A landmark victory for affordable housing in Clovis! After years of battles defining crucial legal standards for land use planning and discrimination against affordable housing, a settlement has been reached, thanks to the tireless efforts of housing advocate Desiree Martinez and her dedicated attorneys at the Public Interest Law Project, Central California Legal Services, and the Law Office of Patience Milrod. The agreement, unanimously approved by the Clovis City Council, promises significant changes, including rezoning for 1,300 new affordable housing units, the establishment of a $1.8 million Housing Trust Fund, and the first inclusionary zoning ordinance in the Central Valley.  

Ms. Martinez, founder of We Are Not Invisible, sees this as a step towards increased housing access for low-income communities and communities of color in Fresno. PILP Attorney Valerie Feldman states “we've tailored this agreement to remove the longstanding obstacles to inclusion in Clovis and expect the impact will be felt not only in Clovis but throughout the region."

Congratulations to all involved in this groundbreaking achievement! 🎉 #AffordableHousing #LegalVictory #ClovisCommunity

The settlement promises the following:
• The City of Clovis will establish a local housing trust fund and has committed to contributing at least $1.8 million to support affordable housing developments.
• Clovis will dedicate multiple city-owned sites to the development of affordable housing.
• Clovis will rezone infill parcels throughout the city to accommodate approximately 1,300 multi-family dwelling units.
• Clovis will adopt an ordinance to require that up to 10% of units in almost all new housing development projects will be affordable to low-income families.
• Clovis will create a development impact fee-deferral program, deferring the payment of significant portions of city development impact fees for qualifying affordable housing projects.
• Clovis will increase the minimum density required in its high-density zoning designations.

Learn More:

Fresnoland, “Settlement reached in protracted Clovis affordable housing lawsuit,” February 21, 2024

Fresnoland, “‘Historic.’ New deal clears the way for more low-income and affordable housing in Clovis,” February 22, 2024

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