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.The policies that follow are ones adopted by this jurisdiction from the full list that ABAG has tracked. This city’s data has been updated for 2023 because it is one of the Partnership for the Bay’s Future partner jurisdictions.
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 | Secure two-million dollars for housing development | Increase the availability of housing | City utilizied LEAP funds from the state to support planning and housing activities. The City also utilized Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities funds for street and infrastructure improvements (awarded February 2022). The City also administered state funds for CalHome ADU/JADU Loan Program. The awards far exceeded the goal of $2 million. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Promote Emergency Shelters | Provide adequate housing to special need groups | No reportable actions in 2022. The City has one Low Barrier Navigation Center. The City has funded the nighttime operations of an RV Safe Parking Program for people experiencing homelessness, and established a Master Temporary Use Permit for temporary shelters. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Determine feasibility of forming a local land trust | Reduce constraints and provide enhanced incentives to housing | The City participates in the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART) of San Mateo County, which is recognized by HCD as a Regional Housing Trust Fund. The City and its partners continue to implement the two-year Challenge Grant (2020-22) and subsequent Breakthrough Grant (2022-24) from the Partnership for the Bay's Future to establish a community land trust and
cooperative ownership opportunities in East Palo Alto. The City Council considered ordinance (EPA OPA) in 2022, and is expected to make a decision in 2023. | Annually | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Meet with local non-profit housing developers | Increase the availability of housing | City Staff continues to work with EPA CAN DO, Eden Housing, and MidPen to develop affordable housing (Light Tree Apartments, 965 Weeks) and preserve affordable housing (Nugent Square, Bay Oaks). In 2022, the City supported preservation of 32 Nugent Square units for an additional 55 years with the 2022 resyndication and City renewal of 1,000,000 loan. | Annually | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Improve permit processing times especially for affordable housing projects | Reduce constraints and provide enhanced incentives to housing | The City developed an SB 9 checklist and process framework to expedite the approval process. The City approved three SB 9 "streamlined" projects in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Grants for Energy Efficiency | Implement Housing Policies and Broad Participation in Associated Programs | No reportable actions in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Review city ordinances and policies to reduce barriers to housing | Available residential sites for the development of a range of housing types and prices | The City Council directed staff to look into development code updates to reduce barriers to ADU development, and to promote housing on mixed-use sites. | Annually | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Improve Earthquake Readiness and Resilience | Ensure the housing stock can withstand a natural disaster. | Building approved two applications for seismic retrofit in 2022. The City continues to implement the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was renewed in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Support, publicize, and make referrals to fair housing and legal assistance programs that provide information, counseling, and investigation services concerning housing discrimination. Publicize ordinance through the city’s website, notices at city offices, in the city newsletter and mailings, and with relevant stakeholder groups | Actively encourage fair housing choices for all residents | City staff updated the City's website with fair housing information and resource. On an ongoing basis, City staff refer residents to housing and legal assistance programs concerning housing discrimination. Residents are referred to Community Legal Services, Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, and Project Sentinel. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Ensure 965 Weeks Street is redeveloped as affordable housing | Available residential sites for the development of a range of housing types and prices | The City and MidPen Housing/EPACANDO are implementing the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities award (awarded in February 2022). | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Facilitate the development of project(s) in the City to serve special needs groups, with a goal of assisting at least 30 persons with special needs. Meet with advocates and developers of supportive housing, group homes, licensed residential community care facilities, and assisted living facilities | Provide adequate housing to special need groups | As part of the Housing Element update, City staff participated in listening sessions with representatives of community members with disabilities to learn about how to improve access to housing and key design elements to promote "visitability," or ability of people of all abilities to access the housing of others. This information was used in the 2023-2031 Housing Element update. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Assist eligible mobile home park residents in receiving Mobile Home Park Resident
Ownership Program (MPROP) funds | Preserve existing, conforming mobile home parks as a source of affordable housing | City staff collaborated with local partners and California Rural Housing to assess ability to apply for MPROP funds in 2020. Upon knowledge that the City would not qualify, the City submitted a comment letter to HCD to discuss some of the barriers and challenges to applying for MPROP funds. No further action has been taken. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Investigate the feasibility of an ordinance that requires landlords to notify tenants of a foreclosure and protects all tenants from utility shut-offs and loss of security deposit due to a change of ownership. | Assist homeowners faced with foreclosure and reduce the inventory of vacant foreclosed homes in the City, in part by creating programs to prevent residents from losing their homes and to enable residents to purchase foreclosed homes | The City explored a potential Opportunity to Purchase policy that would require landlord notification to tenants upon sale of a property (which may include due to foreclosure) in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Pursue funding to acquire or assist in the acquisition of at least 20 foreclosed properties with the intent to sell to low-income families | Increase the supply of extremely low-, very low-, and low-income housing opportunities through acquisition of foreclosed properties | No reportable actions in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Monitor the effectiveness of the City’s affordable housing mitigation programs, including
the Affordable Housing Program and the Condominium Conversion Ordinance, as tools
to facilitate affordable housing development | Implement and monitor affordable housing programs to ensure the continued availability of below market rate units in the city | Fees are reassessed annually. City staff continues to monitor the City's BMR units and Condo Conversion Ordinance. No specific actions in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Conserve units governed by the Rent Stabilization Program by limiting commercial
redevelopment which would reduce the supply of affordable units | Conserve the existing supply of affordable rental housing by preserving existing high-density residential areas | In November 2022, the City Council approved the Woodland Park Euclid Improvements Project, with the requirement to preserve the 161 rent-stabilized units that will be demolished and rebuilt as rent-stabilized units. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Enforce State Energy Code for new residential construction and additions/renovations to existing structures | Promote energy conservation in the design and siting of new residential units, and energy reduction programs for existing residential units | Building Division staff, on an ongoing basis, enforce the State Energy Code for new residential and additions/constructions to existing units. In 2022, new REACH Code requirements took effect and in 2023, the all-electric requirements will take effect. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Ensure new Buildings follow Crime Prevention through Environmental Design | Ensure multifamily housing is well-built and well maintained. | City staff conducted CPTED analysis on all major projects. This is an ongoing endeavor as the city incorporates CPTED via the East Palo Alto Police Department review of projects. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Continue to support senior projects by permitting smaller unit sizes, parking requirement reduction, and common dining facilities | Provide adequate housing to special need groups | No new applications have been submitted for senior housing projects in 2022. A new application for a senior housing project was submitted in Feburary 2023. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Continue to implement Rent Stabilization Ordinance | Stabilize rents in the City through continued implementation of the Rent Stabilization Program and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance | Rent Stabilization staff continued to implement the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction ordinance in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |