Walnut Creek has reached just 4% of its state-mandated housing target for 2031, the lowest share of any Bay Area city with a goal of more than 5,000 homes. Some smaller cities in the region are even further behind their own targets.
Recently released data from the state’s Housing and Community Development Department shows that most Bay Area cities are not on pace to permit the number of homes the state says they should by January 2031. The latest city-reported figures, which run through 2025, cover nearly three years of the eight-year housing cycle that began in February 2023.
Last year, Walnut Creek permitted 146 new homes, upping its total to just 231 between 2023 and 2025. The city did not respond to a request for comment about its progress over the last year. Representatives from the city said in 2025 that economic conditions out of the city’s control have overshadowed their efforts to streamline housing…