Campbell is adjusting its affordable housing policy in hopes of creating more homes and raking in more development funds, despite an official recommendation not to.
The Campbell City Council voted 4-1 last week to expand its inclusionary housing policy, which would require smaller projects to convert at least 15% of homes into affordable housing or pay into the city’s housing efforts. The change applies to projects with five or more homes, lowering the existing threshold from 10 or more homes, and is expected to bring in about $237,000 annually. Campbell will implement it in about a year. Vice Mayor Sergio Lopez voted no.
Councilmembers went against the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation earlier this month to keep the same threshold. The recommendation was largely due to commissioners saying they were unclear about the ramifications of the policy shift. Some commissioners also said it could hinder development because small developers would have to pay an extra fee or front the additional costs of an affordable home.