Getting Inclusionary Housing Right

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Cities across Santa Clara County are considering this powerful tool to build more new affordable homes without subsidy.

But done wrong it can fall short, or even stop the development of new homes in its tracks. Learn how it works, and how to get it right!

Many of our local cities are joining forces right now in a shared nexus study, the wonky and in-depth analysis that assesses the feasibility of local residential development and the potential for developers of market-rate housing to add a share of affordable homes to their buildings.

If cities require too few affordable homes or affordability that’s too shallow, they leave public benefits on the table. Too much, and developers can’t build any housing at all.

Come hear about local cities that are getting it right: successfully using inclusionary housing policies to achieve mixed-income communities, generate funding to subsidize deeper levels of affordability, and gain valuable land for affordable homes!

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May 6, 2025

Campbell Leads the Way on ADU Streamlining

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Campbell is leading the charge on ADU streamlining with a new policy that enables permit approvals in under a week—making it the fastest in Santa Clara County. This proactive move is already delivering results and offers a model for other cities to follow.

Campbell is stepping up with a big win for housing! The City’s new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) streamlining policy is a smart, proactive move that makes it easier and faster for homeowners to add much-needed homes in their own backyards. Under the new program, eligible homeowners can now receive ADU permits in a week or less—making Campbell the fastest city in Santa Clara County for ADU approvals. With a dedicated planning team reviewing up to two applications each week, Campbell is clearing the path for more gentle, incremental housing growth. And the results speak for themselves: in 2024 alone, the city approved 70 new ADUs.

This program didn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of commitments Campbell made in its Housing Element—and a strong example of what can come from collaborative planning. The program was shaped through conversations with other cities in the Santa Clara County Planning Collaborative, a regional effort led by the Cities Association of Santa Clara County. Together, these cities are tackling the big question: How can we create more homes in our communities? For smaller cities like Campbell, ADUs offer one of the most promising answers—adding homes on single-family lots without requiring major land use changes or new infrastructure.

We hope Campbell’s leadership inspires others to follow suit. Streamlining permitting is a key piece of the puzzle, but there is more cities can do to support ADU construction—like adopting pre-approved plan sets, creating accessible ADU resource pages online, and launching amnesty programs to bring unpermitted units into compliance. Every backyard home is a step closer to solving our region’s housing shortage. With the right policies in place, cities can empower homeowners to be part of the solution—and help build a future where everyone has a place to call home.