Fremont City Council Meeting: 01/10/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Planning
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 4779) DOC ID: 4779
Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE - Citywide - PLN2022-00335 - Public Hearing (Published Notice; Display Ad) To consider the Planning Commission's Recommendation for a General Plan Amendment to Adopt the 2023-2031 Housing Element, an Eight-Year Plan to Meet the Housing Needs of Everyone in the Community, and to Consider a Finding that No Further Environmental Review is Required Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Per, Without Limitation, Each as a Separate and Independent Basis, CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, in that the Proposed Housing Element Update is Consistent with the Density Established by the General Plan, for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH#2010082060) was Previously Prepared and Certified, and CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), in that it Can be Seen with Certainty that There is No Possibility that the Proposed Housing Element Update would have the Potential for Causing a Significant Effect on the Environment. Additionally, Many Programs in the Housing Element Qualify as Being Statutorily or Categorically Exempt from CEQA Review Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378 (Definition of a Project), 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies), 15267 (Financial Assistance to Low or Moderate Income Housing), 15305 (Minor Alterations in Land), 15301 (Existing Facilities), and 15311 (Accessory Structures).
Contact Persons:
Name: Wayland Li Joel Pullen
Title: Principal Planner Planning Manager
Div/Dept: Planning
Phone: 510-494-4453 510-494-4436
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: Under State law, all local governments in California are required to adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community by adopting a Housing Element as part of their General Plan. State law also requires that local governments update their Housing Element every eight years to periodically address the changing housing needs of their communities, establish an action plan, and report on progress toward meeting their goals. All local jurisdictions in the Bay Area, including the City of Fremont, are currently updating their Housing Elements for the upcoming 2023 -2031 planning period.
The attached draft 2023-2031 Housing Element was shaped by over a year of community and stakeholder input and engagement and has been revised in response to comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to comply with State Housing Element law. On December 22, 2022, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and unanimously recommended that City Council adopt the 2023-2031 Housing Element. Staff is recommending that the City Council find that the draft 2023-2031 Housing Element is consistent with the City’s General Plan, furthers the public interest, convenience and general welfare of the City, and conforms with State Housing Element law, and adopt of Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 the draft 2023-2031 Housing Element.
BACKGROUND:
Update Process:
The preparation of a Housing Element is driven by specific statutory requirements under State law. Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 65580-65589.8, all local jurisdictions in California are required to update the Housing Element of their General Plans every eight years. For Bay Area jurisdictions, Housing Elements must be adopted by the start of the 2023-2031 planning period in January 2023. An adopted Housing Element must then be submitted to HCD to certify that the document meets all requirements under state law.
Fremont’s Housing Element update process has been a multi-year planning effort that began with participation in the development of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) methodology in 2019 and 2020, and was followed by extensive data collection, analysis and public engagement (described in further detail in the following section of this report).
In July 2022, staff released a draft Housing Element for public review and input consistent with Assembly Bill (AB) 215 (2021), which requires local governments to make the first draft available for public comment for at least 30 days and take at least ten additional business days to consider and incorporate public comments into the draft revision before submitting to HCD.
In August 2022, following the public review period, staff responded to comments and submitted a draft to HCD for review.
In October 2022, HCD provided the City with preliminary questions and comments regarding the draft Housing Element, and based upon those questions and comments, staff revised and republished the draft Housing Element with additional analysis and data.
In November 2022, HCD completed its review of Fremont’s draft Housing Element, and provided a comment letter (Informational Item 1) which indicated that the draft Housing Element met most statutory requirements of State Housing Element law, and identified a few revisions that would need to be made to bring the document into full compliance.
In December 2022, staff revised the draft in response to HCD’s comments and submitted this updated draft to the Planning Commission for consideration. On December 22, 2022, the Planning Commission recommended City Council adoption of the draft Housing Element.
