Rohnert Park

Fast Out of the Gate
Housing Element Status
Certified
Rent Burden
63%
rent burdened
Affordable Housing Production
123%
affordable permits issued
Housing Policies and Programs
122
total policies
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Proposed Policies and Programs

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.

5th Cycle Programs and Policies

122
policies and programs

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.

Historic 2018 Policies and Programs Categorization

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.

Protect
2/11
Preserve
2/9
Produce
3/14
Prevent
1/8
Condominium Conversion Ordinance
Form-Based Codes
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
In-Lieu Fees (Inclusionary Zoning)
Preservation of Mobile Homes (Rent Stabilization Ordinance)
Acquisition/Rehabiliation/Conversion
By-Right Strategies
Commercial Development Impact Fee
Flexible Parking Requirements
General Fund Allocation
Graduated Density Bonus
Homeowner Repair or Rehabilitation
Home Sharing Programs
Housing Development Impact Fee
Housing Overlay Zones
Implementation of SB743
Just Cause Eviction
Locally-Funded Homebuyer Assistance
Mobile Homes Conversion Ordinance
One-to-One Replacement
Reduced Fees or Permit Waivers
Rent Stabilization
SRO Preservation Ordinance
Streamlined Permitting Process
Surplus Public Lands Act
Tenant-Based Assistance
Rohnert Park's Recorded Housing Policies

