Big news! We’ve added new housing program data - check them out under “Housing Programs” on each city page.

Brentwood

What About Affordable Homes?
Housing Element Status
Certified
Rent Burden
57%
rent burdened
Affordable Housing Production
2%
affordable permits issued
Housing Programs
58
total programs
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Housing Programs

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.

6th Cycle Programs

58
total programs

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.

Overview of Program Deliverables

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.1a
Biennial Evaluation Conduct a biennial evaluation of the City's inventory of available sites, including very high-density residential sites, and take appropriate action to ensure an ongoing supply of available sites at appropriate densities to meet projected housing needs. This biennial evaluation shall include an assessment of the effect of the City’s midrange density land use policy to ensure that it does not become a barrier or impact the cost to the development of additional housing opportunities and hinder the efficient use of the City’s available vacant residential land supply. The biennial evaluation will also include an evaluation of factors such as built densities, development standards such as parking requirements, processing time, and impacts on approval and development costs. If the evaluation identifies constraints, the City will take action within one year to mitigate its impacts on development. In addition, should the Residential Growth Management Program be reinstated, the City shall evaluate the program for consistency with SB 330 requirements and include an evaluation of any impacts or constraints on the development of housing.
 Maintain adequate residential sites.  Biennial evaluation of available sites, the City’s midrange density land use policy, and factors such as built densities, processing time, and impacts on approval and development costs. Adopt amendments within one year if constraints are identified.
Biennial review and evaluation; amendments to occur within one year, if constraints are identified
H.1b
Accessory Dwelling Units The City is projecting 14 ADUs per year throughout the planning period – this is based on development trends since 2019 and does not exceed the total average. The City shall support and accommodate the development of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) during the 2023-2031 planning period to meet projection figures detailed in Appendix B of this Housing Element.
 Amend the ADU ordinance to comply with State law.  Implement a permit-ready ADU program (pre-approved ADU plans that do not require additional review).  Post a user-friendly FAQ on the City’s website to assist the public and advertise ADU resources across online social media platforms.  Create an expedited plan check review process.  Research potential State and Regional funding sources for affordable ADUs and make information publicly available.
Amend the ADU ordinance by January 2025; Implement remaining objectives by January 2026; review ADU development annually; make program changes, if necessary, within six months
H.1c
ADU and JADU Monitoring The City shall monitor the development of ADU and JADU applications, location, affordability, and other relevant features to ensure adequate ADU development is occurring to meet the City’s 2023-2031 development goals. The City shall evaluate the need to adjust policies and actions if the pace of applications and development is less than anticipated in Appendix B. Should changes need to be made due to a gap in the numbers of ADUs projected and the number of ADUs permitted, the City shall make changes proportional to the gap identified. For example, if actual production and affordability of ADUs is far from anticipated trends, then density or fee incentives for projects incorporating ADUs or something similar would be an appropriate action. If actual production and affordability is near anticipated trends, then measures like outreach and marketing might be more appropriate.
 Create and implement an ADU and JADU monitoring program.  Annually review development trends and make changes proportional to potential gaps as needed – by the midpoint of the planning period, if actual production and affordability of ADUs is not keeping pace with assumed trends in the inventory, the City shall establish a process to provide additional incentives which may include, but are not limited to, density increases, fee incentives, or other strategies for projects incorporating ADUs, or other similar actions. If actual production and affordability is near anticipated trends, then measures like outreach and marketing might be more appropriate.
Create a monitoring program by January 2025; annually review development trends and by the midpoint of the planning period; make program changes, if necessary, within six months
H.1d
Monitor At-Risk Projects Where assisted housing projects are “at risk” of reverting or converting to market rate pricing, develop strategies including potential expenditure of City housing funds to preserve their ongoing affordability. The City shall identify and implement opportunities to preserve ongoing affordability – such as, but not limited to, financial resources and technical assistance – so that existing affordable units are not at risk of converting to market rate after their restricted affordability term expires. If affordable units will be lost, opportunities to convert existing market-rate units to affordable units shall be investigated by determining whether provision of rehab improvement assistance or purchase of affordability covenants is warranted.
 Monitor units at-risk of converting to market-rate and outreach to property owners to identify resources and programs available to maintain affordability.  Identify and pursue funding opportunities to assist in the preservation of at-risk, affordable units.  Investigate opportunities to convert existing market-rate units to affordable units through rehabilitation improvement assistance.  Comply with noticing requirements.  Provide tenant education and assistance through a variety of methods including, but not limited to, informational materials online and in-person at City Hall, annual workshops or informational webinars, and/or partnerships with local organizations and agencies that provide assistance to renters and low-income households.  Coordinate with qualified entities in identifying solutions to maintaining affordability for units atrisk of converting to market rate.
Monitor units through the planning period; outreach to property owners by January 2025; investigate opportunities for units at risk of converting to market rate annually; annually identify and pursue funding opportunities; comply with noticing requirements within 3 years, 12 months, and 6 months of the affordability expiration dates; begin coordinating with qualified entities by January 2025
H.1e
Community Education Regarding the Availability of Rehabilitation Programs Collaborate with the Contra Costa County HOME Consortium and CDBG Urban County to offer educational materials and events for lower-income households, owners, and managers of rental properties, nonEnglish-speaking households, and other special needs groups about available rehabilitation programs and available affordable housing opportunities. Conduct targeted multi-lingual outreach using neighborhood and community organizations, the City and County websites, and various print, broadcast, and online media.
 Collaborate with relevant agencies and organizations to discuss and review available resources. Agencies and organizations the City currently collaborate and partners with include, but is not limited to, Contra Costa County HOME Consortium, CDBG Urban County, Village Drive Resource Center, ECHO Housing, Inc.  Continue to host an annual City Council meeting with a CDBG representative to discuss rehabilitation funds for older housing units and programs to assist property owners.  Proactively outreach to households and provide educational opportunities on available programs for special housing needs populations.  Maintain informational materials online.  Seek to assist in rehabilitating 30 housing units through community education and outreach efforts.
Annually collaborate with agencies and organizations, review informational materials, and conduct outreach; annually review rehabilitated units and resources available
H.1f
Housing Condition Survey Maintain a current housing condition survey of a representative sample of all housing units within the City. This survey should include the number of units in need of rehabilitation or replacement.
 Conduct a housing condition survey annually and advertise through the utilities bill, newsletters, newspaper, social media, and on the City’s website.  Update the housing condition survey and annually monitor the number of units in need of rehabilitation. Update the survey every five years.  Provide information online on resources available to units in need of rehabilitation.  Identify new programs or actions needed to address units in need of rehabilitation depending on the data collected by the survey. This may include allocating additional funding towards assisting homeowners with upgrades, conducting informational workshops on available resources, sending out mailers to households in need of rehabilitation with resources, or other similar actions.
Update the survey by January 2025; update the survey every following five years; annually conduct the survey and provide information online on resources available
H.1g
Residential Design Guidelines Continue implementation of the City’s approved Residential Design Guidelines and encourage a variety of housing types to continue to provide safe, sound, and attractive for units all residents. The intent of these guidelines is to express the housing design features the City would like to encourage in order to improve certainty and to minimize the processing time for design review applications. The City will also review the Residential Design Guidelines for subjective language and adopt modifications to promote objectivity – as of January 24, 2023, the City Council has approved to create objective standards for all residential uses by the end of 2023.
 Implement the Residential Design Guidelines.  Annually meet with housing developers to provide them with information on the Residential Design Guidelines and receive input and feedback. If constraints are identified as part of the feedback received, the City will adopt amendments within 6 months.
Annually meet with developers, and adopt amendments within 6 months if feedback is received identifying constraints; amend the Residential Design Guidelines by January 2024; implement the guidelines throughout the 2023-2031 planning period
H.1h
Code Enforcement Continue to provide both proactive and reactive code enforcement to encourage adherence to and address land use regulations and State and local laws, health and safety concerns, property maintenance, and nuisance conditions.
 Maintain code compliance.  Assist homeowners in addressing code enforcement violations through technical assistance. The Code Enforcement Division currently mails informational materials to all new homeowners quarterly, and they also attend community events to provide educational materials and speak at HOAs.  Seek and pursue funding opportunities to provide resources for homeowners.
Annually review the number and type of code enforcement cases, assist homeowners through technical assistance, and pursue funding opportunities
H.1i
Water Conservation Program Continue implementation of the City's Water Conservation Program. The program promotes the use of water conservation devices in existing structures, including use of low-flow toilets and shower heads, and water-conserving landscaping.
 Implement the Water Conservation Program.
Review effectiveness annually; changes, if necessary, to be made within one year
H.1j
Energy Efficient Design Continue to implement the California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen), encouraging new development and substantial rehabilitation projects to achieve a greater reduction in efficiency and conservation where feasible. Continue to encourage new development projects to meet LEED standards and apply for LEED certification.
 Implement the California Green Building Standards Code.  Provide information on LEED certification online and outreach to housing developers with informational materials.
Review the California Green Building Standards Code for updates every three years; annually outreach to developers with information and maintain updated information online
H.1k
Condominium Conversion Continue implementation of the City’s adopted condominium conversion ordinance to regulate conversions of multi-family units and to mitigate tenant displacement and minimize displacement of seniors, disabled, and low- and moderate-income residents. Continue monitoring of condominium conversions to insure that a proposed conversion would not result in a disproportionate balance of available rental housing with a variety of choices in tenure, price, unit sizes, amenities, and location in the community. The City did not see any condominium conversions during the 5th cycle.
 Monitor condominium conversions.
Annually review condominium conversions and adopt ordinance amendments, if necessary
H.1l
Farmworker and Employee Housing California Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6 requires agricultural employee housing for six or fewer persons to be permitted by-right, without a Conditional Use Permit or other discretionary permit that is not likewise required of a family dwelling of the same type in the same zone, in single-family residential zoning districts, and in agricultural zones with no more than 12 units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household or 36 beds in a group quarters. The City shall amend the Zoning Code to comply with these State requirements. The Zoning Code shall also be amended to permit employee housing consisting of no more than 12 units or 36 beds in the same manner as other agricultural uses in the same zone.
