DATE:
March 21, 2023
TO:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
FROM:
Charles S. Bryant, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
Housing Committee’s Annual Report On Committee Goals, Principles And Accomplishments For Calendar Year 2022; And Proposed Committee Priorities For Calendar Year 2023
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council accept this report on the Housing Committee’s accomplishments in 2022 and proposed priorities for 2023 Committee Goals and Principles
The Housing Committee provides input and recommendations regarding City policies, priorities and feedback related to the City’s housing policies and programs.
Accomplishments for Calendar Year 2022
The Housing Committee’s highlighted priority for 2022 was the development and review of the 2023-2031 Housing Element of the General Plan. The Housing Committee met several times to discuss and provide feedback on the Housing Constraints Chapter, the Housing Resources Chapter, and on the entire draft 2023-2031 Housing Element. The City Council approved the 2023-2031 Housing Element on December 12, 2022.
Additional accomplishments for 2022 include the following:
In February 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve the 2021 annual progress report on 2015-2023 Housing Element progress. This report describes implementation of programs in 2021, and housing production from the beginning of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (“RHNA”) implementation period, which began on July 1, 2014. The City Council approved the 2021 Housing Element Annual Report on March 15, 2022.
Additionally, in February 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve the fiscal year 2020-2021 annual report of the Housing Successor Agency. This report describes housing assets and activities of the Housing Successor that occurred in 2020-2021. City Council also approved the FY 2020-2021 Housing Successor Annual Report on March 15, 2022.
In April 2022, the developer (EAH, Inc.) of 4300 San Pablo Avenue provided an update to the Housing Committee on the project, a 69- unit, 100% affordable intergenerational housing project for seniors and transitional aged youth. Subsequently, in June 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve the programming and services component of the development. In September 2022, the City Council approved the Land Disposition and Development Agreement In June 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve the Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) for the redevelopment of the Christie Sites. Subsequently, in October 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed a summary of the proposals and provided a recommendation to the City Council for the first choice and second choice developer. The RFQ/P required that the Christie Avenue Sites have over 300 housing units with at least 25% of the units affordable to low-income households. The City Council approved the RFQ/P in July 2022 and the first and second choice developers in November 2022. The Christie Avenue sites housing project will be 100% affordable with over 360 rental units.
In June 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve the 2022 Housing Affordability Table for Sales Prices, Rent, and Income Limits, pursuant to the Affordable Housing Program. The City updates the Housing Affordability Table annually based on the State of California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) annual release of Alameda County income limits. The City Council approved the 2022 Housing Affordability Table in June 2022.
In August 2022, the Housing Committee reviewed and recommended that the City Council submit an application for Prohousing Designation to the California Housing and Community Development Department for enacting favorable zoning and land use policies, policies to accelerate the production of housing, reduction of construction and development policies, and providing financial subsidies. The Prohousing designation will provide incentives, in the form of additional points or preferences, in the scoring of competitive applications for housing and infrastructure. The City Council approved the application for Prohousing Designation in September 2022.
In addition to the aforementioned accomplishments, the Housing Committee also discussed the following items:
Proposal from Wareham Development to set aside 10 live/work units in the Hollis Street Building as Below Market Rate (BMR) units for low income households to earn Community Benefit bonus points for the EmeryStation Overland project. This project received approval from the City Council on July 19, 2022.
Review of the entitlement applications, entitlement approvals, permit issuances and certificates of occupancy for residential developments from January–June 2022.
The RFQ/P for the redevelopment of the Adeline Sites, which was approved by City Council in July 2022. The RFQ/P has a goal to redevelop the site for extremely low and very low-income individuals.
The goals and priorities for the Housing Committee in 2022. The Housing Committee had several new committee members at the start of the new fiscal year, so it was important for the Committee to review the priorities that had been established.
Top Priorities for Calendar Year 2023
The City’s Housing Committee has a broad list of activities that they will review and provide recommendations on related to City sponsored affordable housing projects, implementation of the 2023-2031 Housing Element, and the Housing Bond Administration and Expenditure Plan. The Housing Committee has recommended prioritizing the following in 2023:
First Highlighted Priority
Homebuyer Assistance Programs – For many households, down payment assistance programs help make home buying more affordable and can reduce the racial wealth divide. The First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program has not been heavily utilized in the past ten years due to changes in the market, so the Housing Committee would like to first focus on revising the program guidelines to make the program more accessible and usable in today’s market. The revision of the First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program is also an action item within the 2023-2031 Housing Element and a program with funding dedicated from the Housing Bond Administration and Expenditure Plan.
Second Highlighted Priority
Rental Preservation Program – The Housing Committee would also like to focus on the maintenance and preservation of existing rental housing projects in Emeryville and has opted to make the Rental Preservation Program their second priority for 2023. The Rental Preservation Program will provide low interest rate loans to existing rental property owners to improve the habitable conditions of the rental units occupied by very-low to moderate income households. This program has funding dedicated from the Housing Bond Administration and Expenditure Plan and is a program within the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
Other Priorities
Other activities the Housing Committee anticipates taking action on or discussing in 2023 include:
2022 Housing Element Annual Report
2021/2022 Housing Successor Annual Report
2023 BMR Housing Affordability Table
Housing Element Program C. Objective Standards
Housing Element Program J. Homeowner Retention Programs Programming and Design of the Christie Avenue Site
Redevelopment of Adeline Site
Conclusion
The Housing Committee has remained an engaged and a productive advisory body in 2022. The Housing Committee is very eager to continue to discuss various housing issues in Emeryville and advise the City Council on housing policy issues.
PREPARED BY: Valerie Bernardo, Community and Economic Development Coordinator II REVIEWED BY: Chadrick Smalley, Deputy Director of Community Development Approved and Forwarded to the
City Council of the City of Emeryville:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
Housing Committee Annual Report
City Council Meeting | March 21, 2023
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM