Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Community Development Director
Subject: Authorization of a Second Unit Amnesty Program for Unpermitted Second Units in Unincorporated San Mateo County.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Introduction of an ordinance adopting the Second Unit Amnesty Program to inspect, rehabilitate, and improve the safety and habitability of unpermitted second units in unincorporated San Mateo County, and waiving the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
Shortage of Affordable Housing. San Mateo County is experiencing a historic shortage of housing. Home prices and rents have risen at unprecedented rates, and many households across income levels struggle to afford housing. This shortage is driven, in large part, by the gap between jobs created and construction of new housing: in the County, twenty six new jobs are created for each unit of housing built. Consequently, San Mateo County urgently needs new housing of all kinds, serving all income levels.
Second Units. Second units, also called accessory dwelling units, in-law units, and various other names, are built on the same property as a primary residence (or residences). They are usually significantly smaller than a typical primary residence, and may be free-standing, attached, or constructed entirely within a residence.
Advantages of Second Units. Second units are often cheaper to build, more affordable to occupy, and more efficient and less impactful than other types of residential development. Because of their lower construction costs and relative affordability to occupy, these units can play an important role in addressing the County's housing needs. Although data regarding the typical rental costs of second units in San Mateo County is not readily available, a UC Berkeley study of second units in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver found that the majority of second un...
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