TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH
San Mateo County
Christine Krolik, Mayor 1600 Floribunda Avenue
Sophie Cole, Vice Mayor Hillsborough, CA 94010
Marie Chuang, Councilmember www.hillsborough.net
Leslie Marden Ragsdale, Councilmember Phone 650-375-7400 Alvin L. Royse, Councilmember
A G E N D A
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
2:00 PM SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Hillsborough Town Hall and Zoom Video Conference
Meetings of the City Council are held in-person. As a courtesy, and in compliance with applicable state law, staff and members of the public may participate in the special meeting in person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom Video Conference.
Members of the City Council may participate remotely from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Government Code section 54953.
To attend the meeting in person:
1600 Floribunda Avenue, Hillsborough, CA 94010.
To provide Public Comment in person:
Members of the public wishing to speak on the agenda item are requested to complete a yellow speaker card and submit it to the City Clerk.
To participate in the meeting via Zoom Video Conference:
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Meeting ID: 892 4429 9456
Passcode: 789430
To provide Public Comment via Zoom Video Conference:
Live verbal public comments may be made on the special meeting agenda item by requesting to speak using the “raise hand” feature in Zoom or, if calling in by phone, by pressing *9 on the telephone keypad prior to the close of the public comment period for the item. In response, the Town will unmute the speaker and allow them to speak up to three minutes.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING (2:00 pm)
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
This portion of the agenda is for Councilmembers to disclose any conflict of interest related to any item on the agenda. Any Councilmember who has confirmed a conflict of interest or has reason to believe they have a conflict of interest should disclose the conflict for the record and abide by the disqualification requirements contained in FPPC regulations.
Special Meeting Agenda – Hillsborough City Council
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
IV. OLD BUSINESS
1. REVIEW REVISIONS TO DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT PER CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION ON MAY 11, 2023 AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON
SUBMITTAL TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT (HCD)
1a. Receive Staff Presentation
1b. Take Public Comment
1c. Council Discussion
V. ADJOURNMENT
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
If you need a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in the City Council meeting, or if you need an agenda in an alternate form, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 375-7412 at least 24 hours before the scheduled City Council meeting.
ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL:
Members of the public may provide written comments to the City Council regarding any item on the agenda up to two hours before the meeting to [email protected] or by mail/in person at 1600 Floribunda Avenue, Hillsborough, CA 94010. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda prior to the deadline, except as exempt from public disclosure under applicable law, will be available for public inspection on the Town website, and in the City Clerk’s Office at 1600 Floribunda Avenue, Hillsborough, CA 94010, during regular business hours. During the meeting, members of the public may provide public comments on a consent calendar item, any other agenda item, or on non-agenda items during the general public comment portions of the meeting. All members of the public will be limited to one comment per item or non-agenda item. All oral comments made at public meetings, including a speaker’s name, are recorded and included as part of the public record in the meeting minutes. Meeting minutes are publicly accessible via the Town website and via various internet search engines. Written comments, including a commenter’s name, are a public record and subject to disclosure on the Town website and/or upon request pursuant to the California Public Records Act (with personal contact information including personal email addresses and personal phone numbers redacted).
AUDIO / VISUAL ADVISORY:
Those persons who wish to use PowerPoint or other mediums when presenting to the City Council will be required to submit media items to the City Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Media items can be emailed to [email protected].
AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDINGS:
Please be advised that under the Brown Act, any person has the right to record the City Council meeting, including the audience in attendance, using an audio or video recording device subject to certain exceptions. Please be aware that by attending a City Council meeting, you may be audio or video recorded.
TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH
San Mateo County
1600 Floribunda Avenue
Hillsborough, CA 94010
1 OLD BUSINESS
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
ITEM SUBJECT: REVIEW REVISIONS TO DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT PER CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION ON MAY 11, 2023 AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON SUBMITTAL TO
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (HCD) SUMMARY: On March 9, 2023, the Town submitted a revised second draft of the Housing Element Update to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). On May 8, 2023 the Town received the second letter from HCD providing comments on the revised submittal.
This letter from HCD (Attachment 1) stated that the Town’s draft housing element addresses most statutory requirements described in the first letter issued by HCD (January 10, 2023); however, additional revisions are necessary to fully comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code). The letter outlines the remaining revisions needed to comply with State Housing Element Law. Additionally, the letter stated that HCD would like to acknowledge the Town’s new strategy to ensure that there are opportunities to develop multifamily housing. These opportunities are critical for promoting housing mobility and provide for a variety of housing types including rental housing.
At the City Council meeting on May 11, 2023, staff provided an overview of the May 8, 2023 letter from HCD and answered questions. Following public comment, staff was directed to make revisions to the draft housing element update to respond to the comments in the HCD letter.
No changes were directed or made to the Town’s overall strategy to meet the Town’s Cycle 6 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The revisions are primarily related to additional data and analysis in order to comply with State Housing Element Law.
Staff is bringing the revised draft document back to Council for review to ascertain that the direction provided on May 11, 2023, has been implemented as intended. Additionally, staff is requesting direction from the Council on submittal of the draft housing element to State HCD.
No changes were directed or made to the Town’s overall strategy, distribution of units, or identification of opportunity sites. The Town remains confident that it can meet its RHNA obligation and the housing needs of current and future residents by utilizing the five approaches detailed below and the corresponding policies, goals, and actions detailed in Section 10: Housing Plan.
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Agenda Staff Report - Hillsborough City Council
September 27, 2023
DISCUSSION:
As noted above, no changes were directed or made to the Town’s overall strategy to meet the Town’s Cycle 6 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The revisions are primarily related to additional data and analysis in order to comply with State Housing Element Law.
No revisions were made to the following sections:
Section 1: Purpose of the Housing Element and History of the Town Section 2: Public Participation
Section 3: Review and Revision of Past Performance
Section 4: General Plan Consistency
Section 5: Housing Needs
Section 7: Housing Resources
Revisions were made to the following sections to respond to HCD comments:
Section 6: Housing Constraints
Section 8: Housing Opportunities
Section 9: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
Section 10: Housing Plan
All revisions are reflected in yellow highlight in Attachment 3.
The following is a summary of the changes outlined in the HCD letter received on May 8, 2023 and discussed at the City Council Meeting on May 11, 2023. HCD indicated these revisions are necessary to bring the Town’s housing element into compliance with Article 10.6 of the Government Code.
Housing Constraints: Expand analysis of potential constraints and demonstrate local efforts to remove governmental constraints related to land-use controls, parking standards, fees and exaction, Local Processing and Permit Procedures, Housing for Persons with Disabilities -2-
Agenda Staff Report - Hillsborough City Council
September 27, 2023
Housing Opportunity Sites:
• Demonstrate the adequacy of these sites and strategies to accommodate the 244 units for lower-income households. Expand analysis of Realistic Capacity, Suitability of Non-vacant Sites, and Sites Inventory.
Quantified Objectives:
• The element must include quantified objectives estimating the number of housing units by income category that can be constructed, rehabilitated, and conserved over a five-year time period.
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH):
• Expand analysis of the sites for each of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) categories relative to the existing patterns; with the inclusion of new multifamily sites, this analysis should be evaluated based on the number of units per site by income group (number of households)
• Sites with Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types: Revise to address Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) units, mobile homes, and manufactured housing. • Address how the Town will ensure sufficient and suitable capacity for emergency shelters.
Housing Plan:
• Action 1.1(b) (Municipal Code Update): Expand to add that amendments will be made if analysis the analysis finds standards to be “potential constraints to cost, supply, or affordability to development” as replacement language.
• Action 1.4(e) (Emergency Shelters): Amend as appropriate to include specific and measurable actions.
• Action 3.2 (a) (Encourage Site Redevelopment – Recreation and School): Expand program to include specific actions, commitments, and/or incentives to facilitated development on these sites. This could include a clear procedure for approval of applications, development standards, or other criteria to facilitate the development of multifamily housing. • Action 3.3 (Facilitate the Development of the Town Hall Campus) and Action 3.4 (Facilitate the Development at the Tobin Clark Housing Opportunity Site): The element must commit to rezoning these sites. In addition, the program must commit to coordination with the City of San Mateo and the College of San Mateo to ensure that vehicle access to the Tobin Clark Housing Opportunity Site can be achieved as part of the development.
NEXT STEPS:
In compliance with AB 215 requirement, the Town is required to post the draft revision on the Town’s website at least seven days before submitting the draft revision to HCD.
Staff is requesting direction from the City Council to submit the finalized document to HCD as soon as the 7 day public posting is complete.
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Agenda Staff Report - Hillsborough City Council
September 27, 2023
The revised draft Housing Element (Attachment 2) was posted on Monday September 25, 2023, and therefore, if the directed by City Council to do so, staff can submit the revised document to HCD on Monday, October 2, 2023. Subsequent reviews by HCD will take up to 60 days, so if submitted on October 2, 2023, the Town could expect the next letter from HCD on/by Friday, December 1, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. The fiscal impact of the CEQA work will be provided to the City Council when the award of contract is considered.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Town is in the process of preparing the necessary environmental review for the Town of Hillsborough RHNA 6 Housing Element Update. Prior to the time that the City Council is required to adopt the Town of Hillsborough RHNA 6 Housing Element Update, CEQA review will have been completed and will be available to the City Council for consideration prior to any discretionary action of the City Council to adopt the housing element.
ATTACHMENT:
1. HCD Letter received on May 8, 2023
2. Revised Draft Housing Element (clean version):
https://www.hillsborough.net/DocumentCenter/View/5534/20230925-Revised-Draft-HousingElement-clean
3. Revised Draft Housing Element (revisions highlighted in yellow) PREPARED BY: Liz Ruess, Planning Manager
RECOMMENDATION: Provide staff with direction on submittal of the draft housing element to State HCD.
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA - BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DIVISION OF HOUSING POLICY DEVELOPMENT
2020 W. El Camino Avenue, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 263-2911 / FAX (916) 263-7453
www.hcd.ca.gov
May 8, 2023
Ann Rizma, City Manager
Town of Hillsborough
1600 Floribunda Avenue
Hillsborough, CA 94010
Dear Ann Rizma:
RE: Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle (2023-2031) Subsequent Draft Housing Element Thank you for submitting the Town of Hillsborough’s (Town) draft housing element received for review on March 9, 2023. Pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (b), the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is reporting the results of its review. In addition, HCD considered comments from Dave Pine of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Hillsborough Housing Element Advisory Committee (HEAC), Cameron Douraghy, Hillsborough Citizen’s Alliance (HCA), and David Kellogg pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (c).
The draft housing element addresses most statutory requirements described in HCD’s January 10, 2023, letter; however, additional revisions are necessary to fully comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code). The enclosed Appendix describes the remaining revisions needed to comply with State Housing Element Law. HCD would like to acknowledge the Town’s new strategy to ensure that there are opportunities to develop multifamily housing. These opportunities are critical for promoting housing mobility and provide a for a variety of housing types including rental housing.
For your information, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1398 (Chapter 358, Statutes of 2021), if a local government fails to adopt a compliant housing element within 120 days of the statutory deadline (January 31, 2023), then any rezoning to make prior identified sites available or accommodate the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) shall be completed no later than one year from the statutory deadline pursuant to Government Code sections 65583, subdivision (c) and 65583.2, subdivision (c). Otherwise, the local government’s housing element will no longer comply with State Housing Element Law, and HCD may revoke its finding of substantial compliance pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (i). Please be aware, if the Town fails to adopt a compliant housing element within one year from the statutory deadline, the element cannot be found in substantial compliance until these rezones are completed.
ATTACHMENT 1
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Ann Rizma, City Manager
Public participation in the development, adoption and implementation of the housing element is essential to effective housing planning. Throughout the housing element process, the Town should continue to engage the community, including organizations that represent lower-income and special needs households, by making information regularly available and considering and incorporating comments where appropriate.
Please be aware, any revisions to the element must be posted on the local government’s website and to email a link to all individuals and organizations that have previously requested notices relating to the local government’s housing element at least seven days before submitting to HCD.
Several federal, state, and regional funding programs consider housing element compliance as an eligibility or ranking criteria. For example, the CalTrans Senate Bill (SB) 1 Sustainable Communities grant, the Strategic Growth Council and HCD’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, and HCD’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation consider housing element compliance and/or annual reporting requirements pursuant to Government Code section 65400. With a compliant housing element, the Town meets housing element requirements for these and other funding sources.
For your information, some general plan element updates are triggered by housing element adoption. HCD reminds the Town to consider timing provisions and welcomes the opportunity to provide assistance. For information, please see the Technical Advisories issued by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research at:
https://www.opr.ca.gov/planning/general-plan/guidelines.html.
HCD appreciates the continued dedication and hard work the Hillsborough Housing Element team provided during the course of our review. We are committed to assisting the Town in addressing all statutory requirements of State Housing Element Law. If you have any questions or need additional technical assistance, please contact Anthony Errichetto, of our staff, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Melinda Coy
Proactive Housing Accountability Chief
Enclosure
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Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle Subsequent Draft Housing Element Page 1 May 8, 2023
APPENDIX
TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH
The following changes are necessary to bring the Town’s housing element into compliance with Article 10.6 of the Government Code. Accompanying each recommended change, we cite the supporting section of the Government Code.
Housing element technical assistance information is available on HCD’s website at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/hcd-memos. Among other resources, the housing element section contains HCD’s latest technical assistance tool, Building Blocks for Effective Housing Elements (Building Blocks), available at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-andcommunity-development/housing-elements/building-blocks and includes the Government Code addressing State Housing Element Law and other resources.
A. Housing Needs, Resources, and Constraints
1. Affirmatively further[ing] fair housing in accordance with Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 8899.50) of Division 1 of Title 2…shall include an assessment of fair housing in the jurisdiction (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (c)(10)(A)) Site Inventory: The element includes some discussion and the analysis of the sites for each of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) categories relative to the existing patterns; however, with the inclusion of new multifamily sites, this analysis should be evaluated based on the number of units per site by income group (number of households). Based on this analysis, the Town may need to add additional programs to promote housing mobility (beyond the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)).
2. An inventory of land suitable and available for residential development, including vacant sites and sites having realistic and demonstrated potential for redevelopment during the planning period to meet the locality’s housing need for a designated income level, and an analysis of the relationship of zoning and public facilities and services to these sites. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (a)(3).)
The Town has a RHNA of 554 housing units, of which 244 are for lower-income households. To address this need, the element relies on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), SB-9 lot splits, and nonvacant multifamily sites for redevelopment. To demonstrate the adequacy of these sites and strategies to accommodate the Town’s RHNA, the element must include a complete analysis:
Realistic Capacity: The element was not revised to address this finding. Please see HCD’s prior review for additional information.
Suitability of Nonvacant Sites: The element was not revised to address this finding.
Please see HCD’s prior review for additional information.
Sites Inventory: For your information, there seems to be some discrepancy in Table
8.12 with other site inventory summation tables such as Table 8.11. -7-
Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle Subsequent Draft Housing Element Page 2 May 8, 2023
Sites with Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types: The element was not revised to address this finding regarding Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) units, mobile homes, and manufactured housing. Please see HCD’s prior review for additional information.
Furthermore, as stated in HCD’s prior review, please be aware that Chapter 654, Statutes of 2022 (AB 2339) adds specificity on how cities and counties plan for emergency shelters and ensure sufficient and suitable capacity. Future submittals of the housing element may need to address these statutory requirements. For additional information and timing requirements, please see HCD’s memo at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/ab2339- notice.pdf.
3. An analysis of potential and actual governmental constraints upon the maintenance, improvement, or development of housing for all income levels, including the types of housing identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), and for persons with disabilities as identified in the analysis pursuant to paragraph (7), including land use controls, building codes and their enforcement, site improvements, fees and other exactions required of developers, and local processing and permit procedures. The analysis shall also demonstrate local efforts to remove governmental constraints that hinder the locality from meeting its share of the regional housing need in accordance with Government Code section 65584 and from meeting the need for housing for persons with disabilities, supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency shelters identified pursuant to paragraph (7). (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (a)(5).) Land-Use Controls: While the element identifies a few land-use controls as potential constraints (e.g., setbacks, permitted uses, heights), it must also identify the existing standards of all land-use controls and analyze them independently and cumulatively with other land use controls. For example, the analysis should specifically address requirements related to height limits, lot coverages, and limits on allowable densities.
The analysis should address any impacts on cost, supply, housing choice, affordability, timing, approval certainty and ability to achieve maximum densities and include programs to address identified constraints.
Parking Standards: While the element acknowledges a constraint related to covered parking space requirements, as stated in HCD’s prior review, it must describe and analyze all parking requirements for potential constraints and add programs to address identified constraints resulting from such analysis.
In addition, the revised element added Action 1.4(g) to comply with AB-2097 to minimize parking requirements in areas served by transit, however, the element should clarify what areas of the Town would qualify and to what degree this action addresses constraints identified as part of the analysis of parking standards. Action 1.4(g) should be revised as appropriate.
Fees and Exaction: While the revised element analyzed the total cost of fees in the Town related to other jurisdictions in the region, it should also list all the required fees (i.e., development impact fees, planning fees, permitting fees, etc.) and identify their -8-
Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle Subsequent Draft Housing Element Page 3 May 8, 2023
total amount. In addition, the element should identify the total amount of fees and their proportion to typical housing development costs.
Local Processing and Permit Procedures: The element sufficiently describes permit processing procedures for single-family residential uses; however, it must also provide such procedures for multifamily residential uses. The element must add a new Action with discrete timing and specific commitment to establish such permit processing procedures for multifamily uses (i.e., approval bodies, design reviews, public noticing requirements, approval findings, etc.).
In addition, the element acknowledges Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), if required, often add up to an additional year to the permit process. The element should include an evaluation of this procedure and add programs to address identified constraints as appropriate. Finally, the element should address public comments on this revised draft submittal and discuss compliance with the Permit Streamlining Act and intersections with CEQA and timing requirements, including streamlining determinations and add or modify programs as appropriate.
Housing for Persons with Disabilities: While the revised element describes procedures and approval findings for reasonable accommodations, it must also analyze them for constraints on housing for persons with disabilities as well as any other sitting requirements. For example, the element should analyze approval findings for objectivity and add programs to address subjective language.
The element added Action 1.4(a) to address HCD’s prior finding regarding group homes of seven or more persons; however, to be sufficient the Action should specify what zones will allow the use and what will the procedure for these types of development be in those zones. The Action must ensure group homes of seven or more persons are not excluded from residential zones, including those of low-density.
Please also note that requiring these housing types to obtain a special use or conditional use permit (CUP) could potentially subject housing for persons with disabilities to higher discretionary standards unlike other residential uses.
B. Housing Programs
1. Identify actions that will be taken to make sites available during the planning period with appropriate zoning and development standards and with services and facilities to accommodate that portion of the city’s or county’s share of the regional housing need for each income level that could not be accommodated on sites identified in the inventory completed pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) without rezoning, and to comply with the requirements of Government Code section 65584.09. Sites shall be identified as needed to facilitate and encourage the development of a variety of types of housing for all income levels, including multifamily rental housing, factory-built housing, mobilehomes, housing for agricultural employees, supportive housing, singleroom occupancy units, emergency shelters, and transitional housing. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (c)(1).)
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Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle Subsequent Draft Housing Element Page 4 May 8, 2023
As noted in Finding A2, the element does not include a complete site analysis; therefore, the adequacy of sites and zoning were not established. Based on the results of a complete sites inventory and analysis, the Town may need to add or revise programs to address a shortfall of sites or zoning available to encourage a variety of housing types. In addition, the element should be revised as follows:
Action 1.4(e) (Emergency Shelters): The element was not revised to address this requirement. Please see HCD’s prior review for additional information. The program should be amended as appropriate to include specific and measurable actions.
Action 3.2 (a) (Encourage Site Redevelopment – Recreation and School): The program should include specific actions, commitments, and/or incentives to facilitated development on these sites. This could include a clear procedure for approval of applications, development standards, or other criteria to facilitate the development of multifamily housing.
Action 3.3 (Facilitate the Development of the Town Hall Campus) and Action 3.4 (Facilitate the Development at the Tobin Clark Housing Opportunity Site): Pursuant to Table 9.17, the Town is expecting to rezone the Town Hall Campus site and the Tobin Clark Housing site to accommodate a portion of the RHNA for lower income. The element must commit to rezoning these sites pursuant to Government Code section 65583.2, subdivision (h) and (i). In addition, the element states that access to the site is through the City of San Mateo and San Mateo College. The program must commit to coordination with these entities to ensure that vehicle access to the site can be achieved as part of the development.
2. Address and, where appropriate and legally possible, remove governmental and nongovernmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing, including housing for all income levels and housing for persons with disabilities. The program shall remove constraints to, and provide reasonable accommodations for housing designed for, intended for occupancy by, or with supportive services for, persons with disabilities. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (c)(3).) As noted in Finding A3, the element requires a complete analysis of potential governmental constraints. Depending upon the results of that analysis, the Town may need to revise or add programs and address and remove or mitigate any identified constraints. In addition, the element should be revised as follows:
Land-Use Controls: While the revised element acknowledges multiple constraints related to land-use controls (i.e., setbacks, permitted uses, building heights), programs must be added to sufficiently address the identified constraints.
Action 1.1(b) (Municipal Code Update): The element acknowledges minimum lot sizes and degree slope requirements as a constraint and added Action 1.1(b) to analyze average slope and minimum lot size and amend if likely to result in “increased development;” however, amendments should be made if analysis the analysis finds standards to be “potential constraints to cost, supply, or affordability to development” as replacement language.
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Town of Hillsborough’s 6th Cycle Subsequent Draft Housing Element Page 5 May 8, 2023
Parking Standards: While the revised element acknowledges the minimum two garage space parking requirement as a constraint, it should also add a program to address the identified constraint.
3. Promote and affirmatively further fair housing opportunities and promote housing throughout the community or communities for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, color, familial status, or disability, and other characteristics protected by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2), Section 65008, and any other state and federal fair housing and planning law. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (c)(5).)
As noted in Finding A1, the element requires a complete AFFH analysis. Depending upon the results of that analysis, the Town may need to revise or add programs. In addition, while actions now have milestones it must also include geographic targeting and metrics, or numerical targets and it should address potential displacement.
C. Quantified Objectives
Establish the number of housing units, by income level, that can be constructed, rehabilitated, and conserved over a five-year time frame. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (b)(1 & 2).)
As stated in HCD’s prior review, the element must include quantified objectives estimating the number of housing units by income category that can be constructed, rehabilitated, and conserved over a five-year time period. See previous review. -11-
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ATTACHMENT 2
Attachment 2, the Revised Draft Housing Element (clean version) is available at https://www.hillsborough.net/DocumentCenter/View/5534/20230925-Revised-DraftHousing-Element-clean -13-
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6 HOUSING
CONSTRAINTS
ATTACHMENT 3
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DRAFT FOR HCD REVIEW
Introduction
Statue requires that an update to a jurisdiction’s Housing Element includes an assessment of housing constraints—specifically constraints to the production of housing for persons of all income levels and disabilities—as such an assessment might provide a basis for actions that local governments can take to offset such effects. The Town of Hillsborough is committed to supporting the development of adequate housing at all income levels, and in tandem with this commitment is the reality that various factors exist which constrain the development of such housing in the Bay Area. These factors can include governmental constraints (e.g., zoning and other similar development standards), and non-governmental constraints (e.g., the cost of development and the availability of readily developable land.) The Housing Element Update analyzes housing needs in Hillsborough, the resources available to meet those needs, and the governmental and non-governmental constraints that tend to work against increasing the supply of affordable housing. The identification and analysis of these constraints have informed the Town of Hillsborough’s development of appropriate programs that mitigate these constraints, as provided in Section 10, Housing Plan. Goals, policies, and action programs have been crafted to facilitate the Town’s use of its limited financial resources and buildable land to maximum advantage to encourage development and facilitate the creation of a variety of housing types and income levels.
Governmental Constraints
Land Use Constraints
Local ordinances and policies are intended to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of residents; however, it is necessary to periodically evaluate these ordinances and policies to ensure that they are accomplishing their intended purpose while not imposing a barrier to inclusive housing development.
General Plan
The Town of Hillsborough incorporated in 1910. One of the reasons that the founders of the Town originally decided to incorporate was to preserve the character of the community. This desire to preserve the character continues today. Hillsborough is a community that is proud of its low density and primarily single-family residential character. The Town of Hillsborough updated its General Plan in 2005. Even at that time, the plan indicated that the lack of available land as a constraint to housing development. Most of the town is developed to the density allowed by the General Plan. Development is further constrained due to limited land use categories. The General Plan's five basic land use designations include: Residential (R), Public Facilities and Services (PFS), Private Schools (PS), Open Space and Conservation (OSC), Private Recreational (PR). Currently, the General Plan’s limited definition of Residential land use is a constraint to housing diversity.
Currently, the General Plan’s limited definition of Residential land use is a constraint to housing diversity.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: To remedy this, Hillsborough will update its General Plan to align with the Housing Element and proposed changes to allowed housing types as discussed in the Housing Opportunities section of this document.
Zoning Ordinance
The Town of Hillsborough is unique compared to other cities in California in that it consists mainly of low density single-family residential development, with a minimum lot size of ½ acre, with no commercial or industrial uses. Historically, multi-family housing opportunities have not been permitted in the town. The zoning ordinance is adopted to implement the goals, objectives, policies, and programs of the General Plan and to manage future growth and development in accordance with that plan. Priorities of the zoning ordinance include:
A. Implement the goals, objectives, policies, and programs of the general plan and to manage future growth and development in accordance with that plan;
B. Conserve and protect the natural resources, natural beauty, and significant environmental amenities of the town; C. Promote adequate light, air, privacy, and open space for each dwelling; Hillsborough Housing Element | Constraints on Housing Production Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
83 -16-
DRAFT FOR HCD REVIEW
D. Retain the scale and character of existing residential neighborhoods.
The only non-residential uses within the Town are public facilities, parks and open space land, private and public schools, the Burlingame Country Club (BCC) and the Hillsborough Racquet Club. The zoning categories reflect the Town's low-density residential, large lot, single-family character. Commercial and industrial land uses are prohibited.
Land-Use Controls: The Town’s Municipal Code HMC Section includes adopted land use controls for single-family development to protect and promote the public health, safety, comfort, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare of residents in the town Density: Historically, multi-family housing opportunities have not been permitted in the town. The potential development on vacant lots is limited by the maximum allowed density of one single-family dwelling per ½ acre.
Lot size & FAR requirements: The minimum lot size is ½ acre (21,780 sq. ft). The maximum allowable FAR is 25% and the Town’s Municipal Code currently includes a minimum of 2,500 sq. ft. for the primary dwelling.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: The Town’s existing minimum dwelling size requirement is considered potential constraint because it sets minimum requirements. To remove this constraint, the Town has included Action 1.5 (a): Eliminate the minimum required residential structure size.
Allowed Uses. Currently, the following uses are allowed in the Town:
• Permitted Uses
• Single-family dwelling
• Country club
• Public buildings, parks, playgrounds, or other facilities owned by the town • Duly franchised or municipal public utility
• Telecommunications structures and equipment
• Public schools
• Open space owned by the town and intended to be kept unimproved • Second units
• Uses Permitted with a Special Permit
• Home businesses
• Private schools
• Commercial film production
• Fundraising event
• Uses Permitted as Required by Overriding State or Federal Law • Family day care home for children in a single-family residence • Residential care facility for the elderly in a single-family dwelling • Transitional and supportive housing as defined respectively in California Health and Safety Code Sections 50675.2(h) and 50675.14(b)
• Emergency Shelter
Development Stadards
Zone Height Lot
Width
Front
Setback
Side
Setback
Rear
Setback
Min. Lot
Size
Max FAR Req.
Parking
Min. Open
Space
RD-1 32 150 ft 25-30 ft* 20 ft 20 ft 20 ft 25% 2* 50%
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Setbacks: For single-family dwellings, street-line (front) setbacks are typically 25-30 feet, depending on the width of the right of way, and interior (side/rear) setbacks are always 20-feet.
Height: The overall allowable height of a single-family dwelling is 32-feet, with application of the building envelope profile, similar to a daylight plane. A building envelope shall be established at every setback line, out of which no structure except chimneys shall penetrate. The envelope shall commence at existing grade at all setback lines, rising to a height of twenty-two feet directly above grade, then extending at a slope of forty-five degrees inward (away from the property line) to a maximum height of thirty-two feet measured from a warped plane parallel to existing grade.
Structural Coverage, Lot Coverage & Open Space: The maximum allowable lot coverage for a single-family lot is 50% and that includes the combined total area of structural coverage and hardscape. The other 50% must be utilized for Landscape/Softscape to serve as Open Space. “Structural coverage” consists of areas of the lot covered by a house, a garage, a carport, and any other accessory structure having more than one wall and a roof. Hardscape is considered a non-structural "Impervious surface" that prevents the passage of water into the underlying soil or otherwise significantly increases runoff, such as: concrete, asphalt, brick or other stone materials set in sand or concrete.
Parking: Every single-family dwelling shall have at least the following number of parking spaces, depending on the number of bedrooms in the dwelling:
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: The Town’s existing parking requirement is considered potential constraint because it sets minimum requirements, however, given the consistent pattern of development and the community’s desire to have enclosed garage parking, the parking requirement is not acting as a barrier to development. However, in compliance with AB-2097, the Housing Plan includes Action 1.4 (g): Amend the Town’s parking requirements for development within one-half mile of a major transit stop consistent with Government Code Section Government Code Section 65863.2. There is only one major transit stop that qualifies, located near the corner of El Camino Real and Floribunda. Approximately 1258 parcels within Town limits would fall within one-half mile of this bus stop.
The Zoning Ordinance is easily accessible on the Town Website as it is hosted by Municode.
Land Use Controls - Conclusion: Staff has evaluated the individual land use controls as well as the cumulative effect of development standards on the development of housing and achieving densities after considering how all standards and/or ordinances relate to each other. The land use controls included in the zoning ordinance are considered potential constraints because they set minimum and maximums for the built environment, however, given the consistent pattern of development, the existing land use controls are not acting as a barrier to development. Due to the single-family residential nature of the existing development in Town, these land use controls do not impact housing affordability, housing choice, or the ability to achieve maximum densities.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: To provide housing choice and opportunities, the Town is proposing to rezone two Town-owned sites for multi-family (including SROs) development and has received letters of interest from two private landowners for developing multi-family housing on their sites, as described in depth, in the Housing Opportunities Section of this document. These are the first multi-family zones in the Town’s history. The proposed objective design standards for the two multi-family sites are currently being developed and are expected to be adopted by July 2024, as noted in Action 3.3 (g) and Action 3.4 (f). These standards will be carefully developed using site modeling, in order to ensure the minimum densities described in this Housing Element and that none of the standards for multi-family sites will serve as constraints or barriers to development.
Additionally, the Town has added Action 1.5(c) to clarify that manufactured and mobile homes with a permanent foundation are included in Hillsborough’s zoning definition of single-family dwelling.
Parking standards for multi-family sites will not impede a developer’s ability to achieve maximum densities, and will include Number of bedrooms Required minimum number of parking spaces 1 - 3 Two garage spaces
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provisions to provide parking reductions where less need is demonstrated, particularly for persons with disabilities, the elderly, affordable housing, and projects with Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Programs.
Height limitations for multi-family sites will not constrain a development’s ability to achieve maximum densities.
ADU Standards
The Town has seen an increase in the development of accessory dwelling and junior accessory dwelling units (ADUs/JADUs) with three-year trend of an average of 49 ADU building permits issued per year. The Town has established three tiers of review for ADUs; ministerial review, ADU Permit Review, and an ADU Exception Review. The ministerial review is consistent with State Law, for ADUs that are limited to 800 square feet of floor area, 16 feet in height (unless otherwise allowed under state law), and setbacks of 4 feet or more. The ADU Permit Review is for ADUs that exceed the limitations of the ministerial review in terms of square footage, height, and/or setbacks, but comply with all of the objective standards outlined in HMC Section 17.52. The ADU Exception Review is for An ADU or JADU that does not comply with every applicable standard in Section 17.52.020. The applicant may opt into the exception review and request a discretionary design review of the ADU or JADU. Information referring to the ADU requirements within Hillsborough is located on the Town’s website. The website gives a comprehensive review of the ADU requirements for the Town of Hillsborough. Included on the website is the ADU Application and Building Permit Application, as well as a helpful flowchart which outlines the process from start to finish for construction of an ADU.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: While these development standards are a constraint in that they provide a framework and apply some control over the development of ADU, these constraints do not act as a barrier to development. The Town has a successful track record of ADU development and with the implementation of the ADU-related goals, policies, and actions outlined in the Town’s Housing Plan, the Town will further facilitate and encourage development and facilitate the creation of ADUs in a variety of sizes and income levels.
Hillside Development Standards
The potential for new units is also limited by the Town’s “Hillside Development Standard.” In order to retain the scenic quality of hillsides and reduce the hazards to persons and property from erosion and landslides, allowable density is reduced on a slidingscale basis for sites with slopes greater than 10 percent according to the degree of slope. This scale ranges from 2 units per acre on slopes of less than 10 percent to 0.5 units per acre on slopes greater than 40 percent. Currently, the slope-density requirement is a constraint to housing development.
All the Hillside Development Standards are located in the Residential Design Guidelines which were adopted in 2004 and amended in 2006. The Residential Design Guidelines include information about styles, site planning, facades, roofs, windows and doors, landscaping, and materials and finishes among others. These guidelines are located on the Town Website under the Planning Division.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: To remedy this, the Town’s proposed Housing Plan outlined in this document includes an Action
1.1(b) to analyze the increased subdivision opportunities created by updating chapter 16 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code (Subdivisions) and modify existing subdivision standards pertaining to average slope and minimum lot size in a manner that protects public safety and considers the potential erosion and landslide hazards on steeply sloped sites. If the study indicates that the change would likely result in increased development and have minimal impact to public safety, the Town will modify existing subdivision standards pertaining to average slope and minimum lot size. Additionally, if the analysis finds standards to be potential constraints to cost, supply, or affordability to development, amendments will be made.
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Summary of Zoning Ordinance Related Housing Constraints On- and Off-site Improvements
Hillsborough does not require sidewalks; however, for new construction and substantial remodeling (50% of the existing structure or more), the Town requires the installation of a parking strip along the street frontage. Because most future housing will be constructed on infill lots where streets are already in place, the street improvement requirement will not be a significant constraint to the construction of new housing. For new subdivisions, all streets within the subdivision and one-half of the width of streets adjacent to the subdivision are the responsibility of the developer.
Developers are also required to provide water and connections to sewer and storm drainage facilities. The associated fees include; Sewer Capital Construction Development Fee (per lot), Water Capital Construction Development Fee (per lot), Water Meter Upgrade and Service Tap, Grading Permit (per lot), Grading Bond Deposit (per lot, based on Applicant’s Engineer's Estimate for Grading and Erosion Control), Erosion Control (per lot), and an Encroachment Permit (per lot).
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: These are not considered constraints to housing development because they are necessary to safe and sanitary housing and are generally required in all other cities in San Mateo County.
Slope stabilization measures are required for new construction on all sites with slope gradients above 10 percent. While technically these requirements may be considered constraints as there are development costs associated with the provision of these required improvements, the improvements are necessary to ensure safe and sanitary housing and are generally required in all other cities in San Mateo County.
Table 6.1: Zoning Ordinance Related Housing Constraints Standard Constraint? Explanation
Related
Policy, Goal,
and/or
Action
Permitted Uses Yes
Currently, multi-family housing is only allowed on institutional sites in Hillsborough including the private and public schools and Burlingame Country Club. Elsewhere in the community, the only housing types allowed are single-family detached homes, ADUs, and JADUs. This is a constraint to the development of a variety of housing types. To address this, the Town will amend the its zoning regulations to accommodate a variety of housing types.
Goal 1.5
Standard: Other
Dimensional
Standards (setbacks,
height, structural
coverage, lot
coverage)
Potentially
The Town's setback, height, structural coverage, and lot coverage standards are not a barrier to the development of single-family housing however the Town does not currently have standards for multifamily housing. As Hillsborough develops the objective design and development standards that future multifamily development will be held to, special consideration will be given to ensuring required setbacks, height limits, structural coverage, and lot coverage standards do not constrain development potential.
Action 3.2(a)
Action 3.3(g)
Action 3.4(f)
Residential
Structure Size Yes
Currently, the minimum required square footage of a single-family detached home is 2,500 square feet. This is a constraint to the development of a variety of housing types. To address this, the Town will amend its zoning ordinance to eliminate the minimum residential structure size requirement.
Action 1.5(b)
Parking Yes
Currently, Hillsborough requires a minimum of two garage parking spaces for every dwelling. This is a constraint to the development of housing. To address this, the Town will amend its zoning ordinance to comply with AB-2097 which requires the elimination of parking requirements in transit-rich areas.
Action 1.4(e)
Hillside
Development Yes
Currently, the Town requires an increase in total lot area based on the slope of a parcel. This is a constraint to the development of housing. To address this, the Town will amend its hillside development standards after conducting a thorough assessment to ensure public safety remains protected.
Action 1.1(b)
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Mitigation of Potential Constraint: They are noted here as affecting development but are not viewed as a local governmental constraint for the purposes of this analysis.
Permit-Procedures and Processing Times
Housing is developed in Hillsborough through the subdivision of larger parcels, construction of individual houses on existing lots (both replacement of older homes, additions to existing homes, and net-new homes), and construction of accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units. Planning review for land use entitlement and Building review to ensure that all pertinent life/ health/safety codes are met for the structure(s) can be obtained on average in approximately six to nine months.
Subdivision: The Town’s subdivision regulations reflect the complicated and unique features of the land such as site access, soils, and drainage capacity. A subdivision proposal includes the following steps:
• Step 1: Conceptual review - The City Council shall hold a public hearing and review the preliminary environmental analysis prepared by the planning staff, the report of the city engineer, and the conceptual plan prepared and presented by the applicant; • Step 2: The applicant submits a tentative map application to the city engineer. The applicant also submits to the director of building and planning any environmental information required; • Step 3 (if necessary): The initial study and/or environmental assessment are conducted and the most appropriate CEQA document relating to the proposed application will be prepared; • Step 4: Review by the Architecture and Design Review Board (ADRB) holds a public hearing to review the design of the proposed subdivision;
• Step 5: City Council review and approval of any required environmental document prepared for compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as related to the tentative map application; • Step 6: City Council review and approval of the final map and required subdivision improvements, based on the findings outlined in the State Subdivision Map Act;
• Step 7: The applicant submits the final map to the city engineer with all other required documents, bonds, and security instruments.
Factors that impact timing are unique for each proposal. Typical subdivisions in Town involve a private property owner splitting one residential lot into two for development of two single-family dwellings and ADUs. Staff estimates that for a small, straightforward lot/spit subdivision with limited environmental review would take approximately six months and a larger subdivision with a full environmental impact report would take approximately two or two and half years, depending on the scope of the environmental analysis. The Town processes subdivisions and building permits as efficiently as possible and continually reviews processes and procedures to enhance permit streamlining wherever feasible.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: The Housing Plan includes action items to remove/mitigate any constraints related to the Town’s subdivision process, including;
• Goal 1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community. o Action 1.1 (b): Complete a study to determine if modifications to chapter 16 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code (Subdivisions) would facilitate the subdivision and development of additional housing in a manner that protects public safety. If the study indicates that the change would likely result in increased development and have minimal impact to public safety, the Town will modify existing subdivision standards pertaining to average slope and minimum lot size.
Additionally, if the analysis finds standards to be potential constraints to cost, supply, or affordability to development, amendments will be made.
Single Lot Development: Most residential development in Town occurs on a single lot-by-lot basis. Most reviews are for an addition/remodel or demolition of an existing house and construction of a new house in its place. More recently, most new home applications also now include an ADU.
Additions/remodels that add less than 500 square feet of new square footage, are reviewed at a staff level through our administrative design review process. This review is conducted in conformance with permit streamlining requirements and applicants can typically gain Planning approval and Building Permit issuance within a few months.
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Given the volume of single-family home developments in Town, staff is continuously evaluating and streamlining the review process to ensure a comprehensive & consistent process, transparent review timelines, sufficient time for reviews by other departments, enhanced neighbor notification and awareness, and compliance with SB 330. Design Review requirements have not been a significant constraint on the provision of housing, including affordable housing, in Hillsborough, in recent years.
The review process for a typical single-family home is as follows:
• Step 1: A pre-application meeting with the project planner. Staff will work with the applicant to identify any potential challenges early in the process and outline the necessary documents and reviews required; such as Historical Review, Environmental Review, Topography, Tree Removal, Biological Constraints, etc. • Step 2: Application submittal & Completeness Check. Once the application has been deemed “complete”, staff will begin a detailed analysis of the project. As part of this analysis, the proposed plans will be routed to various departments for review. • Step 3: ADRB Review. Once staff has determined that that the project submittal adequately adheres to the Town’s regulation, standards and policies, the project will be scheduled for review and approval by the Town’s Architecture and Design Review Board (ADRB).
• Step 4: Building permit review and approval.
The Building & Planning Department of the Town of Hillsborough has implemented permit streamlining processes for ministerial reviews of accessory dwelling units, which do not require discretionary planning review, and SB 9 applications, in an effort to encourage the development of smaller, more affordable units. The Town is in the process of updating its permit applications to ensure consistency with The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330), and has entered into contract with a permit tracking software vendor to update its permit application tracking software. This cloud-based update will be complete in early 2024, allowing for 24/7 permit applications and payment of fees for both Planning and Building permit applications.
Like all jurisdictions in California, the Town is subject to the Subdivision Map Act and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and as such, must adhere to the statutory timelines outlined in the Act, regardless of impacts to the timeline for review of housing development projects, or additional costs. As such, these impacts are out of the control of the Town. They are noted here as affecting development, but are not viewed as a local governmental constraint for the purposes of this analysis. Requirements under SB 35 are not currently applicable in Hillsborough, as the Town has issued building permits exceeding its RHNA 5 allocation.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: The Housing Plan includes action items to remove/mitigate any constraints related to the Town’s subdivision process, including;
• Goal 1.2: Streamline the project review process for housing-related applications. • Action 1.2 (a): Improve transparency in permitting time and workflow by updating the Town’s ageing permit tracking software to a streamlined, userfriendly web-based platform with online payments accessible to applicants 24-hours/day, 365 days/year.
• Action 1.2 (b): Update all housing developmentrelated application forms to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance with all state statutes, including the Permit Streamlining Act, Housing Accountability Act and Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330). • Action 1.2 (c): Continue to evaluate and improve the streamlined processing system to facilitate residential development. • Action 1.2 (d): Utilize CEQA exemptions for infill development sites, to shorten entitlement review time.
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21 Elements Survey Results raw data (updated July 10, 2022) Pollutant Discharge
The federal government, under the 1974 Clean Water Act, implemented the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a permit system regulating water discharge. Local jurisdictions are responsible for obtaining a permit and for enacting implementation measures to maintain compliance with the permit.
Like all jurisdictions in California, the Town is subject to the Clean Water Act and the related NPDES permit, regardless of impacts to the timeline for review of housing development projects, or additional costs. As such, these impacts are out of the control of the Town. They are noted here as affecting development, but are not viewed as a local governmental constraint for the purposes of this analysis. In an effort to expedite the process as much as possible, the County of San Mateo and all 20 county jurisdictions have joined together to have NPDES permits issued to the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG). Permit regulations can significantly limit the developable area of any given parcel and may also increase the costs of residential development.
Codes and Enforcement
Hillsborough regularly adopts the latest edition of the California Building Code (CBC) to ensure the health and safety of residents of newly constructed housing, most recently in December 2022. The Town enforces the building code through its Building Division, ensuring that that all new residences, additions, accessory structures, etc., meet current construction and safety standards.
Inspections and approvals are completed promptly and do not add unnecessary delays in the construction of new housing.
The Town has a dedicated code enforcement officer, who works closely with the Building Division on any land use or construction enforcement. Additionally, the Town has a construction inspection program to monitor active construction sites and respond to complaints and violations related to noise, construction activity without a Building Permit, and parking of construction vehicles.
The code enforcement program does not pose a constraint to housing development, maintenance or the supply and affordability Table 6.2: Processing Times in Months
Jurisdiction ADU Process Ministerial
By-Right
Discretionary
By-Right
Discretionary
(Hearing Officer
if Applicable)
Discretionary
(Planning
Commission)
Discretionary (City
Council)
Atherton 1 to 2 1 to 3 2 to 4 N/A 2 to 4 2 to 6
Brisbane 1 to 2 2 to 6 N/A N/A 4 to 12 6 to 14
Burlingame 1 to 2 2 to 3 2 to 3 N/A
3-4 standard
project; 12 major
project
13 months
Colma 1 to 2 1 to 2 1 to 3 2 to 4 N/A 4 to 8
Daly City 1 to 2 2 to 4 N/A N/A 4 to 8 8 to 12
East Palo Alto 1 to 3 1 to 3 3 to 6 3 to 6 6 to 12 8 to 16 Foster City 1 to 2 1 to 2 1 to 2 N/A 3 to 6 6 to 12
Half Moon Bay N/A 1 to 2 2 to 4 3 to 6 4 to 12 6 to 15
Hillsborough 0 to 2 1 to 2 2 to 4 2 to 4 4 to 8 6 to 12 Millbrae 0 to 2 3 to 6 1 to 3 3 to 8 3 to 8 4 to 9
Pacifica 1 to 2 2 to 3 4 to 5 5 to 6 5 to 6 7 to 8
Redwood City 2 to 3 3 to 4 N/A 8 to 10 12 to 18 18 to 24 San Bruno 2 3 to 6 N/A 3 to 6 9 to 24 9 to 24
San Carlos N/A 4 to 6 2 to 4 6 to 12 6 to 12 8 to 12
San Mateo 4 to 8 1 to 2 4 to 7 N/A 9 to 12 9 to 13
South San Francisco 1 1 2 to 3 2 to 3 3 to 6 6 to 9
Unincorporated San
Mateo 1 to 3 3 to 6 4 to 9 6 to 12 6 to 18 9 to 24
Woodside 1 to 2 1 to 2 N/A N/A 2 to 6 3 to 8
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of housing. Like all jurisdictions in California, the Town is subject to the CBC, regardless of impacts to the timeline for review of housing development projects, or additional costs. As such, these impacts are out of the control of the Town. They are noted here as affecting development, but are not viewed as a local governmental constraint for the purposes of this analysis.
Fees
Local governments typically assess a variety of different types of residential development fees. These include planning application fees, building permit and related fees, and capital facilities fees. Fees are intended only to recover costs to the Town for the review of development applications, and are not a profit-generating venture.
Residential planning and building fees are broadly required by all jurisdictions in San Mateo County, and most jurisdictions throughout the state. In general, the data suggests that jurisdiction-imposed fees represent a small percentage of the overall cost to develop new housing. The availability and cost of housing is strongly influenced by market factors over which local government has little or no control. They are noted here as affecting development but are not viewed as a significant governmental constraint.
Table 6.3 (below) compares fees for construction of new single-family homes with fees in other San Mateo County cities for which data was available in 2022. Hillsborough’s fees are about the median range, but significantly lower than several other jurisdictions in the County. The Hillsborough Fee Schedule is posted on the website and is updated yearly to reflect any changes. To view the current fee schedule visit www.hillsborough.net
Permit Processing Fees for Planning
In compliance with Government Code Section 66020 the Town ensures that planning and permit processing fees do not exceed the reasonable cost of providing the service. We evaluate our fees on an annual basis and only increase fees, minimally as needed. The Town’s fee schedule is reviewed by the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC), then adopted by City Council. The FAC is a 7 member committee of residents appointed by the City Council to advise the City Council and the city staff on the fiscal operations of the town. Planning fees are collected at the beginning of the process, with the project review application.
Based on a typical application for a brand new single-family dwelling, the associated planning fees total approximately $7,589.00, Table 6.3: Single-Family Fees by Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Entitlement Fees Building Permit Fees Impact Fees Other Fees Total Atherton 1,520 13,363 0 1,058 15,941
Brisbane 0 4,300 10,608 10,032 24,940
Burlingame 3,645 49,500 16,280 0 69,425
Colma 0 6,760 0 0 6,760
Daly City 0 19,128 5,074 0 24,202
East Palo Alto 6,342 9,090 25,859 39,576 80,867
Foster City 3,000 64,886 0 0 67,886
Half Moon Bay 4,019 3,750 36,500 8,300 52,569
Hillsborough 7,589 42,460 11,509 0 61,558
Millbrae 7,397 19,050 71,309 0 97,756
Pacifica 11,000 10,803 11,922 0 33,725
Portola Valley 15,954 30,753 0 6,216 52,923
Redwood City 1,493 4,952 14,350 0 20,795
San Bruno 5,000 28,000 25,209 0 58,209
San Carlos 13,604 32,096 26,346 0 72,046
San Mateo 4,979 33,844 50,180 0 89,003
South San Francisco 1,490 24,932 54,944 0 81,366
Unincorporated San Mateo 420 28,013 7,996 0 36,429
Woodside 1,980 35,497 33,480 0 70,957
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comprised of the following fees:
• Preliminary Review by ADRB $1,963
• Formal Review by ADRB $3,389
• Landscape Design Review, required for new houses $1,958 • Public Notification fee for ADRB Public Hearing $279
Building Permit fees for a new single-family dwelling are based on the valuation of the project, as determined by the applicant. The above fees of $42,460 is an average taken from looking at building permit costs for similar projects over the last five years. Building permit fees are collected after Planning approval, at the beginning of the Building Permit review process.
Table 6.4 (below) compares impact fees for construction of new single-family homes with impact fees in other San Mateo County cities for which data was available in 2022. Hillsborough currently only charges one impact fee; a Construction Vehicle Impact Fee.
Given the single-family nature of development in Town and the unique costs associated with each individual project, it is difficult to estimate fees as a portion of overall housing development cost. However, in considering the data that we do have regarding the cost of land in Town and construction costs in San Mateo County, staff estimates that the permitting fees are approximately 3% of total development costs, however, this percentage might shift up and down depending on land and construction costs and other factors related to the actual development of housing.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: Given that permitting fees are approximately 3% of total development costs, existing fees are not acting as a constraint or barrier to development. However, to ensure that fees developed for multi-family sites do not constraint to the development of housing, the Town will conduct a study comparing the multi-family development fees surrounding jurisdictionsto ensure that housing development fees in the community competitive with the fees being assessed by neighboring jurisdictions.
Housing for Persons with Disabilities
Both the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act impose an affirmative duty on local governments to make reasonable accommodations (i.e. modifications or exceptions) in their zoning and other land use regulations when such accommodations may be necessary to afford disabled persons an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities has been identified as a special housing need in the town's housing element since 2002. Chapter 17.42 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code entitled “Reasonable Housing Under the Fair Housing Acts” provides reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities and complies with the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Table 6.4: Housing Impact Fees in San Mateo County
Impact Fees Charged Jurisdictions Number of Jxs
Traffic/Transportation East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo City, South San Francisco, Unincorporated San Mateo, Woodside 9 Schools Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, South San Francisco, Woodside 6 Water/Sewer/Stormwater Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo City, South San Francisco 7
Parks Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo City, South San Francisco 7
Public Facilities/Capital
Improvements Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica 4 In-Lieu/Affordable Housing Burlingame, Redwood City, Unincorporated San Mateo 3 Development Colma, Millbrae, San Bruno 3
Childcare San Mateo City, South San Francisco 2
Public Art San Mateo City 1
Public Safety South San Francisco 1
Library South San Francisco 1
AB Daly City 1
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California Fair Employment and Housing Act in the application of the Town’s zoning, land use laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies, procedures, and practices. Reasonable accommodation may be requested when the application of a Land Use Rule acts as a barrier to fair housing.
Requests for Reasonable Accommodation
A request for reasonable accommodation may include a request for modification or exception to the application of the town's zoning, regulations, rules, standards, policies, procedures, practices, and other land use rules such as; for the siting, development, and use of housing or housing-related facilities that would eliminate regulatory barriers and provide a person with a disability equal opportunity to housing of that person’s choice.
Requests for reasonable accommodation are submitted to the city planner and no fee is required for submitting a letter of request or for filing an appeal. The city planner will review the request and make a written determination within 45 days after receipt. The city planner’s decision is made after considering seven different factors.
1. Whether the housing that is the subject of the request will be used by an individual with a disability under the Acts.
2. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation is necessary to make specific housing available to an individual with a disability under the Acts.
3. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the town.
4. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would require a fundamental alteration in the nature of a town program or law, including, but not limited to, land use and zoning.
5. The physical attributes of the property and the structures on the property.
6. The potential impact of the requested reasonable accommodation on surrounding properties.
7. Alternative reasonable accommodation on the property.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: The majority of the Town’s review criteria for the approval of reasonable accommodations are objective, however criteria 4, 5, and 6 have the potential to be applied subjectively, thus creating a barrier to housing for persons with disabilities. To address this, Hillsborough has established Action 7.1 (e): Amend Chapter 17.42 of the Zoning Ordinance (Requests for Reasonable Accommodation) to eliminate all subjective review criteria in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Building Codes
The Town has adopted the 2022 California Building Standards Code without amendments. The Town's building code therefore does not present a constraint to housing for individuals with disabilities.
Other
Notice of the availability of reasonable accommodation should be prominently displayed at public information counters in the Planning and Building Divisions, advising the public of the availability of the procedure for eligible individuals. Forms for requesting reasonable accommodation should be available to the public in the Planning and Building Divisions. Action 7.3(b) of the Housing Plan section of the Draft Housing Element addresses the need to properly display reasonable accommodation information.
Residential Uses
The Municipal Code defines “residential purposes” as those including the use of the home for food and shelter and as a social institution for the private, religious, educational, cultural, and recreational advantages of the family.
The Town defines “family” as a single housekeeping unit, which is the use of a dwelling unit by its residents where the use has the following characteristics:
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1. The residents have established ties and familiarity and interact with each other.
2. Membership in the single housekeeping unit is fairly stable as opposed to transient or temporary.
3. Residents share meals, household activities, expenses, and responsibilities.
4. All adult residents have chosen to jointly occupy the entire premises of the dwelling unit, and they each have access to all common areas.
5. If the dwelling unit is rented, all adult residents are named on and party to a single written lease that gives them each joint use and responsibility for the premises.
6. Membership of the household is determined by the residents, not by a landlord, property manager, or other third party.
7. The residential activities of the household are conducted on a nonprofit basis.
8. Residents do not have separate entrances nor do they have separate food-storage facilities, such as separate refrigerators or food-prep areas.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: Hillsborough’s current definition of “family” is a constraint to housing development and housing choice. To address this, the Town will eliminate the term family from the zoning ordinance (Action 1.5(c)).
Uses Permitted as Required by Overriding State or Federal Law Family Daycare Home
The Town allows for Family day care homes for children in a single-family residence, to the extent mandated by California Health and Safety Code Section 1596.70 et seq.
Residential Care Facilities
The Town allows for Residential Care Facilities for the elderly in a single-family dwelling, to the extent mandated by California Health and Safety Code Section 1569.85, as well as Transitional and Supportive Housing as defined respectively in California Health and Safety Code Sections 50675.2(h) and 50675.14(b). Such facilities shall meet all requirements of the Hillsborough Municipal Code, including but not limited to parking, relating to single-family residences.
Group Homes
Currently, Hillsborough’s Municipal Code does not explicitly regulate group homes. The lack of clarity around the allowance of group homes for individuals with disabilities is a constraint. The Municipal Code should include a provision for group homes and group homes with seven or more residents, specifically for people with disabilities, other than those residential zones covered by state law. These housing types should not be excluded from residential zones, most notably low-density zones, which can constrain the availability of housing choices for persons with disabilities.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: To address this, the Town will amend its zoning ordinance to address group homes, including group homes with seven or more residents (Action 1.4(b)).
Emergency Shelters
The Town amended its zoning ordinance in 2010 to comply with SB 2 and make provisions for emergency homeless shelters in town and currently includes provisions to allow one Emergency Shelter operating within the former fire station at 1600 Floribunda Avenue in Hillsborough, California, under the standards outlined in 17.16.010.D.4. of the Town’s Code. However, these amendments are not compliant with AB 2339 and must be updated to be consistent with Section 65583(4)(A) of the State Government Code.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: To address this, the Town will update its zoning in order to comply with AB 2339. The zoning updates are expected to be adopted by January 2024 and will include changes to allow Emergency Shelters by right within the MultiHillsborough Housing Element | Constraints on Housing Production Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Family zones, as indicated by Action 1.4 (e): Amend the zoning ordinance to allow emergency shelters by right within the Multi-Family zones, including the objective standards detailed in Chapter 6: Housing Constraints. Regulations for emergency shelters will comply with Government Code Section 65583.
Regulations for emergency shelters will include the following objective standards, as allowed by Government Code Section 65583 (a)(4)(A):
• Up to three beds shall be permitted on the premises. No more than three clients shall be permitted on the premises at any time; • On-site parking shall be provided to accommodate all staff working in the emergency shelter at any given time; • All waiting and client in-take areas shall be entirely within the building enclosing the Emergency Shelter; • On-site management of the operation shall be present at all times that the facility is in operation. An on-site management plan is subject to review and approval by the police chief and shall include but not be limited to the number of employees, hours of operation, provision for transporting residents, provisions for providing personal hygiene, and provision for supplying food.; • Emergency shelter facilities are required to be not more than 300 feet from any other emergency shelter, as measured from the property line;
• Clients are limited to stays for no more than 30 days, unless a longer time period is required by state law; • All exterior lighting shall be downlit, shall not be directed toward the street, the sky or neighboring properties and shall be a maximum of 60 watts;
• No exterior signage associated with the facility is permitted except as outlined in Chapter 17.48 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code; • An on-site security plan and the rules of the facility shall be subject to review and approval by the chief of police to ensure that nuisance activities are prevented. The plan shall include but not be limited to provision of an alarm system, locks, and a screening process to ensure that persons with outstanding warrants and convicted sex offenders are not permitted to occupy the premises;
• The facility shall comply with all health and safety requirements of the County, State and Federal governments.
Short Term Rentals
The Town prohibits short term rentals. "Short-term rental" means the use of any residential building, or of any portion of a residential building, to provide lodging for fewer than thirty days in exchange for compensation. Short term rentals are most commonly offered and rented through online hosting platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway. The Town found short term rentals to reduce availability of rental units for local residents and not in keeping with the character of the town, as a shortterm rental is a type of transitory lodging.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can be an important source of affordable housing since they are smaller and do not have direct land acquisition costs. ADU development expands housing opportunities for very low-, low-, and moderate-income households by increasing the number of rental units available within existing neighborhoods. The Town last updated its ADU ordinance in December 2022; and now has an up-to-date ordinance considered compliant with Government Code Section 65852.2.
Mitigation of Potential Constraint: Zoning ordinance updates designed to further encourage development of ADUs are included in the actions related to Goals 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5.
Non-governmental Constraints
Land Availability and Land Cost
For over 100 years, San Mateo County in general and Hillsborough in particular have been a highly desirable place to live. People from all over the world are drawn to the character of Hillsborough, including its tranquil, rural atmosphere, its award-winning public schools, and its financial stability. The result is a high demand for Hillsborough residences, with land and housing prices pushed Hillsborough Housing Element | Constraints on Housing Production Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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beyond what would be generated from local pressures alone. When adding the combination of these factors to the already costburdened San Francisco Bay Area, it becomes exceedingly challenging for very-low, low- and moderate-income households to afford housing in Hillsborough, and challenging for the town to provide housing at a variety of income levels.
Land costs include acquisition and the cost of holding land throughout the development process. These costs can account for as much as half of the final sales prices of new homes in small developments or in areas where land is scarce. The median sale price of single-family dwellings in Hillsborough is on average approximately $6.42 million or $1,632 per square foot. The cost for a vacant lot in Hillsborough averages approximately $4,330,000, the equivalent of approximately $3,700,000 per acre. These estimated land costs are based upon a review of non-vacant residential and vacant land sales on Zillow.com from 2019-2022. The information obtained shows five vacant lots sold in the past three years, and only two vacant lots currently for sale.
Environmental Constraints
Hillsborough is affected by a variety of environmental conditions that may constrain development potential for new housing within the Town. The development patterns of the Town and surrounding communities adjacent do not leave any large undeveloped areas available for future development. Instead, a majority of new housing will have to occur as infill development or redevelopment of existing properties. Much of the Town is characterized by steep slopes and narrow canyons that drain towards the bay. Many of these canyons contain riparian habitats that may include protected species include oak woodlands, which are protected by the Town.
The main constraints expected to affect future development include:
• Geologic Hazards (Steep Hillsides, Erosion, Landslides, Earthquake) • Flood Hazards (Storm Drainage, Dam Inundation, Erosion) • Wildfire
While prior development has addressed these conditions to some degree. A strong concern identified by the community is how new development would affect the hillside character of the Town. With the latest update to the Town’s Housing Element, concerns regarding the extent and character of new development within the community persist.
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), mandated by the State Housing Law, quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specific planning periods. The state-mandated RHNA obligation for the Town requires an additional 554 housing units. In order to meet this threshold, the Town has identified various sites which are most suitable for new or increased residential development. Taking into consideration areas of environmental significance, hazard potential and other development constraints will influence land use and housing policy. The Hillsborough Safety Element identifies the various hazard concerns and includes goals, policies, and action to reduce or minimize their impacts. This coupled with the availability of public infrastructure and services to accommodate new development/redevelopment is another potential constraint to the development of housing.
The following are expanded discussions on these constraints that were taken into consideration as part of the sites inventory:
Earthquake
Hillsborough like many other Bay area communities is at risk of suffering structural damage and loss of life during a significant earthquake. The Town is located in close proximity to three major faults (San Andreas, San Gregorio, and Hayward), as well as the Monte-Vista-Shannon and Butano faults. While fault rupture is not a concern within the Town, the presence of these faults close to the community indicates that strong seismic shaking poses an impact to existing and future development. If structures using unreinforced masonry, soft-story, or non-ductile concrete constructions techniques are located within the community, these structure would be most vulnerable to seismic impacts.
Landslide/Erosion
According to the California Geological Survey (CGS), many of the steep hillsides are susceptible to landslides and erosion. Landslide susceptibility and slope stability are generally based on the steepness of slopes, type and density of vegetation, and strength of the underlying soils and rock formations. Based on mapping prepared by CGS, much of the Town is located within areas designated as Hillsborough Housing Element | Constraints on Housing Production Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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moderate to high susceptibility to deep-seated landslides. In areas like these soil creep and shallow slope failures are very common, especially after heavy rain events. Areas of greatest concern would be along the steep canyons and drainages where fast-moving water could erode or undermine properties and infrastructure.
Wildfire
In addition to geologic hazards, Hillsborough is prone to wildfire hazards mainly due to the steep topography and vegetation located within parts of the community. Steep hillsides tend to promote increased wildfire risk, since vegetation management in these areas may be difficult and the vegetation types located within these areas may be highly flammable. This coupled with high wind conditions during the dry summer months can easily propagate wildfires over longer distances.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) identifies Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) within the Town. Development within VHFHSZ requires careful consideration of elements which may increase the risk of wildfires, such as vegetation, topography, and ember movement. A portion of lands suitable for residential development within the Town are classified within the VHFHSZ adding additional requirements to any future development. In addition, according to the San Mateo County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Hillsborough has not experienced a wildfire greater than 10 acres since 1940 based on Cal FIRE data.
Flood Hazards (Storm Drainage, Dam Inundation, Erosion) Flooding is an environmental constraint within the Town that has the potential to affect development. While there are very few areas within mapped FEMA flood hazard zones, the layout and topography of the community can cause localized flooding conditions. Much of the drainage within the Town is eventually conveyed to the bay via infrastructure owned by the Cities of San Mateo, Burlingame, and San Mateo County or unregulated private systems. As development within the town intensifies, an increase in impervious surfaces may occur, which could result in more runoff. Without proper mitigation this increased runoff could flood downstream areas and/or cause erosion. New development in the Town would be required to mitigate these effects and expand cooperation with downstream communities (San Mateo County, adjacent jurisdictions and individual homeowners) .
Construction Costs
Construction costs are one of the major cost factors with residential development. Construction cost is determined primarily by the cost of labor and materials, which are relative to complexity and desired quality of the project. The price paid for material and labor at any one time will reflect short-term considerations of supply and demand and unilaterally impact construction in a region and therefore do not deter housing construction in any specific community. According to data from the California Construction Cost Index, hard construction costs in California grew by 44 percent between 2014 and 2018, or an additional $80 per square foot. The quality of materials, type of amenities, labor costs and the quality of building materials will affect the construction costs for a new home.
The steep terrain in Hillsborough increases the costs of construction, as engineering for hillside development & foundations, construction of retaining walls, and the grading necessary for access roads, all drive up the cost of building in Hillsborough. The increased challenges of building in Hillsborough ensure that, housing in Hillsborough will be very expensive, regardless of any potential governmental constraints.
Financing
Financing is needed at three stages of the housing construction process:
1. Predevelopment. The developer must have financing to purchase the land and pay for planning, architecture, engineering, and holding the land (carrying costs) during the approval process.
2. Construction. The builder needs financing to pay for the costs of labor and materials.
3. Purchase. The homebuyer usually needs mortgage financing to purchase the completed dwelling.
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costs. The availability of financing and the rate of interest can greatly affect the ability of developers and builders to produce housing and of consumers to purchase it. The economic fluctuations of recent years have caused caution among lenders and may have lasting effects through this Housing Element planning period. The cost of construction is exacerbated in areas like Hillsborough with difficult building conditions because developers incur substantially higher predevelopment costs.
Requests for Lesser Densities
State law requires the Housing Element to include an analysis of requests to develop housing at densities less than those projected in the Sites Inventory. This is not applicable to the Town of Hillsborough, as density is limited to one dwelling per ½ acre lot.
There have been no requests for reduced density.
Approval Times
State law requires the Housing Element to address the length of time between receiving approval for housing development and submittal of application for building permits. Many factors can impact the length of time between application approval and building permit issuance, including approvals needed from other agencies such as Central County Fire Department, ability to obtain financing, performing required technical and engineering studies, completion of construction drawings, obtaining construction bids, and retention of a building contractor and subcontractors. A recent evaluation of the Town’s average processing times from entitlement approval to an issued building permit indicates the Town’s requirements are not a hinderance to housing development moving forward.
Local Efforts to Address Constraints
The Town continues to act as a partner alongside the County of San Mateo in expanding opportunities for affordable housing across the region. For the duration of RHNA Cycle 5 the City Council has annually appointed a council member to represent the Town and provide continuing participation with Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
During the RHNA 5 Cycle the Town continued to support and partner with local service providers to assist in the identification and analysis of constraints to the provision of housing for persons with disabilities via the 21 Elements project.
During the RHNA Cycle 5 the Town has participated in numerous local collaborative efforts including:
• The 21 Elements project, a collaborative, housing-related information, and resource sharing group of all 21 jurisdictions in San Mateo County.
• The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) "Shift the Bay" 8-series housing learning lab. • Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) "Wildfires and Housing" 5-series learning lab. • The "Little Four" meetings, a regular collaboration and brainstorming effort of the four small, high-resource, predominately single-family communities in San Mateo County.
• Annual "Housing Leadership Day" hosted by the Housing Leadership Council.
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OPPORTUNITIES
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Overview
The Town of Hillsborough’s Cycle 6 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is 554 net new units distributed over four income categories, as assigned by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The unit count and income assignments are based on the regional assignment methodology developed by ABAG for the 6th RHNA Cycle. The Town’s total allocation and unit count breakout by income level is detailed in Table 8.1.
Table 8.1: Town of Hillsborough
RHNA 6 Allocation
Income Level RHNA 6
Allocation
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 155
Low Income (51-79% AMI) 89
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 87
Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 223
Total 554
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Approach 1: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Background
The Town of Hillsborough has a strong track record of supporting and encouraging accessory dwelling unit (ADU) development. In response, the Town has seen a significant increase in ADU development applications during RHNA Cycle 5. The Town’s ADU Permits issued by year for the years between 2014-2022 are outlined in Table 8.2.
