Housing policies and programs are the strategies and laws 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 policies and 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 policies or 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. Policies and programs listed here from jurisdictions’ Housing Elements are intended to allow readers to review the text themselves and see if a city or county is doing all they can to reach their affordable housing goals.
To further policy innovation and local action, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) contacted all of the region's jurisdictions to track the adoption of key housing policies throughout the nine county Bay Area in four major categories Protect, Preserve, Produce, and Prevent. This data is from ABAG’s Policies and Program list and was last updated in 2018/2019.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development tracks all of the ongoing and completed programs from 2018 onward and can be seen in the table below.
YEAR | PROGRAM NAME | PROGRAM OBJECTIVE | STATUS | ACCOMPLISHED DATE | HOUSING CYCLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.821 (A) Special Needs Housing - Seniors | Continue to facilitate the provision of board and care opportunities, particularly for seniors, some of whom may be longtime Atherton residents who can no longer remain in their homes and who wish to continue living in Atherton. State law provides that a residential care facility (defined as a facility serving six or fewer persons) is a residential use and must be permitted wherever residential uses are allowed. | Ongoing. The Town amended its Zoning Ordinance in 2010 to comply with the State's residential care facility zoning requirements. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.822 (A) Disabled and Developmentally Delayed Persons | Continue to review new residential developments and major remodels for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). | Ongoing. The Town reviews all permits for compliance with applicable ADA regulations. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.823 (A) Equal Housing Opportunity | Refer complaints of discrimination in housing access based on race, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status or physical handicap, and other arbitrary barriers that prevent choice of housing to groups such as
Project Sentinel. The Town will disseminate fair housing information at Town Hall. In addition, fair housing information will be published on the Town website. | Ongoing. Information on Fair Housing is available at Town Hall and on the Planning website. Any complaints received by the Town are referred to groups such as Project Sentinel. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.824 Emergency Shelters, Transitional and Supportive Housing | Continue to support the possibility of Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, and Supportive Housing in Atherton. Emergency shelters are a permitted use on the Town Civic Center Property. | Ongoing. The Town continues to permit Emergency shelters as a permitted use on the Town Civic Center Property. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.822 (C) Disabled and Developmentally Delayed Persons | The Town will continue to process requests for housing accessibility accommodations. The Town’s municipal code provides a process for individuals with disabilities to make requests for reasonable accommodation for relief from the various land use, zoning, or rules, policies, practices, and/or procedures of the town that may be necessary to ensure equal access to housing. | Ongoing. The Town administers a reasonable accommodation process when requested. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.831 (C) Energy Conservation | Continue to promote energy conservation through energy audits, participation in PG&E and Cal Water programs and encouraging energy conserving retrofits in homes. | Ongoing.The Town promotes this program through community outreach, information provided in Town Hall and the Town's website. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.815 Conservation and Rehabilitation of Existing Units | Continue to facilitate and expedite the rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing residential units. The Town will establish a building inspector ombudsman to assist property owners navigate the rehabilitation process. | Ongoing. The Town continues to process permits for the improvement, rehabilitation and conservation of existing housing units. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.822 (B) Disabled and Developmentally Delayed Persons | Continue to support the County Housing Accessibility for Disabled Persons program at the Center for the Independence of the Disabled. The Town will direct inquiries for house modifications for the disabled to the County program. Public information regarding the program will be available at Town Hall and publicized on the Town’s website. | Ongoing and partially met. Information is provided in Town Hall. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.832 (A) Consistency with Other General Plan Elements and Community Goals | Continue to conduct a review and analysis of the General Plan’s compliance with the adopted Office of Planning and Research Guidelines as part of the annual General Plan implementation report required by Government Code Section 65400. | Ongoing. The Town complies with this program on an annual basis. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.832 (B) Consistency with Other General Plan Elements and Community Goals | Conduct an internal consistency review and analysis of the General Plan, including the Housing Element as part of the annual General Plan implementation report required by Government Code Section 65400. | Ongoing. The Town complies with this program on an annual basis. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.851 Replacement Housing Requirements | The Town will require replacement housing for lower-income units (Gov.Code, § 65583.2, subd. (g)(3).) with the same requirements as set forth in Government Code section 65915, subdivision (c), paragraph (3). | Ongoing. The Town does not currently have restricted lower-income units subject to this program. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.821 (B) Special Needs Housing - Seniors | The Town will continue to provide information at Town Hall regarding the numerous Senior Centers in San Mateo County that offer assistance in home repairs. The Town will publicize the availability of these services on the Town website. | Ongoing and paritally met. Information is provided in Town Hall. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.831 (B) Energy Conservation | Continue to support Green Building in Atherton through enforcing the Green Building Ordinance and promote the Town’s Green Building Guide, “Go Green and Save: Rebates for Atherton Residents” and “Clean Energy & Energy Efficiency” programs posted on the website for all new residential development. | Ongoing. The Town continues to support and promote its Green Building programs through community outreach, events and its website. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.821 (C) Special Needs Housing - Seniors | The Town will continue to support the County Property Tax Postponement Program, which provides seniors with a means of postponing property tax payment. Inquiries will be directed to the County Tax Collector’s Office and information regarding the program will be available at Town Hall and publicized on the Town’s website. | Ongoing and partially met. Information is provided in Town Hall. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.849 Zoning, Fees and Other Development Standards Transparency | The Town will ensure that all fees, zoning requirements and development standards are posted on the Town’s website, updating regularly, pursuant to Government Code section 65940.1(a)(1). | Complete and Ongoing. The Town includes all program information on its website. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.831(A) Energy Conservation | Continue to require compliance with Title 24 of the State’s Building regulations. In addition, disseminate energy conservation information available from other agencies, such as PG&E’s solar subsidy program and energy audits. | Onoing. The Town requires Title 24 compliance and provides information on energy conservation on its website. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.843 Previously Identified Housing Sites | The Town will rezone any sites reused from a prior housing element within three years or one year of the beginning of the planning period to allow residential use by-right for housing developments in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to lower-income households, and no subdivision is required. (Gov.Code, § 65583.2, subd. (c).) | Incomplete. This program is pending Housing Element certification by the state. | Complete rezoning within one year of Housing Element certification. | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.853 Emergency Shelters | The Town will amend its zoning code to comply with all provisions of State law pertaining to emergency shelters. Specifically, the Town will permit shelters without discretionary action. In addition, the Town will analyze all development
standards and address any constraints on spacing and shelter size. Further, the Town will amend its code to ensure compliance with parking requirements of AB139/Government Code section 65583, subdivision (a)(4)(A). | Incomplete. | Amend zoning code within one year of Housing Element certification | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.813 Multifamily Housing Development on School Properties | Amend the PFS zoning district to permit new multifamily housing by right for 40 du/ac and 20 du/ac at four school sites, subject to objective design standards. This will support the construction of 80 new affordable multifamily units at private and public schools in the very low- to moderate-income category. Complete the CEQA analysis and adopt the Zoning amendment within one year of Housing Element certification. | Initiated. The Town is currently pursuing a program to develop objective design standards and rezone properties identified in the adopted Housing Element to align with this program's objectives. | One year after Housing Element Certification. | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | 3.823 (E) Equal Housing Opportunity | Provide additional fair housing resources and training for property owners, real estate agents, and tenants in collaboration with other cities and towns, Project Sentinel, or other similar organization. Mandate training for multi-family developers, property owners and any resident renting an ADU or similar unit. | Not initiated. | Ongoing during the planning period | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |