2019/07/09 City Council Resolution 2019-085 RESOLUTION NO. 2019- 085
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
ESTABLISHING A HOUSING IN-LIEU FEE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FOR-SALE
RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS OF 50 UNITS OR LESS
WHEREAS, the City of Rohnert Park's General Plan Housing Element (Chapter 9 of the
General Plan sets goals and policies to adequately address the housing needs of all economic
segments of the existing and future residents, with high priority for lower-income households;
and
WHEREAS, the Rohnert Park Municipal Code Chapter 17.07.020.N "Inclusionary
Housing," as amended and adopted on June 25, 2019 (Ordinance 936, hereinafter"Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance"), requires that 15% of all dwelling units of for-sale residential development
projects be set-aside as deed-restricted affordable units; and
WHEREAS, the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, provides for the establishment of a
"housing in-lieu fee" which is a fee established for for-sale residential development projects of
50 units or less that can be paid in lieu of constructing affordable units; and
WHEREAS, the City contracted with Economic and Planning Systems ("EPS") to
complete studies to identify funds the City could lawfully recover from inclusionary housing
in-lieu fees and to provide information and analysis in support of potential updates to the City's
affordable housing fees; and,
WHEREAS, EPS's Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-lieu Fee Report ("Report")
dated June 15, 2018 detailed a gap between market prices of housing in the City and prices
affordable to very low, low, and moderate-income households, and included a proposed per
market-rate unit in-lieu fee for for-sale projects based on the affordability gap; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to establish the City's For-Sale Housing
In-Lieu fee of$12,477 per unit, with an annual escalator, in accordance with the EPS Report, to
apply to developers of new residential for-sale housing projects of fifty (50) units or less in-lieu
of providing affordable housing on site to more closely approach developers' fair-share
responsibility toward contributing to implementing the City's Housing Element policies and
programs; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the holding of the California Supreme Court in
California Building Association v. City of San Jose, (2015) 61 Cal. 4th 435, where a city
adopts an inclusionary ordinance to mitigate the effect of new market rate housing on the city's
stock of affordable housing, to increase the number of affordable units in the city, and to
distribute the affordable units throughout the city to obtain the benefits of economically
diverse communities, such an ordinance is not an exaction, if it imposes lawful, non-
confiscatory land use restrictions in the form of price limits; and
WHEREAS, under California Building Association, inclusionary ordinances, to be
valid, need only be reasonably related to the broad general welfare purposes for which they are
enacted, and such inclusionary housing ordinances that require residential projects to provide a
reasonable amount of on-site affordable units, and offer reasonable alternative means of
satisfying the ordinance's inclusionary objectives, such as payment of in-lieu fees, land
dedication, and off-site construction are valid local land use regulations and not takings; and
WHEREAS, following staff presentation and a public hearing at a duly noticed public
meeting on July, 9, 2019, the City Council considered the housing in-lieu fee for for-sale
residential projects of fifty (50) units or less.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROHNERT
PARK DOES RESOLVE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. That the above recitations are true and correct and material to
this Resolution and are incorporated herein as if set forth herein in full and each is relied upon
independently by the City Council for its adoption of this Resolution.
Section 2. Environmental Review. The adoption of this Resolution is exempt from
the California Environmental Quality Act as this action is not considered a"project" as defined
in Title 14 California Code of Regulations, Section 15378(a) & (b)(4), and additionally is exempt
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is
no possibility that the activity in question would have a significant effect on the environment.
Section 3. Approval of Report. The City Council hereby approves the Report,
which is by this reference hereby made a part of this resolution (Exhibit A), and finds that the
fee set forth therein represents a reasonable relationship between new development and impacts
to the City's affordable housing stock, as set forth in detail in the Report.
Section 4. Adoption of Fee. The housing in-lieu fee as set forth in Exhibit A is
hereby approved and adopted for construction of new for-sale residential projects of fifty (50)
units or more. The fee shall be in full force and effective 30 days after adoption. The City
Council may review and amend the housing in-lieu fee for construction of new for-sale
residential projects from time to time. Fees authorized pursuant to this resolution shall be paid
and collected on behalf of the City prior to the issuance of each building permit and shall be used.
in accordance with the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. For any annual period during which the
City Council does not review these fees, the fee amounts shall be automatically adjusted once
annually on July 1 st, based on the Engineering News Record (ENR) Construction Cost Index—
San Francisco.
Section 5. Severability. If any action, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this
Resolution or the fees levied by this Resolution shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by a
court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining
portions of this Resolution or the fees levied by this Resolution that can be given effect without
the invalid provisions.
Resolution 2019-085
2
Section 6. Adjustment or Waiver of Fee. The fee outlined in this resolution may be
adjusted or waived pursuant to the provisions in the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED this 9th day of July, 2019.
CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
G n BeTo , Mayor
ATTEST:
Anne M. Buergler, City Clerk
Attachment: Exhibit A
ADAMS:��MACKENZIE: V STAFFORD: M'L CALLINAN: 4Vr BELFORTE: AVL
AYES: NOES: (0 ) ABSENT: ( 1 ) ABSTAIN: ( �)
Resolution 2019-085
3
Final Report
Ownership Inclusionary Housing
In-Lieu Fee
Prepared for:
City of Rohnert Park
Prepared by:
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
June 15, 2018
EPS #161158
Exhibit A
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1
1. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 3
Maximum Affordable Housing Rents ............................................................................ 3
Affordability Gap Analysis .......................................................................................... 4
In-Lieu Fee Calculations ............................................................................................. 7
Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 10
Appendices
APPENDIX A: Sonoma County Utility Allowances
List of Tables
Table 1 Summary of In-Lieu Fee Calculation .................................................................... 2
Table 2 2017 Affordable Housing Income Limits for Sonoma County ................................... 3
Table 3 2017 Maximum Supported Rents by Income Category ........................................... 4
Table 4 Affordability Gap Analysis -- Rental Product Type .................................................. 6
Table 5 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 1 ...................................................................... 7
Table 6 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 2 ...................................................................... 8
Table 7 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 3 ...................................................................... 9
Table 8 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 4 ...................................................................... 9
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS) was retained by the City of Rohnert Park to review and
update the City’s affordable housing fees, including the inclusionary housing In-Lieu fee. The
City’s current inclusionary housing ordinance requires developers of for-sale housing
developments to provide 15 percent of the units at income-restricted, below-market-rate prices.
Of the 15 percent, one-half must be available to moderate income households (households
earning up to 120 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)), and the remaining half must be
offered to low income households (households earning up to 80 percent of AMI). However, some
communities require a greater percentage of affordable units if constructed off-site or if funded
through in-lieu fee payments. In addition or as an alternative, the City has the option to require
that off-site unit construction or in-lieu fee requirements be based on lower household income
levels than on-site units would be.
This report considers each of these potential outcomes for consideration by the City of Rohnert
Park. Table 1, below, shows the different in-lieu fee calculations for four different scenarios.
For any of these scenarios, the City’s current affordable housing ordinance would need to be
amended, as it does not presently provide useful guidance on the calculation or implementation
of an in-lieu fee. As part of that amendment process, the City should consider retaining or
amending the current requirement that in-lieu fees are only applicable to small projects of 10 or
greater units or of more than one acre, and that all projects of greater scale are required to
provide affordable units or satisfy another, non-fee-based means of compliance with the
inclusionary housing policy.
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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Table 1 Summary of In-Lieu Fee Calculations
Item
Very Low
(50% AMI)
Low
(80% AMI)
Moderate
(120% AMI)Total
per
Affordable Unit
per
Market-Rate Unit
Scenario 1: 15% at Low and Moderate Income
Units 0 7.5 7.5 15 15 100
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $0 $907,500 $340,227 $1,247,727 $83,182 $12,477
Scenario 2: 20% at Low and Moderate Income
Units 0 10 10 20 20 100
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $0 $1,210,000 $453,636 $1,663,636 $83,182 $16,636
Scenario 3: 15% at Very Low, Low, and Moderate Income
Units 3.75 7.5 3.75 15 15 100
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $940,568 $907,500 $170,114 $2,018,182 $134,545 $20,182
Scenario 4: 20% at Very Low, Low, and Moderate Income
Units 5 10 5 20 20 100
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $1,254,091 $1,210,000 $226,818 $2,690,909 $134,545 $26,909
Source: Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
In-Lieu Fee
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1. METHODOLOGY
The City’s current inclusionary housing ordinance requires housing developments to provide 15
percent of the units at income-restricted, below-market-rate prices. For for-sale housing
developments, one-half of the affordable units must be priced for moderate income households
(households earning up to 120 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)), and the remaining half
must be offered to low income households (households earning up to 80 percent of AMI). For
rental developments, one half of the affordable units must be priced for low income households
(earning up to 80 percent of AMI), and the remaining half must be offered to very low income
households (earning up to 50 percent of AMI).
Through an affordability gap analysis, this report estimates the subsidy needed to produce
multifamily rental housing that is affordable to very-low, low- and moderate-income households
(50, 80, and 120 percent of AMI) in the event that developers do not build the units themselves.
Some jurisdictions require that if the affordable units are provided off-site or the developer pays
an in-lieu fee rather than constructing the units, the affordable housing requirement shall be
increased to be a higher proportion of market-rate units and/or priced for lower income levels.
Each of these alternatives is considered in this report.
Maximum Affordable Housing Rents
The maximum rents affordable to lower-income households are calculated as a factor of the
income level of the intended occupants. The income levels are set for the entire County of
Sonoma by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on an
annual basis. Table 2 shows the income limits for 2017, which vary by the number of people in
the household. The average owner-occupied household in Rohnert Park has 2.67 people, and
the average renter-occupied household has 2.56 people. Moreover, the Area Median Income for
a family of three in Sonoma County is $75,500 in 2017, as shown below.
Table 2 2017 Affordable Housing Income Limits for Sonoma County
Income Group and Definition
2017 Maximum Income
3-Person Household
Very Low >30% to ≤50% AMI $39,650
Low >50% to ≤80% AMI $63,450
Median (Base) >80% to ≤100% AMI $75,500
Moderate >100% AMI to ≤120% AMI $90,650
Source: Sonoma County 2017 Income Limits, California Housing and Community
Development (HCD).
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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EPS has assumed a housing cost to income ratio of 30 percent and has used this factor to
calculate the annual spending on housing at the low and moderate income levels. Then the
annual spending on utilities is subtracted from the annual spending on housing to determine the
maximum rent that a household can pay, as summarized on Table 3 below. A very-low income
household can pay up to $750 on monthly rent, while a moderate income household can pay
$2,025. Further detail on utility allowances for Sonoma County is available in Table A-1.
Table 3 2017 Maximum Supported Rents by Income Category
Affordability Gap Analysis
Product Type
The analysis assumes that new lower-income households would be housed in affordable units
similar to the type of multifamily construction currently observed in the City. The assumed
prototype reflects multifamily construction at 32 dwelling units to the acre with surface/carport
parking.1 This building prototype is generally cost-effective to construct, as it makes efficient
use of land and does not involve overly expensive construction materials or techniques.
California State law (California Health and Safety Code Section 50052.5) assumes that a
2-bedroom unit is occupied by a 3-person household, and this assumption is used in this
analysis. Consistent with input from the City, EPS assumes that the typical gross square footage
of a 2-bedroom rental unit in Rohnert Park will be approximately 1,150 square feet. Applying an
efficiency ratio of 85 percent to account for shared lobbies, hallways, etc., results in net square
footage of 978 square feet.
1 The average base density assumed in the City is 24 dwelling units per acre, but applying the state’s
30 percent density bonus results in a density of 32 dwelling units per acre.
Income
Category AMI
Annual HH
Income
(3-Person)
Annual
Spending on
Housing [1]
Annual
Spending on
Utilities [2]Annual Rent Monthly Rent
Very Low 50% $39,650 $11,895 $2,892 $9,003 $750
Low 80% $63,450 $19,035 $2,892 $16,143 $1,345
Moderate 120% $90,650 $27,195 $2,892 $24,303 $2,025
[1] Assumes a housing costs to income ratio of 30 percent. Includes rent plus utilities.
Max Rent Assumptions [1]
[2] Assumes annual utility expenditures consistent with the Sonoma County CDC limits for a 2-bedroom unit
(assumes use of electricity for heating and cooking). Utility costs effective October 2016.
Sources: Sonoma County Community Development Commission; California Housing and Community
Development; Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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Development Cost Assumptions
Affordable housing development costs include land costs, direct costs (e.g., labor and materials),
and indirect or “soft” costs (e.g., architecture, entitlement, marketing, etc.). For rental projects,
operating costs also must be incorporated into the analysis. Data from recent Rohnert Park
developments and recent Rohnert Park land transactions have been combined with EPS’s
information from various market-rate and affordable housing developers to estimate appropriate
development cost assumptions for use in Rohnert Park. These assumptions are shown on Table
4 and indicate that the total cost per unit for rental apartments is about $358,000.
