San Diego Bonus ADU Program:

What You Need to Know

What Is the Bonus ADU Program?

San Diego’s Bonus Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program allows property owners to build multiple additional units—beyond what state law permits—on single-family and multifamily lots. It was marketed as a way to increase affordable housing, but has become a tool for unregulated density in quiet, residential neighborhoods.

Instead of backyard cottages or granny flats, developers are building multi-unit rental complexes with no public hearings, no parking requirements, and minimal oversight.

This program is already transforming San Diego’s communities. It's:

Turning family neighborhoods into investor playgrounds
Driving up land costs and displacing first-time homebuyers
Creating unsafe conditions in fire zones and evacuation corridors
Flooding residential streets with zero off-street parking
Replacing quality housing with micro-units that don’t serve real families

This is not housing policy. It’s a developer giveaway disguised as reform.

Why It Matters

We support responsible housing growth that is:

✅ Transparent
✅ Locally controlled
✅ Family-serving
✅ Infrastructure-ready

The Bonus ADU Program — as written and proposed — fails those tests.

NFABC is calling for:

A moratorium on Bonus ADUs until meaningful reform is passed
Real affordability standards — not optional incentives
Infrastructure impact fees that actually fund services
Parking and livability standards that protect quality of life
Fire zone and evacuation restrictions to protect public safety

NFABC’s Position

June 16th Update

City Council Reins In Bonus ADU Program — But Rejects “Four Means Four” Cap

After hours of public testimony and mounting community pressure, the San Diego City Council voted 5–4 on June 16 to adopt modest rollbacks to the city’s Bonus ADU program — but failed to pass the stricter “Four Means Four” reform demanded by residents across the city.

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Two Key Votes

1. “Four Means Four” proposal (limit all single-family lots to one house, one JADU, one ADU, and one Bonus ADU):
Rejected 5–4
Supported by: Campillo, von Wilpert, Foster, Campbell
Opposed by: LaCava, Whitburn, Lee, Elo-Rivera, Moreno

2. Final Compromise Cap (4–6 ADUs based on lot size):
Approved 5–4
Supported by: LaCava, Campillo, von Wilpert, Foster, Campbell
Opposed by: Whitburn, Lee, Elo-Rivera, Moreno — who wanted no or softer caps

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What Passed: The Compromise Package

• Unit caps based on lot size:
• 4 ADUs on lots <8,000 sq ft
• 5 ADUs on 8,001–10,000 sq ft
• 6 ADUs on lots >10,000 sq ft
• Infrastructure (Community Enhancement) Fee
• 2-story height limit and 1,200 sq ft maximum
• Fire safety limits for cul-de-sacs in high wildfire zones
• Parking required for ADUs not near transit
• Setback increases and fire code alignment
• Allows sale (not just rental) of ADUs

However, the Bonus ADU program still allows high-density development in most RS zones — without public hearings, deep affordability, or impact review.

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Joe LaCava’s Pivotal Role
Council President Joe LaCava cast the deciding vote to block the “Four Means Four” cap, citing fear of being out of compliance with state housing goals following a vague, nonbinding letter from HCD.

But here’s the reality:
• City staff confirmed during hearings that San Diego is currently ahead of RHNA targets.
• The proposed reforms would not have triggered Builder’s Remedy, according to legal and planning staff.
• LaCava still chose to cave to perceived pressure rather than stand with his community.
“We’ve seen very, very ugly and unfortunate examples,” LaCava said of Bonus ADU abuse — yet he preserved the program that enables it.

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Councilmembers Acknowledge the Problem
Even those who opposed reform admitted the system is broken:
• Elo-Rivera: “We’ve seen an exploitation of this program… a failure to account for impacts on neighborhoods.”
• Kent Lee: “Everyone agrees 50- or 150-unit projects were never the intent.”

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Community Testimony: Loud and Clear
Residents spoke for hours:
• “Stop the corporate takeover of San Diego neighborhoods”
• “Too much building, too fast benefits out-of-town builders”
• “You don’t solve a crisis by creating another crisis”

Meanwhile, ADU developers defended the program with generic claims about affordability — despite the fact that “affordable” Bonus ADUs now rent for over $2,600/month.

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Who Fought for True Reform
We thank Campillo, von Wilpert, Foster, and Campbell for backing the only proposal that would have meaningfully ended Bonus ADU abuse: Four Means Four.

