Letter: Workforce Housing is Needed in Davis
February 04, 2025
Davis is a city that prides itself on being a welcoming, forward-thinking community. Yet, as many as 25,000 people who work in Davis—including teachers, firefighters, police officers, UC Davis staff, and service workers—are unable to live here due to the high cost of housing. Instead, they are forced to commute from surrounding areas, contributing to traffic congestion and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The average price of an older detached home in Davis is a staggering $850,000, and new 2-bedroom houses start in the mid- $700,000’s (see Bretton Woods). Duplexes and townhouses, on the other hand, sell in the mid- $500,000’s (3-bedrooms, 2-baths—see Zillow). These “missing middle” housing options are critical for keeping our workforce in the community, yet there is a glaring shortage of such products in recent development proposals. Will Davis step up to build them?
The rental market is no better. Many new apartments are leased by the bed, catering primarily to students. This leaves non-student workers and families with limited rental options. Larger, family-friendly rental units with play areas are desperately needed to accommodate those who contribute daily to the vitality of our city.
Interfaith Housing Justice Davis is committed to just and equitable housing for our community, including ensuring that our workforce is not priced out of living here. Providing the people who serve our city with the opportunity to live here strengthens our community and our schools, while reducing environmental impacts from commuter traffic.
Alex Achimore and Barbara Clutter, Interfaith Housing Justice Davis
There is a fundamental misunderstanding regarding the advocacy espoused in this letter.
Perhaps the most important misunderstanding is the belief that "Davis workers" (which somehow includes UCD workers in this category) are "forced into" surrounding communities, as a result of higher prices in Davis.
It's likely more accurate to note that they simply "choose" to get more for their money, nearby. (Though truth be told, it's not exactly cheap for a new house in Spring Lake, either.)
Regarding housing prices in Davis, potential buyers can obtain a decent/traditional house (e.g., a "Stanley Davis" house) for around $700K. And those houses generally have large lots, hardwood floors, etc.
Regarding firefighters and police, I'm pretty sure they can "afford" Davis. Regarding teachers/DJUSD staff, fewer of them would be needed if the school district was correctly sized in the first place.
There really aren't that many "Davis" workers (meaning within the city itself) in the first place, who "can't afford" to live there. Personally, I never looked to Davis to provide employment for myself. And I realized a long time ago that if it did, it wouldn't be a very good town to live in.
Another issue is that not everyone within a given household works in the same locale. These days, there's usually more than one worker per household (among the working-age population, at least).
As far as "large, family-friendly rentals with play areas", that sounds more like subsidized housing than "missing middle" housing. But again, who are these people, exactly? And do they already live in subsidized housing in Davis?
Another (unmentioned) issue is what "price range" exactly are you referring to, in regard to market-rate housing? And if that's what you're advocating for, how do you propose to achieve it? (Again, see the housing cost in Spring Lake, which isn't that cheap despite being in Woodland.)
Perhaps (despite what the signs say), "Davis isn't for everyone" (and never was). For that matter, no place is for "everyone".
Davis is (still) a great place for Bay Area transplants looking for "cheap" housing.
You can get a great house in Cleveland for under $100K. (Those prices aren't likely to last, either. There's investors pouring into that area right now.)
Posted by: Ron O | February 04, 2025 at 03:04 PM
"Will Davis step up to Build them?"
I've never understood the common refrain that alwaysing building more housing to forever accomodate an ever-growing population is a way (the only way?) to ensure that we have inexpensive housing to offer to anybody who wants it. When we built the Cannery, did housing prices drop? When Woodland built Spring Lake, did the housing prices drop? When UCD built West Village, did the prices drop? Are we expecting the Village Farms monster project to lower housing prices?
It seems clear that just always building MORE isn't getting us what we need. So how do we create this "affordable" housing?
Posted by: darell | February 04, 2025 at 03:28 PM
"So how do we create this "affordable" housing?"
We don't. It's expensive to live in California. Get over it.
(not you DDD, rather . . . those that suggest we can subsidize developers into 'solving' what is dubbed by 'some' a 'crisis'. I believe this only makes things worse, especially for the always-last-to-be-considered: the working poor or lower-middle-class)
Posted by: Alan C. Miller | February 04, 2025 at 04:39 PM
"Yet, as many as 25,000 people who work in Davis—including teachers, firefighters, police officers, UC Davis staff, and service workers—are unable to live here due to the high cost of housing."
Does anyone have the "total" number of people that work in town and on campus? I'm guessing that 25K is is a pretty high percentage of the total number.
It looks like most o these people can afford an apaerment in town if they wanted to live here (I have seen multiple signs in town giving two free months with a year lease).
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/davis/
Posted by: South of Davis | February 06, 2025 at 04:00 PM
On a related note, yesterday's Davis Enterprise reported a 4% vacancy in rental units in town, per a UCD study.
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | February 06, 2025 at 04:33 PM
There are many factors that go into the decision where to live in relation to one’s employment. Money is only one of them. Family situations play a huge factor in deciding where to live. Personal preferences also play a significant role in deciding where to live.
The difference in housing costs between Davis and surrounding communities, especially rent, is not that significant. If you consider the cost to commute alone in a car on a daily basis, which most people do, it is likely more expensive to commute than to rent in town.
Trade-offs might need to be made, but the salaries public employees at the university and the city earn are high enough to live in Davis, if one chooses to. I assume that many (most) of those that commute to Davis would continue to do so if housing was similarly priced to surrounding communities for the same reasons some of us chose to live in Davis and commute to jobs outside of Davis.
Posted by: Jay | February 07, 2025 at 08:36 AM
One word: Zamora
Posted by: Alan C. Miller | February 07, 2025 at 08:49 AM
There are people who claim that Woodland is "too expensive" these days, and seek housing in places like Knight's Landing (or Natomas).
Woodland has Affordable housing requirements as well - imagine that. (From my former "Bay Area" perspective, the ENTIRE TOWN of Woodland IS "Affordable housing".) Davis almost is, as well.
Posted by: BayAreaTransplant | February 07, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Jay makes a great point since while it is true that you can rent an apartment in Woodland or Elk Grove for ~$300/month less than Davis, nobody is paying ~$500/month to commute from Elk Grove to Davis or ~$250/month to commute from Woodland to Davis since the rent is lower in those cities.
P.S. The "starting salry" for two guys working at McDonalds in town is over $80K and if they get a job at InNOut they will start at over $90K combined income (more with overtime). Most jobs in town pay more than this so almost anyone in the actual full time "workforce" should have no problem affording to rent a two bedroom apartment in Davis.
Posted by: South of Davis | February 07, 2025 at 10:41 AM