The City of Benicia acknowledges that having a place to call home is an undeniable need shared by everyone. It is the City’s intent to ensure adequate housing is available for everyone whether owned or rented. Several initiatives are underway to support the production and preservation of housing in Benicia. Please select from the links below and explore this page to learn more.
Accessory Dwelling Units. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are an option for property owners to provide new housing on their property.
Benicia Housing Element. The Housing Element is a part of the Benicia General Plan that sets a roadmap of policies and programs to support the community's housing needs.
Housing Development. Learn about the key development standards and State legislation related to the production of new housing.
The Benicia Housing Authority provides safe, decent, and in good repair affordable housing for extremely low to moderate income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities in the City of Benicia. BHA administers numerous programs which are federally funded and/or state funded, including public housing, the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and affordable housing.
Benicia Housing Authority. visit beniciahousingauthority.org or call 707-745-2071
Equal access to housing is a right guaranteed to everyone. “Fair Housing” means that property owners, landlords and their agents are prohibited from discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics such as gender, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion.
The City of Benicia does not currently have any available programs to assist with foreclosure avoidance or mortgage relief.
The City of Benicia does not currently have any available programs to assist with the purchase of a home within the City. The State of California and federal government have the following programs available to assist with the purchase and finance of homes for qualified purchasers:
The City of Benicia has designated city-owned sites for housing development as part of the sites inventory of the 2023-2031 Housing Element. In early 2023, the City Council took action to rezone these sites to allow for housing (Ordinance No. 23-3). To move forward with disposition of these sites (i.e., sell, lease, or develop), the City must adhere to the requirements of the State Surplus Land Act (SLA).
Overview of Process
Typically, this process for site disposition involves a declaration by the City Council, followed by a Notice of Availability (“NOA”) to the entities listed below:
An entity desiring to purchase or lease the surplus land must notify the City in writing of its interest in purchasing or leasing the land within 60 days after the NOA is distributed.
If the City receives a notice of interest, the SLA mandates a 90-day negotiation period to determine a mutually satisfactory sales price and terms of purchase or lease. If no notice of interest is received or negotiations do not result in a disposition, the City may proceed with disposing of the land. The SLA does not require the City to dispose of surplus land at less than fair market value. However, the SLA requires that, at a minimum, development of 10 or more residential units on the site must designate at least 15 percent of units as affordable.
More Information
Interested developers must notify the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) of their interest in receiving notices by completing HCD's Developer Interest Survey.
For more information regarding the SLA, please visit the State's Surplus Lands webpage.
Are you homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless, or are you in need of family resources or referrals for services, needs assistance, domestic violence or child abuse prevention? The following resources are available:
Universal design focuses on making housing safe and accessible for everyone, regardless of age, physical ability, or stature. Employing universal design in new construction or remodeling can ensure that housing meets the needs of a wide range of functional abilities and preferences, and can provide additional safety or mobility assistance to those with mobility impairments or disabilities. Key principles of universal design include:
