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Inclusionary Housing Initiative

Greenbelt Alliance is part of a major initiative to address the region's affordable housing shortage.

As part of an initiative by the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, we are urging cities and counties around the Bay Area to adopt strong inclusionary housing policies.

Inclusionary housing policies require developers to include affordable homes in any new residential development.

Homes are defined as affordable if they cost about one-third of a household’s income. The majority of people in the Bay Area—including teachers, nurses, and retail workers—cannot afford market-rate homes or apartments. By providing more affordable homes, inclusionary policies enable more workers to live in the communities they serve. This reduces development pressure on farmlands and hillsides, and also reduces the traffic and air pollution created by long commutes.

In California, over 150 jurisdictions have adopted inclusionary housing policies. The result has been the construction of more than 34,000 affordable homes across the state. In the Bay Area, 61 jurisdictions, including cities like Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, Livermore, Petaluma and East Palo Alto, have adopted inclusionary policies, adding thousands of affordable homes to the region.

Greenbelt Alliance is targeting fast-growing cities and counties that have not yet adopted inclusionary policies. The goal is to more than double the current rate of inclusionary housing production, adding 9,000 new affordable homes by 2009. This effort will help to address the region's affordable housing shortage while reducing pressure for sprawl development in the greenbelt.

Greenbelt Alliance led the successful effort to get Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties to adopt inclusionary housing policies in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Click here for more information on the Sonoma County inclusionary housing campaign and here for more information on the Contra Costa County inclusionary housing campaign.

Currently, Greenbelt Alliance is urging the City of Vallejo to adopt an inclusionary housing policy. Click here for information and to learn about how you can help.

Greenbelt Alliance is also part of a broad coalition—Oaklanders for Affordable Housing—urging the Oakland City Council to adopt an inclusionary housing policy. Click here for more information.