new housing stock in six high-growth metropolitan areas primarily served moderate- and higher-income households, while lower-income households experienced higher rent growth than higher-income households.
Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell warned in 2016 that the imbalance between demand for low- and middle-income housing and the overwhelming share of new luxury apartment construction would deepen affordability pressures, but policymakers and housing advocates ignored her warning and prioritized market faith over material outcomes.
City leaders, county officials, housing providers and homelessness advocates are urging state leaders to restore the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant program to its historic funding level of $1 billion, warning that proposed cuts could undermine years of progress in addressing homelessness across California.
The City Council is considering changes to the Village Farms Affordable Housing agreement, including clarification of the deed restricted permanently affordable units, reduction of acreage requirements, and the possibility of rental units instead of ownership units.
Measure J, while presented as democratic, actually excludes marginalized and disadvantaged people from having a say in housing policy, resulting in a system that is biased towards those already in the housing market.
Journalist Brian Goldstone argues that homelessness in America is not primarily caused by joblessness or individual dysfunction, but by economic and housing structures that make it difficult for working families to afford housing.
After 25 years of Measure J, Davis must confront the reality that the policy has not produced the desired results of better projects and housing outcomes, but has instead entrenched a system of rejection, delay, and unmet state obligations.