 Amend the Zoning Code to comply with State requirements regarding farmworker and employee housing.
Amend the Zoning Code by January 2025
H.1m
Senate Bill 35 Streamlining The City shall establish written procedures to comply with California Government Code Section 65913.4 and publish those procedures for the public, as appropriate, to comply with the requirements of Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), Chapter 366 Statutes 2017. These requirements apply at any point in time when the City does not meet the State mandated requirements, based upon the SB 35 Statewide Determination Summary Report for Housing Element progress and reporting on Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). The City shall process development projects with at least 50 percent affordable units through a streamlined permit process set forth in State law. All projects covered by SB 35 are still subject to the objective development standards of the Brentwood Municipal Code, including the Building and Fire Codes. However, qualifying projects cannot be subject to discretionary review or public hearings; and in many cases, the City cannot require parking. Reduced parking requirements would be established consistent with the requirements of SB 35 for qualified streamlining projects.
 Establish SB 35 procedures and provide information online.  Develop and implement the program.
By January 2025
H.1n
Residential Incentives The Sites Inventory (Appendix B) identifies sites that allow mixed use development. To encourage residential development on these sites and maximize the development potential identified in the Sites Inventory, the City will promote existing residential incentives and identify potential new incentives as appropriate, including but not limited to, priority processing, granting fee waivers, granting concessions, providing technical assistance, providing funding support, and/or other similar incentives.
 Promote existing incentives and identify potential new incentives for the development of residential uses on sites identified in the Sites Inventory that allow both residential and nonresidential uses.  Establish and implement a residential incentives program to encourage residential development on mixed use sites. Annually promote the program to the development community.
Annually review and promote residential development incentives; establish and implement a residential incentives program by January 2025 promote the program to the development community annually
H.1o
Safety Element Update Senate Bill 1035 (SB 1035), Chapter 733 Statutes 2018 requires that the City revise the Safety Element to identify flood hazards and address the risk of fire hazards in certain lands upon each revision of the Housing Element. The City Council shall adopt amendments to the Safety Element in accordance with the requirements of SB 1035.
 Adopt an updated Safety Element, which identifies and addresses flood and fire hazards.
By January 2025
H.1p
Replacement Housing The City may have existing non-vacant sites included within the sites inventory that may contain vacant or demolished residential units that were occupied by lower-income households or households subject to affordability requirements within the last five years. The City will adopt a formal replacement housing program to ensure any units currently occupied by lower-income households, or households subject to affordability requirements within the last five years, that are lost for housing units are replaced in compliance with Government Code Section 66300.
 Adopt a replacement housing program for units lost that are currently occupied by lower-income households or households subject to affordability requirements of Government Code Section 66300 within the last five years.
Adopt program by January 2025
H.1q
No Net Loss Consistent with SB 166 (No Net Loss), the City will monitor housing sites to ensure adequate sites to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA by each income category are maintained at all times. Reporting is anticipated to coincide with preparation of the Annual Progress Reports. The City will track each site in its inventory and report annually to the City Council on the adequacy of available sites compared to the progress made towards meeting the RHNA. If residential development is not sufficiently progressing towards building permits or if the City is not meeting the pro-rated share of the RHNA at all income levels by midway through the planning period, the City will evaluate its sites inventory and capacity to maintain adequate sites throughout the planning period and, if necessary, identify strategies to streamline and/or assist projects through entitlement (including, but not limited to, technical assistance, expedited review, and/or support of funding applications), adopt amendments to the ADU development regulations, or implement other strategies, such as General Plan and zoning changes to allow for greater residential densities.
 Monitor housing sites to ensure adequate sites to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA by each income category.
Annually track status of identified sites and report to City Council (by April 1 of each year)
H.1r
Parking Standards for Studios and 1-Bedroom Units The City shall amend its parking standards for multi-family by requiring 1.5 parking spaces per 1-bedroom units and 1 parking space per 0-bedroom units. The City will also continue to provide parking reductions as needed and for projects that comply with the City’s Affordable Housing Ordinance.
 Adopt Zoning Code updates for multi-family unit parking requirements by requiring 1.5 parking spaces per 1-bedroom units and 0.5 spaces per 0-bedroom units.
Adopt the Zoning Code updates by January 2025
H.1s
CUP and Design and Site Development Review Findings As part of the Zoning Code Update, the City shall amend approval findings for CUP and Design and Site Development Review applications to replace subjective language with objective standards.
 Adopt Zoning Code updates removing subjectivity in application findings for CUPs and Design and Site Development Reviews.
Adopt the Zoning Code updates by January 2025
H.1t
Mid-Point Policy The City shall remove its mid-point policy to remove any added discretion or constraints, such as requiring the exercise of transferable agricultural credits, significant added amenities, extensive off-site public improvements, or other significant improvements for projects requesting densities above the mid-point for all residential land use categories.
 Adopt Zoning Code/General Plan updates removing discretion or constraints, such as requiring the exercise of transferable agricultural credits, significant added amenities, extensive off-site public improvements, or other significant improvements for projects requesting densities above the mid-point for all residential land use categories.
Adopt the Zoning Code/General Plan updates by January 2025
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