Yolo County Housing Digest

Multiple state agencies spent nearly $24 billion on housing and homeless programs in the first five years of Gavin Newsom’s governorship, but the number of people without homes continued to grow, rising by 20% to more than 180,000 in the most recent federal count in 2023.

The Teichert Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Make It Happen for Yolo County in providing household resources and support to youth entering adulthood and living on their own.

California allotted half a billion dollars to help community land trusts across the state. But budget cuts and bureaucracy have land trust advocates back where they were in 2020: seeking state aid to preserve affordable housing.

How to apply rebate as part of the recent $80 million state program to electrify homes.

Homeless service providers are scaling back and taking out loans as they wait for late payments from the government.

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.

Tenant advocates say giving renters 10 days to respond to eviction notices, up from 5, will help those who live in rural areas and have trouble finding legal help. Some landlords argue it will increase their costs.

At a CalMatters event, California’s insurance commissioner says the changes he’s making will help homeowners and business owners. One idea: A state grant for those who spend money to protect their property from wildfires.

In their September 17 meeting, the Sacramento City Council approved the construction of apartment buildings of up to three stories in height in neighborhoods designated for single family homes.

The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the Proposition 33 rent-control measure on the November ballot.

The City of Woodland is considering the purchase of 2.6 acres next to the recently opened Vista Del Robles housing complex for the development of more housing.

A public hearing will be held on September 17 by the Woodland City Council as it considers the process and advantages of being a state designated "Prohousing Community."

California’s inland regions are experiencing dangerous heat waves, exacerbated by rapid population growth. As more people move away from the expensive coastal areas to more affordable inland communities, these regions are seeing significant demographic changes and spiking electricity bills.

An exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest California homeless count reveals some good news and bad news: Though the growth rate of homelessness appears to be slowing, the overall number of unhoused Californians increased from two years ago.

Amid a Southern California heat wave, about 300 advocates for rent control — with two 10-foot “greedy landlord” puppets — rallied Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, chanting: “The rent is too damn high!”

In an effort to be in line for more low-income state housing funds, the City of Woodland is considering the policies and initiatives necessary to be designated as "pro-housing."

The draft environmental impact report for the Palomino Place project in the City of Davis is available for public comment through September 23.

A large apartment complex in San Rafael’s majority-Latino Canal neighborhood. Latino families in Marin County are far more likely than white families to have trouble making ends meet, a new report finds.

The Legislature is willing to guarantee $500 million annually to affordable housing developers, but with a caveat.

The City of Sacramento is preparing to introduce an ordinance meant to stimulate construction of more multiple dwelling unit housing.

Backers pulled a $20 billion affordable housing bond off Bay Area ballots today, amid fears that it wouldn’t pass.

Some California agencies are offering incentives and hosting workshops for school districts that want to build affordable housing for teachers.

The state’s landlords see rising insurance costs, so they say they’re going to have to raise rents. But they complain about laws that limit how much they can do so.

Sky-high rent is among Californians’ biggest concerns. Nearly 30% of tenants spend more than half their income on rent; and the median rent is $2,850 a month, 33% higher than the national average.

Two propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot address this issue — though one does so in a rather roundabout way.

Residents of Camp Resolution in Sacramento announced their intention of remaining on the city-owned lot despite the lease expiring, and are seeking an injunction preventing eviction.

Many landlords in California can only raise the rent a certain amount. On August 1, they — and their tenants — found out how high.

In their July 30 meeting, the Davis City Council approved the adoption of objective design standards for housing development projects as mandated by state law.

After discovering a lack of enabling legislation to support review of qualified development proposals by so-called objective design standards, the City of Davis staff and city council have begun the process of drafting and approving an ordinance to satisfy state law.

When California emerged from its colonial beginnings nearly two centuries ago and began coalescing into a distinct society, its towns and villages tended to be located either on navigable rivers, such as Sacramento, or around the 21 missions that Spanish explorer priests had established, such as San Diego.

In an effort to reduce costs and time in the planning pipeline, the City of Davis has begun offering pre-designed plans for accessory dwelling units in a variety of sizes and configurations.

What happens when voters take to the ballot to thumb their nose at state housing law? Courts haven’t offered a clear answer.

California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.