In an effort to support this trend and facilitate further ADU development, in 2020 the Town established an ADU Ombudsman program staffed by an ADU Specialist specifically trained to guide people through the Town’s ADU review and approval processes. Since the establishment of this program in June 2020, ADU development has more than doubled.
The Town plans to continue and expand this program through Cycle 6 (Goal 2.1).
In early 2022 the Town issued an ADU questionnaire to residents in an effort to better understand what improvements to processes and what additional amendments to development standards could be made to further encourage ADU development and to better understand how existing and planned ADUs are utilized and if rented what rates they are offered at. A summary of the results of this questionnaire may be found in the Public Participation section of this document. The Town already has a very successful ADU program with the existing education and outreach to the community and the community has expressed significant interest in constructing ADUs as a way to support the Town’s RHNA allocation and provide housing for a variety of income levels. The Town is committed to further expanding community outreach efforts and education to realize increased ADU development (Goal 2.8). Based on communitity’s interest in ADU development, the Town has included numerous ADU related goals and actions in the Housing Plan section of this document.
RHNA 6 Unit Allocation: ADUs
HCD’s safe harbor ADU methodology utilizes an average number of ADUs permitted per year since 2018 to project the number of total ADUs to be built in Cycle 6. Utilizing this methodology, the Town of Hillsborough would project 36.4 ADUs per year, for a total of 291.2 ADUs in Cycle 6.
Based on the increase in ADU permitting since the commencement of the ADU Ombudsman program in 2020, the Town calculated a three-year trend to project the number of ADUs that are likely to be built since the ADU Ombudsman program will continue through the next Cycle. Utilizing this methodology, the Town of Hillsborough would project 48.6 ADUs to be built per year, for a total of 388.8 ADUs in Cycle 6.
Based on the vigorous interest in building ADUs expressed by the community, and the comprehensive ADU program with additional ADU related goals and actions in the Housing Plan section of this document, the Town projects that a total of 50 ADUs will be built annually in Cycle 6 for a total of 400 ADUs. Already in 2023, between January 1, 2023 and August 31, 2023 the Town has received 39 ADU applications, an average of 4.8 ADUs/month, which exceeds the average of 4.2 ADUs/month needed to achieve 50 ADUs in a year.
The Town has significant confidence in the feasibility of achieving this number for the following reasons:
• Commitment from our community to build and rent ADUs
• Historic trends in ADU development in the RHNA5 Cycle • Recent ADU trends the last 2 years
• Positive responses to the 2022 ADU Survey
• Proposed modifications to ADU standards early in the RHNA6 Cycle • Large size of Hillsborough properties have adequate land available to build attached and detached ADUs and JADUs Table 8.2: ADU Building Permits
Issued by Year (RHNA Cycle 5)
Year # of ADU Building
Permits Issued
2014 16
2015 39
2016 10
2017 18
2018 16
2019 20
2020 25
2021 64
2022 57
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As outlined in the Housing Plan, the Town pledges to take meaningful actions to facilitate new ADU construction and rental to lower income households. Below is an overview of some of the key Goals included in the Town’s Housing Plan: Housing Element Action Matrix:
• Goal 1.6: Establish an Affordable Housing Impact Fee program and associated Housing Choice Fund. This fund will be used to subsidize the development of deed restricted affordable units, which may include special needs housing, utilizing Housing Choice Fund dollars.
• Goal 2.1: Continue to support and fund a Town ADU Ombudsman to guide property owners through the Town’s ADU process, • Goal 2.2: Further streamline and expedite the ADU and JADU permitting process, • Goal 2.3: Allow up to two detached ADUs on lots two acres and larger, • Goal 2.4: Create a program to encourage and expedite the conversion of pool houses, guest houses, and other accessory structures to recorded ADUs/JADUs,
• Goal 2.6: Create a retroactive permitting program for existing, unpermitted ADUs, • Goal 2.7: Coordinate with San Mateo County jurisdictions on facilitating ADU Development, • Goal 2.8: Conduct an ADU education and outreach campaign. • Policy 5: Establish and Strengthen Opportunities for Rental Tenancies in ADUs and throughout Hillsborough. • Action 5.1 (a): Promote partnership with HIP Housing to facilitate the rental of ADU and JADU units, • Action 5.1 (c): Encourage landlords to accept Section 8 and Housing Choice Vouchers by providing information on the Town’s Tenant/Landlord website regarding the programs and how to participate, • Goal 5.2: Support the Human Investment Project (HIP Housing) Home Sharing, Self-Sufficiency, and Property programs. • Action 5.2 (a): Continue annual grant award to the Human Investment Project (HIP housing), HEART of San Mateo County, Life Moves, and the County of San Mateo Human Services
• Action 5.2 (b): Distribute HIP Housing’s monthly, multi-lingual home sharing fliers directly to City Council, Board, and Commission members, and public and private schools. Delta Table 1, below, summarizes the Town’s ADU income level breakdown. The table also demonstrates the remaining delta of the RHNA 6 obligation, after accounting for the ADU projections.
• Action 5.2 (d): Provide a link on the Town’s Housing Resources webpage to HIP Housing’s monthly, multi-lingual home sharing fliers.
To further demonstrate the Town’s commitment to ADU development and rental, the Housing Plan includes significant mid-cycle adjustment programs to address a shortfall of sites. This is outlined in detail in:
• Goal 2.9: Monitor ADU production and utilization and trigger mid-cycle adjustments as needed • Action 2.9 (a): Establish an ADU monitoring program that tracks the number of ADUs permitted, the number of ADUs rented / used for housing in the community, and the rental rate ADUs are offered for. • Action 2.9 (b): Include the annual results of the ADU monitoring program in the Town’s Annual Progress Report for HCD in order to prepare for mid-cycle adjustment assessment conducted every two years. • Action 2.9 (c): Every two years conduct a mid-cycle adjustment assessment of the results of the ADU monitoring program and trigger tiered adjustments as needed and as detailed below. • Tier I. If the results reveal the Town is behind in its projections for ADU production, occupancy, and rental rates by up to 50 percent in RHNA Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by up to 30 percent in years 4-8, the Town will enhance ADU outreach and increase the amount of Housing Choice Fund dollars available to subsidize the construction of deed restricted affordable housing. • Tier II. If the results reveal the Town is behind in its projections for ADU production, occupancy, and rental rates by more than 50 percent in RHNA Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by more than 30 percent in years 4-8, the Town will take action under the no net loss statute and identify additional housing opportunity sites to accommodate housing development at a housing density of 20 dwelling units per acre or increase density allowed at existing opportunity sites.
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To project which income categories the ADUs would serve Hillsborough first utilized the ADU income breakdown methodology published by 21Elements and the Association of Bay Area Governments, the results of which are summarized in Table 8.3 below.
Recognizing that the cost of land and construction, along with other factors that lead the to the high cost of housing in Hillsborough, the Town proposes to use an adjusted ADU income breakdown methodology. Thirty percent of the projected ADUs are proposed to continue to count towards the Very Low Income category due to the increased level of subsidy proposed to provided for the construction of ADUs that are deed restricted affordable to that income level. The percentage of projected ADUs in the low income and moderate income categories is proposed to be reduced to 20 percent rather than 30 percent. The remaining 30 percent of ADUs are projected to serve above moderate income households. This proposed income breakdown is summarized in Table 8.4 below.
Table 8.4: ADU Delta
Income Level RHNA 6
Allocation ADUs RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 155 120 35 - deficit
Low Income (51-79% AMI) 89 80 9 - deficit
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 87 80 7 - deficit
Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 223 120 103 - deficit TOTAL: 554 400 154 Remaining
Units Needed
Table 8.3: ADU Income Breakdown – 21Elements/ABAG Methodology Income Level RHNA 6
Allocation ADUs RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 155 120 35 - deficit
Low Income (51-79% AMI) 89 120 31 - surplus
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 87 120 33 - surplus
Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 223 40 183 - deficit
TOTAL: 554 400 154
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Approach 2: Pipeline Projects
The Town of Hillsborough is in varying stages of the approval process for 12 housing units, as summarized in Table 8.5 below. The Town is committed to facilitating the completion of these pipeline projects and have included several goals and action related to streamlining and enhancing the user-friendliness of the approval process in the Housing Plan.
Table 8.6 below, demonstrates the remaining delta of the RHNA 6 obligation, after accounting for the ADU projections and pipeline projects.
Table 8.5: Pipeline Projects
APN Address Stage in Process Unit Yield Unit Affordability 038110160;
038121160;
038271090
Callan Subdivision Subdivision Entitlement Approved 8 Above Moderate Income 028484050 2895 Churchill Drive Building Permit approval pending grading permit 1 Above Moderate Income 028520010 New Place Road Building Permits Issued, under construction 1 Above Moderate Income 028061100 Forest View Ave Building Permits Issued 1 Above Moderate Income 032421070 65 Bridge Road Building Permits Issued, under construction 1 Above Moderate Income Total 12 Above Moderate Income
Table 8.6: Pipeline Projects Delta
Income Level RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs Units Resulting from Pipeline Projects
RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs
and Pipeline Projects
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 35 - deficit 0 35 - deficit Low Income (51-79% AMI) 9 - deficit 0 9 - deficit
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 7 - deficit 0 7 - deficit Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 103 - deficit 12 91 - deficit Total 154 Remaining Units Needed 12 142 Remaining Units Needed Hillsborough Housing Element | Housing Opportunities
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Approach 3: Vacant Opportunity Sites
Background
The Town of Hillsborough is a largely built out, entirely single-family residential community with little vacant land and very few underutilized sites. Opportunities for parcel consolidation and/or redevelopment are few and far between for several reasons, outlined below:
• While in the San Francisco Bay Metro Area, the Town is predominately rural in nature, having no stop lights, sidewalks, or businesses, and few streetlights within Town limits.
• The Town is considered a “mountain route” by the United States Postal Service (USPS) due to the Town’s steep slopes and often narrow, one-lane curvilinear streets.
• Approximately 70 percent of the Town is considered a high fire severity zone (HFSZ) within the wildland urban interface (WUI).
The cost of land in the Bay Area is exceedingly high, and the existing large, single-family homes found on large parcels in Hillsborough are in many cases the “highest and best use” of such property. Town residents have vehemently expressed support for maintaining current development standards throughout the majority of the community and therefore no amendments are proposed to the RD District.
Hillsborough is a highly desirable community and there is consistent interest in building homes in Town. Given the cost of land, the opportunity to build a new home on a vacant lot within Town limits is especially appealing because avoiding the need to demolish an existing home on the site reduces the overall costs associated with construction.
With these factors in mind, the Town of Hillsborough assessed the availability of vacant parcels which could be developed under the current development standards. A total of 136 vacant parcels were identified. Understanding that not all vacant parcels are suitable for the development of housing, a housing suitability analysis was conducted. These possible parcels were reviewed on a parcel-by-parcel basis by staff with consideration of a variety of factors, such as the existing land use and total area of a parcel, shape and slope of the lot, site access, physical or biological constraints, distance from amenities such as schools, retail areas, employment opportunities, and transit, fire hazard, slope, and landslide/liquefaction risk (as a barrier to development), and similar criteria were identified.
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Methodology
The Town completed a thorough analysis of not only vacant parcels but all parcels in the community to identify housing opportunity sites throughout Hillsborough. The Housing Opportunity Sites were identified utilizing an ArcGIS Urban and ArcGIS Pro process that involved the below steps:
1) Identifying Site Suitability Factors
A series of site suitability factors were identified that either support housing development or minimize opportunities for housing development. The following site suitability factors were identified:
• Existing Land Use. The existing land
use of parcels was considered in order
to understand the likelihood of the use
of parcels for housing.
• Year Built. The year that residences
were built was considered in order to
identify sites that would likely redevelop
during the 8-year RHNA 6 Cycle.
• Lot Acreage. The total area of a
parcel was considered to identify
parcels between 0.5 acres and 10
acres in area, the lot area deemed
most suitable for the development of
affordable housing according to the
California Department of Housing and
Community Development.
• Improvement Ratio. The
improvement ratio was calculated
by comparing the value of the built
features of the site versus the value
of the land. This was considered to
identify sites more likely to redevelop.
• Vacancy. Whether a site is currently
vacant or nonvacant was considered
to identify sites available for new
development.
• Residual Lot Coverage. Residual
lot coverage was calculated by
comparing the total lot area with
the footprint of buildings. This was
considered to identify sites with land
area available for subdivision or the
development of ADUs.
• Residual Height. Residual height was
calculated by comparing the height of
existing buildings with the maximum
building height allowed by the new
zoning districts.
• Proximity to Amenities. Distance
from amenities such as schools, retail
areas, job opportunities, and transit
was considered to identify highly
resourced sites.
• Fire Hazard. Much of Hillsborough is
located in a high fire hazard severity
zone. This was considered to identify
sites with minimal fire hazard.
• Slope. Hillsborough has a hilly
topography and much of the
community has a slope of 30 percent
or more. This was considered to
identify sites where slope would not
be barrier to the development of
affordable housing due to the costs
of grading.
• Landslide / Liquefaction. Hillsborough
is impacted by landslide and
liquefaction hazard. This was
considered to identify sites where
landslide / liquefaction would not
be barrier to the development of
affordable housing due to the costs
of mitigation.
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2) Site Suitability Factor Scoring
After the site suitability factors were identified, they were scored on a scale of 1-10, 1 being least suitable for housing and 10 being most suitable for housing. These scores informed the weighted suitability model that was used to evaluate multiple criteria influencing the likelihood of development on a parcel-by-parcel basis. Each property was assigned a total weighted score, where the higher the score the greater the likelihood of development. Table 8.7 below details the scores given to each site suitability factor.
Table 8.7: Suitability Factor
Suitability Factor Score
Existing Land Use
Residential 9
Open Space 0
Public Facilities 2
Private Recreation 3
Private Schools 3
Year Built
Older than 1900 2
1900 - 1970 7
1970 - 1990 9
1990 - 2000 5
2000 - 2020 2
Lot Acreage
Less than 0.5 acres 2
0.5 - 10 acres 9
Greater than 10 acres 3
Improvement Ratio
0 - .5 9
0.5 - 0.9 8
0.9 - 1.1 6
1.1 - 1.5 3
1.5 - 2 2
Greater than 2 1
Table 8.7 Suitability Factor Continued
Suitability Factor Score
Vacancy
Vacant Lot 9
Nonvacant Lot 4
Residual Lot Coverage (Potential for Subdivision and ADUs) Less than 15,000 2
15,000-30,000 4
30,001-43,560 6
43,561-87,120 8
More than 87,120 10
Residual Height
Less than 15 feet 2
15-29 feet 6
30-44 feet 8
45-60 feet 10
Proximity to Amenities
Less than 4 1
5-9 5
10-14 7
15 - 20 9
Fire Hazard
Within Fire Hazard 0
Slope
Less than 30% 9
30% - 50% 5
Greater than 50% 2
Landslide / Liquefaction
Within landslide/liquefaction zone 0
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Site Suitability Analysis Results
The following map illustrates the total weighted score assigned to each parcel in the community.
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Identified Vacant Opportunity Sites
Utilizing the site suitability methodology detailed above, this analysis of housing suitability allowed town staff, elected and appointed officials, and residents to identify a total of 23 vacant housing opportunity sites suitable for residential development, which would result in the development of 23 housing units.The identified sites are shown on the following map. Each of the identified vacant sites meets the Town’s current zoning and subdivision standards and are most ideal for development, after evaluation of the suitability of all vacant sites and consideration of development potential and likelihood. Each site can accommodate one primary residence which, given the cost of land in Town, would likely be made available at above moderate-income affordability levels.
Staff evaluated historic permitting patterns and Town records associated with applications and inquiries about the development of vacant lots in Town and determined that there is an average of approximately 2.3 net new primary dwellings on vacant lots per year and an average of approximately 4 pre-applications for net new primary dwellings on vacant lots per year. Given these trends, 23 vacant opportunity sites (an average of 2.8 per year) is reasonable when also factoring in the related programs, goals, and actions outlined in the Town’s Housing Plan, including:
• Goal 1.2: Streamline the project review process for housing-related applications. • Action 1.2 (a): Improve transparency in permitting time and workflow by updating the Town’s ageing permit tracking software to a streamlined, user-friendly web-based platform with online payments accessible to applicants 24-hours/day, 365 days/year. • Action 1.2 (c): Continue to evaluate and improve the streamlined processing system to facilitate residential development. • Action 1.2 (d): Utilize CEQA exemptions for infill development sites, such as the Nueva private school site, to shorten entitlement review time.
• Goal 1.3: Assist Town residents in the resolution of land use conflicts to promote successful housing development projects • Action 1.5 (a): Eliminate the minimum required residential structure size. • Goal 1.7: Build support for the development of new housing in Hillsborough.
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RHNA 6 Unit Allocation: Vacant Opportunity Sites
Table 8.8 below, demonstrates the remaining delta of the RHNA 6 obligation, after accounting for the ADU projections, pipeline projects, and units derived from the development of the identified vacant sites.
Table 8.8: Vacant Opportunity Sites Delta
Income Level
RHNA 6 Allocation
Less ADUs and Pipeline Projects
Vacant Opportunity
Sites
RHNA 6 Allocation
Less ADUs, Pipeline
Projects, and Vacant
Opportunity Sites
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 35 - deficit 0 35 - deficit Low Income (51-79% AMI) 9 - deficit 0 9 - deficit
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 7 - deficit 0 7 - deficit Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 99 - deficit 23 76 - deficit Total: 150 Remaining
Units Needed 23 127 Remaining Units Needed
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Approach 4: Subdivision/Lot Split Opportunity Sites
The Town of Hillsborough has identified three opportunity sites, identified on the accompanying map, that meet the Town’s zoning and subdivision standards. No projects have been submitted or approved at these sites, which is why they are not being included as pipeline projects. These three sites, if subdivided, could result in 43 new parcels and housing units, as summarized in Table 8.9 below. Due to the high cost of land in Hillsborough, all units are considered to meet the Town’s above moderate income RHNA requirement. Please note: the subdivision/lot split opportunities presented in Approach 4 are not SB 9 (2021) Lot Splits and would comply with all existing standards of the Town of Hillsborough subdivision ordinance. 1 3
2 Table 8.9: Subdivision/Lot Split Opportunity Sites
APN Property Address /
Name Parcel Size Potential Subdivision Yield
1 028040120 2260 Redington Road 49.52 35
2 038281280 50 Brooke Court 11.64 3
3 030191030 Hayne Road 10.90 5
TOTAL 43
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2260 Redington Road
The Town has received a letter of intent from the property owner of 2260 Redington Road to subdivide the parcel to create 35 parcels, either to build or sell the lots to be developed with single-family detached homes. The property owner has submitted the below concept plan and formal subdivision application and is currently working with the Town to receive approval. Due to the high cost of land and planned size of the parcels and single-family detached homes to be built on the parcels, the 35 units are counted as serving above moderate income households. Although 2260 Redington Road is not vacant, the area proposed to be subdivided is, and therefore the parcel’s nonvacant status is not determined to be a constraint. The proposed conceptual subdivision would comply with all required lot size, shape, slope, and density requirements. Therefore, subdivision and development of this lot, as described, could be approved without requiring any rezoning. Approvals for subdivisions and development require review and consideration through the Town's standard public hearing process. The Town is committed to the facilitation of the subdivision and development this lot, as recognized in Policy 1: Reduce Barriers to Housing Development and Goal 1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community.
Realistic Capacity
The realistic capacity of the 2260 Redington Road site is determined via the letter of intent written by the property owner, included in Appendix A: Public Participation. The property owner has moved forward with submittal of the application for review and is working with the Town to obtain necessary approval.
Suitability of Nonvacant Site
In its current configuration, 2260 Redington Road is a non-vacant site, however, the portion of the 2260 Redington Road site identified for subdivision into residential lots is currently vacant. Given the limited availability of vacant land in Town, these newly created vacant lots will be highly desirable for development.
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50 Brooke Court
50 Brooke Court is a vacant, privately owned, more than 10-acre parcel at the end of Brooke Court and adjacent to the College of San Mateo in the south of the Town. The property owner has expressed interest to the Town in developing housing on their parcel in the next eight years but has not submitted a formal application. In September 1991, the City Council approved the subdivision of 50 Brooke Court into three parcels as shown on the approved plan below. The property owner has expressed interest in to subdivide the parcel to three parcels and to build, or sell the lots to be developed with single-family detached homes. The property owner's Architect and Town staff have discussed possible options to subdivide. Approvals for subdivisions and development require review and consideration through the Town's standard public hearing process. The Town is committed to the facilitation of the subdivision and development this lot, as recognized in Policy 1: Reduce Barriers to Housing Development and Goal 1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community.
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Realistic Capacity
Since all proposed lots meet the Town of Hillsborough’s subdivision standards and were previously approved, but not platted, the subdivision is realistic. Given the size of the lot and slope of the lot, the parcel could realistically be subdivided into four parcels, however, given the previously approved subdivision, the development of three lots at this site is most likely. Subdivision and development of this lot is supported by local and regional residential development trends. As noted in previous sections of this document, the availability of vacant land in Town is limited and highly desirable for development. The realistic capacity of the subdivision is further supported by recently approved development on sites with similar characteristics and subdivisions in the region, such as those detailed below:
14915 Shannon Road in Los Gatos: The project scope involves the development of a downward-sloping, east-facing, 1.51-acre vacant lot with a natural setting of an undulating hillside with existing mature oak trees. The proposed site design features a private circular driveway sloping down about 55 feet to the fire truck turnaround space in front of the home's garage. A low-profile modern home follows the site contours and levels so that the structure appears integrated into the hillside. This two-level home will appear as a single-story building to most neighbors as three sides of the lower level are tucked into the hill. This house sitting has minimal impact on the existing grading and vegetation. The main residence has two levels, three beds, four and a half baths, a three car garage, and a 731 SF attached ADU.
3247 Oak Knoll Drive in Redwood City: The project will subdivide the existing 35,579 sq. ft. parcel at 3247 Oak Knoll Drive into three parcels to allow for development of three single-family dwelling units. The site improvements include a new water main, water services, sanitary sewer main and laterals, private storm drain, and a 25’ wide privately owned and publicly accessible roadway.
Suitability of Site
50 Brooke Court is currently vacant. No rezoning, variances, or exceptions would be required to subdivide and develop these lots.
The property has access to water, sewer, and utility services.
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Hayne
The subdivision/lot split opportunity along Hayne Road (APN 30131030) is a vacant, privately owned, more than 10-acre parcel near the intersection of Hayne Road, Robinwood Lane, and Sandra Road. Like 50 Brooke Court, the Hayne parcel is constrained by steep slopes. Given the size of the existing parcel approximately seven lots would be possible, however, due to the topography of the site, it is projected to be subdivided into only five parcels, as shown in the concept plan below. Approvals for subdivisions and development require review and consideration through the Town's standard public hearing process. The Town is committed to the facilitation of the subdivision and development this lot, as recognized in Policy 1: Reduce Barriers to Housing Development and Goal
1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community.
