Davis published its annual housing development update. What do the numbers say?
The Davis City Council received its annual housing status and housing element progress reports Tuesday. The reports, required by state law and a local ordinance, showed that Davis issued 75 building permits last year: 31 for single-family homes, 42 for accessory dwelling units, and two for multifamily rental units.
The report found that while thousands of units were in development, most were not yet under construction.
Building permits are issued after plans are approved but before construction begins. Davis has issued permits for about 2,800 units since 2009.
While single-family homes and ADU projects can begin quickly, “construction of multi-family units is less predictable,” the report states.
The report also outlined how the proposed Village Farms development could reshape the city’s housing supply. If voters pass Measure V, Davis would add 1,800 units in a single development — more than the city approved in the first 10 years it published status reports. Supporters of Village Farms said adding the units would help offset projected budget deficits and contribute more than $1 billion to the city’s tax base.
More housing in the pipeline
The city tracks housing development and warehouses reports and records about projects in the works on its housing dashboard.
More than 2,100 units were in planning review, including more than 500 subsidized units. Another 2,765 units had been approved but had not received building permits. Five projects under construction included 662 units, 130 of which were affordable.
City data shows 5,588 housing units in the development pipeline as of January, including 1,008 affordable units. Projects span planning review, pending permits and active construction.
Two of the projects listed — Village Farms and the 1,250-unit Willowgrove project — still required voter approval under Measure J-R-D, which mandates a vote when agricultural land is rezoned for urban use. A February poll commissioned by Village Farms developers found majority support.
Another record year for ADU permitting
For the second consecutive year, Davis issued a record number of ADU building permits.
Davis issued 42 building permits for ADUs last year. The number of ADU permits issued in California has increased steadily since 2016, when state laws reduced barriers such as local zoning restrictions. Lawmakers intended for homeowners to build ADUs to expand the state’s rental housing supply.
The number of ADU building permits in Davis has nearly doubled over the past two years, but it remained unclear how many permitted ADUs became rental units. Statewide, about half of ADUs are used as rentals, while the rest serve as additional living space or housing for friends or relatives, according to a UC Berkeley study.
While state law has streamlined ADU construction, new or renovated units still require a certificate of occupancy issued by the local building department after inspection. Davis issued 27 certificates of occupancy for ADUs last year — fewer than half the number of ADU permits issued in the past two years.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 7:53 AM.
