Table of Contents

Affordable Housing Programs

The county’s codified ordinances set affordable and workforce housing incentives in Chapter 62, Article XVII. These include fee refunds, impact fee deferral, and a 25% density bonus for projects that are at least 30% affordable. It also addresses transfer of development rights, infill development, and alternative and flexible design requirements for affordable and workforce housing. The code establishes a Housing Incentives Partnership Program in Chapter 90, Article III that uses county resources to facilitate public-private partnerships that work towards meeting county-wide affordable housing goals.

Housing Supply Planning

The county's codified ordinances promote increasing housing supply, choice, and affordability through affordable and workforce housing incentives. The county's code also standardizes tiny homes and micro-apartments, which diversifies housing options for residents. 

Inclusionary Housing

The county offers incentives for the voluntary provision of affordable and workforce housing in its land development code (§62-6300 et seq.). The code defines affordable housing developments (AHDs) as those in which at least 30 percent of units are set aside for households at or below 120 percent of AMI, with minimum required percentages for very low-, low-, and moderate-income households; it defines workforce housing developments (WHDs) as those in which at least 15 percent of units are available to households at or below 140 percent of AMI.

Incentives for building AHDs or WHDs include technical assistance with permitting, fee rebates, housing trust fund grants, and density bonuses (25 percent for AHDs, 15 percent for WHDs). The code also provides for transfer of development rights to affordable developments. AHDs and WHDs with at least 30 percent affordable units are eligible for additional alternative and flexible design requirements and criteria. Design standards for affordable units are provided.

New development within the county that destroys or removes existing affordable housing units is required to mitigate those losses through either 1-to-1 unit replacement on site or alternative actions including off-site 1-to-1 unit replacement, housing trust fund contribution, or land donation.

Tiny Houses and Micro-Apartments

The county's codified ordinances define and regulate tiny houses on wheels.

Its building code defines and details construction and placement standards for all tiny houses on wheels (§22-808 et. seq.). These standards address application requirements, inspections, certificate of occupancy, and utility connections.

Its zoning code permits tiny houses on wheels in multiple districts with a discretionary use permit, subject to use-specific standards (§62-1844). These standards address minimum lot area, living area, other structures, and neighbor consent.

It also includes a tiny house planned development option (§62-1471–1480). This option