Big news! We’ve added new housing program data - check them out under “Housing Programs” on each city page.
Housing programs are the strategies that cities and counties legally have at their disposal to produce more and preserve existing affordable housing, as well as protect existing residents from getting displaced from their homes and communities.
Local housing programs, as part of a housing element, have significant impacts on a city or county reaching its affordable housing goals. Each additional housing policy has a significant impact on the residents who are most in need of affordable housing. However, the number of programs that a jurisdiction includes in their housing element is not meant to imply how well a city or county is addressing local housing needs since the quality and impact of each will need to be determined as well.
Use the below data to explore this jurisdiction’s approaches to affirmatively furthering fair housing for the 6th element cycle, and review the actions, deliverables, and deadlines committed to for each program.
PROGRAM NUMBER | ACTIONS | DELIVERABLE | DELIVERABLE DATE |
---|---|---|---|
H(A-1) | Continue to promote the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) program with bi-annual informational workshops. Targeted outreach regarding workshops will be conducted within higher- opportunity areas, such as the city’s west side, to promote housing mobility for lower-income households. Continue to maintain the ADU informational webpage at www.burlingame.org/adu as a clearinghouse for ADUs. Create a library of “pre-reviewed” ADU plans to streamline application review for this housing type. To promote housing mobility for lower-income households, the City will also study the feasibility of permitting more JADUs than is required by current State law and will implement this code change if determined to be feasible. | Process at least 21 ADU applications per year. | Ongoing; High Priority. ADU plan library within two years of Housing Element Update. JADU feasibility study within two years of Housing Element Update, and implementation within six months if determined to be feasible. |
H(A-2) | Prioritize the redevelopment of city-owned parking lots in the Downtown and Broadway areas for housing affordable to low, very low, and/or extremely low income households. The City is committed to complying with the Surplus Land Act and will coordinate with potential developers to leverage commercial linkage fees for new developments. The City will be issuing an RFP for the 1500 Ralston Avenue site in the Sites Inventory in 2023. The City will monitor the process on the city-owned sites to ensure that the City maintains sufficient land to accommodate the RHNA during the planning period. By 2028, the city will make a determination if the sites will be available before the end of the planning period. If not, in an effort to maintain adequate sites, the city will reevaluate the current capacity and identify alternative site(s) as needed. | 150 units affordable to low, very low, and/or extremely low income households | Feasibility study completed by December 2024, Declare properties surplus by 2025, issue RFP by the end of 2025 with target for construction in 2027. Determination of site availability in 2028, rezone, as needed, within 6 months.; High Priority |
H(A-3) | Consider use of commercial linkage fees to assist first-time buyers purchase a home or condominium in Burlingame. Continue to promote HEART first-time buyer program through financial support of HEART and through the City’s eNews newsletter and by hosting first-time buyer workshops. Conduct additional targeted outreach to areas of the city with higher rates of renter cost burden, such as the Burlingame Terraces and Easton Addition neighborhoods, to prevent displacement. | Obtain assistance for 15 households. Host one HEART first-time buyer workshop per year at city hall. | Review uses of commercial linkage fees annually as part of the Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR); High Priority. Conduct targeted HEART and first-time buyer program outreach at least annually. |
H(A-4) | Require new housing developments that replace existing units to build equal to or more than the number of units previously on the site, in compliance with density regulations. | No loss of housing stock. | As development applications are reviewed.; Low Priority |
H(A-5) | Expand the applicability of the duplex overlay (SB 9) to the R-2 zoning district in addition to the R-1 district. Create a library of “pre-reviewed” duplex and small multiunit buildings to encourage development of smaller sites with greater number of units by streamlining permit processing for these unit types.
Adopt a density bonus program for projects that include duplexes or rowhomes as part of a larger development. Focus efforts on the city’s west side of town to promote mobility. | 20 duplex units, 100 rowhome units. | R-2 amendment and Density Bonus program within one year of Housing Element adoption. Library of pre-reviewed projects within three years of Housing Element Update.; Medium Priority |
H(A-6) | Use-by-right approval of housing projects with at least 20 percent of units affordable to lower-income households is required on 1) nonvacant sites previously identified in the 5th cycle housing element, and 2) vacant sites previously identified for both the 5th and 4th cycle housing elements pursuant to AB
zoned at the specific density set forth in the statute (i.e., default density of at least 20 units per acre) and rezoning of these sites is not required.
Upon adoption of the Housing Element and in compliance with state law, the City shall ensure sites identified for housing in the Suitable Sites Inventory in the 4th and 5th cycles allow use-by- right approval for housing developments pursuant to Government Code §65583.2(i) when 20 percent or more of the units are affordable to lower income households.
-by- ministerial and
therefore the project must not require a conditional use permit or other discretionary review or approval that would constitute a
-by- esign
review, consistent with the Municipal Code mandate for design review, but the design review must be objective in accordance with Government Code §65589.5 (f). | 67 units (18 very low income units, 10 Low Income units, 25 Moderate Income units, 14 Above-Moderate Income, per the Sites Inventory) | In effect immediately upon adoption of Housing Element. |
H(A-7) | The City will help facilitate lot consolidations to combine small residential lots (lots 0.5 acres or smaller) into larger developable lots by providing information on development opportunities and incentives for lot consolidation to accommodate affordable
interested developers. As developers/owners approach the City interested in lot consolidation and development on small lots for the development of affordable housing, the City will offer the following incentives:
Allow affordable projects to exceed the maximum height limits,
Lessen setbacks, and/or
Reduce parking requirements.
The City will also offset fees (when financially feasible) to developers who provide affordable housing. Additional incentives will be considered for affordable projects in higher-
where feasible, to promote housing mobility for lower-income households. | Two lot consolidations per year. | Identify incentives by December 2023, offer incentives by June 2024. Ongoing thereafter as projects are processed through the Planning Division. Annually meet with local developers to discuss development opportunities and incentives for lot consolidation.; Low Priority |
H(A-8) | Update the application fees and Public Facilities Impact fees to provide better parity between housing types, and provide incentives for affordable housing developments. | Reduced application and impact fees for 1,360 Very Low and Low Income units | Currently underway; adopt within one year of Housing Element Update.; High Priority |
H(A-9) | Provide top priority to residents of expiring below-market units to relocate to units comparable in size and rents in other Burlingame projects that include below-market units. Evaluate subsidizing an extension of the term of affordability for expiring units. | Tenant relocation and/or extension of affordability term of 11 Moderate Income units. Evaluate the feasibility of extending the affordability terms within one year of Housing Element adoption. | Relocate tenants as affordability terms expire in 2024-2027.; Medium Priority |
H(A-10) | Recognize the community's commitment to housing by obtaining the Prohousing Designation under HCD's Prohousing Designation Program. | At least 30 points per the Prohousing Designation checklist, with greater objective to qualify for 40-50 points. | Within one year of Housing Element Update |
H(A-11) | Review and revise parking to ensure they do not constrain the development of housing specifically for studio units and ensure compliance with State ADU parking requirements. | Reduce parking requirements for at least 25 units. | Within one year of Housing Element Update |
H(A-12) | Track, review and revise permit review processes on an annual basis to ensure that permit processing timelines are not a constraint to development, with the following processing timeline targets by the end of the planning period:
Ministerial/By-Right: 1 to 2 months
Discretionary (Planning Commission): 4 to 6 months
Discretionary (City Council): 6 to 8 months | Facilitate the development of at least 25 units of lower-income housing through improved approval process timelines. | Track permit processing timing as projects are submitted and report to Council annually, revise permit processes as needed to achieve processing timeline targets. |
H(A-13) | The City will monitor housing production throughout the planning and ensure the Sites Inventory (Appendix D) maintains sufficient housing capacity to meet the RHNA target by income level. The city will not adopt reductions in allowable residential densities for sites identified in the Appendix D through General Plan update/amendment or rezone or approve development or building permits for sites identified in the inventory with fewer units or affordable to a different income category than identified in the inventory, unless findings are made that the remaining capacity is sufficient to accommodate remaining unmet RHNA for each income level. Within one year of adoption of the Housing Element, the City will expand upon and improve the
-net- and report on:
Pipeline projects (Table D-2) and progress towards completion.
Projects proposed on sites identified for housing in the
sites inventory.
