Important Considerations To Avoid Planning And Environmental Review Challenges To Co-Living Developments

Pre-COVID 19, California's high cost of living and acute housing shortage made co-living developments particularly popular, especially with young professionals. In co-living developments, an occupant typically has his or her own bedroom, likely has an individual bathroom and shares a kitchen, a living room (if there is one) and other common spaces. Sharing common spaces can provide socialization and access to a wider variety of amenities and services, all with a more modest price tag than a traditional apartment. Developers around the state are eager to meet this need in high-demand areas like Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Many cities and counties struggle with how to process co-living development applications because they have yet to update their general plans and/or zoning ordinances to address the unique aspects of co-living developments by categorizing them as a specific use. A notable exception is the City of San Jose, which updated its zoning ordinance in