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 | H-21: Acquisition and Rehabilitation of Existing Housing | Complete one project in the planning period | The Hallmark House Apartments, 72 affordable units at 531 Woodside Rd, caught fire in 2013 and the project started reconstruction in 2020 after facing several setbacks. The City contributed HOME funding to this project when it was initially acquired and helped facilitate the rebuild process. The reconstruction was completed in 2022. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-11: Small Lot Duplex, Triplex, and Multi-Family Development | Explore revised development standards for duplexes, triplexes, and other small multifamily developments | Ongoing: The 2023-2031 Housing Element includes Program H4-3 (Middle Housing) that include zoning text amendments to encourage middle housing developments. Staff will bring appropriate amendments to City Council for hearing by May 31, 2023 to ensure program objectives associated with are effectuated | Short Range | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-19: Fair Housing Services | Continue to assist households with fair housing services through the support of fair housing services. | The City continues to provide CDBG funding to Project Sentinel to provide fair housing services in Redwood City | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-15: Rehabilitation Programs | Provide loan and grant assistance to facilitate the rehabilitation of 20 owner-occupied units per year.
Continue to provide funding to facilitate home accessibility modifications for disabled persons, with a goal of completing home accessibility modifications for 30 households per year. | In 2022, the City provided 7 minor home repair grants and 2 home accesibility modification grants to very low and extremely low income homeowners and renters. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-5: Senior Housing Needs | Support senior housing projects that are located near public transit. | The City contributed the land to develop 117 affordable, senior units at 707 Bradford. The project completed in spring 2021. The project includes 10 units for senior veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, 6 units for senior individuals who are seriously mentally ill and homeless or at risk of homelessness and 10 units for frail elderly households who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal.
The Towneplace Suites Hotel was aquired by San Mateo County in 2020 using State Project Homekey funds, which resulted in 95 hotel units converting to permanent affordable housing for extremely-low income seniors who are formerly homeless, medically frail, disabled and or lost their home due to COVID-19. The units were fully occupied in 2021. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-6: Site Improvements and Fees | Continue to exempt affordable housing projects from the City’s park impact fee. | Continued to exempt affordable housing projects from park impact fees | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-10: Revised Parking Standards | Analyze and consider parking needs and costs of constructing parking for affordable housing projects, especially housing for extremely low income and housing for persons with disabilities, and permit parking reductions.
Analyze existing parking standards for single-family, duplex, triplex, and second units, including requirements precluding parking from any front or side yard setback area. Based on this analysis, consider modifications to the Zoning Ordinance to better encourage infill development. | The City has updated parking standards to comply with State Law regarding accessory dwelling units. These amended standards also impact single-family homes. We have updated our ordinances regarding parking standards for affordable projects in accordance with state law. | Analyze parking standards and complete zoning text amendments in 2016 (Short Range) | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-9:Extremely Low-Income and Special Needs Housing | Seek opportunities to develop new housing for extremely low income households, including SROs, with the goal of completing at least one project during the planning period. | The City committed $3.5 million to the 353 Main Project which has 63 extremely low income units and 62 low income units. The project is currently under construction.
The Elco Yards Project (formerly the South Main Mixed Use Project) at 1601 El Camino started construction in 2022 which includes 147 affordable units - 15 extremely low, 24 very low, 67 low and 41 moderate income units. Additionally, up to 15 units will be for people with development disabilities.
The 2022 acquisition and conversion of 1818 El Camino Real (formerly the Comfort Inn) to permanent affordable housing provides 51 units of housing for people experiencing homelessness. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-4: Adequate Sites and
H-16: Affordable Housing Development | Produce 100 units of affordable housing over a 5-year period | Ongoing: The City has several affordable housing projects in various stages that will result in over 500 new deed-restricted affordable units.
Completed (2022)
612 Jefferson (Habitat for Humanity) - 20 units
Under Construction
1601 El Camino / 1304 El Camino (Elco Yards) - 147 units
1818 El Camino Real (County/Alta Housing) - 52 units
353 Main (ROEM) - 125 units
Entitled
1401 Broadway (Sobrato/MidPen) - 120 units
150 Charter - 11 units (ownership)
557 E. Bayshore - 85 units | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2022 | H-12: Second Units and
H-18: Alternative Housing Models | Complete study on revised standards | The City has updated ADU standards multiple times to comply with state law. A final revision was adopted in September 2021. | Completed | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2019 | H-12: Second Units and H-18: Alternative Housing Models | Complete study on revised standards | In 2019, the City continued to update and relax its development standards to comply with state law. The City has also invested funds into an ADU pilot program to help homeowners design and build ADUs. | 2018-12-31 00:00:00 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2019 | H-4: Adequate Sites and H-16: Affordable Housing Development | Produce 100 units of affordable housing over a 5-year period | Ongoing: The City has several affordable housing projects in various construction stages that will result in 297 new affordable units.
2019 Construction start
707 Bradford (MidPen) - 117 units
1409 El Camino Real (Greystar IV) - 35 units
2020 Construction Start
612 Jefferson (Habitat for Humanity) - 20 units
2020 Estimated Construction Start
353 Main (ROEM) - 125 units | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2019 | H-9:Extremely Low-Income and Special Needs Housing | Seek opportunities to develop new housing for extremelylow income households, including SROs, with the goal of completing at least one project during the planning period. | The City has committed $3.5 million to the 353 Main Project which has 63 extremeley low income units and 62 low income units. The project is estimated to start construction in 2020. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2018 | H-4: Adequate Sites and H-16:Affordable Housing Development | Produce 100 units of affordable housing over a 5-year period | Ongoing: Bradford, Habitat and 353 Main will be issued this year, resulting in over 250 affordable units. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2018 | H-7: Permit Processing | Streamline entitlement review | Ongoing: Staff continues to look for ways to bring projects to a close quickly. | Ongoing | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |
| 2018 | H-3: Countywide Nexus Study | Consideration of an ordinance | Completed. | 2016-12-31 00:00:00 | 5th cycle, 2013 to 2022 |