The Manzanita Family Apartments, affordable housing units in Napa, was developed by Satellite Affordable Housing Associates.
With a focus of addressing housing challenges in Napa Valley, county officials and nonprofit housing advocacy group Generation Housing have released a report, “State of Housing in Napa Valley,” to highlight concerns and opportunities in the Napa housing market.
The report—in the works since 2023—was presented to the Napa County Board of Supervisors at its May 21 meeting.
The formation of the report was led by a Steering Committee, convened by the Napa County Department of Housing & Homeless Services. Among the highlights:
Lack of workforce housing: Napa Valley’s workforce is largely comprised of low- and moderate-income households, many of whom are families with children in need of affordable and appropriately sized housing. Simultaneously, the Valley has a growing population of smaller, older households aging faster than the statewide average. These older residents often remain in large homes because the high prices and limited availability of smaller homes make downsizing unfeasible.
Low housing production: The Valley suffered from nearly a decade of low housing production following the Great Recession, leading to skyrocketing home and rent prices and a significant mismatch in the housing stock.
Vacant second homes: The scarcity of homes is further exacerbated by a high rate of vacant units that serve as second homes, the highest in the North Bay.
Napa exodus: The limited housing supply forces younger, larger households to seek affordable housing outside of Napa Valley, relocating to areas like Solano, Sonoma, or Lake County, or even the Central Valley.
Vicious cycle: Wealthier and higher-income households often outcompete lower-income residents for the available housing, further driving up housing prices.
According to the report, the aforementioned factors have a cumulative effect resulting in high rates of cost burden for lower-income households, overcrowding among low-income and Latino households, low homeownership rates for younger, lower-income. The report describes an “urgent need” to increase housing production and diversify the housing stock to mitigate these issues.
Jennifer Palmer, director of housing and homeless services for Napa County, said in a statement the findings are “a vital step” in addressing housing needs in the county. “We need to first understand the specific needs of our community, particularly our low- and moderate-income households and workforce, in order to take actionable steps to ensure everyone has access to housing that is safe and affordable,” Palmer said in a statement.
Jen Klose, executive director of Generation Housing, added in the release: “This report reveals the stark reality that Napa Valley’s housing market is not keeping pace with the needs of its residents.”
