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 | Fee Structure Evaluation (H.3.1) | Review current fees to ensure new development contributes its share of costs | An updated master fee schedule was adopted in 2022 and became effective September 1, 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Acquisition/Rehabilitation of Blighted or Distressed Properties (H.2.4) | Pursue opportunities to partner with nonprofit housing developers to acquire and rehabilitate blighted or distress properties | The City continues to work with the developer of the 33 unit 100% affordable SAHA project towards construction on the former redevelopment agency property, including the provision of purchase and construction loans. The City is working with a developer to rehabilitate a vacated two unit building into a four unit building at 612 Tennent Ave, with one unit set aside as an affordable unit. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Apply Design Review Guidelines (H.2.1) | Apply to new residential development and residential additions to ensure compatibility with surrounding areas. | The City continues to implement the Residential Design Guidelines for residential projects. The City received three residential design review applications in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Prevention of Housing Discrimination (H.4.4.11) | Exchange information to prevent Housing Discrimination | No housing discrimination disputes were brought to the City's attention in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Parcel Consolidation (H.4.4.3) | Facilitate lot consolidation as it relates to housing opportunity sites | City staff meets with property owners and developers to encourage parcel consolidation for housing development. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Below Market Rate (BMR) Regulations (H.4.4.6) | Implement and monitor rental and resale affordability controls for units assisted by form RDA | The City continues to use a third-party contractor to monitor affordability control compliance for former City Redevelopment Agency (RDA) assisted housing units. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Housing Construction (H.4.2) | Encourage housing construction through a variety of incentives and programs | City staff meets regularly with property owners and developers to encourage additional housing construction at all affordablility levels on available housing opportunity sites. Staff provides owners and developers with assistance in understanding affordable housing requirements and density bonus incentives. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Second Unit Ordinance (H.4.4.4) | Provide information to the public and review the ordinance to encourage second unit development | Staff regularly receives and responds to questions from the public regarding ADU standards and the permit process. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Explore Housing Development Partnerships (H.1.2) | Seek opportunities to work with public agencies and developers. | The City has continued to worked with developers to encourage residential development and affordable units, leading to entitlements for development of housing at 2151 Appian Way (154 units), 2801 Pinole Valley Rd (29 units), and 1500 Fitzgerald Dr (223 units). The City has been working with developers that plan to rehabilitate vacant buildings to accommodate housing units - 612 Tennent Ave (4 units) and 2279 Park St (3 units). The City continues to work with SAHA on permitting to prepare for construction of a 33 unit, 100% affordable housing project on a former redevelopment property. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Adequate Sites to Meet Regional Fair Share of Housing Growth (H.2.2) | Ensure adequate sites are available to developers and provide an inventory of available sites to developers. | Complete. Three Corridors Specific Plan for San Pablo Avenue, Pinole Valley Road, and Appian Way includes adequate sites available to developers to meet Regional Fair Share of Housing Growth. A detailed inventory of potential residential development sites is included within Table 6.43 and 6.44 of the Housing Element. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Energy and Water Conservation (H.5.1.1) | Support and publicize energy and water conservation programs; promote awareness in conjunction with rehabilitation programs; implement water efficient landscape requirements | The City continued to provide information on available energy and water conservation programs. The City has integrated the state water efficient landscaping ordinance into the municipal code. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Technical Assistance to Housing Developers (H.4.4.7) | Exchange information to encourage provision of affordable housing | City staff continued to meet with prospective housing developers in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Periodically Review Residential Development Requirements (H.1.3) | Monitor effectiveness of established regulations needed to streamline housing development. | Regular ongoing discussions on permitting, process, and code update improvements. | Ongoing (as necessary) | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Housing for the Homeless (H.4.4.9) | Amend the Zoning Ordinance to provide emergency shelters and supportive and transitional housing | Text amendments were approved in 2016. | By May 2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Employee Housing (H.4.4.10) | Amend the Zoning Ordinance to identify employee housing as a residential use | Text amendments were approved in 2016. | By May 2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Explore Options for Senior Assistance Programs (H.4.4.13) | Explore program revisions/new programs to provide assistance to help seniors live independently | Insufficient financial resources were available to establish a City program. | 2015-2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Rehabilitation Assistance (H.2.3) | Continue to share information and explore funding sources for rehabilitation of existing housing | City staff continues to assist homeowners and provide information at City Hall on rehabilitation assistance resources. In 2022, the City issued 474 permits to rehabilitate housing units, including roofing, water heater replacement, furnace, solar, window/patio door replacement, and home remodel/addition projects. The City has been coordinating with the County to develop a BayRen Home+ program to assist homeowners and multifamily property owners to undertake energy efficiency upgrade projects. | Ongoing (annually) | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Water and Sewer Service Priority Allocation for Affordable Housing (H.5.1.2) | Adopt a policy for water and sewer services to provide priority allocation to affordable housing in event a rationing system is implemented | Completed in 2016. | By May 2016 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Conservation of Affordable Housing Units (H.4.4.12) | Work to help preserve existing affordable housing supply | Former RDA assets, and revenues generated from those assets, are maintained in a Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Asset Fund that continues to be used to administer and monitor compliance with affordable housing and loan agreements and provide for affordable housing development. | Through 2017 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | Accessible Units for the Physically Disabled (H.4.4.8) | Facilitate programs and projects to meet Federal, State, and local requirements to provide accessible housing for the physically disabled | The City is committed to assisting in the development of new projects that provide accessible housing for the disabled or issuing building permits for projects that improve the accessibiilty of existing housing. In 2022, the City did not receive any new development requests for housing for the physically disabled or accessibility modifications to existing residential units. | 5% of units built or approved between 2014 and 2023 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |