Draft Housing Element Policies & Programs as of 7.19.22 The below policies reflect additions based on City Council and Planning Commission direction and input from the public; some ongoing or incomplete policies and programs from the RHNA 5 Housing Element Workplan will be carried over.
Please note that this list of policies will be refined and transferred into a workplan format of goals, objectives, and policies/programs that includes timelines for completion, lead division, and budget implications.
Theme: More housing, and more housing that is affordable to East Palo Alto residents
Objective: Incentivize affordable housing development.
Policy: Evaluate the feasibility and utility of an affordable housing overlay zone for nonprofit properties to incentivize affordable housing beyond available incentives in the state Density Bonus law.
Objective: Encourage smaller-scale housing that is relatively more affordable, including duplexes/triplexes and market-rate accessory dwelling units (ADUs.).
Policy: Develop a “next-phase” streamlining effort for ADUs and JADUs, SB 9 projects, and any future small-development, ministerial approval process that builds on lessons learned from the ADU Streamlining collaboration with EPACANDO and City Systems.
Policy: Study feasibility and desirability of reducing fees or delaying payment of fees for small projects, e.g. 2 or fewer units.
Policy: Develop a robust outreach and plan targeting smaller developers aimed at informing future applicants, creating a dialogue with local developers, and improving the quality of Planning applications received.
Policy or Program: Revisit feasibility of a preapproved ADU designs program or clearinghouse to facilitate streamlined review and reduce design costs of ADUs.
Objective: Incentivize production of deed-restricted ADUs to add to the City’s affordable housing stock.
Policy: Develop a formalized legalization process for unpermitted second units.
Policy: Research all available public and private sources of rehabilitation/repair funding and strengthen partnership with organizations in this area, i.e., Habitat for Humanity.
Policy: Leverage new sources of state funding, i.e., additional CalHome grants, to continue supporting low-income households to build deedrestricted affordable ADUs.
Objective: Develop long-term, sustainable funding sources that are flexible and may be used for affordable housing production and preservation and to prevent displacement and homelessness.
Policy: Pursue a 2022 ballot measure to increase and expand the City’s existing Gross Receipts Tax on rental residential properties.
Program: Develop an Affordable Housing Fund plan that lays out funding goals and priorities for the City’s affordable housing revenue sources for a finite period (1 to 5 years).
Program: Collaboratively (Planning and Housing) pursue state grant funds wherever possible to support affordable housing and address homelessness in the city.
Program: Seek “Prohousing” designation from HCD, which gives preference to the jurisdiction when applying for affordable housing funding.
Objective: Take reasonable measures to reduce overall processing times for residential development applications while maintaining robust community outreach and engagement.
Policy: Develop objective development and design standards that simplify and improve approval certainty and timing.
Policy or Program: Establish and implement a plan to address the SMCLAFCo Municipal Service Review and to resolve the delays to housing development caused by issues with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District.
Objective: Take reasonable measures to reduce the cost of development for fully affordable housing developments.
Policy: Study feasibility and desirability of fee waivers or delayed fee payments for fully affordable projects.
Policy: Study feasibility and desirability of reducing parking minimums for affordable projects.
Objective: Encourage housing on sites zoned for mixed use in the Ravenswood/4 Corners Specific Plan Area.
Policy: Develop a feasible minimum residential density requirement for sites identified in the sites inventory that are located in the Ravenswood/4 Corners Specific Plan Area.
Objective: Leverage available public lands for affordable housing development where feasible and beneficial to the community.
Program: Study and determine feasibility for redevelopment of Senior Center at 560 Bell St. to include affordable housing.
Program: Work with County of San Mateo to complete land swap and study and determine feasibility of the County developing affordable housing at 2277 University.
Program: Work with Sequoia Elementary School District to facilitate the development of the district-owned parcel as affordable teacher housing.
Objective: Build housing in areas zoned for exclusive retail use, where the market has made retail less feasible.
Policy: Study feasibility and desirability of Gateway 101 retail center as potential conversion to more mixed-use with additional housing.
Theme: More homeownership opportunities for East Palo Alto residents and stability for existing homeowners
Objective: Promote financial literacy as a means of encouraging homeownership and support first-time homebuyers.
Policy: Leverage all available federal funding support for downpayment and first-time homebuyer assistance.
Policy: Study feasibility of a City-led first-time homeowner program or partnership with HEART or EPACANDO.
Policy: Design financial literacy and/or first-time homeowner program that focuses on 1.) younger households seeking homeownership options and
2.) seniors looking to downsize.
Program: Study and determine how East Palo Alto residents can benefit from the California Dream for All downpayment program for first-time homebuyers.
Policy: Advocate for the above programs at regional level.
Theme: Promote stewardship and preservation of City’s existing affordable housing stock.
Objective: Ensure that the City’s deed-restricted affordable housing and BMR portfolio remain well-maintained and monitored.
Program: Continue working with EPACANDO and BAAHA on existing BMR Program contract and draft RFP for next phase of BMR Program management, including additional rental and for-sale inclusionary housing units.
Objective: Improve data on affordability of the City’s rental housing stock outside of the Rent Stabilized portfolio.
Program: Study feasibility of creating of a city rent registry.
Objective: Leverage County initiatives and resources to increase public awareness of affordable housing opportunities in East Palo Alto.
Program: Work with the County to list all affordable housing projects and inclusionary units on Doorway, a new regional platform for searching and applying for affordable housing.
Theme: Prevent displacement of East Palo Alto residents.
Objective: Connect the creation of new jobs in the city from commercial development to the creation of new housing at the appropriate affordability levels.
Policy: Develop a new requirement to build or produce new housing at specified levels of affordability based on a numerical linkage to office/R&D square footage in Ravenswood Business District (RBD).
Program: Participate in countywide nexus study to update the existing Commercial Linkage Fee.
Objective: Promote the preservation of existing housing stock and rehabilitation of housing that is at-risk due to age, structural deficiencies, etc.
Policy: Develop a preservation “strategy” that addresses funding sources, identification of properties, and partnerships that can lead to preservation of affordable housing in East Palo Alto.
Policy: Identify and maintain a list of at-risk and substandard buildings throughout the City and highest-priority rehab and repairs.
Policy: Develop recommendations for a City process for addressing code violations on residential properties, including, but not limited to, unpermitted second units.
Objective: Support housing stability of existing lower-income homeowners and enable the community’s seniors to age in place.
Policy: Research all public sources and potential city-level initiatives to assist low-income homeowners in East Palo Alto with major repairs and rehab to address acute safety issues.
Policy: Study models of foreclosure prevention at the local level in similarly-sized cities, whether through local investment or leveraging outside funding.
Objective: Promote community/cooperative ownership of land and housing in East Palo Alto
Program: Evaluate opportunities to support and/or leverage local community land trusts (CLTs) to create community ownership of new or preserved affordable housing, e.g. through scattered-site ADUs, small inclusionary projects, or preservation projects.
Objective: Prevent displacement due to high housing cost burden and barriers to housing, such as deposits.
Policy: Consider developing a direct financial assistance program for first and last month’s rent/deposit assistance.
Policy: Appropriate funds for direct emergency financial assistance to be administered by a qualified organization identified through an RFP process (Measure O).
Objective: Promote tenant education and create pathways to affordable rental and homeownership opportunities.
Policy: Release RFP for anti-displacement and tenant education services and work with awarded organizations to report at regular intervals (Measure O).
Policy: Study and develop an Opportunity to Purchase Act policy that builds on prior research and City Council direction in 2021-22.
Objective: Implement an effective Local Preference Policy.
Policy: Complete guidelines on City’s existing Local Preference Policy and create a designated section of the City’s Housing Division website that tracks which developments have Local Preference units.
Theme: Apply environmental justice principles in planning for new housing development.
Objective: Address water and sewer system constraints to housing production, to the extent they are within the City’s control, through targeted capital and governance improvements.
Policy: Develop a plan to resolve issues with EPASD to improve sanitary sewer infrastructure and allow much-needed housing units to be built.
Program: Complete the Water System Master Plan and complete the firstphase capital improvements in the plan.
Objective: Minimize new housing in highest-risk areas prone to flooding/sea level rise or due to environmental contamination.
Program: Develop environmental “overlay” with most up-to-date data to avoid housing in at-risk areas or with prescribed mitigation measures.
Theme: Promote safe and healthy housing in East Palo Alto.
Objective: Strengthen monitoring and enforcement of habitability issues.
Policy: Review the City’s ordinances and evaluate whether any changes or updates may be made to how the City addresses habitability complaints and concerns.
Objective: Incorporate amenities into multifamily housing that support households with children.
Policy: Study the most effective means of incentivizing or requiring childcare facilities in new affordable housing developments.
Theme: Create more housing opportunities for special needs households, including large households, people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and individuals with disabilities.
Objective: Incorporate special housing needs into City-supported future affordable housing developments.
Policy: In review of projects, require developers of affordable housing to demonstrate how they will serve these populations in their development.
Objective: Provide housing solutions for unhoused residents of East Palo Alto.
Program: Complete the Master Temporary Use Permit for temporary housing program rollout to provide housing for individuals experiencing homelessness in the community.
Program: Evaluate lessons learned and options for longer-term, holistic solutions to RVs parked in public right of way with the conclusion of the RV Safe Parking Program.
Program: Work with the County of San Mateo on a multi-year strategy to address homelessness in East Palo Alto.
Program: Research all available public funding sources to address homelessness and consider City investment of funds in homeless outreach and case management to supplement the countywide system.
Theme: Improve transparency and communication between the City and the public on housing issues.
Objective: Make the City website, social media, and newsletter a reliable source of housing information and make parallel efforts to reach residents through mailers and in-person meetings.
Program: Develop digital information plan on Housing and incorporate it into the City’s website, social media, and newsletter.
Policy: Create a budget for mailers and non-digital outreach on Housing workplan items at the start of each fiscal year.
Theme: Build City capacity for long-term housing planning and implementation of a range of Housing programs and initiatives.
Objective: Efficiently use staff resources to run effective programs while simultaneously implementing the Housing Element Workplan and other workplans the Housing Division is responsible for.
Program: Join with other cities in San Mateo County to share housing staff to support longer-term housing initiatives and programs.
Objective: Work in close collaboration with the Planning Division to more efficiently achieve both divisions’ goals and workplan items.
Program: Utilize existing SB 2 and other already-appropriated funding to collaboratively and update the City’s Development Code, with an emphasis on known inconsistencies with the objectives of the City’s General Plan.