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 | H-F-2-a Facilities/Services for Special Needs | Support housing that incorporates facilities and services to meet the health care, transit or social service heeds of households with special needs, including seniors, extremely low income households and persons with disabilities. | Ongoing. The City contributed funding for the 66-unit Alma Point Senior Apartments completed in 2016 which includes 65 very low-income and extremely low-income units, 5 units for persons with specified health care needs, and 2 units for homeless. The City approved the 131-unit/24 bed Atria Assisted Living facility completed in 2016. The City included 4 accessible units in the 22-unit Workforce Apartments completed in 2022. Senior market rate condominiums (200 units) at Foster Square were completed. In addition, there are 4 licensed Adult Residential care homes and 6 licensed Assisted Living care homes in the City. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-B-4-a Architectural Review | Continue Architectural Review to ensure that development preserved character and scale of neighborhoods. | In 2022, the Planning Divison approved 50 Architectural Review Permits. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-E-1-d Homeowner Rehab Loan Program | Increase use of CDBG loans administered by the County, through improved promotion and publicity to residents; target the elderly. | County discountinued the program. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-B-1-a Continue Code Enforcement | Continue code enforcement program. | In 2022, Code Enforcement closed 140 cases. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-F-2-e Reasonable Accommodation. | Utilize Chapter 17.84, Reasonable Accommodation, to ensure equal access to housing. | Ongoing. No request submitted in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-C-3-a Moderate Rent Increases | Continue working with PCRC and Tri-County Apt. Association as a vehicle to moderate rent increases and to resolve rental disputes. | Ongoing
City staff continues to respond to and refer rent disputes to PCRC and Tri-County Apt. Association. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-D-9-b Pre-Permit Review Process | Continue to hold pre-application reviews of affordable housing projects. | Ongoing. The City provides a pre-application review by the Interdepartmental Evaluation Committee (IDEC), providing quick (approximately one week turnaround) and early feedback to applicants. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-E-4-a Maintain Owner Occupied BMR Units | Administer agreements for existing ownership BMR units to ensure continued affordability. | Ongoing. Owner-occupied BMR units in Emerald Bay are reviewed annually for compliance with regulatory agreement. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-F-1-a Non-Discrimination | Ensure that state and federal laws are adhered to regarding fair housing. The City will assist local non-profit organizations, as appropriate, to provide public information and education services. | Ongoing. Staff continues to audit Property Status Reports to ensure non-discriminatory practices as well as investigate all allegations of discrimination. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-F-2-b Victims of Domestic Violence | Assist victims of domestic violence by coordinating with and providing referrals to existing service agencies providing legal assistance, hotline, and emergency housing and prevention services to victims of domestic violence. In addition, in coordination with existing service providers, determine any other actions the City can take to assist persons in Foster City. | Ongoing. Police Department provides coordination with other service providers. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-F-2-c Density Bonuses for Handicapped Access | The City may allow a one-for-one density bonus up to 25% of the number of units otherwise allowed, for developers who provide actual handicapped access features and fixtures. | Ongoing | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-D-4-a Mixed Use Housing | Encourage mixed residential-commercial uses in areas consistent with the Land Use Plan. | Pilgrim Triton Phase C was approved in 2018 as part of the mixed use Pilgrim Triton Development.Mixed use development was included in Foster Square and Pilgrim Triton, including increased densities, reduced unit sizes, and reduced parking ratios. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-E-1-b Existing Unit Purchase Program | Continue to maintain the existing units owned by the City as rentals for large very low- and low-income families. Purchase existing older units to provide affordable rental housing. Strive not only to avoid a concentration of affordable units in any one location or area, but to disperse affordable units throughout the community to complement and enhance the diversity that is already found in the City. Target units that need rehabilitation and thereby improve the neighborhood in which they are located. | Six units continue to be rented to very low- and low-income families. City hired a Housing Coordinator in December 2022 to oversee all non-development housing related activities, including monitoring the program and associated contractors for the program. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-E-3-a Density Bonuses for Affordable Housing Projects Consistent with State Density Bonus Law | Offer density bonuses consistent with State Density Bonus Law. | The Triton Pointe and Waverly developments utilized the State Housing Density Bonus Law, specifically the lower parking requirements. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-F-2-f Home Sharing Program | Support the HIP Housing Home Sharing Program as part of a collection of policies, programs and practices for addressing special housing needs, including seniors, those living with disabilities, those at risk of homelessness and female head of households. | Ongoing. The City continues to work with the HIP Homeshare Program pursuant to a 2005 agreement and distribute Home Sharing Flyers. In 2022, HIP fielded 40 calls from Foster City residents who inquired about housing services. There were 19 residents and 6 individuals who work in Foster City who applied to the Home Sharing program and provided housemate referrals and community resource information. During the calendar year, there were 11 residents and 6 individuals who work in Foster City who were in Home Sharing matches either formed during 2022 or prior to 2022. There was 1 family who participated in the Self Sufficiency Program representing 1 adult and 1 child. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-A-3-a Community Outreach | Improve citizen awareness of rehabilitation and disaster assistance loan subsidy programs, code enforcement, energy conservation programs, fair housing laws and affordable housing programs. | Continued to provide housing information on website, printed materials, and through social media. Participated in 21 Elements community workshops and listening sessions in Fall of 2022. Launched housing section of engagefostercity.org in October 2021 and continued updates throughout 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-C-1-a Condo Conversion Regulations | Continue implementation of the condo conversion ordinance linking any conversions to the development of additional rental housing within the City. The ordinance provides for lifetime leases for seniors and handicapped tenants. Amend the existing conversion regulations to change the percentage of converted units required to be set aside for qualified low and moderate income owners from ten to fifteen percent. Continue the requirement for deed restrictions on resale (unless financing is impossible), or 1% of gross sales must be contributed to the City, and comparable rental housing must be available in the Housing Market Area. | No conversions proposed in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-B-3-b Increased Energy Conservation | Continue to enforce CalGreen, consider fee waivers and fast-track incentives for energy conservation improvements, and will review its development ordinances to determine if zoning, building subdivision and others discourage the use of energy conservation measures. | Fees for solar installations are waived. The City has waived building permit fees for photovoltaic solar panels and has issued between 43 and 104 solar PV permits per year since 2016. The City issued 14 EV charging permits in 2020, 21 in 2021 and 24 in 2022. The City of Foster City also continued to offer residents who install solar photovoltaic technology (solar PV) a $ 1,000 rebate on qualifying systems. In 2022, six households qualified and received this rebate incentive. Total from 2016 through 2022 is 89 rebate applications completed and granted. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-C-2-a Phased Redevelopment of Existing Apartments | If a large apartment development is redeveloped, the project shall be phased so that displacement of residents is minimized to the extent feasible. The application for redevelopment shall include a plan to minimize displacement of existing residents. | For the underslab plumbing replacement at the 88-unit Tradewinds Apartments in 2022, a Resident Relocation Plan was required as part of the building permit and included relocation assistance that went beyond State law requirements. Tenants were relocated from a 44-unit building with assistance in the form of 135 days’ notice, two months free rent, last month’s water/sewer/trash bill, $750 moving expense, deposits returned upon move-out, right of first refusal to return, relocation specialist assistance, offering space at sister properties, Community Meeting to answer questions (and make revisions to the plan in response), and residents of the second 44-unit building were offered space in the first 44-unit building upon its completion.
On May 2, 2022, the Owners of Lantern Cove Apartment submitted a Use Permit application (UP2022-0016) proposing the demolition of 10 building for a total of 64 units and construction of 420 units. The project is still under review.
On May 3, 2022, the applicant submitted a Preliminary Review Application (PR2022-0003) for the Schooner Bay project to remove 14 building for a total of 112 units and construction of 758 units. The City has reviewed and provided a comment letter. No formal Use Permit application has been submitted. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
2022 | H-A-4-a Air Quality Impacts | Study air quality impacts of proposed housing. | An Addendum to a Final EIR was prepared for Pilgrim Triton Phase C to study potential environmental impacts for the project specific proposal. No other large housing proposal was completed in 2022 that requires its own air quality analysis. | Ongoing. Air quality studies are required as part of project environmental review and prior to building permit. | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |