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In Yuba County, a new kind of home is quietly reshaping how we think about housing development. Earlier this year, the county celebrated the launch of its first 3D printed home pilot project, located in Linda, a community based in the heart of the county. This new project is a great example of how cities and counties are being innovative to address housing in the region.

That innovative thinking is paying off. According to new data released by Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), regional housing production in 2024 was the highest of any year since 2005.

Ashley Potočnik, business engagement manager at Yuba County, shared how a “Yes to Yuba” philosophy has helped leaders find new ways to address their housing challenges. “Each department is working with the intent of finding a way to get to yes, whether it’s printing homes, infill housing, missing middle or single-family homes,” said Potočnik. County planners worked closely with the developer, 4Dify, which owned a single lot and a brand-new 3D printer to make the project possible. “We dug down and figured out how to make it happen," added Potočnik.

Not all progress has to look like groundbreaking new technology. For the past decade, progress has looked more like investments in policy changes and funding that have allowed cities and counties to update housing elements, adopt prohousing policies, and remove barriers to development.

Yuba County is one of nine jurisdictions in the region to receive a Prohousing Designation from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which recognizes jurisdictions that go above and beyond to help accelerate housing production. Many other cities and counties in the region have benefited from state planning grants, such as Senate Bill 2 and the Local Early Action Planning program, and investments from SACOG’s regional Green Means Go program. Local policy changes from these efforts include removing parking minimums, streamlining approvals for permits, and changing zoning requirements.

“We’re seeing the results of years of planning, collaboration, and strategic investment,” said Darren Suen, chair of the SACOG Board of Directors and councilmember for the City of Elk Grove. “We know there are still challenges ahead, but it’s great to take a moment to recognize the hard work of our local leaders who are showing the region is primed for more housing.  Such collaboration and leadership will be critical to maintain momentum, especially in the face of growing economic headwinds and shifting market conditions.”

To meet the forecast in the draft 2025 Blueprint, cities and counties must build a total of 278,000 new housing units for the region which is expected to grow by 580,000 residents between 2020 and 2050. Although the 2024 housing data shows the region is overachieving those goals through the first five years of the planning period, market cycles, population shifts, and other uncertainties can impact overall housing production into the future.

There is still more work to be done, but it’s promising to see innovations in technology, policies, and investments to continue meeting the demands of the growing Sacramento region.