Clovis Proposes Mixed-Income Zoning Ordinance After Court Ruling

City officials unveiled the new ordinance and settlement measures on Dec. 29, 2025 as a response to a court ruling that determined Clovis had not adequately planned for affordable housing. The centerpiece requires developers of projects with 10 or more units to set aside at least 5 percent of units as affordable, with detailed splits for apartments and duplexes provided within the ordinance, or to make an in-lieu payment to a newly expanded housing trust fund.

The ordinance gives builders several compliance paths: build affordable units on-site, pay the in-lieu fee, build equivalent units off-site, acquire and rehabilitate existing properties, or dedicate land for affordable housing. City leaders presented an example in-lieu fee of roughly $2.80 per square foot to illustrate the formula that would be used when developers choose the payment option.

As part of the settlement package, the city committed $1 million up front to the housing trust fund and pledged $100,000 per year for eight years. The trust fund’s first planned project is a 47-unit senior housing complex near the senior center at 135 Osmun Drive, a development the city says will address immediate needs for lower-cost senior units.

Local builders and development advocates cautioned that the new requirements and the illustrative in-lieu fee could add material costs to new housing. Officials and stakeholders noted that at $2.80 per square foot the fee would translate into several thousand dollars for a typical new home; for example, a 2,000-square-foot house would face roughly a $5,600 charge under that illustrative rate. Developers warn those added costs could be passed to buyers or slow proposed projects, potentially constraining supply while the city seeks to expand affordability.

The policy raises broader questions about how municipalities balance production of market-rate housing with mandated affordable units and how fee-based mitigation shapes development decisions. The trust fund model directs immediate revenue toward targeted projects such as the senior complex, while the multiple compliance options aim to preserve flexibility for builders. The net effect on housing supply, unit mix, and prices will depend on negotiations between the city and developers and on which compliance pathways prevail in practice.

City staff said they will review the ordinance with developers in the coming weeks and will bring the proposal to the planning commission in early 2026, followed by a City Council hearing. Residents and stakeholders seeking to influence implementation can monitor those hearings and the trust fund’s project approvals as the city moves from settlement terms to formal code changes that will affect development patterns and housing affordability across Fresno County’s growing suburbs.