Unit count and income/affordability assumed on parcels in the sites inventory.
Actual number of units permitted and constructed by income/affordability.
Net change in capacity and summary of remaining capacity by income level in meeting
remaining RHNA.
In accordance with No Net Loss law, if project approval results in the remaining sites capacity becoming inadequate to accommodate RHNA by income category, the City will identify or rezone sufficient sites to accommodate the shortfall within
180 days of approval. Further, the City will track progress of pending projects (Table D-2) towards completion and if projects are not assumed to be completed in the planning period, the City will evaluate whether there are sufficient sites available to accommodate the RHNA. If sufficient sites are not available, the City will take necessary actions (e.g., rezoning or identify additional sites) to maintain adequate sites within one year. The results of the tracking will be reported in the Housing Element Annual Progress Report reported annually to the City Council and posted online for public review.
| Reduce parking requirements for at least 25 units. | Review and revise No Net Loss Tracking process by April 2025, annually review Pipeline Projects and at the mid-term evaluate progress towards competition and if additional actions are necessary, complete additional actions within one year. |
H(B-1) | Work with agencies such as the Golden Gate Regional Center, a state-funded nonprofit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, InnVision Shelter Network, Call Primrose, and Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities to implement an outreach program that informs families in Burlingame about housing and services available for persons with disabilities. The program will include the development of an informational brochure for distribution to areas identified in the AFFH Appendix C as areas of higher concentration of persons with disabilities, providing information on services on the City's website and eNewsletter, and providing housing- related training for individuals/families through workshops.
Outreach will be ongoing on at least an annual basis. | Provide information regarding housing to families of persons with developmental disabilities. | Develop outreach materials within two years of Housing Element adoption. Annual outreach thereafter; High Priority |
H(B-2) | Provide summaries of fair housing contributing factors, programs to address, and other information to affirmatively further fair housing on City website. | Provide summaries of fair housing contributing factors, programs to address, and other information to affirmatively further fair housing on the City website. Update periodically as new legislation is adopted or programs created. | Within one year of Housing Element adoption; High Priority |
H(B-3) | Develop and adopt an Environmental Justice Element to better comply with SB 1000 and provide guidance for achieving equitable outcomes across all sectors of the population. | Develop and adopt an Environmental Justice Element to better comply with SB 1000 and provide guidance for achieving equitable outcomes across all sectors of the population. | RFP process is out; within one year of Housing Element adoption; High Priority |
H(B-4) | As part of a Zoning Code update beginning in 2023, the City will:
Review the Downtown Specific Plan zoning districts that do not currently allow residential (only Burlingame Avenue Commercial, Chapin Avenue Commercial, and parts of Donnelly Avenue Commercial do not allow residential by- right at this time).
Review and revise lot coverage standards in the R-3 and R- 4 zoning districts.
Eliminate parking requirements for ADA-accessible homes.
Eliminate parking requirements for development within
0.5 miles of transit as specified by AB 2097. | Review and revision of Zoning Code every two years, for a total of four updates over eight years. | As part of the Zoning Code update beginning in 2023 and to be completed within 2 years; High Priority |
H(B-5) | During at least one public hearing, staff will review and strengthen tenant protections where possible with elected officials. Some examples include: increasing the time for tenant relocation payments from 1-3 months; extending just cause eviction protections to tenants regardless of tenure (rather than 1 or more years currently required by statute); etc. | Review and strengthen tenant protections with elected officials within 2 years of Housing Element adoption. | During at least one public hearing within 2 years of Housing Element adoption; High Priority |
H(B-6) | The City shall establish actions for streamlining and simplifying the planning approval and building permit processes, including the design review process. The City shall work with housing developers and other stakeholders on to review current processes and fees to identify ways to reduce costs and streamline processes for development, including larger projects. | 100 units through a streamlined process. | Meet with developers and stakeholders by the end of 2024, and biennially thereafter. Make modifications within 6 months of each meeting date. |
H(C-1) | Promote newly available affordable units to staff of local agencies and employers as units become available; refer interested parties to the application portal; conduct regularly- scheduled orientations so interested parties can become familiar with opportunities and application processes. | Four orientation workshops per year. | Continuous; Medium Priority |