Affordable Housing Inclusionary, Residential Impact Fee & Commercial Linkage Fee Requirements

The City of San Bruno has affordable housing requirements in Chapter 12.230 Affordable Housing Program and Resolution No. 2016-115. These affordable housing regulations include affordable housing inclusionary requirements for on-site construction, residential in-lieu affordable housing fees, and commercial linkage fees for nonresidential development projects. These regulations support the development and availability of housing affordable to a broad range of households with varying income levels within the city as mandated by State law.

The Ordinance and Resolution applies to new residential ownership or rental developments of five units or more, and all new nonresidential developments throughout the City. Public uses such as hospitals and community facilities and quasi-public uses such as child care centers, community facilities, churches and schools are exempt from the fees.

Chapter 12.230 Affordable Housing Program includes requirements for affordable housing units restricted for occupancy by very low, low, or moderate income households and the payment of commercial linkage fees for non-residential development projects. As of November 2022, the requirements are currently:

For-Sale Residential Units: On-Site Units are required to be 15% affordable (broken down by 5% low income + 10% moderate income).

Rental Residential Units: On-Site Units are required to be 15% affordable (broken down by 5% very low income + 5% low income + 5% moderate income).

Mixed-Use Development Projects: Mixed-use developments must comply with the requirements to pay fees for nonresidential developments in the nonresidential portion of the development and must comply with the requirements for residential developments for the residential portion of the development

Non-Residential Uses: Payment of Commercial Linkage Impact Fees.

Affordable Housing Impact and Commercial Linkage Fees, Effective until June 30, 2023

All fees and detailed calculation methodology is included in the current City Council Resolution setting the Fees (PDF).

San Bruno Municipal Code Chapter 12.230 Affordable Housing Program is available in the City's online Municipal Code. 

Background

Adoption of the ordinance and fees implements Housing Element Program 3-J, which called for adopting impact fees to help increase the supply of housing affordable to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households.

The impact fees are supported by a Nexus Study, required by State law, which analyzed the connection between the need for affordable housing associated with new residential and nonresidential development the impacts caused by development and the fees charged. The Nexus Study calculated fees based on the gap between what lower income households can afford to pay and the cost of developing new housing units.