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Realistic Capacity
The realistic capacity of the subdivision is supported by local and regional residential development trends. As noted in previous sections of this document, the availability of vacant land in Town is limited and highly desirable for development. The realistic capacity of the subdivision is further supported by recently approved development on sites with similar characteristics and subdivisions in the region, such as those detailed above and well as below:
• 3700 Laurel Way in Redwood City: The applicant has requested a planned development permit for a 4.75-acre residential development in the Residential-Hillside (RH) zone district. Components of the project include construction of a private roadway connecting to existing private streets, extension of city utilities to the residential lots, and construction, maintenance, and installation of retaining walls and parking areas along the new street (extension of Laurel Way), and an open space easement serving the hillside development. The project also includes construction of 16 new residences.
Suitability of Site
The Hayne site is currently vacant. No rezoning, variances, or exceptions would be required to subdivide and develop these lots. The property has access to water, sewer, and utility services.
The Town is committed to encouraging and facilitating the subdivision of and resulting housing development at 2260 Redington Road, 50 Brooke Court, and the Hayne parcel and have included several goals and actions under Policy 1 in the Housing Plan related to reducing barriers to housing development, streamlining and enhancing the user-friendliness of the approval process, allowing for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community, and conducting a study to evaluate amendments to the subdivisions section of Town’s municipal code that would result in increased developed and/or reduce or eliminate potential constraints to development, including:
• Policy 1: Reduce Barriers to Housing Development.
• Goal 1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community. • Action 1.1 (b): Complete a study to determine if modifications to chapter 16 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code (Subdivisions) would facilitate the subdivision and development of additional housing in a manner that protects public safety. If the study indicates that the change would likely result in increased development and have minimal impact to public safety, the Town will modify existing subdivision standards pertaining to average slope and minimum lot size. Additionally, if the analysis finds standards to be potential constraints to cost, supply, or affordability to development, amendments will be made. • Goal 1.2: Streamline the project review process for housing-related applications. • Goal 1.3: Assist Town residents in the resolution of land use conflicts to promote successful housing development projects.
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RHNA 6 Unit Allocation: Subdivision/Lot Split Opportunity Sites Table 8.10 below, demonstrates the remaining delta of the RHNA 6 obligation, after accounting for the ADU projections, pipeline projects, units derived from the development of the identified vacant sites, and units derived from the subdivision/lot split of the identified parcels. Please note: the subdivision/lot split opportunities presented in Approach 4 are not SB 9 (2021) Lot Splits and would comply with all existing standards of the Town of Hillsborough subdivision ordinance.
Table 8.10: Subdivision/Lot Split Opportunity Sites Delta Income Level
RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs,
Pipeline Projects, and Vacant
Opportunity Sites
Subdivision
Opportunity Sites
RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs, Pipeline
Projects, Vacant Opportunity Sites, and
Subdivision Opportunity Sites
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 35 - deficit 0 35 – deficit Low Income (51-79% AMI) 9 - deficit 0 9 – deficit
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 7 - deficit 0 7 – deficit Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 68 - deficit 43 25- deficit Total: 119 Remaining Units Needed 43 76 Remaining Units Needed Hillsborough Housing Element | Housing Opportunities
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Approach 5: Multi-Family Opportunity Sites
Currently, the Town of Hillsborough does not have any multi-family housing. Recognizing the importance of multi-family housing in providing for housing choice and opportunity and in affirmatively furthering fair housing, Hillsborough is proposing two new multifamily opportunity sites in Town by rezoning two Town-owned sites.
LAKEVIEW
FOREST VIEW
SHARON
TOURNAMENT
TA R TAN TRAIL
BUTTERNUT
CARMELITA
HAYNE
EL CERRITO
CHURCHILL
SANTA INEZ
ROBINWOO D
TOBIN CLARK
DARRELL
SKYFARM
BL ACK MOUNTAIN
EUCALYPTU S HAYNE
CHATEAU
CRYSTAL S PRINGS
RALSTON
Town H a l l
Burl ingame
Cou n try C l ub
Tob i n C l ark
N u eva Sch ool
MU LTI FAMI LY HOUSING OPPORTUN ITY SITES
TOWN OF H I LLSBOROU GH
280
92 82
Legend
Town of H i l l sborou g h
B u r l i n gam e Cou n tr y C l u b
N u eva Sch oo l
Tob i n C l a rk
Town H a l l
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Town Hall Campus
The Town of Hillsborough owns an approximately 2.5-acre site near the intersection of Floribunda Avenue and El Camino Real, a primary north/south transportation corridor spanning the San Francisco Peninsula. The site is currently developed with several freestanding buildings housing Town offices and the Hillsborough Police Department (HPD), a small parklet; Centennial Park which is home to a Veteran’s Memorial, several parking lots, Town-owned right of way (Walnut Avenue) encumbered with underground infrastructure, and a single-family home. Additionally, the main Town Hall building serves as a community center and meeting space, hosting various activities and civic events along with Council, committee, and board meetings. The site’s proximity to transit, daily shopping needs, job opportunities, and educational opportunities makes it an ideal location for affordable in Hillsborough.
After numerous public meetings and extensive public comment, the City Council has chosen to move forward with a redevelopment plan with a total of 16 housing units identified at the Town Hall Complex. Since the property is Town-owned, the Town will control the development and ensure the affordability of the units offered for rent. Of the 16 units, 9 will be made available to households in the low-income category and 7 to households in the very-low-income category. There is interest from the community to prioritize seniors and individuals who work in town.
Prior to arriving to this concept, the Town solicited professional planning and design services to assist in the development of a master plan, CEQA analysis, conceptual design documents (including preliminary cost estimate/budget, scope and schedule documents) and related community outreach plan to support future redevelopment of the Campus site. The conceptual design documents were presented to the City Council during the Housing Elements 45-day public comment period, prior to submittal to HCD.
Three alternative scenarios were presented for consideration, Alternative 1: 84 units, Alternative 2: 88 units, and Alternative 3: 123 units.
The Town received significant public feedback both for and against the proposed alternatives. Proponents of the alternatives expressed support for the location and its proximity to transit and other conveniences as well as the minimal impact the development would have on the majority of Hillsborough. Critics of the alternatives expressed concern that the development would lead to increased traffic and parking issues and have a negative impact on surrounding residences.
As noted above, in an effort to balance the feedback received and considering the wholistic plan presented in this document, the City Council has chosen to move forward with a redevelopment plan with a total of 16 housing units identified at the Town Hall Complex, with additional units being identified at a higher density at an alternative opportunity site, Tobin Clark.
The conceptual designs for the three alternative scenarios that were not supported by the community are included for reference, in Appendix C: Miscellaneous.
Realistic Capacity
The Town owns the property and therefore controls the development. Town of Hillsborough commits to developing the 16 units at the Town Hall Campus, thus eliminating the need to prove realistic capacity for private market development.
Suitability of Nonvacant Site
The Town of Hillsborough commits to developing the 16 units as part of a full campus redevelopment, thus eliminating the need to prove suitability of the current nonvacant status of the site. The site is suitable for development given its existing improvements, access to utilities, and potential of the available undeveloped land. The site’s proximity to transit, daily shopping needs, job opportunities, and educational opportunities makes it an ideal location for affordable in Hillsborough.
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Tobin Clark
The Town of Hillsborough owns a 20.9-acre site located in the former Tobin Clark estate, along the Town’s southern border and bordered by the College of San Mateo, Tournament Drive, Sugar Hill Drive, and Tobin Clark Drive.
The site’s proximity to the College of San Mateo presents opportunities and benefits. Housing for faculty and staff of the College of San Mateo is greatly needed in the area, and the Tobin Clark site presents a tremendous opportunity to provide afford- able housing with easy access to the College’s campus. The site’s location would require one point of ingress and egress to be taken from the College of San Mateo. Access through Hillsborough is possible, but more challenging and a private property easement would be required. Given the benefits of providing ingress and egress taken from the College of San Mateo, the Town is engaged in collaborative. Preliminary discussions with the City of San Mateo and the College of San Mateo regarding the project and access to the site.
TOBIN
PARROTT DR
MOUNTAIN WOOD LN
LOHOMA CT
SANTA FELICIA CT
BRANDON CT
GLENBROOK DR
PERIMETER RD
BROOKE CT
CLYDESDALE DR
BELAIRE CT
MOUNTAIN WOO D CT FOOTHILL DR
VERBALEE LN
TOURNAMENT DR
TOBIN CLARK DR
ATHLETIC LOOP RD
CLARK
TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH
CITY OF SAN MATEO
TOBIN CLARK
CONCEPTUAL INGRESS/EGRESS PLAN
Legend
Poten�al Opportunity Site
Poten�al Access
Point of Ingress and Egress
Town of Hillsborough Limits
CSM
PARK ING LOT
0 100 200 400 feet
NORTH
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Environmental Conditions
The site is also environmentally constrained with steep slopes, six ephemeral streams, and sensitive vegetation types as determined through a site visit conducted on February 6, 2023. A summary of the findings from the site visit is included in the maps below and in Appendix C: Miscellaneous. The Town entered into a contract with MIG who is preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) analyzing the environmental effects of implementing the Housing Element Update. The scope of the environmental review will cover the maximum build-out proposed by the Housing Element over the course of the 2023-2031 6th Cycle term. In partnership with MIG, the Town is confident in the ability to mitigate any negative impact identified.
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Tourname
nt Dr
Tournament Dr
W Perim
e
t
e
r Rd
W Perimeter Rd
E Perimeter Rd E Perimeter Rd
W Perimeter Rd
College of San
Mateo
College of San Mateo
Tobin Clark D r
E Perimeter Rd
Athletic Loop Rd
P ath : L : \Acad 2000 F i l es\29000\29273 - 5 \G I S \ArcM ap\29273 - 5B a se . aprx Layout N am e : F i g4_B i oCon stra i nts Study Area (21 ac.)
B iolog ica l Con stra ints
Add itiona l Sen s itive H ab itat (11 . 24 ac. )
Town of H i l l sborou g h Stream Setback ( 2 . 33 ac. ) Sensitive
Ephemera l Stream (0.13 ac. )
N eed l e grass grassl and (0.76 ac.)
Coast L ive Oak Wood l and (10. 58 ac. )
Ca l iforn ia B uckeye Groves (0.09 ac. )
R iparian Ca l iforn ia Sagebru sh Scrub (0. 26 ac. )
R iparian Coast L ive Oak Wood l and (0.12 ac. )
R iparian Ca l iforn ia B uckeye Groves (1 .01 ac. )
N on - Sen s itive
D eve l oped (1 .07 ac. )
N on - native An n ua l Grass l and 2 .17 ac. )
Ca l iforn ia Sagebru sh Scrub (1 . 98 ac. )
Cham ise Chaparra l (2.79 ac.)
E uca l yptu s Groves (0.04 ac. )
Tob i n C l ark P rop erty, Town of H i l l sborough ,
Sa n M ateo Cou nty, Ca l iforn i a
Sources: Sa n M ateo Cou nty I m agery 2022 , WR A | P repared B y: n ja n der, 2 /17/2023 0 250 500Feet F igure 4. B iological Constrain ts wi th in the Study Area ± DRAFT
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Utilities
Two options exist to provide water and sewer utility to the Tobin Clark site. The least expensive option would involve utilizing the existing water infrastructure within the College of San Mateo because it would involve the shortest distance for providing water service to the site. Alternatively, Cal Water would appear to be the nearest water supplier, and sewer services could possibly be provided by the City of San Mateo. Additionally, the Town of Hillsborough has explored the concept of extending the Town's water main system to loop through the area, which would then allow use of existing Town facilities. If Town water and sewer services were used, then usage and allocations would be from the Town rather than another water and sewer agency. An additional engineering study would be required to confirm this and to ensure adequate pressure and emergency flow would be available to the proposed units. The Town continues to study the site and evaluate the options and solutions.
Development Concept Plan
The Town of Hillsborough has had preliminary discussions with local developers interested in building housing on the Tobin Clark site. In these discussions, the developers have expressed that in their professional opinion, the site would be best developed four to six building pads of approximately 20,000 to 25,000 square feet each. One building pad could accommodate smaller, higher density, units, such as single room occupancies for students, another could accommodate mid-density townhomes, and the remaining high density multi-family ranging from studios to three bedroom units, to provide affordable housing for a range of household sizes.
TOBIN
PARROTT DR
MOUNTAIN WOOD LN
LOHOMA CT
SANTA FELICIA CT
BRANDON CT
GLENBROOK DR
PERIMETER RD
BROOKE CT
CLYDESDALE DR
BELAIRE CT
MOUNTAIN WOO D CT FOOTHILL DR
VERBALEE LN
TOURNAMENT DR
TOBIN CLARK DR
ATHLETIC LOOP RD
CLARK
TOBIN CLARK
CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN
Legend
Poten�al Opportunity Site
Poten�al Access Street
Possible Building Pad - Higher Density 40 Units
Possible Building Pad - High Density - 18 Units
Poten�al Building Pad - Mid-Density - 6 units
Poten�al Access Point
LANDS OF
COLLEGE OF
SAN MATEO*
*SAN MATEO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
0 100 200 400 feet
NORTH
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As detailed in the Concept Plan, a total of 100 housing units are planned for the Tobin Clark site. Since the site is Town-owned and would be developed as a private-public-partnership, the Town will control the development and the ultimate price point at which the units are offered for rent. The following number of units are proposed to be made available to households in each income category. • Very Low Income (0-50% AMI). 44 units
• Moderate Income (80-119% AMI). 6 units
• Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+). 50 units
Realistic Capacity
The Town owns this property and therefore controls the developments. The Town of Hillsborough commits to developing the 100 units at the Tobin Clark site, thus eliminating the need to prove realistic capacity for private market development. The Town released a Request for Information (RFI) on August 31, 2023 to solicit information from qualified private sector firms on public-private partnership opportunities that meet the objectives to develop multi-family housing on the site. The RFI details the requirements for development, specifying that the project must include, at a minimum, the mix of housing units as listed in the Housing Element, described above. The Town is also pursuing additional research efforts on the site, including running a preliminary title report and conducting an appraisal of the site.
Suitability of Site
The Tobin Clark site is currently vacant. The location of the proposed housing site is suitable for development and building footprints are proposed on the areas of the property least impacted by slopes. The site plan would be designed to minimize impacts to the existing biological resources.
TOBIN
PARROTT DR
MOUNTAIN WOOD LN
LOHOMA CT
SANTA FELICIA CT
BRANDON CT
GLENBROOK DR
PERIMETER RD
BROOKE CT
CLYDESDALE DR
BELAIRE CT
MOUNTAIN WOO D CT FOOTHILL DR
VERBALEE LN
TOURNAMENT DR
TOBIN CLARK DR
ATHLETIC LOOP RD
CLARK
TOBIN CLARK
CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN AND LAND COVER
Legend
Poten�al Opportunity Site
Poten�al Access Street
Possible Building Pads
Environmentally Sensi�ve Land Cover
Environmentaly Non-sensi�ve Land Cover
Poten�al Access Point
*SAN MATEO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
LANDS OF
COLLEGE OF
SAN MATEO*
0 100 200 400 feet
NORTH
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Nueva Private School
Since 1996 Nueva Private School has been planning to develop six units of housing on their campus located at 6565 Skyline Blvd. in Hillsborough. The School reaffirmed their intention to develop the housing in their 2021-2027 plan as well as in a letter of intent sent to the Town of Hillsborough and included in Appendix A: Public Participation. The letter of intent also clarifies that the units would be made available to moderate income households. The Town of Hillsborough has a cooperative and collaborative working relationship with Nueva and is committed to facilitating the development of these housing units, as pledged in the Housing Plan:
• Goal 3.2: Encourage and support the use of private recreational and private school land for housing development to accommodate housing choice throughout Hillsborough.
• Action 3.2 (a): Provide staff support and community engagement facilitation to support development of multi-family housing units at the identified housing opportunity sites; Nueva private school and the Burlingame Country Club including a clear procedure for approval of applications, development standards, and other criteria to facilitate the development of multifamily housing.
Per the School’s plan:
The proposed housing, continued from the 1996 Master Plan, consists of 6 dwelling units located along Skyline Boulevard. This site is away from primary educational activities, with direct access to Skyline Boulevard, and a separate small parking lot and entrance.
To the north of the site is a private tennis court behind a six foot high wooden fence facing Nueva property and a ten foot high sound wall facing Skyline Boulevard. Trees surrounding the housing units will provide privacy and screen the new building. The housing is compatible in mass, scale, and character to the many houses along Skyline, and would be designed to be compatible with the Town of Hillsborough Guidelines.
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Realistic Capacity
The realistic capacity of the Nueva Private School site is determined through the study included in their 2021-2027 plan as well as in a letter of intent sent to the Town of Hillsborough and included in Appendix A: Public Participation.
Suitability of Nonvacant Site
The portion of the Nueva School site identified for housing development in their 2021-2027 plan is currently vacant. As shown in the site plan above, the housing would provide dedicated parking and is located on an area of the lot with easy access to transportation and ingress/egress from the lot. This area of the lot is not impacted by steep slopes and is sited such that construction activity would be minimally impactful to the daily school functions.
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Burlingame Country Club
The Burlingame Country Club, a private recreational facility in the heart of Hillsborough, has shared their intention to evaluate the possibility of creating five housing units on their property for use and occupancy by employees of the Club. A letter expressing this intent is included in Appendix A: Public Participation. The Town of Hillsborough’s zoning ordinance currently allows multifamily housing to be developed on the Country Club site. The Town of Hillsborough has a positive business relationship with the Burlingame Country Club and is committed to facilitating the development of these housing units, as pledged in the Housing Plan:
• Goal 3.2: Encourage and support the use of private recreational and private school land for housing development to accommodate housing choice throughout Hillsborough.
• Action 3.2 (a): Provide staff support and community engagement facilitation to support development of multi-family housing units at the identified housing opportunity sites; Nueva private school and the Burlingame Country Club including a clear procedure for approval of applications, development standards, and other criteria to facilitate the development of multifamily housing.
Realistic Capacity
The realistic capacity of the Burlingame Country Club site is determined via the letter of intent written by the Club included in Appendix A: Public Participation. The Town’s zoning ordinance already allows multi-family housing to be developed on the Country Club site.
Suitability of Nonvacant Site
The property is large with areas that are not constrained by steep slopes and provide opportunity for development. The Burlingame Country Club site is already served by utilities. Due to the letter of intent received from the Club (included in Appendix A: Public Participation) the need to prove suitability of the current nonvacant status of the site is eliminated.
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RHNA 6 Unit Allocation: Multi-family Opportunity Sites
Table 8.11 below, demonstrates the remaining delta of the RHNA 6 obligation, after accounting for the ADU projections, pipeline projects, units derived from the development of the identified vacant sites, units derived from the subdivision/lot split of the identified parcels, and units derived from multi-family opportunity sites.
Conclusion
Utilizing the five approaches detailed above and the corresponding policies, goals, and actions detailed in the Housing Plan, the Town of Hillsborough is confident that it can meet the housing needs of current and future residents and its RHNA obligation.
Table 8.12 summarizes the yield from all approaches and their impact on the Town of Hillsborough’s RHNA 6 obligation. The Town’s approaches produce a surplus of units in the very low-income, moderate-income, and above moderate-income categories. The surplus units provide the Town with a no net loss buffer of nine percent.
As noted previously, to further demonstrate the Town’s commitment to meeting its RHNA obligation, the Housing Plan includes significant tiered mid-cycle adjustment programs to address a shortfall of sites.
Table 8.11: Multi-family Opportunity Sites Delta
Income Level
RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs,
Pipeline Projects, Vacant Opportunity Sites, and Subdivision Opportunity SitesMulti-family Opportunity Sites
RHNA 6 Allocation Less ADUs, Pipeline Projects, Vacant Opportunity Sites, Subdivision Opportunity Sites,
and Multi-family Opportunity Sites
Very Low Income (0-50% AMI) 35 – deficit 51 16 - surplus Low Income (51-79% AMI) 9 – deficit 9 0
Moderate Income (80-119% AMI) 7 – deficit 17 10 - surplus Above Moderate Income (120% AMI+) 25 - deficit 50 25 – surplus Total: 76 Remaining Units Needed 116 605 (51 unit surplus) Table 8.12: Conclusion
Approach Very Low
Income Units
Low Income
Units
Moderate
Income Units
Above Moderate Income
Units
Total Units
Approach 1: ADUs 120 80 80 120 400
Approach 2: Pipeline Projects 0 0 0 12 12
Approach 3: Vacant Parcel Opportunity Sites 0 0 0 23 23 Approach 4: Subdivision/Lot Split Opportunity Sites 0 0 0 43 43 Approach 5: Multi-family Opportunity Sites 51 9 17 50 116 Total 171 89 97 248 605 (51 unit surplus)
Table 8.13: Quantified Objectives
Income New Construction Rehabilitation Conservation/
Preservation Total
Extremely Low 37 0 0 37
Very Low 38 0 0 38
Low 50 0 0 50
Moderate 50 0 0 50
Above Moderate 123 3 2 128
Total 298 3 2 303
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FURTHERING FAIR
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Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity
Fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity relates to the ability of a locality and fair housing entities to disseminate information related to fair housing and provide outreach and education to assure community members are aware of fair housing laws and rights.
Fair housing complaints can be an indicator of housing discrimination. Fair Housing issues can arise through discrimination against an individual based on disability, race, national origin, familial status, disability, religion, or sex when renting or selling a dwelling unit.
Fair Housing and Civil Rights Findings, Lawsuits,
Enforcement, Settlements or Judgments
Fair Housing Legal Cases and Inquiries
California fair housing law extends beyond the protections in the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). In addition to the FHA protected classes—race, color, ancestry/national origin, religion, disability, sex, and familial status—California law offers protections for age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, and source of income (including federal housing assistance vouchers).The California Department of Fair Employment in Housing (DFEH) was established in 1980 and was the largest civil rights agency in the United States. As of July 2022, the Department of Fair Employment in Housing changed its name to the Civil Rights Department (CRD) to reflect the Department’s powers and duties more accurately, which include enforcement of laws prohibiting hate violence, human trafficking, discrimination in business establishments, and discrimination in government-funded programs and activities, among others. The mission of the CRD is to, “protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations (businesses) and from hate violence and human trafficking in accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, and Ralph Civil Rights Act.”
CRD receives, evaluates, and investigates fair housing complaints. CRD evaluates the facts and decides whether to accept the case for investigation. If the case is accepted, CRD will independently investigate the facts and legal issues. On their website, CRD will review respondents’ responses to complaints and other information and evidence that complainants and respondents submit.
CRD attempts to resolve the dispute in appropriate cases and in some cases may also take legal action. There have been no past or current fair housing lawsuits, findings, settlements, judgements, or complaints.
