Date

5-2025

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Collaborative Health and Human Services

First Advisor

Teresa Nieves Espinoza

Second Advisor

Jenny Martinez

Abstract

The City of Pacific Grove is a beautiful coastal place to live, yet it is difficult to find affordable housing. The housing division works together with other departments in the city and state to carry out its goal of ensuring that residents have access to affordable housing. In previous community housing needs surveys 60% of respondents reported an interest in building an Accessory Dwelling Unit. Similarly, 50% respondents showed an interest in landlord incentive workshops. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of these two key resources. A study was conducted through in-depth interviews with specialists in the planning department and Housing Resource Center in regard to the opportunities and barriers of building an accessory dwelling unit or providing landlord incentives. The expected outcome is to increase collaboration between homeowners, city, and developers, creating a more engaged community that addresses housing insecurity. The results revealed that building ADU’s in Pacific Grove has the potential to provide relief to housing insecurities of residents. Similarly, the landlord incentive program can help alleviate some financial strain by providing landlords with guaranteed rent payments for tenants with special needs. Recommendations include updating workshops, websites, and introducing handbooks (digital and printed) to support collaboration with the ADU project. Also, providing property owners with resources about landlord incentives and a comprehensive process of building an ADU that includes average costs and a timeline will contribute to addressing affordable housing and keeping residents informed about these valuable resources.

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