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6.C. - Page 5 of 29 <br />F2. From 2016 to 2020, the number of Second Units constructed annually within the <br />County dramatically increased by 450% (823) after related State laws were enacted in 2017. <br />Effective January 1, 2020, several additional new State laws were enacted in order to make the <br />construction of new Second Units easier for homeowners. <br />Response: The City of Redwood City agrees with this finding. <br />F3. There are about 155,000 single-family homes in San Mateo County with only 4,000 <br />Second Units on those properties, so there is a potential for thousands of new Second Units. <br />Response: The City of Redwood City agrees with this finding. <br />F4. The County has an unknown but large number of non -permitted Second Units. The new <br />2020 State laws are intended to make it easier for those units to be made safer, and potentially <br />to be brought up to permitting standards. <br />Response: The City of Redwood City agrees with this finding. <br />F5. Barriers to building new Second Units and for upgrading non -permitted Second Units <br />include: a lack of knowledge by homeowners as to potential lenders in financing the <br />construction of a Second Unit and a lack of lenders in the region that have indicated their <br />willingness to engage in such financing, homeowners' difficulty in finding contractors willing to <br />work on "small" projects such as Second Units, and the need to recruit and train more <br />inspectors. <br />Response: The City of Redwood City partially agrees with this finding. A lack of <br />homeowner awareness of financing and construction options are obstacles to ADU <br />construction. ADU construction can average around $200,000 for detached new units, <br />making construction cost an expensive barrier for those considering these units. There <br />are limited ADU financing options available and many lenders will not consider the <br />future income that an ADU rental might generate into whether or not to underwrite a <br />second unit development loan. <br />The City is not aware of any shortage of qualified building inspectors regarding ADU <br />inspections. The timeline for inspecting a completed ADU is partially dependent on the <br />overall volume of completed construction subject to inspection. ADUs are not uniquely <br />impacted. Redwood City Planning and Building Division staff are not aware of any <br />instance of the timeline for a building inspection constituting a barrier to ADU <br />construction. <br />F6. DOH and the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County have co- <br />sponsored and coordinated the "21 Elements Project" which aids all jurisdictions in the County <br />to work together on addressing their housing needs, including the development of Second <br />Units. <br />130 <br />