After City Council adoption, the Housing Element would be submitted to HCD for certification. See additional information about the Planning Commission hearing below under “Council, Board, and Commission Meetings.”
Facilitating Public Participation:
In preparing the 2023-2031 Housing Element, staff strived to facilitate meaningful public participation from all segments of the community, particularly those with special housing needs. The current draft of the Housing Element has been informed by the public engagement process so far, as summarized below.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 3 Council, Board, and Commission Meetings:
Staff visited City Boards and Commissions, as well as City Council, to present information about the Housing Element update and to solicit input and recommendations.
• Joint City Council/Fremont Unified School District Board Meeting (February 7, 2022) • Human Relations Commission (February 28, 2022)
• CDBG Advisory Committee (March 16, 2022)
• Planning Commission (March 24, 2022)
• Senior Citizens Commission (March 25, 2022)
• Youth Advisory Commission (April 4, 2022)
• City Council (April 5, 2022)
• Recreation Commission (May 3, 2022)
• City Council, (July 12, 2022)
• Planning Commission (July 28, 2022)
Planning Commission Hearing of December 22, 2022:
On December 22, 2022, the Planning Commission conducted a noticed public hearing on the Adoption Draft of the 2023-2031 Housing Element and voted unanimously to recommend adoption to the City Council. There were three public speakers who discussed the effect of development impact fees on housing production, the mechanism for adjusting development impact fees based on inflation, the alignment of housing goals with sustainability goals to reduce vehicle miles travelled, and development proposals in the Warm Springs Innovation District. The Commission discussed how the City’s Housing Element compared to peer jurisdictions, the potential for translation of the Housing Element into other languages, and the likelihood of non-vacant commercial sites redeveloping during the planning period, encouragement of affordable housing. In making their recommendation, the Planning Commission incorporated minor amendments to the draft Housing Element, including adding responses to recent public comments, and several clarification items, as summarized in Informational Item 3 - Planning Commission Notes and Corrections Sheet. The Adoption Draft of the Housing Element has been updated to reflect those minor amendments.
Outreach to Lower-Income Residents:
Recognizing that lower-income residents may have limited accessibility to Board and Commission meetings due to schedules, language barriers, and technology issues, staff brought community outreach directly to residents. Specifically, staff held separate listening session events at homeless shelters and affordable housing developments:
• Listening Session at Sunrise Village Shelter. Sunrise Village is a homeless shelter for families with children and individuals in South Fremont. Staff visited Sunrise Village on May 18, 2022 to provide residents with an introduction to the Housing Element Update and hear their feedback on affordable housing and homelessness priorities.
The session was conducted concurrent with evening childcare activities at the shelter so that parents could attend.
• Listening Session at Pauline Weaver Senior Apartments. Pauline Weaver Apartments is an affordable housing development for seniors in South Fremont. Staff visited the complex on May 2, 2022 to provide residents with an introduction to the Housing Element Update process. Staff returned on May 23, 2022 to conduct a listening session to hear residents’ feedback and input regarding affordable housing development in the City.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 4
• Listening Session at Cottonwood Place. Cottonwood Place is an affordable housing development for seniors in Centerville. Staff visited Cottonwood Place on May 4, 2022 to provide residents with an introduction to the Housing Element Update process. Staff returned on May 25, 2022 to conduct a listening session to hear residents’ feedback and input regarding affordable housing development in the City.
• Listening Session at Oak Gardens. Oak Gardens is an affordable housing development for seniors, with services intended for seniors who are deaf and/or hard of hearing. On June 21, 2022, staff visited Oak Gardens to provide residents with an introduction to the Housing Element Update process. Staff returned on July 20, 2022 to conduct a listening session to hear residents’ feedback and input regarding affordable housing development in the City. The listening session was conducted in English, Mandarin, and American Sign Language (ASL).
Additional Outreach Efforts:
• Project Team Office Hours. Throughout the update process, the Housing Element project team has offered residents the opportunity to sign up for 30-minute one-on- one conversations to discuss the Housing Element update.
• Housing Element Workshop Event. The City partnered with Fremont For Everyone (FFE), Abode Services, and California YIMBY to host an educational event about the Housing Element update on April 27, 2022.
• Fremont Street Eats Table. Fremont Street Eats is a popular weekly food truck event held by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce every Friday from May through October.
On May 13, 2022, staff had a booth at Street Eats to engage residents in the Housing Element update process. Staff shared a poster about the Housing Element update and spoke with interested residents.
• Alameda County Assessor’s Office Homeowner Resource Fair. On May 25, 2022, the city provided a venue for a Tri-City Homeowner Resource Fair, which was focused on how homeowners could add an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to their property. In addition to co-presenting ADU information, staff shared a poster about the Housing Element update while tabling and spoke with interested residents.
• Developer Panel. On November 29, 2021, City staff, in partnership with the Alameda County Housing Collaborative, held a developer panel featuring both market-rate and affordable housing developers. Developers spoke about policies and programs that they felt were most effective at stimulating housing production.
• Community-Based Organizations Panel. On April 25, 2022, City staff, in partnership with the Alameda County Housing Element Collaborative, held a panel with representatives from seven local-community-based organizations (CBOs) with a focus on fair housing issues.
• Housing Element Open House. On August 3, 2022, the City hosted an open house and invited members of the community to discuss the public review draft of the Housing Element with staff.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 5
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
General Plan Conformance:
The City of Fremont’s 2011 General Plan establishes a vision for meeting the City’s hou sing needs through focused development near public transit. The Plan calls for the transformation of areas around the Fremont BART Station, the Centerville Train Station, the Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station, and the future Irvington BART station in to mixed use communities with new housing, offices, retail shops, public facilities, and open spaces. The General Plan places great emphasis on sustainability and infill development near transit, as well as the preservation and improvement of the City’s existing residential neighborhoods. The General Plan provides the policy framework to achieve these goals.
The City’s General Plan was prescient in its advocacy for affordable, transit -oriented housing. Today, the shortage of affordable housing is widely recognized as one of the greatest challenges facing Fremont and the Bay Area. The region’s housing costs are consistently the highest in the nation, potentially threatening its future economic vitality, environment, and quality of life. The housing shortage crisis has sparked a region-wide effort to make more efficient use of land in established communities and create a land use pattern that supports higher density housing and transit use. The updated Housing Element reinforces the General Plan’s emphasis on directing growth toward the core of the City where transit options and other services are more readily available.
Fremont’s updated Housing Element reflects the City’s continued commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing. Fremont needs housing that is affordable for teachers, public safety personnel, nurses, and child care workers and the retail and service workers that are the lifeblood of the local economy. Fremont also needs housing for seniors, people with disabilities, and others with limited mobility and fixed incomes. And the City needs housing for families in crisis and others who cannot find adequate shelter in the local marketplace. The innovative affordable housing policies of the 2015-2023 Housing Element doubled affordable housing production compared to the previous planning period. The 2023- 2031 Housing Element builds on that framework by calling for the development of new policies to further promote the development of affordable housing.
The 2023-2031 Housing Element update is also aligned with other General Plan goals and policies regarding Land Use, Mobility, Community Character and Conservation, as discussed below:
General Plan Policies Housing Element Policies
Land Use Policies 2-1.7 through 2-1.11
promoting Transit Oriented Development;
Land Use Policy 2-3.8 promoting higher
intensities near transit
Housing Element Policy 3.04 promotes
intensification of residential development
within urban neighborhoods around transit.
Mobility Policy 3-2.1 and 3-2.2, coordinating
land use choices and transportation
investments to create a community that
incentivizes public transportation rather than
private automobiles
Housing Element Policies 1.03 and 3.04
encourage intensification of residential
development within urban neighborhoods
around transit and associated infrastructure
improvements to facilitate access to transit.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 6 Community Character Policies 4-3.7 through
4-3.10, encouraging the use of design
guidelines to promote attractive
developments
Housing Element Policy 3.01 calls for the
development of regulations and standards
that reflect the community’s priorities.
