Residential Building Permits

San Joaquin County housing growth has slowed over time, especially during the recession. This graph shows single- and multi-family residential building permits issued in the county from 2000 to 2016. Permits peaked in 2003, slightly after migration inflows peaked in 2001, most likely from the dot com bubble. Although new building permits decreased prior to the Great Recession, it discouraged new residential construction. Beginning in 2008, fewer that 2,000 units were built annually until 2015. (Source: UOP CBPR Index)

Residential units constructed in San Joaquin County are overwhelmingly single-family homes — more than 93% between 2000 and 2016. Conversely, the majority of units constructed in California at the same time were multi-family. The North San Joaquin Valley’s ample space and cheap real estate contribute to the style of home construction. Constructing large single-family housing developments is more difficult in urban San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. (Source: UOP CBPR Index)

Housing Supply Gap

Every eight years, SJCOG constructs a Residential Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan to determine how many new housing units each jurisdiction in San Joaquin County should build to ensure housing remains accessible and affordable for our growing population. These housing construction need projections are based on population and employment forecasts. For 2014 to 2023, RHNA determined 40,360 new units should be constructed in San Joaquin County. As of 2017, only 6,881were built. At that current building rate, there will be a significant housing supply gap of more than 20,000 homes at the end of the housing element cycle in 2023.