Rancho Cordova, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

RCMC § 23.710.010 adopts this density bonus program to implement Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918 and the housing element of the city's General Plan. Under RCMC § 23.710.020, the city must grant one density bonus, plus incentives or concessions of equivalent value, once an applicant agrees to build a housing development containing at least one qualifying affordability component, most commonly 10 percent of the total units set aside for lower-income households or 5 percent for very-low-income households; the chapter also recognizes senior housing developments, portions of common-interest developments reserved for moderate-income buyers, and developments that are 100 percent affordable.

RCMC § 23.710.040(A)(1) fixes the bonus math for a lower-income project: a 20 percent base density bonus above the otherwise maximum allowable density, plus a 1.5 percent supplemental increase for every additional 1 percent of low-income units between 10 and 20 percent of the project. Above 20 percent low-income units, the base jumps to 35 percent with a further 3.75 percent added for each point gained between 20 and 24 percent affordable, and the chapter caps the combined bonus, however calculated, at 50 percent above the base density allowed on the site. A parallel, steeper schedule applies to projects built around very-low-income units, and moderate-income common-interest developments qualify for their own bonus track, all administered by the planning director under the eligibility findings in RCMC § 23.710.020.