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 | Action HE-5.H Shelter Bed Hotline | Participate and promote the countywide coordinated shelter bed hotline by notifying homeless residents of shelter beds through direct service and outreach. | Notified homeless residents of shelter beds through direct service and outreach. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-1.B Coordination with Capital Improvement Plan | Evaluate annually submitted development projects and coordination with the Capital Improvement Program to assure adequate public facilities are provided for each development. | Ongoing. Evaluated development projects annually in coordination with the Capital Improvement Program. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-4.B Preserve Affordable Housing | Prioritize the preservation of existing affordable housing at risk of loss of affordability covenants by working with housing developers to provide technical assistance in support of opportunities to rehabilitate affordable lower income housing. Contact Affordable Housing Developers annually with existing affordable units in the city and inquire for interest in rehabilitation of those units. Pending City Council approval of any modifications to existing loan terms, move to develop and implement a new agreement that is satisfactory to both parties. Subsequently, conduct rehabilitation work and extend the affordability term. | Ongoing. Contacted Affordable Housing Developers annually. 11/1/2023 City Council approved refinance for EDEN Housing Royal Court Apartments at 17925 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill. The project is 100% affordable for households earning 30% to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 55 units. Project serves 55 families or 196 people at an affordability level needed for households earning 30% to 60% of the area median income (AMI). Supported developer's ability to refi and preserve the property and enhance their financial position so that they have replacement reserves for necessary repairs, including property-wide improvement such as roof repairs. The outstanding principal balance of the City's RDA loan is $2,650,000 | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-4.A Annual Monitoring of Potential At-Risk BMR Units | Annually monitor the status of at-risk BMR housing units. Contact current property owners of at-risk units to determine their financial objectives and appropriate financial assistance needed to meet those objectives. | Ongoing. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-5.F Provide Direct Services to the Unhoused and Those At Risk of Homelessness | Provide direct services, case management, and homeless outreach through the City’s Unhoused Specialist to engage and offer support and basic needs to our homeless residents. | Provided outreach to 184 housing-insecure households who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-4.C Rehabilitation | The City will annually host two South County Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley rehabilitation grant program workshops or webinars. | To be implemented in 2024. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-5.D Safe Park Program | Operate a Safe Park Program with the faith-based community offering an eight space, pet friendly overnight respite at a local church for eight homeless families living in their cars. The City’s role is to provide funding for the restrooms, hand washing stations, and case management. | Provided funding for the Safe Park Program for up to 8 families. Housed 22 program participants. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-3.P Expand Bus Service & Create Walkable Communities | Advocate for VTA to expand bus service in Morgan Hill and adopt a Form-Based Code for the Monterey Corridor emphasizing pedestrian-oriented building form and streamlined housing development to support the need of transit. Document communications with VTA regarding bus service needs (i.e. headways reduced to a maximum of 15 minutes on all routes during peak times; one additional route created). | Ongoing. Adopted a Form-Based Code for the Monterey Corridor in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-5.E Inclement Cold Weather Shelter Program | Coordinate the Inclement Cold Weather Shelter operation with the faith-based community by providing supplies, coordinate volunteers and funding for a security guards. | Operated a 10-bed Inclement Cold Weather Shelter in partnership with Community Christian Church during inclement cold weather episodes, for 42 nights in 2023. | Ongoing | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-1.I Facilitate and Monitor Pipeline Projects | Outreach to property owners and developers of pipeline projects not under construction annually as a means to identify and address constraints and potential obstacles to developing their property, and support funding applications (e.g., tax credit, bonds, etc.) to help applicants be awarded local, state, and federal monies. Coordinate with applicants to approve remaining entitlements and expediating approvals. Rezone or identify additional sites should the applications not be approved or if approved entitlements expire. | Ongoing | Annual | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-1.L Track Project Processing | Continue to track project processing to ensure that an environmental determination is made pursuant to PRC §21080.1, within the timeframes of the PRC §21080.2 and Gov’t Code 65950(a)(5) (e.g., State law). | Ongoing | Annual | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-1.K Parking for Smaller Bedroom Units | Amend the Zoning Code by 2024 to modify parking standards for studio and one-bedroom units for multi-family dwellings to require one covered parking space per unit plus one parking space for every four units for guest parking (a total of one to 1.25 parking spaces per unit). | To be implementated in 2024. | 2024 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-2.C Community Plan to End Homelessness | Implement the Countywide Community Plan to End Homelessness adopted by the Santa Clara County Continuum of Care (CoC) to support the development of Extremely Low Income (ELI) units and to ensure that adequate services are provided to those experiencing homelessness by hosting bi-monthly service provider meetings to identify barriers to accessing housing and provide support for increased coordination amongst its service providers. | Secured $150,000 grant to conduct outreach and engagement, case management and homeless prevention services. Employed a Full Time Unhoused Specialist social worker ($100k). Provided services to 184 housing insecure/homeless families. Identified rental assistance for homeless prevention (County funded $120,000 for Homeless Prevention in Morgan Hill). Operated a 10-bed Inclement Cold Weather Shelter 42 nights. Operate Year Round Safe Car Parking Program for 8 families. | 2024 and annually | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-5.B End and Prevent Homelessness in Morgan Hill | Support the affordable housing development community to locate, construct, and manage housing facilities for the Unhoused by providing funding by year four towards a project that constructs at least 20 extremely low-income units for people who are experiencing homelessness and/or at-risk of being unhoused. | Ongoing. Provided three educational opportunities for the community annually to dialogue and learn about root causes of homelessness, effective strategies to preventing and ending homelessness, and how they can help to correct misconceptions. | Ongoing; biannually | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-5.I Emergency Shelters Parking | Amend the Zoning Code by 2024 to clarify and modify parking standards for emergency shelters consistent with Government Code Section 65583(a)(4)(B)(ii). | To be implementated in 2024. | 2023-2024 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-7.C Fair Housing Counseling, Education, and Outreach | Fund Project Sentinel for fair housing counseling, education, and outreach service throughout the planning period. | Hosting a Tennant Rights workshop on April 7, 2024 with the Law Foundation. Seeking a nonprofit fair housing provider to partner with in 2024 to enhance services and outreach methods.
To be initiated in 2024: Release bilingual (English and Spanish) communications at least twice per year, and within 60 days of any new fair housing programs or policies becoming effective. Hold at least three in-person education and information meetings with Spanish translation during the planning period, and at least one meeting entirely in Spanish.
Promote voucher mobility by informing residents of laws against source of income discrimination. | Initiate in 2023 and annually | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-2.B Strategically Urban Housing Development Incentives | Research incentives for residential and mixed-use development at major transit nodes, along transit corridors, and in other locations suitable for high-density housing development, as appropriate by 2026. Implement feasible incentives through revisions of the Zoning Code, Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, or other mechanisms identified by 2028. | To be initiated in 2025. | 2025-2028 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-2.E Commercial Linkage Fee | Develop a Commercial Linkage Fee Ordinance or similar mechanism when the City has met a job-resident worker balance of 1:1 ratio. | City has not met a-resident worker balance of 1:1 ratio to date. | 2024-2029 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-3.H Rent Increase Mediation | Adopt a mediation requirement for rent increases of 5% or more. Complete mediation requirement study within two years and, draft ordinance within four years. | To be initiated in 2025. | 2024-2026 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |
| 2023 | Action HE-3.I Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance | Adopt a tenant relocation assistance ordinance that clarifies the state’s laws, rules, and process that relates to tenant relocation including state density bonus law, SB330, and any other applicable material within four years. | To be initiated in 2025. | 2024-2026 | 6th cycle, 2023 to 2031 |