City of Napa's Junior Unit Initiative Program

This is a short update about an incredible program the city of Napa offers to promote the permitting and completion of Junior Accessory Dwelling Units.

It’s called the Junior Unit Initiative and allows homeowners to access below-market, forgivable financing of up to $50,000 to create junior units.

Program details for the Junior Unit Initiative (en espanol aqui)

Support this program by writing to the city of Napa

Unfortunately, this program may or may not be funded in the future.

Up until fiscal year 2020-2021, this program was funded through the City's General Fund. But the program lost its funding due to budget cuts in the General Fund as a result of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a plan to fund it with the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) program from the State of California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD). The City of Napa is eligible for grant funding from the PHLA program and could allocate $334,120 for housing activities and $15,910 for admin in the 2019 funding allocation year 2019. And there’s an estimated $1.9 M over five years, subject to the amount of total PHLA funding.

That’s great news because it will help create several more Junior Accessory Dwelling Units in Napa.

Follow these instructions if you want to submit public comment to the Housing Manager for the City of Napa, Lark Farrell.

The State of California Department of Housing & Community Development ("HCD") released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Permanent Local Housing Allocation ("PHLA") program. The City of Napa is eligible for grant funding through this program. The formula allocates $334,120 for housing activities and $15,910 for administration to the City for Funding Allocation Year 2019 and an estimated $1,909,260 over five years. Actual funding in future years will vary based on the amount of total PHLA funding.             

In accordance with PLHA requirements, the City must prepare a 302(c)(4) Plan which establishes how the City intends to spend the allocation of PLHA funds. Here is a draft of the City of Napa’s 302(c)(4) Plan.