Revenue Assumptions
To calculate the values of the affordable units, assumptions must be made regarding the
applicable income level (very-low, low, and moderate) and the percentage of household income
spent on housing costs. In addition, translating these assumptions into unit prices and values
requires estimates of operating expenses and capitalization rates. The following assumptions
were used in these calculations:
Income Levels—This analysis estimates the subsidy required to produce units for households
earning up to 50, 80, and 120 percent of AMI for a three-person household. In 2017, AMI in
Sonoma County for these households is $75,500, as shown in the California Department of
Housing and Community Development’s (HCD’s) income limits chart (see Table 2).
Percentage of Gross Household Income Available for Housing Costs—HCD standards on
overpaying for rent indicate that households should pay no more than 30 percent of their
gross income on housing costs. For this analysis, EPS has assumed that all households
spend 30 percent of their gross income on housing costs.
Operating Costs for Rental Units—This analysis assumes that apartment operators incur
annual operating costs of $6,000 per unit, which include the cost of utilities, for units
affordable at 80 percent of AMI or below. EPS has assumed the units for moderate income
households would have similar operating costs but would be built by for-profit builders and
thus also subject to property taxes, increasing their annual operating cost to $10,000 per
unit.
Affordability Gap Results
Table 4 shows the subsidies required for construction of rental apartments for households at low
and moderate-income levels. As shown, a unit affordable to a household earning 50 percent of
AMI is expected to require a subsidy of roughly $250,800. A household at 120 percent of AMI
falls requires a subsidy of $45,400.
It is worth noting that the affordability gaps estimated in this analysis are not as large as they
might be using other also-valid assumptions. For example, the funding gaps for low income
units assume that prices are set at 80 percent of median income, while State law indicates low-
income unit prices may be set at 70 percent of median income. This methodology used by EPS
yields higher unit values and thus results in lower fees than would result from less conservative
assumptions.
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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Table 4 Affordability Gap Analysis -- Rental Product Type
Very Low Income
(50% AMI)
Low Income
(80% AMI)
Moderate Income
(120% AMI)
Development Program Assumptions
Density/Acre [1]32 32 32
Gross Unit Size 1,150 1,150 1,150
Net Unit Size [2] 978 978 978
Number of Bedrooms 2 2 2
Number of Persons per 2-Bedroom Unit [3] 3 3 3
Parking Spaces/Unit (Carport) [4] 2.00 2.00 2.00
Cost Assumptions
Land/Acre [5]$590,000 $590,000 $590,000
Land/Unit $18,438 $18,438 $18,438
Direct Costs
Direct Construction Costs/Net SF [6]$175 $175 $175
Direct Construction Costs/Unit $201,000 $201,000 $201,000
Parking Construction Costs/Space $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Parking Construction Costs/Unit $10,000 $10,000 $10,000
Subtotal, Direct Costs/Unit $211,000 $211,000 $211,000
Indirect Costs as a % of Direct Costs [7]40% 40% 40%
Indirect Costs/Unit $84,400 $84,400 $84,400
Profit Margin (% of all costs)14% 14% 14%
Profit (rounded)$44,000 $44,000 $44,000
Total Cost/Unit (rounded) $358,000 $358,000 $358,000
Maximum Supported Home Price
Household Income [8] $39,650 $63,450 $90,650
Revenue to Property Owner/Year [9] $11,895 $19,035 $27,195
(less) Operating Expenses per Unit/Year [10] ($6,000) ($6,000) ($10,000)
Net Operating Income $5,895 $13,035 $17,195
Capitalization Rate [11] 5.5% 5.5% 5.5%
Total Supportable Unit Value [12] $107,182 $237,000 $312,636
Affordability Gap ($250,818) ($121,000) ($45,364)
2 - 3 Stories Multifamily Building
with Surface/Carport Parking
[1] Assumes 30% density bonus applies (base density of 24 units/acre).
[2] An efficiency ratio of 85% is applied to the gross unit size to calculate the net unit size.
[3] For this analysis, EPS has assumed an average unit for income-qualified worker households would be 2-bedrooms. State law (Health
and Safety Code Section 50052.5) indicates that a 2-bedroom unit should be assumed to be occupied by a 3-person household.
[4] Assumption of 2 parking spaces/unit is consistent with the State's density bonus program requirements.
[5] Based on two recent land sale transactions in the City: Stadium Lands and Avram House.
[6] Includes on-site work, offsite work, vertical construction, general requirements, overhead and builder fees. The cost estimate reflects
wood-frame construction, carport-style parking, no basement, and union labor.
[7] Includes costs for architecture and engineering; entitlement and fees; project management; appraisal and market study; marketing,
commissions, and general administration; financing and charges; insurance; developer fee and contingency.
[8] Based on 2017 income limits for a three-person household in Sonoma County.
[9] Assumes housing costs (e.g., rent and utilities) to be 30% of gross household income.
[10] Operating expenses are generally based on data reported by CoStar and reflective of properties in Rohnert Park. Estimates are
inclusive of utility costs and property taxes, except Very Low and Low properties which are exempt from property taxes.
[11] The capitalization rate is used to determine the current value of a property based on estimated future operating income, and is
typically a measure of estimated operating risk. The capitalization rate used in this analysis is based on CoStar reported transaction data
for a December 2016 transaction in Rohnert Park.
[12] The total supportable unit value is determined by dividing the net operating income by the capitalization rate.
Sources: City of Rohnert Park; California Housing and Community Development; RS Means; IRR Monitor Investor Survey; and EPS
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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In-Lieu Fee Calculations
As shown on Table 5, a typical “very-low” income unit will require a subsidy of roughly
$250,800, while a “low” income unit requires $121,000 and a “moderate” income unit will
require a subsidy of roughly $45,400. Using these subsidy figures as the basis, EPS has
calculated in-lieu fees under four different policy scenarios.
Scenario 1: 15% at Low and Moderate Incomes
Under the City’s current inclusionary ordinance, for a theoretical 100-unit housing development,
15 total affordable units would be required to be built on-site, with an aggregate subsidy of
$1.25 million for those 15 units. As shown below, this translates to a weighted average subsidy
of roughly $83,182 per affordable unit. If those units are not produced within the project, but
rather the City is expected to subsidize their construction elsewhere in the community, the 100
market-rate units in the project would be subject to an in-lieu fee of $12,477 per market-rate
unit.
Table 5 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 1
While it is useful to think of the total in-lieu fee as it may apply to each market-rate unit, it is
also useful to know the fee per affordable unit, as some projects will be required to provide a
certain number of units but may meet any fractional obligation through payment of a fee. For
example, under the current inclusionary housing ordinance, which requires 15 percent
inclusionary units, a 17-unit project would be required to provide 2.55 affordable units. If two
units are provided on site, the additional 0.55-unit requirement could be met by charging a fee
of 0.55 times the $83,182 per affordable unit fee, or a total payment of $12,050.
Scenario 2: 20% at Low and Moderate Income
While the current inclusionary ordinance requires projects to provide 15 percent of their units at
affordable prices, if a project were to pay the in-lieu fee rather than building the units, more than
15 affordable units would be required to yield the same proportionate mix of affordability. A
Item
Low
(80% AMI)
Moderate
(120% AMI)Total
per
Affordable Unit
per
Market-Rate Unit
Units 7.5 7.5 15 15 100
Value/Unit $237,000 $312,636
Total Value $1,777,500 $2,344,773 $4,122,273
Costs/Unit $358,000 $358,000
Total Costs $2,685,000 $2,685,000 $5,370,000
Subsidy per Unit $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $907,500 $340,227 $1,247,727 $83,182 $12,477
Source: Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
In-Lieu Fee
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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100-unit project providing 15 on-site affordable units meets the 15 percent policy goal. By
contrast, a 100 unit project that is all market rate and pays an in-lieu fee that covers only 15
affordable units ultimately results in only 13 percent affordable housing (15 out of 115 total). To
maintain at least the same overall affordability proportion as would result from the inclusionary
policy, and to avoid providing the developer an undue financial windfall (from the profits from
the additional market-rate units), some communities require that units provided off-site or
funded through the in-lieu fee must exceed the standard inclusionary requirement. In this
scenario, the City of Rohnert Park may require the in-lieu fee to fund 20 percent affordable units,
still split evenly between low- and moderate income levels. As shown on Table 6 below, the in-
lieu fee resulting from this approach would be $16,636 per market-rate unit, while the fee per
affordable unit would remain unchanged from Scenario 1.
Table 6 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 2
Scenario 3: 15% at Very Low, Low, and Moderate Income
The City’s inclusionary ordinance requires that rental housing development must provide units at
very low and low incomes, thus reaching households with lower incomes than are served by the
City’s requirement that for-sale housing provide units for low and moderate income households.
This policy clearly indicates that housing for very low income households is a priority for the City
and community – a sentiment echoed by the City’s Housing Element goals that seek to provide
as many newly constructed units for very low income (125) as low (100) and moderate (125).
