Title
Public Review Draft Housing Element Update for 2015-2023 - The Planning Board will receive a presentation on the Draft Housing Element. No action will be taken.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
Memorandum
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas,
City Planner
Date: March 10, 2014
Re: Public Review Draft Housing Element Update for 2015-2023
Background
On July 3, 2012, the City Council adopted the 2007-2014 City of Alameda Housing Element. The State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified the City's Housing Element to be in conformance with State law on July 19, 2012.
The City of Alameda must now update the Housing Element for the period 2015-2023, to avoid State of California established penalties for cities that do not have a new Housing Element adopted by the end of 2014. To meet this schedule, City staff has prepared a Public Review Draft Housing Element for 2015-2023. The draft Housing Element is attached to this report as Exhibit 1.
DISCUSSION
Organization: The 2015-2023 Housing Element is organized as two documents: 1) policy plan and implementation plan, and 2) a background report.
The Housing Policy and Implementation Plan includes the Housing Element policies, programs, and quantified objectives for the 2015-2023 period.
The Housing Element Background Report includes:
1. A review of the 2007-2014 Housing Element accomplishments,
2. An analysis of Alameda's demographics, housing needs, and housing stock,
3. The inventory of housing sites and resources, and
4. An analysis of housing constraints in Alameda.
Major Findings: The major findings and policy challenges for the 2015-2023 Housing Element include:
· During the last planning period, the State eliminated Redevelopment in California, which was a major source of funds for local affordable housing programs and projects. Locating, leveraging, and developing new funding sources for the provision of new and rehabilitated housing for low-income and working families will be the major housing challenge for the 2015-2023 period.
· Public-private partnerships will continue to be important for the creation, rehabilitation, and preservation of housing for lower-income households.
· The City of Alameda has enough land zoned for residential use to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2015-2023 planning period.
· The Housing Element's inventory of available housing sites identifies properties located in the Priority Development Areas (PDA's) designated by the City of Alameda and the Regional Sustainable Communities Strategy - Plan Bay Area. PDA's are eligible for State transportation, housing, infrastructure, and open space grant funds.
· No additional site re-zonings or zoning amendments are necessary to comply with State law.
Public Review Process: Staff is requesting that the public, housing advocates, housing providers, and others review and comment on the Public Review Draft Housing Element.
Staff is proposing that the Planning Board establish a 60-day review period for the Public Review Draft. During the period, staff is requesting that the public submit written comments to staff for transmittal to the Planning Board by April 28, 2014, for inclusion in the staff report to the Planning Board for the regularly scheduled meeting of the Planning Board on May 12, 2014. Additional public comments may be submitted verbally at the May 12, 2014 Planning Board meeting. During the period, staff will invite comments from housing organizations and HCD to inform the Planning Board's review of the document.
Staff has sent copies of the document to the following groups and agencies for review:
Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Alameda Commission on Disability Issues Renewed Hope, Housing Advocacy Resources for Community Development, Affordable Housing Provider |
Mid-Peninsula Housing, Affordable Housing Provider Alameda Point Collaborative, Affordable Housing Provider HOMES, Housing Advocacy Alameda Chamber of Commerce Alameda Board of Realtors |
Public meetings tentatively scheduled for Housing Element review and discussion, include:
§ March 10, 2014 - Planning Board public meeting
§ March 19, 2014- Housing Authority Board Commissioners public meeting
§ April 28, 2014 - Commission on Disability Issues public meeting
§ April 28, 2014 - Planning Board public meeting - Receive Public Comments
§ May 12, 2014 - Planning Board public meeting - Recommendation to Council.
§ June 2014 - City Council public meeting and action
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Adoption of the 2015-2023 Housing Element is an action that is subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. An initial study is being prepared that evaluates the environmental impacts of approving the Housing Element.
The 2015-2023 Housing Element does not include any program to rezone property for residential purposes, nor does the draft Element propose any new policies or programs that would have an effect on the physical environment. Therefore, the environmental review will focus on the environmental impacts of continuing existing programs and policies. Staff does not anticipate that the initial study will find any significant environmental impacts from adoption of the new Housing Element.
The initial study will be released for public review on March 13, 2014.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
Staff placed an advertisement in the newspaper notifying the public of this public meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and comment on the Public Review Draft Housing Element, and direct staff to schedule a public hearing for receipt of public comment at the Planning Board meeting of April 28, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas
City Planner
Exhibit 1: Public Review Draft Housing Element 2015-2023