Conservation Policies 7-9.1 and 7-9.2
emphasizing green building and energy
efficiency in building and site design
standards.
Housing Element Policy 3.01 encourages
development of regulations that promote a
balance between sustainability goals and
housing needs.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 7
HCD Review for Compliance with Housing Element Law:
Pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (b), HCD reviewed the draft Housing Element and reported the results of its review (Informational Item 1). In HCD’s November 2022 letter, HCD acknowledged that the City’s draft element addresses most statutory requirements and identified several revisions to comply with State Housing Element Law. The following changes were identified by HCD, in order to bring the City’s housing element into compliance with Article 10.6.
HCD Comment Pages City Response
Nonvacant Sites: For your information,
since nonvacant sites accommodate 50
percent or more of the lower-income
need, the housing element must
describe “substantial evidence” that the
existing use does not constitute an
impediment for additional residential
use on the site. Absent findings (e.g.,
adoption resolution) based on
substantial evidence, the existing uses
will be presumed to impede additional
residential development and will not be
utilized toward demonstrating adequate
sites to accommodate the RHNA.
N/A A finding that existing uses do not
constitute an impediment for additional
residential use on inventory sites has
been included in the resolution for
adoption of the Housing Element.
Program 63 (Prioritize Affordable
Housing on Public Property): While the
program commits to promote surplus
properties, it should also commit to a
specific schedule of actions with discrete
timing to facilitate development on
public lands. Examples of actions
include coordination with property
owners, disposing of land or leasing
land, removing barriers, assisting in site
preparation, facilitating entitlements,
assisting with funding, issuing permits
and alternative actions if lands do not
move forward with development by a
specified date. HCD will send sample
language under separate cover.
8-33,
2-30
A specific schedule of actions was
provided to facilitate the development of
the City-owned property located near
the intersection of Decoto Road and
Fremont Boulevard. Other City-owned
sites were deleted from the sites
inventory. Additional actions were
specified for the Fremont BART parking
lot site.
Electronic Sites Inventory: For your
information, pursuant to Government
Code section 65583.3, the City must
submit an electronic sites inventory with
its adopted housing element. The City
must utilize standards, forms, and
definitions adopted by HCD. The City
can reach out to HCD at
[email protected] for technical
N/A An electronic sites inventory will be
submitted to HCD with the adopted
Housing Element.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 8 HCD Comment Pages City Response
assistance.
Constraints on Housing for Persons with
Disabilities: The element must include
an analysis of potential constraints on
housing for persons with disabilities, as
follows:
Reasonable Accommodation: The
element describes the City’s reasonable
accommodation procedure, including
listing approval findings. However, the
element must analyze the approval
findings. Specifically, the procedure
requires a finding that the
accommodation does not result in
“substantial detriment of the residential
character of that neighborhood”. The
element should evaluate whether this
finding acts as a constraint and add a
program to address identified
constraints.
5-15,
2-35
Analysis has been added on page 5-15.
On page 2-32, Program 69 has been
modified to commit to the development
of objective findings for reasonable
accommodations. Specifically, the City
shall remove language from the fifth
finding that currently requires subjective
judgement regarding “the substantial
detriment of the residential character of
that neighborhood.” The objective
findings shall facilitate the speedy
approval of reasonable accommodation
requests to facilitate the development of
housing opportunities for people with
disabilities.
Definition of Family: The element
describes the City’s definition of family
and concludes the definition is not a
constraint on housing for persons with
disabilities. However, the element must
include analysis to support this
conclusion. For example, the City’s
definition requires persons to have
made a social, economic and
psychological commitment to each
other. The element should evaluate
potential impacts of this provision on
housing for persons with disabilities and
add or modify programs to address
identified constraints.