If the City were to require that off-site unit construction and in-lieu fee calculations provide units
or funding for very low income as well as low and moderate, such a requirement might blend the
City’s current inclusionary requirements for for-sale and rental projects by requiring a quarter of
the affordable units at very low incomes (up to 50 percent of AMI), half at low incomes (up to 80
percent of AMI), and the final quarter at moderate incomes (up to 120 percent of AMI). Table 7
indicates that the in-lieu fee under these requirements would be $20,182 per market-rate unit.
In addition, because the blend of incomes among the affordable units has changed and now
Item
Low
(80% AMI)
Moderate
(120% AMI)Total
per
Affordable Unit
per
Market-Rate Unit
Units 10 10 20 20 100
Value/Unit $237,000 $312,636
Total Value $2,370,000 $3,126,364 $5,496,364
Costs/Unit $358,000 $358,000
Total Costs $3,580,000 $3,580,000 $7,160,000
Subsidy per Unit $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $1,210,000 $453,636 $1,663,636 $83,182 $16,636
Source: Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
In-Lieu Fee
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
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includes even lower incomes, the subsidy required per affordable unit has increased to an
average of $134,545.
Table 7 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 3
Scenario 4: 20% at Very Low, Low, and Moderate Income
In this scenario, the City would both increase the proportion of units required to be affordable
(20 percent) and incorporated very low income units among the low and moderate units. The
resulting in-lieu fees shown on Table 8 are $26,909 per affordable unit, while the fee per
affordable unit remains the same as in Scenario 3 at $134,545.
Table 8 In-Lieu Fee Calculation, Scenario 4
Item
Very Low
(50% AMI)
Low
(80% AMI)
Moderate
(120% AMI)Total
per
Affordable Unit
per
Market-Rate Unit
Units 3.75 7.5 3.75 15 15 100
Value/Unit $107,182 $237,000 $312,636
Total Value $401,932 $1,777,500 $1,172,386 $3,351,818
Costs/Unit $358,000 $358,000 $358,000
Total Costs $1,342,500 $2,685,000 $1,342,500 $5,370,000
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $940,568 $907,500 $170,114 $2,018,182 $134,545 $20,182
Source: Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
In-Lieu Fee
Item
Very Low
(50% AMI)
Low
(80% AMI)
Moderate
(120% AMI)Total
per
Affordable Unit
per
Market-Rate Unit
Units 5 10 5 20 20 100
Value/Unit $107,182 $237,000 $312,636
Total Value $535,909 $2,370,000 $1,563,182 $4,469,091
Costs/Unit $358,000 $358,000 $358,000
Total Costs $1,790,000 $3,580,000 $1,790,000 $7,160,000
Subsidy per Unit $250,818 $121,000 $45,364
Total Subsidy Required $1,254,091 $1,210,000 $226,818 $2,690,909 $134,545 $26,909
Source: Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
In-Lieu Fee
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Report 06/15/18
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. 10 P:\161000s\161158RohnertPark\Report\161158_Rohnert Park_Ownership Inclusionary In Lieu Fee Study_Final Report_2018_06_15.docx
Conclusions
This analysis has suggested four different potential approaches to calculating the in-lieu fees for
for-sale housing in Rohnert Park. Each option is believed to be legally permissible, as
inclusionary housing policies and in-lieu fees have typically been affirmed to be the purview of a
city’s police powers rather than subject to higher scrutiny and requirements for nexus-based
relationships. To select among these or potentially other options, EPS recommends that the City
consider factors such as the community’s needs for housing at different levels, the availability of
alternative local funding sources, consistency with past practices and development agreements,
and comparability with other communities’ practices.
APPENDIX A:
Sonoma County Utility Allowances
Ownership Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee
Final Appendix A 06/15/98
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. A-1 P:\161000s\161158RohnertPark\Report\161158_Rohnert Park_Ownership Inclusionary In Lieu Fee Study_Final Report_2018_06_15.docx
Table A-1 Sonoma County Community Development Commission -
Utility Allowances per Month, Attached Dwellings
Item 2-Bedrooms
Electricity [1] $71
Other Allowances
Other Electric $26
Water $43
Sewer $71
Garbage $20
Range $4
Refrigerator $6
Subtotal, Other Allowances $170
Total Utility Allowance per Month $241
[1] Assumes use of electricity for space heating, cooking, and water heating.
Number of Bedrooms
Sources: Sonoma County Community Development Commission Utility Allowances (effective
October 2016); Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.