South San Francisco

EQ-7.2 - Fund home repair for low-income property owners and tenants.

Continue to fund minor home repairs and implement a preference for projects in low opportunity census tracts identified in the AFFH analysis. Expand the program to assist renters. The City shall proactively provide educational materials by including these on the Housing Division website, distributing at all hosted housing events, and an annual communication via distribution mailing list, water bill, or similar, to property owners and tenants.

Minor Home Repair Programs Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities (CID): The City used CDBG funds to support CID Housing Accessibility Modification (HAM) Program which provides accessibility modifications. Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP): The City used CDBG funds to support two RTP programs, National Rebuilding Day and Safe at Home. ONGOING.

EQ-8.2 - Provide fair housing training.

Partner with local fair housing organizations to perform fair housing training for landlords and tenants, in addition to enforcing fair housing laws, with a focus on disability violations.

This process will commence in 2025. PENDING.

CRT-4.5 - Implement the State Density Bonus Law.

The City shall continue to implement the State Density Bonus Law and its applicability to qualifying projects requesting a concession and/or waiver of development standards. The City commits to reviewing and amending the City’s current density bonus ordinance for compliance with current state law and monitor compliance and update as necessary per HCD request.

All new residential development projects are reviewed against the State Density Bonus Law to determine qualification. Qualifying projects are processed in accordance with both the City's ordinance and State requirements. ONGOING.

CRT-4.7 - Encourage local labor.

Encourage developers and contractors to evaluate hiring local labor, hiring from or contributing to apprenticeship programs, increasing resources for labor compliance, and providing living wages.

The City is currently working on a Wage Theft Ordinance that will be considered by Council no later than the end of 2024. PENDING.

CRT-9.1 - Create affordable housing overlay zone.

Implement an affordable housing overlay zone consistent with AB 2011 and SB 6 that permits 100% affordable housing developments in as many appropriate zoning districts as possible. Additionally, and separately, explore provisions for a City-led affordable housing overlay zone that requires less than 100% of units at affordable income levels to ensure feasible opportunities.

Proposed Zoning Text Amendment currently underway that will incorporate AB2011 and SB6 units as allowed by-right in appropriate zoning districts. Affordable housing overlay zone to be evaluated in the future. PENDING.

CRT-11.1 - Connect residents to mortgage assistance resources.

Provide mortgage assistance to help low-income homeowners at risk of foreclosure with financial or counseling support. Provide residents with resources and connections to HEART of San Mateo County, a countywide homeowner assistance program, and other non-profit homeowner assistance programs. The City shall proactively provide educational materials by including these on the Housing Division website, distributing at all hosted housing events, and an annual communication via distribution mailing list, water bill, or similar, to property owners.

Information on the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, which provides free foreclosure assistance and housing counseling services, is provided on the City's Housing Division webpage.

PRSV-1.2 - Prioritize funding for housing rehabilitation.

The City shall continue to give housing rehabilitation efforts high priority in the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Funds shall be targeted towards older housing stock and to families earning less than 80% of AMI. The City shall proactively provide educational materials by including these on the Housing Division website, distributing at all hosted housing events, and an annual communication via distribution mailing list, water bill, or similar, to property owners.

Minor Home Repair Programs Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities (CID): The City used CDBG funds to support CID Housing Accessibility Modification (HAM) Program which provides accessibility modifications. Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP): The City used CDBG funds to support two RTP programs, National Rebuilding Day and Safe at Home. ONGOING.

PRSV-3.1 - Direct CIP funding for infrastructure equitably.

City shall maintain its capital improvement program to upgrade infrastructure in residential neighborhoods and ensure targeted investment in census tracts identified as disadvantaged communities.

The Engineering Division continues to manage and administer the Capital Improvement Program budget to upgrade essential infrastructure throughout the City. ONGOING.

PRSV-5.2 - Assist tenants at risk of displacement.

The City shall assist tenants displaced by the conversion of at-risk units by providing information about tenants’ rights, providing referrals to relevant social service providers, endeavoring to establish a funding source to assist nonprofit organizations that support tenants, and facilitating other support as appropriate.

The City has entered into a consulting contract with HR&A to lead a two-year anti-displacement planning process. It will include a community advisory committee and multiple community engagement sessions, culminating in a public hearing for consideration by the City Council. PENDING.

SNP-1.2 - Reduced parking requirement for board and care facilities.

Encourage development of residential board and care facilities for seniors by continuing to allow reduced parking requirements consistent with State law for these types of facilities.

The City's parking requirements have been updated to require a parking management and monitoring study for residential care facilities, which helps determine the number of required parking spaces based on actual parking demand for the project. This helps to reduce the number of overall parking spaces by focusing on actual use versus implementing a random ratio. ONGOING

CLMT-4.1 - Adopt higher electric vehicle charging requirements than CALGreen for multi-family and nonresidential new construction.

Adopt higher electric vehicle charging requirements than CALGreen for multi-family and nonresidential new construction.

No action has been taken at this time. PENDING.

EQ-6.2 - Incentivize accessibility development.

Incentivize developers through direct subsidies from commercial linkage fees to increase accessibility unit requirements beyond the federal requirement of 5% for subsidized developments. This program links to EQ-6.3, which requires the City to develop an affordable housing fund policy.

No action has been taken at this time. PENDING.

EQ-6.3 - Affordable housing fund policy.

The City anticipates significant income from its Commercial Linkage Fee over the next five years. City staff will conduct a hearing with the City Council to prioritize these funds and their potential use for the development of new affordable housing once enough funds are received.

Projections were optimistic at the time of this program writing - with commercial development on pause in the City, far less impact fee revenue has been paid. Council will likely consider an affordable housing trust fund strategy in 2025. PENDING.

EQ-8.3 - Ensure accessibility requirements.

When residential buildings are inspected for occupancy, check for posters that explain the right to request reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Make this information available and clearly transparent on the City's website and fund landlord training and outreach on reasonable accommodations. Additionally, Chapter 20.510 provides the Waiver and Modifications process to establish an alternate means of granting relief from the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance when so doing would be consistent with the purposes of the Zoning Ordinance and it is not possible or practical to approve a variance. This procedure is intended, but is not limited to facilitating compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act by providing reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities seeking fair access to housing through modification of the application of the City’s zoning regulations. Update Chapter 20.510 with the HCD model ordinance provided at t.ly/dYdaJ to ensure compliance with Reasonable Accommodation requirements.

Proposed Zoning Text Amendment currently underway that will update Chapter 20.510 with the HCD model ordinance. PENDING.

CRT-7.1 - Coordinate with SSFUSD regarding housing on closed school sites.

Work with the South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) to evaluate the potential of developing housing and community services, such as childcare, on closed school sites, including the former Foxridge school site. These sites are at discretion of SSFUSD only, but City will assist if requested and support the effort. None of these sites are included in the inventory of opportunity sites identified to meet and surpass RHNA requirements for South San Francisco.

The City continues to engage on unused school sites during quarterly engagements with SSFUSD. ONGOING.

CRT-9.3 - Explore shared equity homeownership models.

Explore expanded use of shared equity homeownership models, including a community land trust, to increase home ownership and how to implement these models.

No action has been taken at this time. PENDING.

PRSV-1.3 - Provide low interest loans for housing rehabilitation.

The City shall provide low-interest loans for rehabilitation of single-family and multi-family housing by supporting the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Program with continued CDBG funding. The City shall proactively provide educational materials by including these on the Housing Division website, distributing at all hosted housing events, and an annual communication via distribution mailing list, water bill, or similar, to property owners.

No action has been taken at this time. PENDING.

PRSV-7.2 - Establish lead and asbestos removal program.

In cooperation with San Mateo County and other regional agencies, establish a lead-based paint and asbestos removal program for affordable housing units built before 1980. The City shall proactively provide educational materials by including these on the Housing Division website, distributing at all hosted housing events, and an annual communication via distribution mailing list, water bill, or similar, to property owners.

No action has been taken at this time. PENDING.

QOL-4.1 - Implement the Active South City Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.

Require all new development to conform with the recommendations and requirements of the Active South City Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan at time of entitlement or building permit issuance.

All new applications for residential development are reviewed with conformance with the Active South City Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. ONGOING.

SNP-5.2 - Codify flexibility into the Inclusionary Ordinance.

The City shall revise its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to be more responsive to local needs by offering, for example only, developers a menu of options for including affordable units, for example, by setting a higher percentage of units if priced for moderate income and a lower percentage of units if priced for extremely low-income, an income group not currently served by the existing ordinance. Such flexibility would address a broader range of South San Francisco housing needs, while giving developers more options for meeting the inclusionary requirement.

This process will commence in 2025. PENDING.