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.A | Implement the Hilltop Specific Plan Priority Development Area Grant received from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to accelerate and streamline housing production and job creation near public transit. The grant is funding the preparation of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan. | Approve 50 new housing units in the Hilltop Specific Plan area by 2031. | Complete and adopt the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan (March 2024). |
1.B | As part of the Richmond Livable Corridors Form-Based Code (FBC) for Macdonald Avenue, 23rd Street, and portions of San Pablo Avenue and the surrounding areas, facilitate and provide incentives for mixed-use housing over retail development and a variety of other housing types and products such as duplexes, triplexes, large apartment buildings, second dwelling units, courtyard housing, live/work units, condominiums, cooperative housing, single-room occupancy units (SROs), retirement/assisted living communities, and manufactured or modular housing. Potential incentives include density bonuses, reduced parking requirements (including the removal of minimum parking requirements for qualifying development projects within a one-half mile of public transit as defined under AB 2097), and expedited review. The City will ensure that the FBC that is adopted will not result in the loss of capacity of sites identified to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the current planning period. When considering parking reductions, the City will develop parking demand models and review successful demand management programs in other jurisdictions to ensure supply efficiently meets demand. | April 2023. | |
1.C | Continue operation and enhancement of the One-Stop Permit Center, including electronic project and permit submittals and soliciting feedback through its comment box at the One-Stop Permit Center. The City will engage in proactive outreach to for-profit and non-profit housing developers throughout the planning period to advertise the One-Stop Permit center and solicit feedback from developers at least twice during the planning period. | Ongoing operation of the One-Stop Permit Center. Engage in outreach to at least 10 developers by June 2025 and again by June 2027. If appropriate based on developer feedback, implement modifications to improve the One-Stop Permit Center within six months of feedback. | |
1.D | Conduct outreach to property owners who own property identified in the sites inventory to encourage housing development by providing information on allowed residential uses, development standards, and/or incentives, using various forms of communication (e.g., informational/educational fliers, letters, and email). | Biannually (every two years) starting in 2024. | |
1.E | Continue to offer on-call planning and building permit plan check services to provide expedited review/priority processing for residential land use entitlements, especially those that provide housing for target needs including extremely low-income households. | Ongoing. | |
1.F | Consistent with SB 166 (No Net Loss) (Government Code §65863), monitor housing sites to ensure adequate sites to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA by each income category are maintained at all times. Update the City’s Residential Sites Inventory as existing vacant and underutilized sites are developed over time and if new sites are necessary to be identified to maintain sufficient RHNA capacity. | Ongoing, at minimum by April 1 of each year. | |
1.G | Continually monitor changes in State housing law by subscribing to the State HCD publications. Promptly amend the City’s plans and regulations to ensure ongoing compliance with State housing law, but apply current State law even before local amendments are adopted. Specific actions for identified governmental constraints are in separate programs. | Ongoing. Monitor State law by December 31 of each year and take action necessary to ensure City compliance by July 1 of the following year. | |
1.H | Utilize the forms and definitions adopted by the State HCD to prepare Annual Progress Reports (APR) on the ongoing implementation of the City’s Housing Element Programs. | By April 1 of each year. | |
1.I | Increase the minimum density standard in the RM-1, RM-2, CM-1, CM-2, and CM-3 zoning districts to 20 dwelling units per acre and assess other development standards to ensure minimum density can be achieved. Based on the analysis, increase the minimum densities for the RM-1, RM-2, CM-1, CM-2, and CM-3 zoning districts to a minimum of 20 dwelling units per acre and adjust other development standards as needed to ensure housing sites are developed at densities to meet realistic unit estimates. | December 2023. | |
1.J | Various identified housing sites have been designated as surplus land consistent with the Surplus Land Act. The City will continue efforts to facilitate the development of housing on these sites, with particular focus on the site designated for lower-income capacity (APN 514140032, 1800 Barrett Avenue). Also see Program 6.R (Equitable Public Land Policy). | Issue notice of availability to required parties per Surplus Land Act (July 2024); complete entitlements (July 2028). | |
1.K | Acquire and/or assist in the development of one or more properties for housing affordable to extremely low-income households. Specific actions the City will undertake to pursue this effort include: • Conduct outreach to and coordinate with non-profit housing developers to facilitate housing affordable to extremely low-income households through discussions regarding potential incentives, programs, financial support, etc. • Direct outreach to religious institution property owners or operators to inform them about AB 1851 and any other regulations that encourage housing development on these properties. • Actively assist and support developers with funding applications to support the development of extremely low-income housing. • Facilitate funding of site acquisition and project construction through strategies such as issuance of tax-exempt bonds or other financing mechanisms to support land acquisition and/or construction of housing units affordable to extremely low-income households. • Grant incentives and concessions to housing developments that include units affordable to extremely low-income households (e.g., State density bonus law provisions). | Approve 50 new extremely low-income housing units by 2031. | Outreach to non-profit developers and religious institution properties by January 2024 and biannually thereafter. |
1.L | Consistent with AB 2097, the City will update its parking regulations to remove minimum parking requirements on any residential, commercial, or other development projects within one half-mile of public transit (as defined in AB 2097) unless required findings are made as specified in State law. The City will apply current State law even before local amendments are adopted (AB 2097 is effective January 1, 2023). | December 2025 | |
1.M | The City will amend the General Plan to include clarifying text regarding maximum allowed density in the High-Intensity Mixed-Use and Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use designations relative to the CM5 and CM-4 zoning districts and the Richmond Hills Initiative. | December 2025 | |
1.N | To ensure completion of the entitled or proposed (i.e., pipeline) projects identified in Table B-3 of Appendix B: Sites Inventory & Methodology within the planning period (by January 31, 2031), the City will monitor progress of these projects and will coordinate with applicants to facilitate remaining approvals and permits. In addition, the City will offer expedited permit review for pipeline projects and assistance with securing funding if the project is eligible under Program 1.K or other available funding source. If a pipeline project is not anticipated to be completed in the planning period, the City will ensure adequate capacity for the remaining RHNA is provided through monitoring of no net loss during annual reporting and identify additional sites or conduct rezoning if necessary to comply with State law (see Program 1.F). Responsible Body: Community Development | ||
2.A | Continue to implement the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing Linkage Fee for non-residential developments (updated in 2020) and regularly assess their effectiveness in meeting the City’s Housing Element goals and objectives. Further assessment of the inclusionary housing requirements will be included in the Housing Equity Roadmap. Produce annual reports on the performance of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing Linkage Fee and community benefits policy ordinance. This report will identify the rate of on-site affordable unit development versus payment of the in-lieu fee and location of on-site affordable units to evaluate progress of affordable unit production in above moderate-income neighborhoods. | At least 25 affordable housing units developed in higher income neighborhoods. At least 75 affordable units constructed on-site as part of market rate housing projects. Geographic Targeting: Citywide, target below market rate units in higher income and higher opportunity, lower density areas including south of I-580. | Assess inclusionary housing ordinance and affordable housing linkage fee by first quarter 2024. If changes are determined to be appropriate, adopt updates by third quarter of 2025. |
2.B | Continue to require residential developers to pay all applicable development impact fees to ensure that existing public infrastructure, services, and amenities are maintained and upgraded to adequately meet the needs of the City. Development impact fees will be updated in fiscal year 2022-2023; however, the City will continue to evaluate development fees regularly, including application on a per square-foot basis rather than per unit to encourage the development of higher densities and smaller, more affordable housing units. Based on this evaluation, the City will adjust these fees. | Reassess development impact fees and make any adjustments by third quarter of 2026. | |
2.C | Utilize resources in the City’s Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Assets Fund (Low-Mod Fund) to continue providing affordable housing in Richmond. Assets in the Low-Mod Fund include real and personal property, bond proceeds, and rent payments. The City will identify and proactively seek new funding for low- and moderate-income housing assets, including social impact bond financing. The City will conduct proactive outreach to facilitate the effective use of these resources, including outreach via the City’s website and directly to low and moderate-income households in Richmond. | Ongoing. The City will seek funding and conduct outreach biannually starting by August 2024 (August 2024, August 2026, August 2028, and August 2030). | |
2.D | Promote Contra Costa County’s Housing Choice Voucher Program on the City’s Online Housing Resource Center. | Support the County in maintaining at least 1,700 Housing Choice Vouchers, including project-based vouchers. | Ongoing. |
2.E | Continue to facilitate the production of ADUs/JADUs by developing a set(s) of preapproved architectural and building plans for ADUs, by providing informational handout materials, and by proactively advertising these plans in the City Manager’s Weekly Report and at community events. During outreach efforts, the City will also promote the availability of funding for ADUs, including the CalHFA ADU Grant Program that currently provides up to $40,000 to reimburse homeowners for predevelopment costs necessary to build and occupy an ADU. Modify the Zoning Code to allow ADUs/JADUs in the CR Zone consistent with how multi-family residential is allowed in the CR Zone. The City will also monitor ADU production and affordability throughout the planning period and implement additional action if target ADU numbers are not being met. | Permit 407 ADUs throughout the planning period (approximately 51 per year on average). Geographic Targeting: Lower density neighborhoods with higher income and higher opportunity. | Amend Zoning Code and complete preapproved plans December 2023. Monitor ADU production and affordability every two years in April (April 2025, April 2027, and April 2029). If ADU targets are not being met by April, the City will review and revise efforts to increase ADU construction (e.g., fee waivers, local financing program for ADUs, etc.) no later than October (i.e., within six months). The City’s action shall be commensurate with the level of shortfall from construction targets (i.e., if shortfall is significant (i.e., less than 80 percent of goal), a rezoning action may be required, if shortfall is slight (i.e., 80 percent of goal or greater), additional incentives may be appropriate). |
2.F | The City will adopt written policies and procedures that give a priority for sewer hook-ups and service to lower-income housing developments. | Fourth quarter 2024. |