Riverside Seeks Final Community Input on Future Housing Design

The City is seeking community input on future housing designs, with one workshop remaining before officials create pre-approved building plans to address the city's housing shortage.

The final community workshop is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Bourns Family Youth Innovation Center Makerspace Room, 9595 Miller St. Residents can also provide input through an online survey.

Riverside faces significant housing challenges. The city must plan for 18,458 new housing units under state requirements. Currently, 40% of households spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs and 25% live in overcrowded conditions, according to city data.

"At this time, we have not identified which housing types will be selected for plan set preparation, which is why it is crucial to hear from the community," said Daniel Palafox, program director.

The $500,000 project is funded through a Southern California Association of Governments grant. It focuses on “Missing Middle” housing, which includes duplexes, triplexes, courtyard buildings, townhouses and live-work units.

The project will not rezone properties or approve specific developments. Instead, it creates pre-approved architectural plans that work within existing zoning to reduce costs and permitting delays.

Only 6.4% of Riverside’s current housing stock consists of 2-4 unit buildings. This type of housing was common before 1940 but was later prohibited in favor of single-family developments.

Architecture firm RADAR Inc. will design the selected housing types based on community feedback. The pre-approved plans target underutilized sites throughout the city.

“This project is not rezoning any properties, suggesting properties to be rezoned, nor will it approve any projects,” Palafox said. “Any pre-approved housing plans will operate within the confines of existing zoning designations.”

The city received the grant in 2023 through SCAG’s REAP 2.0 program, which funds projects that encourage housing development on underused and vacant sites.

After Saturday’s workshop, city staff will work with a Technical Advisory Committee to finalize design specifications. A second round of community workshops is planned for May-June 2026 to promote the completed plans.

The initiative supports Riverside’s 6th Cycle Housing Element goals and its obligation to meet state housing requirements.

More information: Join the final housing design workshop on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to noon via Zoom, or share your input anytime through the online survey.