Housing Element Overview

Various sources of information contribute to the Housing Element. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) provides a data package that has been pre-approved by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and serves as the primary data source for population and household characteristics. Dates for data included in the ABAG data package may vary depending on the selection of data that was made to provide the best data on the topic. Several additional data sources were used to supplement the 2021 ABAG Data Package:

• Population and demographic estimates and projects by ABAG and the California Department of Finance.
• Housing market information, such as home sales, construction costs, and rents, updated via online surveys and City records.
• Data on special needs groups, the services available, and gaps in the service delivery system provided via service provider stakeholder interviews.
• Lending patterns for home purchase and home improvement loans through the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) database.

From 2010 to 2020, the population of Livermore increased at an average annual rate of 1.1 percent, about the same as Alameda County’s rate of 1.2 percent. The median age for Livermore was 39.8 years of age in 2020, slightly older than Alameda County’s median age of 37.6. Residents aged 15 to 24 decreased in number and proportion from 2010 to 2020 in both Livermore and Alameda County. In Livermore and the county, this decrease was countered by a large increase in adults ages 65 to 74 over the same time period. The ethnic makeup of Livermore in 2019 was nearly 65 percent white. Nearly 21 percent of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 8 percent of residents were Asian. Smaller percentages of residents fell into other racial and ethnic groups. In 2019, 3.0 percent of Livermore’s residents and 5.9 percent of Alameda County residents had less than a high school degree. Both figures represent an increase from 2010 statistics. Livermore’s average unemployment rate in 2019 was 3.1 percent, lower than the County’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. There were 46,110 employed residents in Livermore in 2020, compared to a local employment base of 48,136 jobs.

According to the Department of Finance, Livermore had 32,390 households in 2020, an 11.2 percent increase in households from 2010. Livermore had a higher percentage of family households in 2019 (74.4 percent), compared to Alameda County (66.6 percent). A total of 28.7 percent of Livermore households had incomes defined as either extremely low, very low, or low (up to 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). Livermore had a lower proportion of extremely and very low-income households, accounting for approximately 17.2 percent, compared to 26.7 percent countywide.

State Housing Element Law defines “special needs” groups to include the following: senior households, female-headed households, large families, persons with disabilities (including those with developmental disabilities), homeless persons, and agricultural workers. Livermore has also included College Students as a special needs group.

Seniors

In 2020, 13.3 percent of Livermore residents were seniors, defined as 65 years of age or older. As of 2017, 45.7 percent of senior households were lower income (up to 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)).

Female-Headed Households

In 2019, Livermore had 2,657 female-headed households, approximately 8 percent of all households. About 9.3 percent of female-headed families with children under 18 lived in poverty.

Large Households

In 2019, there were 3,248 large households (five or more persons) in Livermore, representing approximately 10.2 percent of all households. Alameda County’s population was very similar, with 10.0 percent of all households considered large. A large household generally requires a home with at least three bedrooms. According to 2019 estimates, approximately 74.3 percent of Livermore’s total housing units (both owned and rented) had three or more bedrooms, significantly more than Alameda County’s proportion of large units. However, only 36.5 percent of the rental stock in Livermore had three or more bedrooms.

People with Disabilities

In 2017, approximately 8.2 percent of the Livermore population ages 5 to 64 classified themselves as disabled. There are 43 licensed community care facilities in Livermore. These facilities provide a supportive environment to persons with special needs. There are ten affordable housing developments and shared housing projects built specifically for adults with developmental or psychiatric disabilities in Livermore. Many of the projects in Livermore’s affordable housing inventory and development pipeline have both accessible units and services to support residents with disabilities.

Image description: Chestnut Square Senior Housing, built by MidPen Housing, provides 72 affordable rental apartments for seniors.

Homeless Persons

In January 2019, the EveryOne Home community organization conducted an Alameda Countywide Homeless Point-in-Time Homeless Count and Survey. This survey found that about 8,022 people in Alameda County are homeless at any given point in time. The point-in-time count found that there were 264 homeless people in Livermore at that The City of Livermore partners with local non-profit organizations to offer safety net services for persons who are experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence.

Image source: Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination, 2019

Farm Workers

It is estimated that there were 314 people in the Agriculture and Natural Resources industry in 2019.

The majority (68.9 percent) of the housing stock in Livermore consists of single-family detached homes, whereas Alameda County’s proportion is slightly over half (52.2 percent). Multifamily units make up 19.0 percent of the housing stock in Livermore and 38.6 percent of the stock of Alameda County. The proportion of owner-occupied housing in Livermore (75.9 percent) is greater than that of Alameda County (50.8 percent). Livermore experienced an increase of approximately 2,386 housing units from 2010 to 2020, averaging 238 new homes per year and accounting for approximately 7.9 percent of total housing production in the county.

