The City has permitted no new very-low-income housing since 2021 and met less than 20 percent of its overall state-mandated housing allocation, according to an annual progress report presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) determined that Riverside must plan for 18,458 new homes between 2021 and 2029. About five years into the timeline, the City has met just 19.6 percent of its obligation – with 3,613 total housing permits issued since 2021.
Most of the permits issued, however, have been in the above-moderate-income housing category. The City created no new housing for the very-low-income category in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and it created no new housing for the low and moderate income categories in 2024 and 2025.
In 2025, the City issued 564 unit permits – 522 for above-moderate-income housing, and 22 for low-income housing – but issued no housing permits for low and moderate income categories in 2025. Of the units issued in 2025, 148 were single-family, 208 were multi-family and 208 were backyard units, known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
The report comes as the City faces scrutiny from state housing regulators over the Council's January rejection of $20.1 million in Homekey+ funding for the University Terrace project, which would have converted the Quality Inn at 1590 University Ave. into 114 permanent supportive studio apartments. HCD and a coalition of legal organizations have both sent letters to the Council citing potential violations of housing law and fair housing protections.
"Moreover, the HCD notes that the City is far behind meeting its regional housing needs allocation (RHNA), having permitted 0 percent of its very-low-income RHNA but more than 31 percent of its above-moderate-income RHNA," the ICLS letter stated.
Ward 3 resident Dan Hoxworth, called the City's performance "abysmal."
"It astounds me that the staff presented a report that says 'we're getting an F on affordable housing and addressing homelessness in Riverside,' and the city council had no comment or suggestions," he said.
Hoxworth said the City's Prohousing Designation, which provides priority access to funding for affordable housing projects, could be at risk once the state reviews its annual report.
"We could be seeing the end of additional funding for homelessness from the state of California, which leaves the taxpayers of Riverside on the hook to address homelessness," Hoxworth said. "Not only do we lose state funding… this is a death knell for addressing homelessness in Riverside for the foreseeable future."
Claire Jefferson-Glipa, executive director of Family Promise, a nonprofit that works with homeless families, told The Raincross Gazette the affordable housing issue affects all Riversiders.
"Having a city that is woefully missing the mark in its goals for affordable housing isn't just a poor people's problem. Isn't just a homeless person's problem. It is a Riverside residents problem, and I would like us to start treating this as a community issue," she said.
Jefferson-Glipa said the Council's rejection of the University Terrace project "highlighted our lack of understanding of how interconnected we all are."
"As proud residents of Riverside, we are all only as safe as our neighbors' ability to have their basic needs met," she said.
The Council voted unanimously to receive and file the report, on a motion by Councilmember Perry, seconded by Councilmember Mill.
By Micaela Ricaforte