5-15,
2-35
Analysis has been added on page 5-14.
The City has reviewed published
guidance from 21 Elements and Mental
Health Advocacy Services, Inc.
regarding the definition of a family to
support housing for people with
disabilities. On page 2-32, Program 69
has been modified include revision of
the definition of “family” to explicitly
include the residents of residential care
facilities and group homes for people
with disabilities.
Program 69 (Barriers for Large
Residential Care Facilities): The
program commits to amend zoning to
permit group homes for seven or more
persons by-right in multifamily and
mixed-use zones. However, the
program should also commit to allow
these uses in lesser intensity residential
zones (e.g., single-family) and should
clarify these uses will only be subject to
objective standards to facilitate approval
certainty similar to other residential
uses of the same type.
2-35 On page 2-32, Program 69 has been
modified to commit to allowing group
homes by-right in all residential zones,
subject only to objective standards to
facilitate approval certainty.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 9 HCD Comment Pages City Response
Programs: The element includes many
meaningful actions to affirmatively
further fair housing (AFFH). However, in
most cases, these actions should also
include geographic targeting and
metrics or numerical outcomes. For
example, Program 3 (Minor Home
Repair) could geographically target
areas of higher need or relatively lower-
incomes and include a numerical
outcome (e.g., number of units). HCD
will send sample program approaches
under separate cover.
2-5,
2-5,
2-6,
2-18,
2-21
The City has modified multiple AFFH
programs to incorporate additional
geographic emphasis and numerical
outcomes, as follows:
• Program 2: Added geographic
emphasis on neighborhoods with
highest incidence of substandard
housing.
• Program 3: Added numerical
outcome and annual reporting on
the geographic distribution of
awards to ensure equity.
• Program 5: Revised program to
prioritize rezonings in neighborhoods
with greatest amount of
overcrowding.
• Program 33: Further refined
geographic emphasis on highest-
resource neighborhoods.
• Program 39: Added numerical
outcome and geographic emphasis
on specific LMI neighborhoods.
While the element discusses how
internal consistency will be achieved
with other elements of the general plan
as part of the housing element update
(p. 1-1), it should also discuss how
internal consistency within the general
plan will be maintained throughout the
planning period. For example, the
element could discuss how internal
consistency is evaluated as part of
general plan updates or amendments or
as part of the annual progress report
pursuant to Government Code section
65400.
5-9,
2-44
Additional information has been added
to page 5-9 to describe how general
plan consistency is analyzed whenever
the City Council considers General Plan
Updates and Amendments, and as part
of the General Plan Annual Progress
Report submitted to HCD and OPR
pursuant to Government Code Section
65400.
A new program (Program 91) has been
added to audit the Warm Springs
Innovation District zoning and prepare a
study to ensure consistency with the
general plan designation, which may
include allowing housing development
by-right within additional WSI zoning
districts. The City shall amend zoning to
correct inconsistencies. If the City
identifies vertical inconsistencies that
apply more broadly within other City
zoning designations, the City will
address those as well.
Compliance with Housing Element Law:
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 10 Under legislation enacted in recent years, jurisdictions face a number of new consequences for not having a certified Housing Element. If a city does not comply with State housing law, it can be brought under litigation– by individuals, developers, third parties or the State. In addition to facing significant fines, a court may limit local land use decision-making authority until the jurisdiction brings its Housing Element into compliance. Additionally, local governments may lose the right to deny certain projects.
Conversely, an HCD-certified housing element makes cities eligible for numerous sources of funding, such as Local Housing Allocations, Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Grants, SB 1 Planning Grants, CalHOME Program Grants, Infill Infrastructure Grants, Pro-Housing Design funding, Local Housing Trust Funds, Regional Transportation Funds (such as MTC’s OneBayArea Grants). The City has worked with HCD and engaged with community stakeholders to create a Housing Element that is consistent with State law.
FISCAL IMPACT: There are costs associated with implementation of many Housing Element programs. For those programs that are continued from the previous Housing Element, costs are already annually incorporated in the City’s operating budget and are funded from various sources, including the Community Planning Fee paid by building permit applicants; affordable housing funds; grant funds; and General Fund resources allocated to the Planning Division. New programs in the Housing Element can also be largely accommodated from these sources. As noted previously, having a certified Housing Element also has a beneficial fiscal impact as it makes the City eligible for multiple State funding streams for purposes including long-range planning, affordable housing, and public works/transportation.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The proposed Housing Element update is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per, without limitation, each as a separate and independent basis, CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 and/or 15162, in that the proposed Housing Element update is consistent with the density established by the General Plan, for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH#2010082060) was previously prepared and certified, none of the circumstances necessitating further environmental review are present , and/or CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), in that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed Housing Element update would have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Additionally, many programs in the Housing Element qualify as being statutorily or categorically exempt from CEQA review pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378 (Definition of a Project), 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies), 15267 (Financial Assistance to Low or Moderate Income Housing), 15305 (Minor Alterations in Land), 15301 (Existing Facilities), and 15311 (Accessory Structures).
The determination that no further environmental review is required pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) is supported by the following, without limitation:
1. The 2023-2031 Fremont Housing Element Project includes City policies and programs to update its prior 2015-2023 Housing Element to meet its RHNA allocation, but does not grant any entitlements or authorizations to build new housing.
2. The 2023-2031 Fremont Housing Element does not provide for, nor does it forecast housing development that would exceed the amount of housing previously analyzed in the 2011 City of Fremont-certified Environmental Impact Report for the Fremont General Plan Update (SCH No. 2010082060).
Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 11
3. The 2023-2031 Fremont Housing Element’s Policies and Programs would not cause a significant effect on the environment.
The City contracted with a CEQA consultant to document the above CEQA determinations in greater detail. Refer to Exhibit B (CEQA Determination Memorandum) for additional information.
LINKS:
Link to Exhibit A – 2023-2031 Housing Element:
https://www.fremont.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/12229/63807989491 1070000
Note: Revisions to the Draft Housing Element based on preliminary HCD comments and questions in October 2022 are noted in red underline. Revisions based on the November 2022 HCD Comment letter are noted in purple underline.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Resolution
• Exhibit B - CEQA Determination Memorandum
• Informational Item 1 - HCD Findings Letter
• Informational Item 2 - Summary of revisions based on preliminary HCD comments • Informational Item 3 - Planning Commission Notes and Corrections Sheet • Informational Item 4 - Draft 12.22.22 Planning Commission Minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Hold public hearing;
2. Find that the amendments are exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per, without limitation, each as a separate and independent basis, CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 and/or 15162 in that the proposed Housing Element update is consistent with the density established by the General Plan, for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH#2010082060) was previously prepared and certified and none of the circumstances necessitating further environmental review are present; and/or CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), in that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed Housing Element update would have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment, and additionally, many programs in the Housing Element qualify as being statutorily or categorically exempt from CEQA review pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378 (Definition of a Project), 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies), 15267 (Financial Assistance to Low or Moderate Income Housing), 15305 (Minor Alterations in Land), 15301 (Existing Facilities), and 15311 (Accessory Structures);
3. Find that the 2023-2031 Housing Element is consistent with the General Plan;
4. Find that the adoption of the 2023-2031 Housing Element furthers the public interest, convenience, and general welfare of the city;
5. Adopt a resolution amending the General Plan to adopt the 2023-2031 Housing Element (Exhibit “A”); and
6. Direct staff to apply for available grant funding to support implementation of Housing Council Staff Report (ID # 4779) Meeting of January 10, 2023 Updated: 1/5/2023 4:51 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 12 Element programs.