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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Track and review planning approval and building permit processes for residential projects. Establish
actions for streamlining, clarifying, and simplifying the approval and permit processes, including the design review
process. Seek input from developers and other stakeholders to identify ways to improve and streamline development
review.
| End of 2024 and biennially thereafter: Track permit processing timing as projects are submitted and report to Council biennially. Seek input from developers and stakeholders. If necessary, make modifications within six months after completing review to achieve processing timelines. | |
| 1.1 | Develop objective development and design standards that will be consistent with adopted findings of
approval for all single-family and multi-family developments that simplify, clarify, and improve approval certainty
and reduce the time for permit processing. Establish a time schedule for expedited ministerial or administerial
approval of projects that comply with objective design standards, zoning standards, and development regulations.
Ensure compliance with SB35, SB330, Housing Accountability Act, and other applicable state laws for qualifying
projects.
| Start 2024 and completion 2025: Engage consultant through ABAG Regional Early Action Planning Grant program to begin drafting standards. Conduct community outreach through 2023-2024. Fall 2024: Planning Commission and City Council public hearings and adoption. First quarter 2025: Draft standards available. | |
| 1.2 | Implement existing processing guidelines and checklists for projects that qualify for by-right, ministerial,
or administrative approval and CEQA exemption under SB 35, SB330, Housing Accountability Act, and other
applicable state laws.
| Ongoing | |
| 1.3 | Program: Review and adjust building permit review and approval procedures as needed to comply with the
streamlining requirements in AB2234.
| Effective January 1, 2028, for East Palo Alto; develop procedures by end of 2027. | |
| 1.4 | Develop standards to prioritize, incentivize, and expedite processing of residential projects that commit
housing units for special needs populations such as the developmentally disabled, single-female head of households, atrisk youths, large family households, extremely low-income households, and unhoused individuals.
| Start 2024 and complete 2025 Conduct proactive outreach to special needs populations and organizations serving these populations. Continue to collaborate with Light Tree developer, Eden Housing, to preserve/renovate 94 existing units and provide 91 new apartments affordable to extremely low-income and very low-income residents, and set aside as many as 31 units for households with special needs: 10 units for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, 6 units for former foster youth, and 15 units for people experiencing homelessness. Continue to collaborate with Colibri Commons developer, MidPen Housing, to develop 136 new affordable units ranging from studios to four bedrooms (for larger households) and provide services to residents including: financial literacy program, vocational development center, afterschool/summer programs and leadership development for youth, and functional assessment and cognitive modification for people with special needs. | |
| 1.5 | pursuant to Government Code 65583.2 (h) and (i), sites that require rezoning to meet the RHNA for
lower-income households and sites carried over from the 2015-2023 Housing Element to accommodate the needs of
lower-income households shall be rezoned within the statutory deadline prescribed in Government Code 65583.2 (c).
The rezoning shall commit to 20% lower-income units, minimum densities, and objective development standards, and
complying projects shall not require discretionary approval. One site is carried over from the 2014-2022 Housing
Element – a 0.65-acre parcel at 851 Weeks with an existing zoning of 22-40 units/acres and a pending application for
a 79-unit SB 35 project. If a project contains at least 20% lower-income units and complies with objective
development standards, discretionary approval shall not be required.
| January 2024: For 851 Weeks, approve a pending SB35 100% affordable housing project or designate site for by-right approval for a qualifying project with minimum 20% lower-income units. | |
| 1.6 | Seek and support financial resources from state, regional, and county housing programs, tax credits, and
other sources that provide funding assistance for affordable housing projects to cover design and development costs
and off-site public facility and infrastructure improvements.
| Annually review available grants and other funding sources and work with City’s grant coordinator to submit application in response to Notice of Funding Availability that most suitable for East Palo Alto. End of 2023: Use $8 million allocation in state funds toward Colibri Commons (aka 965 Weeks) affordable housing project by lending $6.5 million to the project for construction to permanent costs and spending $1.5 million for water infrastructure improvements along University Avenue and Weeks Street. | |
| 1.7 | Develop a “next-phase” streamlining effort for ADUs and JADUs, SB 9 projects, and any future small development, ministerial approval process that builds on lessons learned from the ADU Streamlining collaboration
with EPACANDO and City Systems. (See Program 10.5 pertaining to ADU zoning amendments that are necessary to
comply with current state laws and for numerical geographical targets.)
| End of 2024: Survey surrounding jurisdictions with amnesty and/or legalization programs and make recommendations for an unpermitted second unit program. | |
| 1.8 | Study feasibility and desirability of waiving or reducing fees or delaying payment of permit fees and
development impact fees for ADUs and small projects, e.g., two or fewer units.
| End of 2024: Bring proposal to City Council for adoption. Obtain public input and determine possible sources for covering the fiscal impact of waiving, reducing, or deferring permit and development fees. Resource implication: City will need to absorb the staff costs of permit processing and uncollected development impact fees. | |
| 1.9 | Develop outreach materials targeting smaller developers aimed at informing future applicants and
improving the quality of Planning and Building applications received.
| End of 2024: Review existing materials and update informational handouts for residents and developers. Complete work after updating and adopting zoning amendments in Goal 10. | |
| 1.10 | : Implement a preapproved and modular ADU designs program or participate in proposed 21 Elements
clearinghouse to facilitate streamlined review and reduce design costs of ADUs.
| End of 2025: Work with Building to preapprove plans, publicize to homeowners, and post on website. Coordinate with regional effort by San Mateo County 21 Elements consortium that is considering a similar program. | |
| 1.11 | Develop proposals for relaxing or allowing flexible zoning standards (e.g., building setbacks and height,
open space, parking, and density) to facilitate the developing of SB 9 and small infill housing projects to increase
housing opportunities and housing types throughout the community.
| End of 2025: Bring recommended zoning amendment to City Council for consideration. Conduct public meetings to receive input and obtain Planning Commission recommendation | |
| 1.12 | Develop an expedited legalization process for unpermitted second units. Identify zoning amendments
to reduce the impediment to building ADUs, such as setback and open space standards.
| End of 2024: Survey surrounding jurisdictions with amnesty and/or legalization programs and make recommendations to City Council for an unpermitted second unit program. | |
| 1.13 | Support and participate in a potential county-wide initiative to create a resource center to effectively educate homeowners, provide resources, and promote the construction of ADUs.
| 2023-2024: Timing dependent on project schedule with 21 Elements consortium and participation of other San Mateo County jurisdictions. | |
| 1.14 | Research all available public and private sources of rehabilitation/repair funding and strengthen
partnership with organizations in this area, such as Habitat for Humanity.
| Ongoing: Staff research all funding opportunities on an annual basis. Ongoing: Pursue CalHOME in next available funding round to continue supporting low-income households to build deed restricted affordable ADUs. Ongoing: Work with community partners in the ADU Working Group to pursue philanthropic funds. | |
| 1.15 | Implement the 2022 approval of Measure L which increased and expanded the City’s existing Gross Receipts Tax on rental residential properties for affordable housing and support programs. | Beginning of 2023 to end of 2024: Work with staff to implement changes to Gross Receipts Tax (Measure L). | |
| 1.16 | Update the City’s five-year Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS) to implement the 6th cycle Housing Element goals, policies, and programs and to sets priorities for allocation of the City’s affordable housing revenue sources for a finite period (1 year to 5 years). Establish priorities to implement fair housing policies and programs in low resource neighborhoods per the AFFH analysis. | End of 2023 and annually: Incorporate into the City Council Priority-Setting process completed at the start of each year. Create plan based on City Council-directed funding priorities for the coming year. | |
| 1.17 | Collaboratively (Planning and Housing) pursue state grant funds wherever possible to support affordable
housing projects and programs and to address homelessness in the City.
| Pursue next round of Regional Early Action Planning grants, additional planning grants from HCD, Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program grants, and research funding for homelessness. Beginning of 2023: Apply for Encampment Resolution Funding (ERP) for sustainable restoration of public spaces in state public right of way and in targeted East Palo Alto neighborhoods with encampments, and partner with Caltrans to provide well-rounded employment and housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. | |
| 1.18 | Use the opportunity of the RBD Specific Plan Update or initiate a city-wide study on the feasibility and
desirability of fee waivers or reductions or deferred fee payments for fully affordable housing projects; additionally,
consider providing City financial assistance to cover these fees.
| End of 2025: Study waiver or reduction of impact fees for fully affordable housing projects in the RBD area based on fiscal impact analyses performed for each of the major projects in RBD. | |
| 1.20 | Incorporate parking reductions into the City’s Transportation Demand Management Program including compliance with AB2097 and related state laws that eliminates parking minimums within one=half mile major transit stops and radius and parking maximums for affordable housing projects.
| End of 2025: Leverage existing consultant work on transportation and a potential Transportation Management Association (TMA) in the RBD area to establish a TDM program. |