In the midst of the Bay Area housing crisis, more and more interested home buyers are having a hard time finding available, affordable homes. The city of Hayward wants to implement an idea that could ease the pain. They are looking to charge developers higher fees if they don’t include affordable housing in their proposals. 

All seven City Council members have already expressed support for the idea of raising affordable housing impact fees. Currently, Hayward has lower fees in comparison to neighboring Bay Area cities. According to Councilwoman Sara Lamnin, the goal of the fee increase would be to create communities that are livable for people from various incomes and backgrounds.

According to the East Bay Times, the city’s current affordable housing impact fees are calculated based on square footage and project type, charged to developers who do not include affordable housing in their projects. The rates range from $3.63 to $4.61 per square foot. The recommended fee raise is an increase to $15 to $20 per square foot.

By comparison, in Fremont, developers who do not provide affordable housing must pay $17.50 per square foot for rental projects and $26 to $27 per square foot for for-sale developments. 

Hayward also recently relaxed zoning and building laws so that homeowners can build a second dwelling on the property, such as an in-law unit.