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What’s Next
The loophole for extreme projects is narrower — but the Bonus ADU program still:
• Overrides community zoning
• Encourages land speculation
• Fails to deliver deeply affordable, family-sized housing

We will keep organizing until:
• “Four Means Four” is law across all RS zones
• Public hearings are required for major ADU projects
• Real affordability replaces developer incentives

LU&H Committee Housing Update – May 2025

On May 15, 2025, San Diego’s Land Use & Housing (LU&H) Committee reviewed proposed amendments to the Bonus ADU Program. The hearing followed months of public concern over the scale, safety, and equity of high-density development in single-family (RS) zones.

NFABSD presented detailed recommendations to align the program with public safety, infrastructure, and neighborhood character. Here are the key takeaways:

Fire Safety and Evacuation Risk

The current draft code only removes a property from Bonus ADU eligibility if it is both on a cul-de-sac/single-access road and in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (HFHSZ).

NFABSD and the Community Planners Committee (CPC) urged that either condition alone should disqualify a parcel to ensure safe emergency evacuation.

Housing Unit Cap: 4 Units Per RS Lot

NFABSD called for a hard cap of 4 total housing units on any RS-zoned lot (1 home, 1 state-converted ADU, 1 detached state ADU, 1 Bonus ADU).

This aligns with:
• The HUD and SB 9 definitions of single-family housing
• City trash service thresholds
• Realistic infrastructure capacity and parking

The Planning Department’s proposed “cap” of 7 units is not a real cap, as additional ADUs can be built with smaller footprints. NFABSD exposed a loophole allowing up to 10 units on 8,000+ sq ft lots.

Align Parking Rules with State Law

The City’s use of the Transit Priority Area (TPA) to waive parking ignores state ADU law.

NFABSD recommends using the state standard: require 1 parking space for each ADU if it is more than ½ mile walking distance from public transit.

Use State Standards for Height, Stories & Setbacks

NFABSD and CPC support state ADU limits:

• 2 stories max
• 16–18 feet detached, 25 feet attached
• 4-foot setbacks standard, 5-foot+ in fire zones

These changes reduce neighborhood impacts, preserve privacy, and improve fire access.

Equal Application of FAR Caps & ESL Protections

Proposed Floor Area Ratio (FAR) caps and Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) protections only apply to RS-1-5 to RS-1-7 lots.

NFABSD called for expanding these protections to all eligible RS zones, including RS-1-12 to RS-1-14, to ensure consistency and environmental safeguards citywide.

Eliminate the SDA Distinction

The Sustainable Development Area (SDA) distinction is outdated and discriminatory.

NFABSD urges the City to apply the same ADU standards citywide, avoiding confusion and directing affordable housing equitably—not just to lower-opportunity neighborhoods.

Sunset the Bonus ADU Program in 2029

To prevent long-term overreach, NFABSD recommends sunsetting the Bonus ADU overlay program at the end of the current Housing Element cycle (2029).

This ensures future programs can be re-evaluated for fairness, impact, and alignment with infrastructure realities.

The message is clear: responsible growth must be safe, equitable, and community-driven.

We thank Danna Givot and the NFABSD team for their leadership and research. You can view the full LU&H presentation [here] or visit NFABSD.org (https://www.nfabsd.org) to learn more.

What the City Is Proposing Now (2025 Update)

Rather than scaling back the program, the Mayor and Planning Department are proposing new changes that would expand and repackage the Bonus ADU Program. Key elements include:

✅ Maintaining the bonus structure that allows multiple ADUs per lot, often resulting in 8–18 units where one home once stood
🚫 No new affordability requirements
🚗 Still no meaningful parking mandates, even in areas without reliable transit
🔥 Continued allowance in High Fire Hazard Severity Zones
💵 Introduction of a small “community enhancement fee” for tiny units — but no real funding for infrastructure

Despite overwhelming public concern, these proposals continue to favor density over livability, and profits over people.

What You Can Do

Contact your City Councilmember

Tell them to vote NO on the expansion of the Bonus ADU Program.
Submit a public comment

Voice your concerns at LU&H Committee and City Council hearings.
Donate

Donate to NFABC’s legal fund to support ongoing efforts to hold the city accountable.