San José’s Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement launched a new tool to help track housing in the Bay Area’s largest city. The PBCE Housing Production Dashboard keeps tabs on housing projects as they go through the planning and building process. Users can calculate how many units are entitled (have planning permits), have approved building permits to begin construction, and have been “finaled” or completed construction signaling they are ready to welcome people home.  

“Our work is crucial to easing the State’s housing crisis and we are committed to making building housing as easy as possible,” said Chris Burton, Director, San José’s Planning Building Code Enforcement Department. “I take great pride guiding our team as they help projects go from paper to shovels in the ground to homes for our community.” 

The dashboard also tracks activity for ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), lots that are being split to make way for more housing via the California HOME Act (SB9) and other permits to build housing. Users can also dissect the data based on affordable housing, growth areas like downtown or Urban Villages, and more.  

The information is designed to allow City staff to pull reports quickly and provide full transparency for the public. For example, you might find the number of units approved for an Urban Village in 2023 or which ADU type is most popular in a specific neighborhood. PBCE will update most of the data monthly. 

The Planning Division has also added the data from its yearly Housing Element Annual Progress Report, required by the State to keep tabs on progress towards meeting the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals. San José has an ambitious goal to add 62,200 units by 2031, as part of the Housing Element cycle that started in 2023. In 2024, the City permitted 2,211 units and 3,586 units have been built since July 2022.  

The Housing Production Dashboard can be found online. For more updates on development in San José, subscribe to PBCE News.