Santa Clara County imposes limited inclusionary housing requirements in unincorporated areas. Major SCC cities including San Jose, Mountain View, Cupertino, and Palo Alto adopted their own commercial linkage fees and inclusionary ordinances at varying rates.
Santa Clara County's unincorporated inclusionary ordinance requires 20% below-market-rate units for residential developments of 10 or more units, or in-lieu fees calculated by housing-cost differential. Most SCC residential development occurs inside city boundaries where local rules govern. San Jose's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (2010) requires 15% inclusionary or in-lieu fee tied to median sales prices. Mountain View charges $25 per square foot commercial linkage fee plus 15% inclusionary. Cupertino requires 15% BMR plus housing mitigation fees on commercial development. Palo Alto's housing-impact fee on office/R&D ranges $40-$60 per square foot. Funds flow into local affordable-housing trust funds supporting acquisition, rehabilitation, and development projects.
Noncompliance with inclusionary requirements blocks certificates of occupancy. Unpaid in-lieu fees become property liens. Cities impose administrative penalties for misrepresenting unit affordability or converting BMR units to market rate without authorization.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates amplified sound and music through City Code Chapter 9.10, requiring permits for amplified events and prohibiting audible music at 50 fe...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates outdoor music at venues including Levis Stadium and Santana Row under City Code Chapter 9.10 and conditional use permits, with amplifie...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara requires encroachment permits for new driveways, limits driveway width by zoning, and prohibits parking across sidewalks regardless of property o...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara tows abandoned vehicles after 72 hours under CVC 22651(k) and participates in the Santa Clara County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program for priv...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara limits recreational vehicle street parking to 72 hours, requires permits for extended street storage, and restricts driveway RV storage under zon...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara fences must meet height, material, setback, and visibility standards under City Code Title 18 Zoning, with special rules for corner lots, histori...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Santa Clara's affordable housing linkage fee rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.