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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Program 4.2: Assure Good Neighborhood Relations Involving Emergency Shelters and Residential Care Facilities. | Facilitate interaction between the operators of special needs facilites and the neighbors whenever necessary. | on-going | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 2.2: Preserve Rental Housing | Monitor the rental stock | Staff continues to pursue measures to preserve rental housing and monitors existing rental units. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.2: Public Education on Second Units | Facilitate the creation of sixteen (16) second units during the planning period through increased public outreach. | Information posted on City website since 2014; public outreach upon Implementation of Programs 3.3 and 3.4. Corrdinated with County of Marin and other local jurisditions to develop County maintained websites and workbook for public on ADU's for each of the local jurisdictions in 2020-2023. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 2.1: Enforce Condominium Conversion Ordinance | Regulate the conversion of for-rent apartments to for-sale condominiums through continued implementation of the ordinance | City continutes to enforce the Condominium Conversion Ordinance | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.6: Prepare information and Conduct Outreach on Housing Issues | Update outreach materials such as handouts, material for posting on City websie, and presentation material. Revise City website to make information more easily accessible. | Ongoing. Update housing materials and website by 2023. Worked with Marin County and other local jurisdiction to develop a website and workbook for ADU's/JADU's. Utilized SB2 planning grant funds for joint project. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 1.2: Identify Existing Employee Housing Opportunities | Continue efforts to provide employee housing, continue contributing to high-level Staff housing costs | High-level employee housing is currently supported by the City. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.7: Streamline Permit Processing for Multi-family Rental Projects | Expedite the permit processing timeframe for new multi-family rental projects (those that do not involved the subdivision of land) and aim to reduce the typical processing time from 48 to 24 weeks. | On-going. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.6 Assist in Effective Use of Available Rental Assistance Programs | Continued use of rental housing programs at current funding levels | On-going. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 1.3: Work with the Marin Housing Authority | Continue to implement the City's agreement with the Marin Housing Authority (MHA) | City financially supports the work of MHA | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.4: Financial Assistance for Second Units | Facilitate the creation of sixteen (16) second units during the planning period by identifying funding sources to subsidize new units dedicated to those with extremely low, very low, or low incomes. | On going. Establish subsidy program to be compliant with recently updated State legislation. | 2017 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.5: Incentivize Deed-Restricted Second Units | Amend the Zoning Ordinance to create development incentives, such as a floor area bonus, to encourage the development of deed-restircted units affordable to very low and exceptionally low income households. Facilitate the creation of sixteen (16) second units during the planning period. | On-Going: Amending the Zoning Ordinance to be compliant with recently updated State legislation. | 2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.1: Engage in Countywide Efforts to Address Homeless Needs | Assist in addressing emergency shelter needs in a comprehensive, countywide manner under the leadreship of Marin County. | Staff continues to work with Marin County on housing issues, including emergency housing, Objective Design & Development Standards as well as a website & workbook for ADU's. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.3: Create Home Sharing and Tenant Matching Opportunities | Continue City's relationship with the Marin Housing Authority to promote this effot. | Staff continues to work with MHA and supports its homesharing and tenant matching programs. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.5: Fee Reductions for Affordable Housing | Consider formal amendment to City Fee Schedule to reduce fee amounts for new units dedicated to lower income households, including a commitment from the City to waive 100 percent of the application processing (planning) fees for developments in which at least five percent of units are affordable to extremely low-income households. | On-going. Consider adoption of resolution and amendments to Fee Schedule. | 2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 6.1: Respond to Housing Discrimiation Complaints | Continue to refer discrimination complaints to the appropriate legal service, county, or state agency. | On-going as needed | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 2.3: Conduct Home Presale Inspections | Inspect all residential units prior to resale | Staff continues to inspect residences at time of sale and to identify hazards and to require their correction | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.1: Provision of Adequate Sites for Afordable Housing | Facilitate the development of at least three new housing units affordable to lower income households on the 7 Beach Road site. Take specific actions to faciltate the redevelopment of the site. | Staff continues to follow Ord. 2011-4 permitting building size for multi-family sites. Adopted Ordinances (see Program 3.3 for summary) .\to comply with new State Requirements for ADU's & JADU's. | Initiate discussions with property owners by 2015, redevelopment by 2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.8: Adopt a Housing Trust Fund Ordinance and Operating Procedures | Adopt a Housing Trust Fund Ordinance that includes the requirement to utilize a certain percentage of the Affordable Housing Fee to meet the housing needs of extremely low income households. | On-going. Adopt Ordinance and operating procedures. | 2018 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 3.9: Seek Federal and State Funds for Qualifying Deveopment Projects. | Identify and secure State and/or Federal funding to supplement local support for the creation of new units affordable to extremely low income households. | 2015-2023 as new applications for multi-family units are received. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Program 4.4: Parking Reductions | Utilize the SC-H overlay as a mechanism to relax parking standards for units dedicated for use by seniors or disabled individuals. Provide parking reduction for affordable projects through State density bonus provisions. | Staff continues to make available the SC-H Zoning Overlay for parking reductions for affordable housing and senior housing. | 2015-2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |