Prior Action:
January 7, 2019 The WRCOG Executive Committee received and filed.
Fiscal Impact:
This item is informational only; therefore, there is no fiscal impact.
Attachment:
None.
219 B3 Attach #3 of 3
220 B3 Attach #3 of 3
Item 7.A
Western Riverside Council of Governments
Technical Advisory Committee
Staff Report
Subject: Report from the League of California Cities
Contact: Erin Sasse, Regional Public Affairs Manager, League of California Cities, [email protected], (951) 321-0771
Date: February 21, 2019
The purpose of this item is to provide an update of activities undertaken by the League of California Cities.
Requested Action:
1. Receive and file.
This item is reserved for a presentation from the League of California Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager for Riverside County.
Prior Action:
February 4, 2019: The Executive Committee received and filed.
Fiscal Impact:
This item is for informational purposes only; therefore, there is no fiscal impact.
Attachment:
None.
221 B3 Attach #3 of 3
222 B3 Attach #3 of 3
Item 7.B
Western Riverside Council of Governments
Technical Advisory Committee
Staff Report
Subject: Census Update – Report from UCR and Riverside County Contact: Sono Shah, UCR, [email protected], and Jason Farin, Riverside County Executive Office, [email protected], (951) 955-1124
Date: February 21, 2019
The purpose of this item is to provide an update on current efforts by Riverside County and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) on initial outreach and coordination efforts related to the 2020 Census.
Requested Action:
1. Receive and file.
The 2020 Decennial Census represents a significant event for all regions in the United States, particularly Riverside County. The population counts from the Census are key inputs into diverse topics such as Congressional Redistricting and the allocation process for Federal Grants and other funds. As such, it is critical that there is a full and accurate count of everyone in Riverside County.
To ensure that the 2020 Census accurately records all the residents of Riverside County, the County of Riverside and the UCR Center for Social Innovation have partnered on a joint effort to develop a framework to facilitate this process. The County of San Bernardino is also participating in this effort.
Much of this initial work is related to the establishment of a Complete Count Committee for the Inland Empire, which will include representatives of Riverside County, San Bernardino County, non-profits, and other interested parties. The Complete Count Committee will primarily be responsible for outreach and coordination activities.
Staff from UCR (Sono Shah) and the Riverside County’s Executive Office (Jason Farin) will be providing a presentation on these and other initial efforts related to the 2020 Census. This update is anticipated to be the first in a series of updates over the remainder of 2019 and 2020 as needed.
Prior Action:
None.
Fiscal Impact:
This item is for informational purposes only; therefore, there is no fiscal impact.
Attachment:
None.
223 B3 Attach #3 of 3
224 B3 Attach #3 of 3
Item 7.C
Western Riverside Council of Governments
Technical Advisory Committee
Staff Report
Subject: Presentation on Riverside County Efforts to Address Homelessness Contact: Natalie Profant Komuro, Deputy County Executive Officer – Homelessness Solutions [email protected], (951) 955-1145
Date: February 21, 2019
The purpose of this item is to provide an update on Riverside County’s on-going efforts related to homelessness.
Requested Action:
1. Receive and file.
Homelessness is a critical issue for Riverside County, which touches on all government agencies in the WRCOG subegion. What is particularly challenging regarding homelessness is that it is simultaneously a national and local issue, requiring significant coordination between multiple agencies, departments and even private parties, such as non-profits to address.
In 2018, Riverside County created a new staff position, Deputy County Executive Officer – Homelessness Solutions, and hired Natalie Profant Komuro for the role to oversee the issue of homelessness within the County. Ms. Profant Komuro began working in homeless services in 1987. Prior to coming to Riverside County, she led planning at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for ten years and then spent eleven years as the Executive Director of a comprehensive non-profit working with homeless families and individuals in Glendale.
Ms. Profant Komuro will provide an update on the County’s current efforts regarding homelessness. Staff anticipates that this update will be the first of recurring updates on this key issue.
Prior Action:
None.
Fiscal Impact:
This item is for informational purposes only; therefore, there is no fiscal impact.
Attachment:
None.
225 B3 Attach #3 of 3
226 B3 Attach #3 of 3
Item 7.D
Western Riverside Council of Governments
Technical Advisory Committee
Staff Report
Subject: Options for Potential WRCOG Assistance for Regional Housing Needs Assessment Update
Contact: Christopher Gray, Director of Transportation & Planning, [email protected], (951) 405-6710 Date: February 21, 2019
The purpose of this item is to provide an update on potential approaches to assist WRCOG member jurisdictions for the upcoming development of the Sixth Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).
Requested Action:
1. Discuss and provide input.
Background
The state-wide housing crisis is creating challenges locally in housing the subregion’s growing population, complying with changing legislation, meeting RHNA targets, and avoiding growing risks of non-compliance.
New bills are likely to continue to emerge in a variety of areas aimed at increasing housing production. For example, greater attention is being given at the state-level to impact fees, perhaps indicating interest in imposing a cap on fees. There have also been discussions within the legislature regarding the withholding of gas tax funds or other transportation funds from agencies which are not meeting their RHNA targets.
Newly elected Governor Gavin Newsom’s campaign platform centered on a plan to solve California’s housing crisis and a proposal to construct 3.5 million new units across the State in the next six years. Consistent with this plan, the Governor’s 2019-2020 Budget provides significant funding for Housing. Governor Newsom recently took a bold stance behind this platform by bringing a lawsuit against the City of Huntington Beach, accusing the City of deliberately blocking affordable housing.
The new legislation and the Governor’s actions may be contributing to an adversarial relationship between the State and local cities, though cities likely recognize the great need to address the housing crisis. A report, The Cost of Not Housing, synthesizes some of the most pertinent issues that stem from the housing shortage, and makes it clear that many local jurisdictions would likely agree that housing is a top priority, though there is significant disagreement in how to best provide housing needs on a regional basis. Additionally, much of the efforts at the statewide level are oriented towards the imposition of “one size fits all requirements” rather than developing incentive-based programs or developing more nuanced solutions.
WRCOG’s Planning Directors Committee met on February 14, 2019, and discussed potential solutions and long-term changes to the RHNA process. Based on a request from multiple member agencies, staff is currently developing a White Paper regarding housing issues in the WRCOG subregion which also touches on potential changes to RHNA. However, it is unlikely that there will be any significant changes to RHNA in time to substantively impact the next RHNA cycle.
227 B3 Attach #3 of 3
RHNA Cycle 6 Assistance Options
Information provided by SCAG indicates that the next cycle of RHNA updates will commence in the fall of 2019 for incorporation into the SCAG 2020 RTP/SCS. Staff expects that this cycle will proceed using a similar process to previous updates, in which local agencies will be provided with their targets. As in previous cycles, local agencies will have opportunities to review and comment on their targets. Staff has identified three potential options for how WRCOG can best assist member agencies during the upcoming RHNA process.
First, as with many issues, WRCOG could facilitate information sharing within its member agencies. This process might include scheduling presentations by SCAG staff, facilitating discussions, etc. This approach is one which WRCOG has taken previously during previous RHNA update cycles. This approach would likely use WRCOG’s existing staff and Committee structure to implement and would not likely require additional funds.
As a second option, WRCOG and our consultants could provide technical assistance to member agencies to facilitate their review of RHNA data. In the fall of 2018, WRCOG offered this type of assistance to members to review SCAG’s initial growth projections. Seven member agencies requested this assistance. Providing more direct technical assistance would likely require some level of cost sharing with member agencies.
The third and final option involves more direct assistance through the Subregional Delegation process. Under the Subregional Delegation Process, WRCOG would utilize consultant services to allocate the SCAG assigned housing targets in participating member agencies, rather than the traditional practice of SCAG leading the allocation. SCAG has allocated $1,500 per jurisdiction which elects to participate in the Subregional Delegation process, which is likely insufficient to cover all associated costs, meaning that some type of cost sharing process would be required for any agency wishing to participate in this process. Both the City of Riverside and the County of Riverside have requested that staff consider the SCAG RHNA Delegation process.
Staff is currently reviewing the draft guidelines for Subregional Delegation and seeking additional information from others who have exercised this option in the past. There are significant questions regarding the likely cost of an effort and legal implications that need to be addressed. WRCOG will need to formally notify SCAG of any decision regarding the Subregional Delegation process by June 2019.
Staff is evaluating each of the options above and will report back to member agencies in the March/April timeframe with a recommendation on how to proceed for their review and approval.
Prior Action:
None.
Fiscal Impact:
This item is for informational purposes only; therefore, there is no fiscal impact.
Attachment:
None.
228 B3 Attach #3 of 3