Attachment C: Draft Summary of New Housing Element Programs City Council Study Session April 26, 2022
Proposed New Program Notes
1 Preserve “at-risk” affordable units through
monitoring and partnering, working with nonprofits,
and exploring available funding sources to preserve
affordability. This activity will include both units in all affordable developments with expiring deed
restrictions, as well as potential BMR units that are
reaching the end of the term.
Advertise units going to sale to nonprofits,
provide tenant education, add a displacement
preference for new affordable housing for
people displaced. Outreach and negotiate with
owners for affordability extensions.
2 Require replacement units for low-income
households and below market rate units lost during
any construction or demolition projects. Establish
tenant protections in local ordinance to extend
measures of AB1482 related to relocation,
documentation, and right to return policy in eviction
cases. Require that demolition permits include an
assessment of rents to determine income status and
plan to replace lots lower income units.
Evaluate SB 330 and existing city requirements
to require replacement of units when occupied
by lower income households within the last five
years.
3 Leverage City assets to generate additional
funding/resources for the development of new
affordable units.
Approximately $3 million intended to be
invested in ROEM's 125-unit affordable project
and LINC's 38-unit affordable project.
4 Develop an affordable housing funds investment
policy establishing priorities and goals.
Include in the process recognition of disparate
housing concerns of those with special needs,
including but not limited to people with
disabilities, seniors, single female heads of
households and farmworkers; households with
race/ethnicity-based disparate needs (AFFH
concerns). Consider priorities for new
construction, rehabilitation, anti-displacement
efforts, ADUs, etc.
5 Identify a service provider to manage the City's
growing portfolio of affordable units, both those in
the BMR program as well as all-affordable projects,
as necessary.
Ensure that the portfolio is updated regularly
and that all vetting processes are handled
consistently between projects.
6 Conduct best practices review for housing
rehabilitation programs the City assist in funding;
research providers that could target special needs
groups.
Include in the analysis the concept of purchasing
currently "naturally occurring affordable
housing" to rehabilitate and then hold rents so
that they become more affordable over time.
7 Create and maintain a developer resources webpage
to make it easier to navigate the City's development
process.
Consistent with new State law, include updated
development and impact fees list on City's
website.
8 Expand the use of pre-approved ADU plans as
provided by the County collaborative process, and
determine if there are locations in the City where an
over-the-counter permit can be issued.
As part of this activity, determine if other
streamlining is possible to increase the volume
of ADU permits.
9 Conduct a best practices review of using City funding to assist homeowners to add an ADU to their
property to be rented to lower-income households.
Review whether funding will require deed
restrictions, and whether the program should be
targeted only to lower-income homeowners who
otherwise could not afford to build an ADU.
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10 modify the zoning ordinance to rezone the Service
Commercial (SC) opportunity sites to Corridor Mixed
Use (CMU).
To facilitate accommodate all of the RHNA
allocation within the downtown area.
11 Modify the maximum height to allow structures up to
65 feet in the CMU, Service Commercial and Village
Station Core (VSC).
The increased height would affect 20 SC, 22
CMU, and 5 VSC sites, for a total of 47 of the 144
Housing Opportunity Sites. The amendment
would increase the maximum allowable floor
area ratio (FAR) and eliminate density maximum
metric for the CMU zone as well.
12 Complete required revisions to the Safety Element,
including compliance with AB 99 and SB 747.
To be conducted in collaboration with 21
Elements, with projected completion by June
2023.
13 Complete a comprehensive audit of the zoning
ordinance to ensure objective design standards meet
State law requirements.
Adopt any zoning amendments as needed.
14 Include information about housing resources and
rights, including fair housing and Section 8/Housing
Choice Vouchers, on a new City website.
To sync with AFFH actions.
15 Consistent with State law, amend the zoning
ordinance to ensure that projects proposed on reused sites from the prior Housing Element are allowed by right, if the developer provides at least
20% of the units as affordable.
Must be completed by January 31, 2024, but not
required if the reused site is upzoned.
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CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
Housing Element Update
April 22, 2022
274
OVERVIEW
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 2
Assessment of Fair Housing in Belmont
Belmont RHNA Summary
Housing Opportunity Sites Overview & Strategies
Summary of New Housing Programs
CEQA Preliminary Analysis
275
Fair Housing Assessment
3 AFFH FINDINGS AND ACTION PLAN
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“Prohibited
discrimination
concerning the sale,
rental, and financing of
housing based on race,
religion, national
origin, sex, (and as
amended) handicap &
family status.”
FAIR HOUSING ACT
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 4
1968
277
Defines Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) as:
"taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating
discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.” ASSEMBLY BILL 686
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 5
2018
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NEW AFFH HOUSING
ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 6
OVERVIEW
Outreach
Assessment of Fair Housing
Sites Inventory
ID & Prioritize Contributing Factors
Goals, Policies, & Actions
279
OUTREACH
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 7
AFFH REQUIREMENTS
• Incorporate public input & local knowledge into our
Assessment of Fair Housing
• Make efforts to reach underrepresented groups
• What is Belmont Doing?
• Community Outreach & Education
• Bilingual Community Surveys
• Housing Stakeholder outreach through 21 Elements
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ASSESSMENT OF
FAIR HOUSING
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 8
AFFH REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS
1. Fair Housing Outreach
& Enforcement
2. Segregation &
Integration Patterns
3. Disparities in Access
to Opportunity
4. Disproportionate
Housing Need &
Displacement
Overpayment
by Renters
(ACS, 2015-19)
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ASSESSMENT OF
FAIR HOUSING
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 9
POPULATION BY RACE
28% 30% 27%
6%
54%
39% 39%
4%
4% 5%
12%
24% 24%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Belmont San Mateo County Bay Area
Percent of Population
American Indian or Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic Asian / API, Non-Hispanic Black or African American, Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Other Race or Multiple Races, Non-Hispanic Hispanic or Latinx 282
ASSESSMENT OF
FAIR HOUSING
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 10
KEY FINDINGS
• Belmont struggles to provide the housing and
affordability needed by low- and moderate-income
households
• Compared to surrounding cities, Belmont offers better rental affordability, but renters are still cost burdened • BUT… only 18% of Belmont’s owner-occupied units are
priced below $1 million
• Persons of color are highly cost burdened
(Hispanic/Latinx households in particular) & often
live in overcrowded conditions (Asian households).
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ASSESSMENT OF
FAIR HOUSING
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 11
KEY FINDINGS
• Few residents file fair housing complaints,
indicating a potential lack of awareness about fair
housing rights:
• Lack of access to information about fair housing rights; Limited knowledge of fair housing by residents.
• Draft Opportunity Sites are in highly desirable
neighborhoods, have access to top schools and jobs
and commercial centers, and are accessible from
multiple modes of transit
• Initial Assessment: Draft Opportunity Sites are not
anticipated to create segregated living patterns
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SITES INVENTORY
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 12
AFFH REQUIREMENTS
• Contribute toward
replacing segregated
living patterns with
truly integrated &
balanced living
patterns
• Transform high
poverty
neighborhoods into
areas of opportunity Map available at
www.belmont.gov/housingelement
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SITES INVENTORY
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 13
AFFH REQUIREMENTS
Map available at
www.belmont.gov/housingelement
• Ensure all identified
housing sites shave
proximity to quality
education
institutions, good
jobs, transportation
options, other
healthy high resource
outcome areas
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ID & PRIORITIZE
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 14
AFFH REQUIREMENTS
• Determine factors contributing to the creation &
perpetuation of fair housing issues:
• Lack of access to information about fair housing rights • Lack of affordable housing for lower income households • Lack of funding & resources
• Ensure location of housing improves the quality of
life for residents of low-income communities, and
supports mobility and access to “high resource”
neighborhoods
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ID & PRIORITIZE
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 15
• Top housing challenges
• Would like to move but can’t
afford what’s available
• House/apartment not big enough for family
• Retaliation concerns if request
repairs
• Top neighborhood challenges
• Does not have good sidewalks, walking areas, and/or lighting • Can’t get to public transit easily or safely
• Public transit doesn’t go where I need when I need
AFFH SURVEY RESPONSES
• Other challenges
• When looking to rent, landlord
didn’t respond or said unit was
taken when showed up
• Have someone with a disability in
household
• Had to move when didn’t want to in
past 5 years, (9) resulting in kids
changing schools
• (16) Know someone who has been
discriminated against when looking
for housing
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GOALS, POLICIES,
& ACTIONS
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 16
AFFH ACTION PLAN
Identified Housing Issues Sample Actions
Lack of Fair Housing complaints City policy/action to improve access to fair housing information and outreach
Housing Discrimination or lack of
Reasonable Accommodations
Partner with regional housing
organizations like Project Sentinel
Cost burdened households City incentives to build lower-income units
Housing overcrowding Policies and financial support for construction of ADU units
Affordable housing applicants don’t
match demographics of residents Targeted outreach
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Draft Housing
Opportunity Sites
17 OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIES
290
• Outdated Regulatory
Landscape (1981
General Plan,
Downtown Specific
Plan)
• Restrictive Zoning
Standards (0.5 Floor
Area Ratio = lots of
parking lots)
Category Units
ADU’s 1
Above Moderate 15
Total 16
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 18
RHNA - 4
2009-2014
291
• Shift in community and
political support for
housing growth
• General Plan Update &
EIR, Belmont Village
Specific Plan (grant
funded), Corridor
Mixed-Use Zoning,
Inclusionary Zoning
• Housing Development
Boom!