For-Sale Affordability

The median home sale price of 2010 ($522,00) increased by 65.7 percent to $865,106 in 2020. This trend has been part of the overall housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area and the state. Due to the continued increase in home sale prices, only above moderate-income households can afford the typical median price for a home in Livermore. In other words, homes in Livermore remain unaffordable to even moderate-income households without down payment assistance.

Rental Housing Affordability

Rental housing in Livermore has similar trends to rental prices of Alameda County. One-bedrooms averaged approximately $2,206 per month in Livermore in 2022. Rents for two-bedroom units averaged $2,565, three-bedroom units averaged $3,262, and the average for four-bedroom units was $3,636. In general, extremely low- and very low-income households cannot afford market rental or owner-occupied housing.

Overall Affordability

In 2018, overall 17.7 percent of occupied households were paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters have a higher cost burden than homeowners, with 25.2 percent of renters and 10.6 percent of owners paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing. There is a higher incidence of overcrowding among renter-occupied households than owner-occupied households in Livermore. Livermore has a larger percentage of renter-occupied households with 1.0 to 1.5 occupants per room (5.6 percent) than owner-occupied units (1.0 percent). This rate of renter overcrowding has increased significantly since adoption of the last Housing Element.

Data in this summary section comes from the Housing Opportunities and Constraints chapter and the Assessment of Fair Housing section in the  Draft Housing Element .

As of January 2022, residential properties in Livermore had prices ranging from as low as $22 per square foot of floor area to $67 per square foot. This range can be attributed to varying locations of the land, existing infrastructure, and other parcel-specific factors such as environmental conditions and topography. A typical single-family detached unit of 2,000 square feet would cost approximately $684,545 per unit to build, including land. Based on recent multifamily developments in the city, a multifamily apartment complex would cost approximately $467,423 per unit. It is difficult for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers to enter the market. The City offers a down payment assistance program to facilitate additional access to financial resources for lower- and moderate-income households to attain homeownership, as well as home improvement assistance for low- and moderate-income households. White and Asian applicants are overrepresented in originated loans in Livermore, while Latinx, Black, and applicants of other races (e.g., American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, two or more race, or other) were underrepresented. Asian applicants seem have to the highest success rate for securing a mortgage loan. The City has Programs 3.4.1 and 5.2.1 to address these disproportionalities by implementing targeted and multilingual outreach strategies and programs and removing barriers to homeownership.

In 2010, the City adopted the Livermore Development Code, which describes zoning districts and regulations. It also provides a clear roadmap for the entitlement of development projects. The Development Code ensures consistency with the General Plan, existing policies and procedures, and applicable state regulations. The code includes form-based regulations, revisions of outdated development regulations and zoning districts, and an update of its parking regulations for tandem parking and smaller units (studios and one bedrooms). The code has been periodically updated since 2010. The City’s comprehensive General Plan Update is currently underway and will update land uses and policies as needed to address the City’s vision through 2045. The  Draft Housing Element  will be adopted prior to the other General Plan elements, however, all elements will align in the final General Plan. An analysis of the City’s existing land use controls, growth management policies, and development review process indicates that the City is not unreasonably restrictive but facilitates development through its zoning and other standards. The City complies with the most recent provisions of State density bonus law. Projects involving multiple planning applications can have fees reduced by 10 percent. Planning fees are based on anticipated staff processing and review time and are charged at the time an application for development is received. Other development fees are collected as part of the building permit issuance process. The City provides Reasonable Accommodation to persons requesting modifications to their homes for accessibility improvements. Requests for flexibility in development standards in order to accommodate accessibility improvements have been codified in the City’s Development Code and are reviewed and approved at the staff level.

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is responsible for developing the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the City of Livermore. The current RHNA plans for an eight-year period, from June 30th, 2023, through December 15th, 2030. For the current projection period, ABAG has determined that City’s share of the RHNA is 4,570 new housing units. Based on residential capacity in the General Plan and Specific Plan areas, the sites identified in the land inventory would accommodate a total of 5,538 units, which exceeds the RHNA of 4,570. A map of the proposed sites to accommodate the RHNA is shown below, and are also included in the Executive Summary and Appendix A of the  Draft Housing Element .

You may pan and zoom in using the interactive buttons on the map to view the Housing Element sites in closer detail.

The City of Livermore has access to a variety of existing and potential funding sources available for affordable housing activities, including affordable housing fees, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME funds, and Section 8 vouchers. The City actively works with neighboring cities, County agencies, and numerous non-profit organizations to provide affordable housing and human service programs. The City has a number of policies and programs to encourage energy conservation and green building. In 2022, the City will adopt an updated Climate Action Plan with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving resilience within the community.

Map description: Site Inventory and accompanying Zoning Designations within Livermore