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
HO-1.A No Net Loss of Residential Capacity to Accommodate RHNA
(b) No project approval or other action that reduces the density or development capacity of a site shall be undertaken unless sufficient remaining sites are available or additional adequate sites are identified to meet the City’s RHNA obligation prior to approval of the development and made available within 180 days of approval of the development, as required by Senate Bill 166.
Active. Procedure developed and being implemented on a project-by-project basis.
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.E At-Risk Units
(g) Support grant applications to provide funds for preservation of affordable projects. Continue coordinating with County Housing Authority to connect people living in units with expiring affordability covenants with Housing Choice Vouchers.
Active. See notes under HO-3.E(e) above.
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-1.E Replacement Housing Program
The City will require replacement housing units subject to the requirements of Government Code Section 65915(c)(3) when any new development occurs on a site in the Sites Inventory or on a site within the Downtown District Amenity Zone (DDAZ) if that site meets any of the conditions listed in the Housing Element.
Active, being implementd on a project-by-project basis.
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.D Homes for the Essential Workforce
In partnership with Housing Land Trust of Sonoma County, the City shall continue to set aside funds to buy down the affordability on new and existing market-rate homes for sale in Rohnert Park and make the homes affordable to low- to moderate-income families. Housing Land Trust adds the homes to their inventory, provides ongoing stewardship and compliance monitoring of the units, and ensures the ongoing affordability of the homes if/when they resell.
Active. This program is currently operating, although the current housing market
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.E At-Risk Units
(e) Meet with owners of at-risk units who intend to opt out of a Section 8 contract or Affordable Housing Agreement to examine potential strategies to preserve or replace the units (e.g., transferring the units to a nonprofit developer).
Active. This is a strategy the City has successfully utilized in the past, and hopes to do so again for Edgewood Apartments.
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.E At-Risk Units
(f) Commit to extending the terms of City loans with affordable projects, thereby also extending the affordability period. Commit funding, as available, from the City’s housing fee funds to preserve affordable units.
Active. See notes under HO-3.E(c) above.
Ongoing
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-1.B Administrative List of Additional Sites
The City shall create and maintain a list of additional sites with appropriate zoning that could be added to the City’s Sites Inventory if and when an analysis provided through the Annual Progress Report indicates that sufficient sites may not exist to accommodate the City’s remaining RHNA, by income level, for the planning period.
Active. Administrative List of Additional Sites has been developed. Sites will be added to inventory if/when needed as per no net loss procedure.
Create list by December 2023, consider adding sites from list to inventory on an annual basis
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-1.D Streamline Development Process
(a) Develop a written SB 35 application process, including the pre-application and the procedure that would be used if the City becomes subject to SB 35 provisions. This process would provide a streamlined ministerial approval process to qualified residential and mixed-use development projects. The written procedures and checklists would be developed and made available on the City’s website.
Not started, will be completed in 2024.
By 2024
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-4.D Actions to Address Homelessness
(a) Invest funding in outreach services and housing programs, such as interim housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. Utilize metrics-driven approach to ensure programs are performing according to their agreement with the City.
Active. In fiscal year 2023/2024, the City is investing over $4 million in homeless services, including outreach, interim housing, and permanent supportive housing. City staff closely monitor to ensure that all programs are performing according to their agreements with the City.
Ongoing, at least annually, beginning in 2023
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-4.E Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
The City shall review its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requirements for rental residential developments with the provisions of Government Code 65850.01 as amended by AB 1505. If necessary, the City shall amend its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to promote fair housing opportunity and meet housing needs. The City will consider a variety of provisions for its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, including allowances for alternative equivalents and units that are affordable by design.
Not started, will review in 2028.
Review ordinance by December 2028; Recommend any necessary amendments to Planning Commission and City Council by December 2028
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.A Mortgage Credit Certificate Program
Once the CDC resumes participation in the MCC Program, the program will be implemented through private lenders so that homebuyers in Rohnert Park can continue to benefit from the federal Program. The City will invite local lenders to the annual housing fair (See Program HO-2.B) , provide information on the MCC Program, and report out on these efforts in the Annual Planning Report.
Not started. This program is operated through the County Community Development Commission (CDC). City staff met with CDC staff who indicated that they plan to implement this program once they identify a consultant who can run it for them.
Outreach annually, beginning in 2024
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-5.B Continuing Protections for Mobile Home Parks
• Its Mobile Home Park Conversion Ordinance (Chapter 17.23), which prohibits the conversion of a mobile home park to another use unless certain findings are made
Active.
Ongoing, with any activity reporting in the APR
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-5.C Community Revitalization
(d) Uphold equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) best practices for the Station Center site, including but not limited to the pursuit of local match for affordable housing subsidy, removal of barriers to development, and infrastructural improvements to serve transit and pedestrian access.
In progress. Staff included eTOD best practices in the RFQ for this site, which was posted on November 1, 2023. Staff will continue to consider this as they pursue outside funding opportunities.
By January 2025, incorporated into the Station Center RFP
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.E At-Risk Units
Between 2023 and 2033, Rohnert Park has 68 units at high risk and up to 20 affordable units at lower risk of converting to market rents. The City will work to preserve the units within these 2 projects as affordable by undertaking the following specific actions:
See description in sub-programs below.
See description in sub-programs below.
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.E At-Risk Units
(a) Maintain an inventory of units at-risk of conversion to market-rate in the next 10 years. Annually update this list during the City’s APR process.
Active. City staff maintain an inventory of units at-risk of conversion.
Annual
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.H Assist in the Development of Affordable Housing
a) Funding: The City will work with affordable housing developers to identify, leverage, and pursue local, state, and federal funding programs to maximize the number of affordable units available to low-, very low-, and extremely low-income households, whenever possible. Additionally, the City will continue to analyze the benefit of joining a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), to allow the issuance of bonds in Rohnert Park for the development of affordable housing and provide funding to the Homes for the Essential Workforce Program (Program HO-3.D)
Active. The City does this on an on-going basis. See description of some recent efforts above under HO-3.F(d).
Identify, leverage, and pursue funding opportunities as they arise, beginning in 2023, and at least annually throughout the planning period
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.H Assist in the Development of Affordable Housing
b) Development Opportunities: The City currently actively participates in subregional housing planning efforts through the Napa Sonoma Collaborative and will continue this participation. This includes a regional mapping project that provides relevant development information and TCAC Opportunity Index Scores for available housing sites on the City’s Sites Inventory. The City will continue their participation and will provide updated site information annually to allow developers easy identification of development opportunities, including opportunities for development of affordable housing, farmworker housing, and special needs housing.
Active. The City participates in regular meetings and efforts led by the Napa Sonoma Collaborative, and will continue to provide updated site information annually to the Collaborative to include in their regional mapping project.
Beginning in 2023, updated annually during preparation of the Annual Progress Report
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-3.H Assist in the Development of Affordable Housing
(e) Special Needs & Extremely Low-Income Housing: The City will expand on its strong track record of supporting the development of housing affordable to extremely low-income households including permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and low-barrier navigation centers through continued pursuit of Project Homekey and other funds as they are available. Additional programs supporting the development of extremely low-income housing include: Programs HO-2.B: Outreach to Developers, HO-2.C: Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types, HO-3.F: Affordable Housing on Underutilized City Sites, HO-4.C: Culturally Appropriate Outreach and Marketing, and HO-4.D: Actions to Address Homelessness.
In progress. See status described within each program referenced.
As included in individual programs
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-4.A Anti-Displacement Actions
The City shall take measures to reduce the risk of displacement throughout the City, especially in areas of increased investment and development, through the following actions:
See description in sub-programs below.
See description in sub-programs below.
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
2023
HO-2.A Accessible and Transparent Information
(c) Create and publish a summary that identifies the sites on the City’s Sites Inventory and make the summary available online in map format. Provide site-specific development information and support whenever possible in order to reduce up-front costs for interested housing developers.
In progress. This information is posted online in the City's certified Housing Element, and staff regularly directs interested developers to the appropriate sections. Staff are in the process of creating a dedicated housing developer webpage with a map, housing site summaries and other tools to help promote housing development. This is expected to go live in 2024.
Create summary by 2023; Update annually or as sites are developed
6th cycle, 2023 to 2031
Displaying 1 - 20 of 122
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