Category Units
Very Low 22
Low 82
Moderate (ADU’s) 48
Above Moderate 356
Total 508
RHNA Comp +40!
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 19
RHNA - 5
2015-2023, 468+ Units
Still need 19 moderate, 94 very-low
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• DON’T PANIC!
• Focus on what is
working, zoning
changes to extend
current momentum (no
density max, increased
height/FAR)
• Leverage City resources
to support lower
income units
Category Units
Very Low 488
Low 281
Moderate (ADU’s) 283
Above Moderate 733
Total 1785
RHNA-5 Comp +1,317
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 20
RHNA - 6
2023-2030, 1,785 Units
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4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 21
Belmont Housing Success
LESSONS LEARNED
• Land Use Planning – Belmont established a vision
for development, clear and simple development
standards (BVSP)
• Environmental Review – General Plan and BVSP EIR
fast tracked Development Activity
• Financial Support – Affordable units NEED financial
assistance; leverage City assets to invest in 100%
affordable projects
• Political & Community Support – Crucial
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Housing Opportunity Sites
RHNA METHODOLOGY
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 22
• City has selected 144 urban infill sites within access to transit, Downtown jobs, services, and open spaces.
General criteria:
• No Sites with existing residential uses
• Underutilized parcels, lots of parking lots, aging commercial, properties subject to use turnover, project site clusters • Model future projects on actual development activity
(average densities):
• Small sites less than ½ acre average 59 du/acre
• Larger sites over ½ acre average 113 du/acre
• Assume small lot consolidation will continue with
zoning and legislative incentive for housing
295
Housing Opportunity Sites
METHODOLOGY
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 23
Plan for a buffer of approximately 1,515 units, for
a total of 3,300 units to ensure ongoing
compliance with the No Net Loss provisions of
State housing law.
Growth forecasts will exceed those in its 2017
General Plan and Belmont Village Specific Plan by
2022, ensure future consistency.
Anticipate better zoning utilization effort targeted
along the entire El Camino Real corridor.
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Potential Sites - East
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 29724
Potential Sites - West
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 29825
New Housing Programs
26 DRAFT SUMMARY
299
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 27
Housing Element Programs
NEW PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Preserving “at-risk” affordable housing units
Replacement Units
Leverage City Assets, New Funding
Fair Housing Education
Accessory Dwelling Units
300
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 28
Housing Element Programs
NEW PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Zoning and General Plan Updates
By-right affordable housing sites
Update Safety Element
Development Review Streamlining
Leverage City Assets, New Funding
301
CEQA
Environmental Review
29 PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
302
• Programmatic EIR analyzes building housing on
144 Draft Housing Opportunity Sites
throughout City
• Up to 3,300 dwelling units and up to 8,250 new
residents by 2031
• Conservative approach for full CEQA coverage
and streamlining later
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 30
CEQA Project Description
303
• Rezone Service Commercial (SC) sites to Corridor
Mixed Use (CMU)
• Rezone maximum height in CMU and Village
Station Core (VSC) to 65 feet
• General Plan amendment to increase maximum
allowable floor area ratio (FAR) and eliminate
density maximum metric for the CMU zone as well
CEQA ANALYSIS
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 31
Zoning and GP Amendments
304
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology and Soils
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous
Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Population and Housing
• Public Services and Recreation
• Transportation
• Tribal Cultural Resources
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire
CEQA
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 32
Preliminary Findings
Resources determined to have Less than Significant Impacts:
305
Significant Impacts requiring mitigation:
• Aesthetics. Transitional heights on El Camino Real
to adjacent neighborhoods
• Air Quality. Construction emissions and roadway
health risks.
• Noise. Groundborne vibrations during construction.
CEQA
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 33
Preliminary Findings
306
CEQA Process
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 34
Schedule
Late May: Publish Draft EIR with Draft Housing Element
May-June: 45-day Public Review Period
Interactive Map Open for Comments
Belmont.gov/housingelement
Early Fall 2022: Publish Final EIR/Response to Comments Late Fall 2022: Certify EIR
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NEXT STEPS & RESOURCES
4/26/2022 Housing Element Presentation 35
• May 3, 2022
Planning Commission Study Session
• Late May 2022
Release full Draft Housing Element & Environmental
Impact Report; Commence 45-day Public Review
• June 2022
PC and CC Review
• July 2022
Route to HCD
Take the survey!
belmont.gov/housingelement
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THANK YOU!
36 Please visit our website
Por favor visite nuestro sitio web
belmont.gov/housingelement
Questions?
¿Tiene preguntas?
[email protected]
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