Table 9.1 displays the Fair Housing Complaints Filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in San Mateo County by Basis of disability, race, familial status, national origin, religion, and sex. As shown in Table 9.1, from 2017 to 2021, 57 fair housing complaints in San Mateo County were filed. Countywide, most complaints cited disability status as the bias (56%) followed by race (19%), and familial status (14%). Countywide, no cause determination was found in 27 complaints followed by successful conciliation or settlement with 22 complaints. Table 9.1 shows that fair housing complaints filed with HUD by San Mateo County residents have been on a declining trend since 2018, when 18 complaints were filed. In 2019, complaints dropped to five, increased to 11 in 2020, and had reached six by mid-2021.
Table 9.1: Fair Housing Complaints Filed with HUD by Basis, San Mateo County, 2017-2021
2017-2021 Total
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Cases % Total
Disability 8 9 3 9 3 32 56%
Race 3 5 2 1 11 19%
Familial Status 4 3 1 8 14%
National Origin 2 1 3 5%
Religion 1 1 2 4%
Sex 1 1 2%
Total Cases 17 18 5 11 6 57 100%
Source: HUD
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Table 9.2 shows the Fair Housing Inquiries by Bias from 2013 to 2021. Fair housing inquiries in 2020 were primarily submitted from the City of San Mateo, Redwood City, Daly City, and Menlo Park. No inquiries were reported in the Town of Hillsborough. None of the housing discrimination complaints filed with HUD were from the Town of Hillsborough.
Table 9.2: Fair Housing Inquiries by Bias, January 2013-March 2021 Jurisdiction Disability Race Familial
Status
National
Origin
Religion Sex Color Total
Atherton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Belmont 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3
Brisbane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Burlingame 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 5
Colma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daly City 1 2 1 3 0 0 0 7
East Palo Alto 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Foster City 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Half Moon Bay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hillsborough 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Menlo Park 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
Millbrae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pacifica 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 5
Portola Valley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Redwood City 5 1 1 1 0 1 0 9
San Bruno 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
San Carlos 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
San Mateo 4 2 2 2 0 0 0 10
South San Francisco 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Woodside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Figure 9.1 summarizes San Mateo County HUD Housing Complaints, by Basis, from 2017 to 2021 and Fair Housing inquiries and complaints from 2017 to 2021 and Figure 9.2 illustrates all Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) inquiries within the region.
Nationally, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) reported a “negligible” decrease in the number of complaints filed between 2019 and 2020. The primary bases for complaints nationally were nearly identical to San Mateo County’s: disability (55%) and race (17%). Familial status represented 8% of complaints nationally, whereas this basis comprised 14% of cases in the county.
NFHA identifies three significant trends in 2020 that are relevant for San Mateo County:
• First, fair lending cases referred to the Department of Justice from federal banking regulators have been declining, indicating that state and local government entities may want to play a larger role in examining fair lending barriers to homeownership. • Second, NFHA identified a significant increase in the number of complaints of harassment—1,071 complaints in 2020 compared to 761 in 2019.
• Finally, NFHA found that 73% of all fair housing complaints in 2020 were processed by private fair housing organizations, rather than state, local, and federal government agencies—reinforcing the need for local, active fair housing organizations and increased funding for such organizations.
Figure 9.1: Fair Housing Complaints and Inquires
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Figure 9.2: FHEO Inquiries by City to HUD, San Mateo County (2013-2021) Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Fair Housing Laws
The Town follows existing fair housing laws. The following lists State and local fair housing laws and specifies how the Town complies:
State
• California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA): FEHA prohibits harassment based on a protected category against any employee, an applicant, an unpaid intern or volunteer, or a contractor. Harassment is prohibited in all workplaces, even those with fewer than five employees.
• Hillsborough continues to implement and update programs that promote fair and equal access to housing. Chapter 17.42 of the Hillsborough Municipal Code: “Reasonable Housing Under the Fair Housing Acts” provides reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities and complies with the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and state Fair Employment and Housing Act.
• Government Code Section 65008: This statute forbids discrimination against affordable housing developments, developers or potential residents by local agencies when carrying out their planning and zoning powers. • The Town continues to implement policies that encourage affordable housing development. Policies 1-A3, 1-A4, 1-D1, 2-B1, and 3-C3 are ongoing policies that comply with the State’s requirement for fair review of affordable housing development. • Government Code Section 8899.50: “Affirmatively furthering fair housing” means 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. • The Town implements policies and actions in compliance with State law that affirmatively furthers fair housing. As detailed in Section 3, Goal 4, the Town administers policies to promote equal housing access. • Government Code Section 11135: No person in the State of California shall, on the basis of race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, genetic information, or disability, be unlawfully denied full and equal access to the benefits of, or be unlawfully denied full and equal access to the benefits of, or be unlawfully subjected to discrimination under, any program or activity that is conducted, operated, or administered by the state or by any state agency, is funded directly by the state, or receives any financial assistance from the state. • The Town continues to encourage programs that promote full and equal access to all programs and activities. The Town’s Official Website provides access to programs and activities happening in the Town. • Density Bonus Law: Density bonuses allow developers of market-rate housing to build higher-density housing in exchange for having a certain portion of their units offered at affordable prices. • The Town has adopted a density bonus ordinance pursuant to California Government Code Section 65915 and continues to allow density bonuses for projects meeting the requirements of California Government Code Section 65915. • Housing Accountability Act: This Act establishes limitations to a local government’s ability to deny, reduce the density of, or make infeasible housing development projects, emergency shelters, or farmworker housing that are consistent with objective local development standards and contribute to meeting housing need. • The Town implements programs such as fee incentives, funding, and review of zoning procedures to facilitate and encourage housing development.
• No-Net-Loss Law: To ensure development opportunities remain available throughout the planning period to accommodate a jurisdiction’s regional housing need allocation (RHNA), especially for lower- and moderate-income households. • Section 8: Sites Inventory Analysis, and Section 10: Housing Plan details how the Town maintains adequate sites to meet its RHNA.
• Housing Element Law: California’s Housing Element Law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address the housing needs and demand of Californians, local governments must adopt plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for (and do not unduly constrain) housing development. • The Town identifies and includes an analysis of existing and projected housing needs and a statement of goals, policies, quantified objectives, and scheduled programs.
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Local
• Local Ordinances: The Town’s Municipal Code facilitates fair housing practices. • Chapter 17.42 - REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACTS This chapter establishes a formal procedure for persons with disabilities seeking equal access to housing to request reasonable accommodation under the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act and the state Fair Employment and Housing Act in the application of the town's zoning and other land use laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies, procedures, and practices. The further purpose of this chapter is to establish relevant criteria for considering such requests. • Housing Plan Programs: The Town of Hillsborough is committed to proactively take meaningful actions to overcome patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, eliminate disparities in opportunities, and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination. Section 10: Housing Plan details, the Town’s goals, policies, and actions, summarized below:
• Action 1.2 (b): Update all housing development-related application forms to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance with all state statutes, including the Permit Streamlining Act, Housing Accountability Act and Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330). • Goal 1.4: Amend the Town’s zoning regulations to comply with all recently adopted state legislation. • Action 1.4 (a): Allow group homes with an administrative approval in all residential zoning districts. Establish standards for group homes, including group homes with seven or more persons and ensure the Town’s definition of group home in the zoning ordinance is in compliance with federal and state fair housing laws. • Action 1.4 (b): Amend the Density Bonus section of the zoning ordinance to ensure it is in compliance with state density bonus law. (Government Code Sections 65915 et seq.)
• Action 1.4 (c): Ensure the zoning ordinance is in compliance with the Employee Housing Act. • Action 1.4 (d): Ensure the Town’s definition of transitional and supportive housing in the zoning ordinance is in compliance with Government Code Section 65382 and Section 65650 and amend the zoning ordinance to permit transitional and supportive housing as required by Sections 65683 and Sections 65650 et seq. • Action 1.4 (e) Amend the zoning ordinance to allow emergency shelters by right within the Multi-Family zones. Regulations for emergency shelters will comply with Government Code Section 65583. • Action 1.4 (f): Amend the zoning ordinance to permit Low Barrier Navigation Centers in zones as required by Government Code Section 65662.
• Goal 7.1: Eliminate discrimination in housing based on age, race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, or occupation.
• Action 7.1 (a): Support fair access to housing for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, or ancestry. Assemble and promote the distribution of information to landlords regarding fair housing. • Action 7.1 (b): Assemble and promote the distribution of information to landlords regarding fair housing. • Action 7.1 (c): Involve Project Sentinel to aid in housing-related problem resolution. • Action 7.1 (d): Continue to designate the City Attorney as the appropriate City official to receive and administer complaints related to housing discrimination.
• Action 7.1 (e): Amend Chapter 17.42 of the Zoning Ordinance (Requests for Reasonable Accommodation) to eliminate all subjective review criteria in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). • Action 7.1 (f): Provide maximum flexibility in the development of housing for persons with disabilities. • Action 7.1 (g): Ensure that information related to fair housing laws is easily available on the Town’s website and at key Town facilities, including the Town Hall Campus and Police Station. • Action 7.2 (a): Work with HIP Housing and other self-sufficiency programs to market ADUs to the disability community and non-English speakers, including new-immigrant and refugee communities. • Action 7.2 (b): Work with HIP Housing and other self-sufficiency programs to make available paper and digital versions of multi-lingual applications and to make all websites containing application information accessible.
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• Action 7.3 (a): Enhance awareness and understanding of what AFFH is and how it impacts housing choice in Hillsborough. • Action 7.3 (b): Display information about the availability of reasonable accommodations at the public information counter in the Planning and Building Division and ensure that the information is easily accessible on the Town’s website. • Action 7.3 (c): In partnership with Project Sentinel and the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, promote available housing issue resolution services and fair housing information. • Action 7.3 (d): Ensure that information related to fair housing laws is easily available on the Town’s website and at key Town facilities, including Town Hall and the Police Department.
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Fair Housing Capacity
Outreach and capacity
The Town of Hillsborough is dedicated to providing resources for their residents, and is in the process of updating the website to include the most current contact information for local fair housing organizations, legal assistance, and general information about the Fair Housing Act and discrimination. The Town already hosts a Housing Resources webpage with information about emergency shelters, housing advocacy, housing for persons with disabilities, the Home for All San Mateo County Initiative, the Making Home Affordable program, residential care for the elderly, the San Mateo County Department of Housing, and the Shared Housing program.
Additionally, Hillsborough residents can find County-wide resources. The primary fair housing organization serving Hillsborough is Project Sentinel. Project Sentinel is a non-profit organization that serves Northern California cities and has been an HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency since 1998. Project Sentinel, whose services are funded by cities and counties, serves Hillsborough in helping people resolve housing problems. The nonprofit agency assists home seekers and housing providers through counseling, complaint investigation, mediation, conciliation, and education. Project Sentinel also offers support to cities and counties in developing their “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing” and a wide array of technical assistance to property management professionals/owners. The organization publishes a semi-weekly newspaper column, Rent Watch, and operates a Housing Hotline. Project Sentinel’s Fair Housing Center also provides education and counseling to community members, housing providers, and tenants about fair housing laws.
Table 9.3 lists Fair Housing Assistance Organizations in San Mateo County that offer fair housing information and resources and each organization’s contact information. These organizations receive funding from the County and participating jurisdictions to support fair housing enforcement and outreach and education in the County. Through these organizations, the Town can further disseminate information related to fair housing as well as provide education and outreach to inform community members of their rights and fair housing laws. The following fair housing organizations offer services to Hillsborough residents:
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County: The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides free civil legal advice, counsel, and representation to low-income people living in San Mateo County. The organization has helped people secure safe and affordable housing, access healthcare, obtain economic security, establish immigration status, receive education, and realize freedom from violence and abuse since 1959. • Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto: Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto is a non-profit organization that provides legal services to low-income families within the region. The organization specializes in services that address economic advancement, housing, and immigration. The organization helps immigrant communities stay informed, keep families together, and obtain work authorization, visas, permanent residence, and U.S. citizenship. Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto ultimately aims to “provide transformative legal services that enable diverse communities in East Palo Alto and beyond to achieve a secure and thriving future.”
Table 9.3: Fair Housing Assistance Organizations, San Mateo County Name Service Area Address Phone Website
Project Sentinel Northern California 1490 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050
(800) 339-6043 https://www.housing.org/
Legal Aid Society of San
Mateo County
San Mateo County 330 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite
123, Redwood City, CA 94065
(650) 558-0915 https://www.legalaidsmc.
org/housing-resources
Community Legal
Services of East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto, Menlo
Park, Burlingame,
Mountain View,
Redwood City, and
San Francisco
1861 Bar Road, East Palo Alto,
CA 94303
(650) 326-6440 https://clespa.org/
services/#housing
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Analysis of Federal, State, and
Local Data and Knowledge
Housing Specific Policies Enacted Locally
The Town of Hillsborough identified the following local policies that contribute to the regulatory environment for affordable housing development in the town.
According to Figure 9.3 and Figure 9.4, the Town of Hillsborough does not have any public housing buildings or any census tracts with residents using housing vouchers. The absence of both physical public housing units and renters using housing vouchers to pay for rent indicates an inadequate supply of rental housing.
Nearby communities of Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Mateo all have multiple (at least three) census tracts containing residents using housing vouchers. The presence of voucher users in surrounding communities indicates that there is demand for rental units that accept vouchers in the area.
Local policies in place to encourage
housing development.
• Graduated Density Bonus (parcel assembly)
• Form‐based codes
• Mixed Use Zoning
• Housing Overlay Zone
• Inclusionary/Below Market Rate Housing Policy
• Condominium Conversion Ordinance
• Just Cause Evictions
• Rent Stabilization
• Acquisition/Rehabilitation/ Conversion Program
• Preservation of Mobile Homes (Rent Stabilization
ordinances)
• SRO Preservation Ordinances
• Homeowner Rehabilitation program
• Other Anti‐Displacement Strategies
• General Fund Allocation Incl. former RDA “Boomerang”
Funds
• In‐Lieu Fees (Inclusionary Zoning)
• Housing Development Impact Fee
• Commercial Development Impact Fee
• Other taxes or fees dedicated to housing
• Locally Funded Homebuyer Assistance Programs
• Tenant‐Based Assistance
• Public Housing
• Affordable Housing Complexes
Local barriers to affordable
housing development.
• Cost of land
• Lack of zoning for a variety of housing types beyond singlefamily detached homes • Lack of land zoned for multi-family development
• Minimum lot sizes
Local policies in place to mitigate or prevent
displacement of low income households.
• Promoting streamlined processing of ADUs
• Promoting streamlined processing of JADUs
• Promoting the construction of and affordability of ADUs • Encouraging and expediting the conversion of accessory structures to recorded ADUs and JADUs.
Local policies that are NOT in place
but would provide the best outcomes
in addressing housing shortages.
• Accommodation for multi-family housing
• Establish a Housing Choice Fund trust fund that levies fees upon all above moderate income housing development
and substantial reconstruction to subsidize the
development of deed restricted affordable units, which
may include special needs housing.
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Figure 9.3: Housing Choice Vouchers by Census Tract
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Figure 9.4: Public Housing Buildings, San Mateo County
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Integration and Segregation Patterns and Trends
This section was prepared by the firm, Root Policy Research, who assisted all San Mateo County jurisdictions participating in the 21 Elements program. It discusses integration and segregation of the population by protected classes including race and ethnicity, disability status, familial status, and income status. The section concludes with an analysis of racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty and affluence.
Integration and Segregation
Integration generally means a condition in which there is not a high concentration of persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or having a disability or a particular type of disability when compared to a broader geographic area.
Segregation generally means a condition in which there is a high concentration of persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or having a disability or a type of disability in a particular geographic area when compared to a broader geographic area.”
History of segregation in the region
The United States’ oldest cities have a history of mandating segregated living patterns—and Northern California cities are no exception. ABAG, in its recent Fair Housing Equity Assessment, attributes segregation in the Bay Area to
historically discriminatory practices—highlighting redlining and discriminatory mortgage approvals—as well as structural inequities in society, and self-segregation” (i.e., preferences to live near similar people).
Richard Rothstein, a Senior Fellow at the Othering & Belonging Institute, a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute, authored the 2017 book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, which chronicles how the public sector contributed to the segregation that exists today.
Rothstein highlights specific instances of intentional discrimination by local governments against persons of color, Black and Asian, in the Bay Area from owning homes in white neighborhoods.
San Mateo County resisted racial integration, yet it was reportedly less direct than in some Northern California communities, taking the form of “blockbusting” and “steering” or intervention by public officials. These local discriminatory practices were exacerbated by actions of the Federal Housing Administration’s “redlining” lending practices that effectively shut out persons of color from accessing the same government benefits to purchase homes.
According to the San Mateo County Historical Association. San Mateo County’s early non-white population worked in a variety of industries, from logging, to agriculture, to restaurants and entertainment. Expansion of jobs, particularly related to shipbuilding during and after World War II attracted many new residents into the Peninsula, including the first sizable migration of African Americans to the Bay Area. Enforcement of racial covenants after the war forced the migration of the county’s non-white residents into segregated neighborhoods usually located near less desirable areas with high pollution, next to highways, and concentrated in public housing and urban renewal developments.
In the early 1900s, many wealthy families in San Francisco had summer homes in the mid-peninsula area, now known as Hillsborough and Burlingame. When an earthquake hit San Francisco in 1906, refugees flooded the area, primarily taking up residences in two largely small-lot subdivisions east of the El Camino Real. Burlingame incorporated in 1908 and in 1910, Hillsborough residents voted to incorporate, forming the Town of Hillsborough.
This history of segregation in the region is important not only to understand how residential settlement patterns came about—but, more importantly, to explain differences in housing opportunity among residents today. In sum, not all residents had the ability to build housing wealth or achieve economic opportunity. This historically unequal playing field in part determines why residents have different housing needs today.
This history of segregation in the region is important not only to understand how residential settlement patterns
came about—but, more importantly, to explain differences in housing opportunity among residents today. In sum,
not all residents had the ability to build housing wealth or achieve economic opportunity. This historically unequal playing field in part determines why residents have
different housing needs today.
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The private sector contributed to segregation through activities that discouraged or prohibited integrated neighborhoods, often by using restrictive covenants and real estate redlining practices. Many peninsula properties, including those in Hillsborough, included recorded land deeds specifying only “members of the Caucasian or White race shall be permitted” to occupy sold homes.
Throughout the county, neighborhood associations and city leaders attempted to thwart integration of communities. Although some neighborhood residents supported integration, most did not, and it was not unusual for neighborhood associations to require acceptance of all new buyers. Builders with intentions to develop for all types of buyers (regardless of race) found that their development sites were rezoned by planning councils, required very large minimum lot sizes, and\or were denied public infrastructure to support their developments or charged prohibitively high amounts for infrastructure.
The timeline of major federal Acts and court decisions related to fair housing choice and zoning and land use appears below in Figure 9.5. As shown in the timeline, exclusionary zoning practices were common in the early 1900s. Courts struck down only the most discriminatory, and allowed those that would be considered today to have a “disparate impact” on classes protected by the Fair Housing Act. For example, the 1926 case Village of Euclid v. Amber Realty Co. (272 U.S. 365) supported the segregation of residential, business, and industrial uses, justifying separation by characterizing apartment buildings as “mere parasite(s)” with the potential to “utterly destroy” the character and desirability of neighborhoods. At that time, multi-family apartments were the only housing options for people of color, including immigrants.
The Federal Fair Housing Act was not enacted until nearly 60 years after the first segregative zoning ordinances appeared in U.S. cities. This coincided with a shift away from federal control over low-income housing toward locally-tailored approaches (block grants) and market-oriented choice (Section 8 subsidies)—the latter of which is only effective when adequate affordable rental units are available.
Overall integration and segregation patterns within Hillsborough are summarized below by highlighting population by protected class. Each protected class will be explained in further detail in later sections.
Figure 9.5: Major Public and Legal Actions that Influence Fair Access to Housing Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Figure 9.6. Segregation and Integration, Population by Protected Class, Hillsborough v. San Mateo County Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Race and Ethnicity
The population distribution in the Town of Hillsborough by race and ethnicity is less diverse than San Mateo County. Population by race and ethnicity is broken down in Figure 9.7 for the Bay Area, San Mateo County, and Hillsborough. In Hillsborough, 57% of the population is non-Hispanic White followed by 32% Asian, 6% other or multiple races, 4% Hispanic, and 1% Black. In comparison, the San Mateo County population is 39% non-Hispanic White, 30% Asian, 24% Hispanic, 4% other or multiple races, and 2% Black.
Racial and ethnic minorities are growing as share of the population in the Town of Hillsborough. In 2000, 71% of the population was non-Hispanic White compared to 57% in 2019. Figure 9.8 illustrates the population breakdown by race and ethnicity from 2000 to 2019. As seen in 2000, 2010, and 2019, Hillsborough lacks diversity when compared to the broader San Mateo County area. 0%
0%
0%
27%
30%
32%
6%
2%
1%
39%
39%
57%
5%
4%
6%
24%
24%
4%
Bay Area
San Mateo County
Hillsborough
Population by Race/Ethnicity - Town of Hillsborough, San Mateo County and Bay Area Region
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian/API, NH Black or African American, NH White, Non-Hispanic (NH) Other Race or Multiple Races, NH Hispanic or Latinx 0%
0%
0%
25%
28%
32%
1%
0%
1%
71%
64%
57%
0%
4%
6%
3%
3%
4%
2000
2010
2019
Population by Race/Ethnicity, Town of Hillsborough
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian/API, NH Black or African American, NH White, Non-Hispanic (NH) Other Race or Multiple Races, NH Hispanic or Latinx Figure 9.7. Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2019
Source: ABAG Housing Needs Data Workbook
Figure 9.8. Population by Race and Ethnicity, Town of Hillsborough, 2000-2019 Source: ABAG Housing Needs Data Workbook
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Racial and ethnic minority populations generally have higher rates of poverty and lower household incomes compared to the non-Hispanic White population in the Town of Hillsborough.
Hillsborough’s two census tracts population are a slim majority White—which means the gap between White and the next most populous racial and ethnic group is less than 10%.1
Dissimilarity and Isolation Indices
The Dissimilarity Index, or DI, is a common tool that measures segregation in a community. The DI is an index that measures the degree to which two distinct groups are evenly distributed across a geographic area. The DI represents the percentage of a group’s population that would have to move for each area in the county to have the same percentage of that group as the county overall.
DI values range from 0 to 100—where 0 is perfect integration and 100 is complete segregation. Dissimilarity index values between 0 and 39 generally indicate low segregation, values between 40 and 54 generally indicate moderate segregation, and values between 55 and 100 generally indicate a high level of segregation.
The isolation index is interpreted as the probability that a randomly drawn minority resident shares an area with a member of the same minority, it ranges from 0 to 100 and higher values of isolation tend to indicate higher levels of segregation.
Segregation is a complex topic and is influenced by many factors, but it’s the outcome of practices promulgated at the local level.
Individual choices can be a cause of segregation, with some residents choosing to live among people of their own race or ethnic group. For instance, recent immigrants often depend on nearby relatives, friends, and ethnic institutions to help them adjust to a new country. “White flight” has historically occurred when white residents leave neighborhoods that become more diverse. Other factors, including housing market dynamics, discriminatory lending practices, location of affordable housing, and discrimination contribute to residential segregation.
Table 9.4 above shows the dissimilarity index for racial and ethnic groups in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hawyard Region, which includes the town of Hillsborough. The table shows segregation for the region’s Black population, which has a dissimilarity index of
63.49. This is an indication of a rather high levels of segregation. The dissimilarity value for the region’s Hispanic population (51.24), Non-White population (45.89), and Asian population (48.21) indicated moderate levels of segregation. 1 Redlining maps, otherwise known as Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps, are not available for San Mateo County.
Table 9.4: Racial Ethnic Dissimilarity Trends
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Region
Racial/Ethnicity Dissimilarity Index 1990 Trend 2000 Trend 2010 Trend Current Non-White/White 44.67 44.68 43.10 45.89
Black/White 66.72 63.71 59.29 63.49
Hispanic/White 43.56 49.67 49.59 51.24
Asian or Pacific Islander/White 45.55 44.94 44.33 48.21 Source: HUD AFFH, https://egis.hud.gov/affht/
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Disability Status
Table 9.5 displays the data for persons with disabilities in the Town, County, and State. Overall, about 21 percent of the California population and 16 percent of the San Mateo County population reported to having at least one disability. Hillsborough has a lower percentage of persons with disabilities at 8.69 percent. Of the 8.69 percent Hillsborough community members who reported a disability, the majority were hearing difficulties and independent living difficulty (2.09 percent and 2.07 percent). Ease of reasonable accommodation procedures and opportunity for accessible housing can provide increased housing security for the population with disabilities.
Figure 9.9 shows that the share of the population living with at least one disability is 6% in the Town of Hillsborough compared to 8% in San Mateo County. There are no census tracts with a concentration greater than 10% of the population with a disability in the town. Lower proportions of residents living with a disability may indicate a lack of services, suitable housing options, or transportation for this population.
90%
92%
94%
10%
8%
6%
84% 86% 88% 90% 92% 94% 96% 98% 100% 102%
Bay Area
San Mateo County
Hillsborough
Share of Population with a Disability
No Disability With a Disability
Table 9.5: Population by Disability Type, Compared by Geography Disability Town of Hillsborough County of San Mateo California Total with a Disability 8.69% 16.06% 20.99%
Hearing Difficulty 2.09% 2.41% 2.89%
Vision Difficulty 1.35% 1.37% 2.00%
Cognitive Difficulty 1.13% 3.05% 4.10%
Ambulatory Difficulty 1.21% 3.92% 5.34%
Self-care Difficulty 0.83% 1.88% 2.44%
Independent Living 2.07% 3.42% 4.21%
Source: American Community Survey, Table S1810-Year Estimates, 2021.
Figure 9.9. Share of Population by Disability Status, 2019 Source: ABAG Housing Needs Data Workbook
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Figure 9.10 provides a map which illustrates the percentage of population with a disability by census tract. The Town has less than 10 percent of the population with a disability. This is similar to the surrounding jurisdictions.
Figure 9.10: Percent of Population with Disability by Census Tract Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Familial Status
Table 9.6 below displays the household type data for the State, County, and Town. Overall, the town has a larger percentage of family households than the County and State; this includes family households, married-couple family households, and those with children. Of the three jurisdictions, California has the largest percentage of non-family households at approximately 20.5 percent more than Hillsborough.
Table 9.6: Population by Familial Status, Compared by Geography Familial Status Town of Hillsborough County of San Mateo California Family Households 89.3% 69.9% 68.8%
Married-Couple Family Households 82.9% 55.0% 49.7%
With Children 35.3% 24.3% 21.7%
Female Householder with Children 2.2% 4.2% 6.3%
Non-Family Households 10.7% 30.1% 31.2%
Total Households 3,664 261,969 12,965,435
Source: American Community Survey, Table DP02, 5-Year Estimates, 2018 Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Figure 9.11: Children in Female Households with no Spouse Present Figure 9.11 shows all of Hillsborough is made up of census tracts with 2.2 percent of children living in female-headed households with no spouse/partner present.
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Figure 9.12: Households Living Alone
Figure 9.12 illustrates shows all of Hillsborough is made up of census tracts with less than 20 percent of persons over the age of 18 living alone. This is similar to the surrounding communities.
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Furthermore, the Town of Hillsborough has a small share of single person households (8% of households) compared to the county (22%) and a larger share of two person and large family households—five or more is considered a large family. Nearly one in five (18%) of all households are five or more person households in Hillsborough compared to 11% in San Mateo County.
Hillsborough also has a higher share of married-couple households which make up 83% of households in the town compared to 55% in the county.
Familial status can indicate specific housing needs and preferences. A larger number of married families and larger households indicates a need for three-to-four-bedroom units, both for the rental and for sale market. There are very few renter-occupied units in the town (7% of housing units), and most owner-occupied units are three to four bedrooms.
Compared to the county, the Town of Hillsborough has a greater proportion of family households and smaller proportion of single person households—which is reflected in the number of bedrooms and tenure of the housing stock in the town.
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Household income
The Town had a median household income of $250,000, which is significantly higher than both the State and County median household income in 2021 ($84,097 and $136,837 respectively). The data in Table 9.7 shows that about 9.2 percent of Hillsborough community members are considered extremely low income (30% of the area median income). Back in 2011, about 13.8 percent of Hillsborough community members were considered extremely low income. In 2011, the median income for the Town was at $222,131, which is a $27,869 decrease compared to 2021. The household income distribution by percent of area median income (AMI) in the Town of Hillsborough shows a significant majority of households have high incomes. More than 3 in 4 households in the town fall into the highest income category (greater than 100% AMI) compared to 1 in 2 in San Mateo County.
Half of the census block groups in Hillsborough have no household income data, and the remaining block groups show median household incomes greater than $125,000—well above the statewide median of $84,097. Similarly, low and moderate income households make up less than 25% of all households in all census block groups in Hillsborough. Surrounding jurisdictions Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Mateo all have census block groups with more than 50% low and moderate income population. Hillsborough is also largely free of poverty with census tract poverty rates less than 5% town wide.
Geographically, the Town of Hillsborough is an economically exclusive community—largely due to a very low supply of rental housing and affordable ownership opportunities. As shown in Figure 9.6, approximately 78 percent of households in Hillsborough had an income greater than 100 percent of AMI. Compared to San Mateo County, that is a 29 percent increase in the Town. About 57.9 percent of households had an income of $200,000 or more in 2011 and 68.2 percent in 2021. Hillsborough’s high-income categories reflects the Town’s low supply of affordable housing option. As a result, the Town does not have a variety of housing options for a variety of household incomes making it economically exclusive to residents who can afford it.
Table 9.7: Households by Income, Compared by Geography
Households
Income
Town of Hillsborough County of San Mateo California
2011 2021 2011 2021 2011 2021
Less than $10,000 0.8% 1.8% 3.1% 2.6% 5.3% 4.6%
$10,000-$14,999 0.3% 0.0% 2.7% 1.9% 5.1% 3.6%
$15,000-$24,999 2.7% 1.7% 5.5% 3.6% 9.4% 6.2%
$25,000-$34,999 2.0% 1.5% 6.2% 3.7% 9.1% 6.7%
$35,000-$49,999 2.2% 2.0% 9.4% 5.8% 12.4% 9.4%
$50,000-$74,999 5.8% 2.2% 16.1% 9.7% 17.3% 14.7%
$75,000-$99,999 4.4% 6.0% 12.7% 9.6% 12.6% 12.3%
$100,000-
$149,999 11.6% 9.3% 18.9% 16.9% 15.2% 17.5%
$150,000-
$199,999 12.2% 7.4% 10.4% 12.7% 6.7% 9.9%
$200,000 or More 57.9% 68.2% 15.0% 33.3% 6.9% 15.1%
Median Income $222,131 $250,000 $87,633 $136,837 $61,632 $84,097 Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Hate Crimes
According to the Office of the Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, a hate crime is a “crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim's real or perceived protected social group.” A victim of a hate crime is targeted by one or more of the following: disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes are “serious crimes that may result in imprisonment or jail time.”
The Hate Crime statistics Act of 1990 requires that the Attorney General collect data involving all hate crimes committed within the state. Figure 9.13 shows hate crime trends within San Mateo County from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, 19 hate crimes were committed compared to 17 hate crimes from 2019.
Figure 9.14 displays hate crimes that occurred in San Mateo County in 2020 based on type of bias. 79% of the hate crimes that took place in San Mateo County were based on Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry, while Sexual Orientation-related hate crimes made up 16%. 16 14
13 17
19 0
5 10
15 20
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Offenses
Hate Crime Offenses in Mateo County,
2016-2020
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Race/Ethnicity/Ancenstry
Sexual Orientation
Religion
Hate Crimes Offenses by Type of Bias (2020), San Mateo County Race/Ethnicity/Ancenstry
Sexual Orientation
Religion
Figure 9.13: hate Crime Offenses in San Mateo County
Figure 9.14: Hate Crime Offenses by Type in San Mateo County Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Racially or Ethnically Concentrated
Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP)
Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty or an Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty (R/ECAP) and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAAs) represent opposing ends of the segregation spectrum from racially or ethnically segregated areas with high poverty rates to affluent
predominantly White neighborhoods. Historically, HUD has paid particular attention to R/ECAPs as a focus of policy and obligations to AFFH. In 2019, scholars at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs argues for the inclusion of RCAAs to acknowledge current and past policies that created and perpetuate these areas of high opportunity and exclusion.2
It is important to note that R/ECAPs and RCAAs are not areas of focus because of racial and ethnic concentrations alone. This study recognizes that racial and ethnic clusters can be a part of fair housing choice if they occur in a non-discriminatory market.
Rather, R/ECAPs are meant to identify areas where residents may have historically faced discrimination and continue to be challenged by limited economic opportunity, and conversely, RCAAs are meant to identify areas of particular advantage and exclusion.
For this study, the poverty threshold used to qualify a tract as a R/ECAP was three times the average census tract poverty rate countywide—or 19.1%. In addition to R/ECAPs that meet the HUD threshold, this study includes edge or emerging R/ECAPs which hit two thirds of the HUD defined threshold for poverty—emerging R/ECAPs in San Mateo County have two times the average tract poverty rate for the county (12.8%).
In 2010 there were three census tracts that qualify as R/ECAPs (19.4% poverty rate) in the county and 11 that qualify as edge R/ ECAPs (13% poverty rate). None of the R/ECAPs were located in the Town of Hillsborough in 2010.
In 2019 there were two census tracts that qualify as R/ECAPs (19.1% poverty rate) in the county and 14 that qualify as edge R/ECAPs (12.8% poverty rate). None of the R/ECAPs were located in the Town of Hillsborough in 2019. 2 Goetz, Damiano, Williams, "Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research — Volume 21, Number 1" (PDF) https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol21num1/ch4.pdf R/ECAP
HCD and HUD’s definition of a Racially/Ethnically
Concentrated Area of Poverty is:
• A census tract that has a non-White population of 50
percent or more (majority-minority) or, for non-urban
areas, 20 percent, AND a poverty rate of 40 percent or
more; OR
• A census tract that has a non-white population of 50
percent or more (majority-minority) AND the poverty
rate is three times the average tract poverty rate for
the County, whichever is lower.
Source: California Department of Housing and Community
Development Guidance, 2021
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Racially Concentrated Areas
of Affluence (RCAA)
R/ECAPs are a long standing, contributing factor to
segregation. However, patterns of segregation in the
United States show that of all racial groups, the White Population is the most separated from other racial
groups. Research also identifies segregation of affluence to be greater than the segregation of poverty. Racial
and economic segregation can have significant effects
on respective communities, including but not limited to, socioeconomic disparities, educational experiences and
benefits, exposure to environmental conditions and crime, and access to public goods and services.
Data used in the analysis of Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAAs) comes from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey and measured at the census tract level. HCD has created an RCAA metric to reflect California’s relative diversity and regional conditions, and to aid local jurisdictions in their analysis pursuant to AB 686 and AB 1304. HCD’s RCAA metric is first calculated using a Location Quotient (LQ) for each census tract that represents the percentage of total white population for all census tracts in a given Council of Governments (COG), which is ABAG for the Town. For example, a census tract with an LQ of 1.5 has a percentage of total white population that is 1.5 times higher than the average percentage of total white population in the given COG region. To determine RCAAs, census tracts with an LQ of more than 1.25 and a median income 1.5 times higher than the COG Area Median Income (AMI), or 1.5 times the State AMI, whichever is lower, are assigned a numeric score of 1. A score of 1 indicates that a census tract is an RCAA. Census tracts that did not meet this criterion are assigned a score of 0.
The nationwide RCAA analysis identifies the following:
• RCAA tracts have more than twice the median household income of the average tract in their metro area. • Poverty rates in RCAAs are significantly lower and are, on average, about 20 percent of a typical tract. • RCAAs tracts are more income homogenous than R/ECAPs/ • The average RCAA is about 57 percent affluent, whereas the average R/ECAP had a poverty rate of 48 percent.
The typical RCAA tract has a rate of affluence 3.2 times that of a typical tract, whereas R/ECAPs on average had a poverty rate
3.2 times that of a typical tract. Overall, RCAAs may represent a public policy issue to the extent that they have been created and maintained through exclusionary and discriminatory land use and development practices.
Figure 9.15 shows census tracts that meet the RCAA criterion in Hillsborough and the surrounding region. As illustrated, all census tracts in the Town classify as RCAAs under HCD’s criterion. There are other RCAAs in the region to the Northwest, South, and West of Town.
RCAA
HCD’s definition of a Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Area of Affluence is:
• A census tract that has a percentage of total white
population that is 1.25 times higher than the average
percentage of total white population in the given COG
region, and a median income that was 2 times higher
than the COG AMI.
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Table 9.8 displays the RCAA data for the Town. The data shows these RCAAs have significantly higher percentage of white residents and median household incomes. Additionally, Table 9.9 compares median household incomes of white residents in the Town and in the County. The Town’s white population earns a median income of more than $250,000 whereas the County’s White population earns a median income of approximately $128,187. The Town’s White population represents a larger percentage at 64.2% than at the County level (49.5%).
Table 9.8: Median Household Income by Race,
Hillsborough
Census Tract Percent
Population
Median
Income
Census Tract 6056.00 55.3% $250,001
Census Tract 6057.00 58.6% $250,001
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development – AFFH Data Viewer
Table 9.9: Median Household Income by Race and Geography Race Hillsborough San Mateo County
Median Income1 Population Median Income1 Population
White (No Hispanic or Latino) $250,000+ 64.2% $128,187 49.5% All Households $250,000+ - $113,776 -
Notes: 1 Median income in the past 12 months (in 2019 inflation-adjusted dollars) Source: American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2019.
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RCAAs may represent a public policy issue to the extent that they have been created and maintained through exclusionary and discriminatory land use and development practices as shown in the above figures. The Housing Element includes programs and actions that will provide housing to below-moderate income households and create higher density housing. These programs and actions will ensure exclusive housing practices of the past are corrected to be more inclusive.
Figure 9.15: Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence "RCAA", 2015-2019 Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development – AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Disparities in Access
to Opportunities
The Town of Hillsborough is entirely designated highest resource. The Town does not include any census tracts that are designated as moderate- or low-resource areas. The proportion of the population with limited English proficiency (LEP) is half that of the county as a whole (3% in the town compared to 7% in the County).
The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC)—ranks census tracts based on
their ability to respond to a disaster—includes four themes of socioeconomic status, household composition, race or ethnicity, and housing and transportation. Again, the entire Town of Hillsborough shows low vulnerability.
The Town of Hillsborough does not have any SB 535-designated disadvantaged communities3
3 https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/sb535
Access to Opportunity
“Access to opportunity is a concept to approximate placebased characteristics linked to critical life outcomes. Access to opportunity oftentimes means both improving the
quality of life for residents of low-income communities, as well as supporting mobility and access to ‘high resource’ neighborhoods. This encompasses education, employment,
economic development, safe and decent housing, low rates of violent crime, transportation, and other opportunities, including recreation, food and healthy environment (air, water, safe neighborhood, safety from environmental
hazards, social services, and cultural institutions).”
Source: California Department of Housing and Community
Development Guidance, 2021, page 34.
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Disparities specific to the population living with a disability Six percent of the population in the Town of Hillsborough are living with at least one disability, compared to eight percent in the county. The most common disabilities in the town are independent living (2.9%), hearing difficulty (2.7%), and cognitive (2.3%).
For the population 65 and over, the share of the population with an ambulatory or independent living difficulty increases. As mentioned under Access to Transit, San Mateo County is rapidly aging; therefore, this population with a disability is likely to increase.
Unemployment is disproportionately high among residents living with a disability with an unemployment rate of 14%, compared with 3% for residents without a disability in the Town of Hillsborough—particularly when compared to the
county where the disparity is not as high. Countywide, the unemployment rate for residents with a disability is 4%, compared to 3% for residents without a disability. High unemployment rates among this population points to a need for increased services and resources to connect this population with employment opportunities.
Access to opportunity in the Town of Hillsborough is summarized in Figure 9.16.
Disability
“Disability types include hearing difficulty, vision difficulty, cognitive difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, self-care difficulty, and independent living difficulty.”
Source: California Department of Housing and Community
Development Guidance, 2021, page 36.
Figure 9.16. Access to Opportunity
Source: ABAG Housing Needs Data Workbook
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Regional Opportunity Index (ROI)
This section discusses the Regional Opportunity Index and its relation to the Town of Hillsborough. Figure 9.17 and
9.18 shows that the Town of Hillsborough was in a high
opportunity area for both “place” and “people” in 2014.
California Tax Credit Allocation
Committee (TCAC/HCD)
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) in collaboration with HCD developed a series of opportunity maps that help to identify areas of the community with
good or poor access to opportunity for residents. These maps were developed to align funding allocations with the goal of improving outcomes for low-income residents—
particularly children.
Opportunity Area Data
The opportunity maps highlight areas of highest resource, high resource, moderate resource, moderate resource (rapidly changing), low resource and high segregation and poverty—this is illustrated in Figure 9.19. TCAC provides opportunity maps for access to opportunity in quality education, employment, transportation, and environment. Opportunity scores are presented on a scale from zero to one and the higher the number, the more positive the outcomes.
Regional Opportunity Index (ROI)
The Regional Opportunity Index (ROI) is “an index of community and regional opportunity for understanding social and economic opportunity in California’s communities. The goal of the ROI is to help target resources and policies toward people and places with the greatest need, to foster thriving communities of opportunity for all Californians. It does this by incorporating both a ‘people’ component and a ‘place’ component,
integrating economic, infrastructure, environmental, and social indicators in to a comprehensive assessment of the factors driving opportunity.”
Source: UC Davis Center for Regional Change, Regional Opportunity Index Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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https://interact.regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/roi/
The Regional Opportunity Index (ROI): People is a
relative measure of people's assets in education,
the economy, housing, mobility/transportation,
health/environment, and civic life.
Regional Opportunity Index: People, 2014
¯
Legend
Regional Opportunity Index: People
Some data not available
Lowest Opportunity
Highest Opportunity
Date: 7/20/2022
Description
0 3 6 12
mi
https://interact.regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/roi/
The Regional Opportunity Index (ROI): Place is a
relative measure of an area's assets in education,
the economy, housing, mobility/transportation,
health/environment, and civic life.
Regional Opportunity Index: Place, 2014
¯
Legend
Regional Opportunity Index: Place
Some data not available
Lowest Opportunity
Highest Opportunity
Date: 7/20/2022
Description
0 3 6 12
mi
Figure 9.18: Regional Opportunity Index: People, 2014
Figure 9.17: Regional Opportunity Index: Place, 2014
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(R) TCAC Opportunity Areas (2021) - Composite Score - Tract County of San Mateo, California, Bureau of Land Management, Esri, HERE, Garmin, GeoTechnologies, Inc., USGS, EPA
Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS user community
City/Town Boundaries
(R) TCAC Opportunity Areas (2021) - Composite Score - Tract Highest Resource
High Resource
Moderate Resource (Rapidly Changing)
Moderate Resource
Low Resource
Missing/Insufficient Data
7/27/2022, 2:22:46 PM
0 0.5 1 2 mi
0 1 2 4 km
1:72,224
CA HCD
Figure 9.19: TCAC Opportunity Areas Composite Score by Census Tract, 2021 Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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TCAC/HCD Data – Educational Opportunities
TCAC’s education score is based on math proficiency, reading proficiency, high school graduation rates, and the student poverty rate.
According to TCAC’s educational opportunity map, all of the census tracts in Hillsborough score above 0.75—opportunity scores are presented on a scale from zero to one and the higher the number, the more positive the outcomes. This score indicates the town has positive educational outcomes.
The Town of Hillsborough is served by the San Mateo Union High School District and the Hillsborough City Elementary School District. San Mateo Union increased enrollment by 16% from 2010 to 2020 and the elementary district enrollment increased by 22% over the same time. However, both districts lost students during the COVID pandemic.
San Mateo Union enrollment by race and ethnicity is similar to the countywide distribution. However, there is a higher proportion of Asian students in San Mateo Union (23% compared to 17% countywide), a smaller proportion of Filipino students (5% compared to 8% countywide) and Hispanic students (32% compared to 38% countywide).
The Hillsborough City Elementary District has a large proportion of both White (48%) and Asian (32%) students. The elementary district has a very low proportion of students with extenuating circumstances compared to the county overall. In the Hillsborough City district 1% of students are English learners compared to 20% countywide. Overall, the elementary district is less diverse than the countywide average.
Many high schoolers in the county meet the admission standards set by University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU). Of the high school districts in San Mateo County, Sequoia Union had the highest rate of graduates who met such admission standards at 69% followed by San Mateo Union High with 68%. Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black students in the San Mateo Union district were less likely to meet the admission standards, with rates of 29%, 46%, and 46% respectively.
Although San Mateo Union High School has relatively low dropout rates—4% of students—compared to other districts in the county, dropout rates among Hispanic (7%), Black (6%), and Pacific Islander students are higher.
TCAC/HCD Data – Economic Opportunities
The top three industries by number of jobs in the Town of Hillsborough include health and educational services, arts and recreation services, and professional and managerial services. The town is a bedroom community with a low job-to-household ratio of
0.5 compared to 1.5 in the county—which means there are fewer employment opportunities per household in the Town of Hillsborough. The town has the same unemployment rate as the broader county (5.9%).
TCAC’s economic opportunity score is comprised of poverty, adult educational attainment, employment, job proximity, and median home value. The Town of Hillsborough scores more than 0.75 for economic opportunity town wide. Neighboring Burlingame also scores high on the economic opportunity index, but other communities in the area—Millbrae and San Mateo—have some census tracts that score lower for economic opportunity.
HUD’s job proximity index shows the Town of Hillsborough is in relatively close proximity to jobs. On a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is the closest proximity to jobs, the majority of the town scores above between 60 and 80.
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HUD Opportunity Indicators
Table 9.10 displays the data for
Opportunity Indicators in the Town of
Hillsborough compared to the state of
California. These Opportunity Indicators
include statistics that relate to education,
economic, housing, mobility, healthcare/
environmental, and civic life. Descriptions
of each ROI factor referenced in Table
9.10 for the "people" and "place"
components is provided on the following
pages. The data shown below reveals the
following findings:
• The Town of Hillsborough has higher
rates of college educated adults,
math and English proficiency, High
School graduation, and UC/CSU
eligibility. The Town of Hillsborough
also has lower rates of elementary
truancy.
• From an economic standpoint,
employment rates, minimum basic
income rates, job quality, and job
growth rates are all higher than the
state of California.
• Home ownership and housing
adequacy states are higher than
the state of California. However, the
Town of Hillsborough has a higher
housing cost burden rate than the
California.
• Although car ownership is higher
in Hillsborough, commute times
are moderate in Hillsborough and
California.
• Aside from prenatal care and years
of life lost, health and environmental
indicators in California and
Hillsborough are comparable.
• The Town of Hillsborough has
noticeably higher voting rates and
US citizenship rates than California.
Neighborhood stability and English
speakers are similar in both areas.
Table 9.10: Opportunity Indicators
Education
People Hillsborough California
College Educated Adults 80.95% 38.01%
Math Proficiency 90.95% 70.05%
English Proficiency 92.82% 64.69%
Elementary Truancy 2.98% 24.28%
Place Hillsborough California
High School Graduation Rate 93.14% 83.08%
UC/CSU Eligibility 58.86% 41.04%
Teacher Experience 36.84% 36.28%
High School Discipline Rate 6.71% 6.4%
Economic
People Hillsborough California
Employment Rate 94.86% 89.43%
Minimum Basic Income 95.31% 32.52%
Place Hillsborough California
Job Availability 1029.83 701.75
Job Quality 56.68% 40.39%
Job Growth 5.66% 2.86%
Bank Accessibility 0.42 0.24
Housing
People Hillsborough California
Homeownership 93.88% 54.71%
Housing Cost Burden 64.76% 51.61%
Place Hillsborough California
Housing Adequacy 99.58% 90.64%
Housing Affordability 0.25 0.19
Mobility
People Hillsborough California
Vehicle Availability 98.64% 86.35%
Commute Time (Minutes) 56.34 59.91
Internet Access 5 4
Healthcare/
Environmental
People Hillsborough California
Infant Health 96.31% 94.92%
Birth of Teens 0% 6.6%
Years of Life Lost 9.22 29.84
Place Hillsborough California
Air Quality 7.77 10.01
Parental Care 91.24% 83.12%
Access to Supermarket 4.4% 53.28%
Health Care Availability 2.29 1.76
Civic life
People Hillsborough California
Voting Rates 47.79% 30.60%
English Speakers 97.96% 88.11%
Place Hillsborough California
US Citizenship 95.37% 82.55%
Neighborhood Stability 88.48% 84.94%
Source: UC Davis Regional Opportunity Index
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Regional Opportunity Index Descriptions
The following descriptions define each of the ROI factors for both the “people” and “place” components of the Index.
Education Opportunity: People
Assesses people’s relative success in gaining educational assets, in the form of a higher education, elementary school achievement, and regular elementary school attendance.
• College Educated Adults Percentage of adults (age 25 and over) who have completed a post-secondary certificate/degree (Source: ACS).
• Math Proficiency Percentage of 4th graders who scored proficient or above on the math portion of California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test (Source: CDE).
• English Proficiency Percentage of 4th graders who scored proficient or above on the English Language Arts portion of California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test (Source: CDE). • Elementary Truancy Percentage of students who have missed more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse at least three times during the school year (Source: CDE).
Education Opportunity: Place
Assesses a census tract's relative ability to provide educational opportunity, in the form of high-quality schools that meet the basic educational and social needs of the population.
• High School Graduation Rate Percentage of 9th grade cohort that graduated from high school 4 years later (Source: CDE). • UC/CSU Eligibility Percentage of high school graduates who completed UC/CSU a-g course requirements (Source: CDE). • Teacher Experience Percentage of teachers at the three closest public elementary schools with more than 5 years of teaching experience and at least one year of education beyond a BA (Source: CDE). • High School Discipline Rate Percentage of high school students in the school district who were suspended or expelled (Source: CDE).
Economic Opportunity: People
Measures the relative economic well-being of the people in a community, in the form of employment and income level. • Employment Rate Percentage of adults aged 20-64 employed (Source: ACS). • Minimum Basic Income Minimum Basic Income Percentage of people with income over 200% of the federal poverty level (Source: ACS).
Economic Opportunity: Place
Measures the relative economic climate of a community, in the form of access to employment and business climate. • Job Availability Number of jobs per 1,000 people, within a 5-mile radius (Source: NETS). • Job Quality Percentage of jobs that are in high-paying industries, within a 5-mile radius (Source: NETS). • Job Growth Percentage 1-year change in the number of jobs, within a 5-mile radius (Source: NETS). • Bank Accessibility Number of banks and credit unions per 1000 people, within a 5-mile radius (Source: FDIC & NCUA).
Housing Opportunity: People
Measures the relative residential stability of a community, in the form of homeownership and housing costs. • Homeownership Percentage of housing units owned by their occupants (Source: ACS). • Housing Cost Burden Percentage of households paying less than 30% of household income on housing costs (Source: ACS).
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Housing Opportunity: Place
Measures relative availability of housing in a community, in the form of housing sufficiency and housing affordability. • Housing Adequacy Percentage of households with no more than 1 occupant per room (Source: ACS). • Housing Affordability Ratio of median income of census tract to median value of dwellings in census tract (Source: ACS).
Mobility/Transportation Opportunity: People
Contains indicators that assess a community’s relative opportunities for overcoming rural isolation. • Vehicle Availability Percentage of households with at least 1 vehicle, or 1 vehicle per worker (Source: ACS). • Commute Time Percentage of workers whose commute time is less than 30 minutes (Source: ACS). • Internet Access Number of households per 1,000 with high-speed internet (Source: FCC).
Healthcare/Environment Opportunity: People
Measures the relative health outcomes of the people within a community, in the form of infant and teen health and general health. • Infant Health Percentage of births at or above healthy weight, or 2500 grams/5.5 pounds (Source: CDPH). • Birth of Teens Percentage of all births to teens (Source: CDPH). • Years of Life Lost Years of potential life lost (Source: CDPH; US Census).
Healthcare/Environment Opportunity: Place
A relative measure of how well communities meet the health needs of their constituents, in the form of access to health care and other health-related environments.
• Air Quality Annual mean concentration of PM2.5 (Source: CA EPA). • Parental Care Percentage of mothers who received prenatal care in first trimester (Source: CDPH). • Access to Supermarket Percentage who live within 0.5 miles (urban) or 10 miles (rural) of supermarket (Source: USDA). • Health Care Availability Number of providers of basic medical services per 1,000 population within 5 mile radius (Source: NETS).
Civic Life Opportunity: People
Measures the relative social and political engagement of people in an area, in the form of households that speak English and voter turnout. • Voting Rates Percentage of citizen, voting age population that voted the 2010 general election (Source: ACS; CA Registrar of Voters). • English Speakers Percentage of population age 18-64 that speaks only English or speaks English "well" or "very well" (Source: ACS).
Civic life Opportunity: Place
Measures the relative stability and integration of an area, through measures of neighborhood stability and citizenship levels. • US Citizenship Percentage of adults who are U.S. citizens (Source: ACS). • Neighborhood Stability Percentage of citizens, over age 1, who live in the same residence as the previous year (Source: ACS).
Source: UC Davis Regional Opportunity Index
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Access to Transit
This section provides a summary of the transportation system that serves the Town of Hillsborough and the broader region including emerging trends and data relevant to transportation access in the town. The San Mateo County Transit District acts as the administrative body for transit and transportation programs in the county including SamTrans and the Caltrain commuter rail.
SamTrans provides bus services in San Mateo County, including Redi-Wheels paratransit service.
In 2018, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which covers the entire Bay Area, adopted a coordinated public transit and human services transportation plan. While developing the coordinated plan, the MTC conducted extensive community outreach about transportation within the area. That plan—which was developed by assessing the effectiveness of how well seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, and people with low incomes are served—was reviewed to determine gaps in services in Hillsborough and the county overall. Below is a summary of comments relevant to San Mateo County. No comments were received from the Town of Hillsborough.
“San Mateo’s [Paratransit Coordinating Council] PCC and County Health System, as well as the Peninsula Family Service Agency provided feedback. The most common themes expressed had to do with pedestrian and bicycle needs at specific locations throughout the county, though some covered more general comments such as parked cars blocking sidewalk right-of-way and a desire for bike lanes to accommodate motorized scooters and wheelchairs. Transportation information, emerging mobility providers, and transit fares were other common themes.
While some comments related to the use of car share, transportation network companies (TNCs), or autonomous vehicles as potential solutions, other comments called for the increased accessibility and affordability of these services in the meantime.”4 A partnership between the World Institute on Disability and the MTC created the research and community engagement project TRACS (Transportation Resilience, Accessibility & Climate Sustainability). The project’s overall goal is to, “stimulate connection and communication between the community of seniors and people with disabilities together with the transportation system– the agencies in the region local to the San Francisco bay, served by MTC.”5 As part of the TRACS outreach process, respondents were asked to share their compliments or good experiences with MTC transit.
One respondent who had used multiple services said, “it is my sense that SamTrans is the best Bay Area transit provider in terms of overall disability accommodation.” The San Mateo County Transit District updated their Mobility Plan for Older Adults and People with Disabilities in 2018. According to the district, the county’s senior population is expected to grow more than 70% over the next 20 years and the district is experiencing unprecedented increases in paratransit ridership. The plan is targeted at developing effective mobility programs for residents with disabilities and older adults including viable alternatives to paratransit, partnerships, and leveraging funding sources.6
MTC also launched Clipper START—an 18 month pilot project— in 2020 which provides fare discounts on single transit rides for riders whose household income is no more than double the federal poverty level.7 Alltransit has collected data from transit stops, routes, and agencies across the country to reveal the impact of transit on jobs, the economy, equity, transit quality, and mobility networks. According to Figure 9.20, the Town of Hillsborough scored 2.1 out of a possible 10 points. This score is a result of “very low combination of trips per week and number of jobs accessible enabling negligible number of people who take transit to work.” Table 9.11 shows that San Mateo County has a higher Alltransit Performance Score (6.1) than Hillsborough.
4 https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/MTC_Coordinated_Plan.pdf 5 https://wid.org/transportation-accessibility/
6 https://www.samtrans.com/Planning/Planning_and_Research/Mobility_Plan_for_Older_Adults_and_People_with_Disabilities.html 7 https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/transportation/access-equity-mobility/clipperr-startsm Table 9.11: AllTransit Performance Score, Hillsborough v. San Mateo County, 2022 Jurisdiction AllTransit
Performance
Score
Transit Trips Per
Week within ½
Mile
Jobs Accessible
in 30-min trip
Commuters
Who Use Transit
Transit Routes
within ½ Mile
Hillsborough 2.1 362 68,400 6.21% 4
San Mateo County 6.1 1,411 183,088 10.97% 8
Source: AllTransit Scores, Accessed July 18, 2022
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AllTransitTM Performance Score: < 1 1-2 2-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-9 9 + Ve
we
ena
On Averag
362 Tra
4 Transi
68,400
6.21% C
AllTransitTM Fact Sheet
Town: Hillsborough, CA
Map data ©2022 Google Report a map error
JOBS
Jobs Near Transit: Percent of jobs that are located
within ½ mile of transit.
33.8%
699 jobs are near transit
ECONOMY
Transit Access to Customers: Customer
households accessible to a business within a 30
minute transit commute.
30,754
Households within a 30 minute transit commute.
Healthy
walking
1 AllTransit Fact Sheet
< 1 1-2 2-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-9 9 +
AllTransit TM Performance Score
2.1 Very low combination of trips per
week and number of jobs accessible
enabling negligible number of people
to take transit to work
On Average Households have:
362 Transit Trips per Week within ½ Mile
4 Transit Routes within ½ Mile
68,400 Jobs Accessible in 30-minute trip
6.21% Commuters Who Use Transit
t Sheet
Town: Hillsborough, CA
Map data ©2022 Google Report a map error
BS
t of jobs that are located
8%
near transit
ECONOMY
Transit Access to Customers: Customer
households accessible to a business within a 30
minute transit commute.
30,754
Households within a 30 minute transit commute.
HEALTH
Healthy Commuters: Workers who commute by
walking or biking and live within ½ mile of transit.
1.85%
Walk
0.01%
Bike
ITY
Near Transit: Percent of
$50,000 within a ½ mile
transit.
TRANSIT QUALITY
High Frequency Transit: Households within ½
mile of high frequency transit.
MOBILITY
Transit Routes: Transit routes available within ½
mile of a block group on average.
Figure 9.20. AllTransit Performance Score, Hillsborough Source: AllTransit Score, Hillsborough
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Calenviroscreen (CES)– Environmental Justice
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) developed a screening methodology called the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) to help identify California communities disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.. It scores and ranks more than 8,000 US Census tracts in the state based on a combination of variables indicating presence of pollution (pollutant exposure, groundwater threats, toxic sites, and hazardous materials exposure) and the proximity to them by sensitive receptors and vulnerable populations (education attainment, linguistic isolation, poverty, and unemployment). Research and the OEHHA conclude that the burden of environmental pollution fall disproportionately and overwhelmingly on Latinos and Blacks living in Southern California and Central Valley regions of the state.
The CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Model is made up of a suite of 20 statewide indicators of pollution burden and population characteristics associated with increased vulnerability to pollution’s health effects. The model uses the following analysis and calculation to identify areas of health risk:
• Uses a weighted scoring system to derive average pollution burden and population characteristics scores for each census tract. • Calculates a final CalEnviroScreen score for a given census tract relative to other tracts by multiplying the pollution burden and population characteristics components together.
• Measures the relative pollutions burdens and vulnerabilities in one census tract compared to others; the score is not a measure of health risk.
Figure 9.21 displays mapped results of the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 for the Town and surrounding region. Overall, the Town has low levels of pollution burdens. Tables 9.12 and 9.13 compare both census tracts in the Town and they have similar pollution burden percentile, which are among the best rated in all of California. A percentile ranking of 75 and above would typically make a tract eligible to be listed as a disadvantaged community, but Hillsborough’s tracts score at 3 percentile (Tract no. 6057 ) and 14 percentile (Tract no. 6056). The distinction between the two scores are largely driven by differences in particulate matter 2.5, toxic releases, and groundwater threats.
Regionally, San Mateo County has eight SB-535 disadvantaged communities (May 2022) and Hillsborough is closest to an SB 535-designated disadvantaged community located in the City of San Mateo (Tract no. 6062) with a population of 7,788. Closer to the northern border of Hillsborough are four SB 535-designated disadvantaged communities located in the cities of San Bruno and South San Francisco, all adjacent to the San Francisco International Airport. In general, new housing opportunities throughout the Town would have access to some of the lowest levels of pollution burdens in the State.
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Table 9.12: EnviroScreen 4.0 for Census Tract 6081605600 Pollutant Percentile* Health Risk/Burden Percentile*
CalEnviroScreen 4.0 3 Pollution burden 14
Ozone 11 Asthma 11
Particulate Matters 2.5 17 Low Birth Weight 9
Diesel Particulate Matter 22 Cardiovascular Weight 10
Toxic Releases 34 Education 16
Drinking Water 58 Linguistic Education 31
Lead from Housing 39 Poverty 3
Cleanup Sites 0 Unemployment 10
Groundwater Threats 41 Housing Burden 37
Hazardous Waste 24 - -
Impaired 83 - -
Solid Waste 0 - -
*Percentile derived using a weighted scoring system to determine average pollution burden/socioeconomic scores relative to other census tracts.
Source: CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Accessed January 10, 2023.
Table 9.13: EnviroScreen 4.0 for Census Tract 6081605700 Pollutant Percentile* Health Risk/Burden Percentile*
CalEnviroScreen 4.0 1 Pollution burden 14
Ozone 11 Asthma 7
Particulate Matters 2.5 18 Low Birth Weight 5
Diesel Particulate Matter 22 Cardiovascular Weight 4
Toxic Releases 35 Education 11
Drinking Water 49 Linguistic Education 39
Lead from Housing 38 Poverty 1
Cleanup Sites 0 Unemployment 27
Groundwater Threats 62 Housing Burden 3
Hazardous Waste 63 - -
Impaired 24 - -
Solid Waste 0 - -
*Percentile derived using a weighted scoring system to determine average pollution burden/socioeconomic scores relative to other census tracts.
Source: CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Accessed January 10, 2023.
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Figure 9.21 CalEnviroScreen 4.0 by tract (2021)
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development AFFH Data Viewer Both of Hillsborough census tracts score at the top 1% of California census tracts on the California Healthy Places Index (HPI) 3.0 developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (PHASC). The HPI includes 25 community characteristics in eight categories including economic, social, education, transportation, neighborhood, housing, clean environment, and healthcare.
The HPI places San Mateo’s disadvantaged community (Tract no. 6062) as having healthier community conditions than 51.7% of California tracts, leading to the reasonable conclusion that it is at the bottom percentile of census tracts in San Mateo County. The Town’s Housing Element identifies solid actions and programs to increase regional equity and quality of life with its identification of sites planned to accommodate above- and below-market rate and special needs housing.
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Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement
This section discusses disparate housing needs for protected classes including cost burden and severe cost burden, overcrowding, substandard housing conditions, homelessness, displacement, and other considerations.
The rate of population growth in the Town of Hillsborough has lagged the county’s. Hillsborough added just 374 residents between the 1980 and 2010 (3.5% increase)1
, while San Mateo County added 177,113 residents (30.1% increase)2 Since 2015, 40% of housing permitted has been for very-low-income households. However, overall unit counts in the town during this time are low with a total of 83 housing units permitted over the four-year period. The Housing Needs Data Report for the Town of Hillsborough indicates new construction has not kept pace with demand throughout the Bay Area, “resulting in longer commutes, increasing prices, and exacerbating issues of displacement and homelessness.”3 According to the California Department of Finance, the variety of housing types available in the town in 2020 are overwhelmingly single-family, detached (96.1%) . From 2010 to 2020, the single-family inventory increased more than multi-family, and the Town has a greater share of single-family housing compared to other communities in the region. 4 1 http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/Hillsborough.htm Bay Area Census -- Town of Hillsborough (ca.gov) 2 http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/counties/SanMateoCounty.htm Bay Area Census -- San Mateo County (ca.gov) 3 Housing Needs Data Report: Hillsborough, ABAG/MTC Staff and Baird + Driskell Community Planning, 2021. 4 Housing Needs Data Report: Hillsborough, ABAG/MTC Staff and Baird + Driskell Community Planning, 2021.
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Disproportionate Housing Needs
The majority of the housing inventory in the Town of
Hillsborough was constructed from 1940 to 1980. As such, the town’s units are older, lack energy efficiency, could be costly to adapt for disability accessibility.
Almost all of the owner occupied housing units in the Town of Hillsborough are valued at more than $2 million. In San Mateo County 19% of units are valued at more than $2 million, and in Hillsborough 95% of units are valued at more than $2 million.
According to the Zillow home value index, home prices have experienced remarkable growth in the town compared to the county and larger region. Prior to the Great Recession, homes in Hillsborough were valued moderately higher than the region, but in 2020 Hillsborough’s home value index is more than triple the region and county.
Rents have increased at a slower pace compared to the for sale market—however, median rents dampened from 2018 to 2019 in the town. Compared to the county, the Town of Hillsborough has more luxury rental units—42% of units rent for more than $3,000 in the town compared to 22% in the county.
Disproportionate Housing Needs
“Disproportionate housing needs generally refers to a
condition in which there are significant disparities in the proportion of members of a protected class experiencing a category of housing need when compared to the
proportion of members of any other relevant groups, or
the total population experiencing that category of housing need in the applicable geographic area. For purposes
of this definition, categories of housing need are based on such factors as cost burden and severe cost burden,
overcrowding, homelessness, and substandard housing
conditions.”
Source: California Department of Housing and Community
Development Guidance, 2021, page 39.
Figure 9.22. Disproportionate Housing Needs, 2019-2020
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Cost Burden
A smaller proportion of households in the Town of Hillsborough (33%) compared to the county (37%) experience cost burden— spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing costs. Cost burdened households have less money to spend on other essentials like groceries, transportation, education, healthcare, and childcare. Extremely cost burdened households are considered at risk for homelessness.
Lower income households are more likely to experience housing cost burden. All households earning less than 30% AMI— considered extremely low income households—cost burdened or severely cost burdened, compared to only 22% of households earning more than 100% of AMI.
There are disparities in housing cost burden in the Town of Hillsborough by race and ethnicity and family size. Black or African American (71%) and households that identify as some other or more than one race (66%) experience the highest rates of cost burden in the town. Asian households (39%), and non-Hispanic White households (29%) experience the lowest cost burden.
Large family households—considered households with five or more persons—experience cost burden less than all other households in the town. Cost burden is geographically concentrated in the northwest census tract in Hillsborough (20% to 40% of households are cost burdened in this tract).
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is defined as between 1.01 and 1.5 persons per room in a household, and severe overcrowding is defined as more than
1.51 persons per room. Overcrowding often occurs when nonfamily members combine incomes to live in one household, such as college students and roommates, it also occurs when there are not enough size appropriate housing options for large multigenerational families. Table 9.14 displays data for overcrowding in the State, County, and Town over time. As shown, the Town does not have any overcrowded households. Overall, the County of San Mateo has less overcrowding than the State in every category except in severely overcrowded renter households in 2020 (6.5% compared to 5.3%). The data also shows that overcrowding occurs more frequently in renter households rather than owner households.
Table 9.14: Overcrowding Change Over Time by Geography
Overcrowding and
Tenure
Town of Hillsborough San Mateo County State of California 2010 2020 2010 2020 2010 2020
Owner Households
Overcrowded
(1.01 to 1.5 persons per room) 0% 0% 2.5% 2.4% 3.1% 3.1% Severely Overcrowded
(1.51 or more persons per
room)
0% 0% 0.7% 0.9% 0.9% 1.1%
Renter Households
Overcrowded
(1.01 to 1.5 persons per room) 0% 0% 7.9% 7.4% 8.2% 7.8% Severely Overcrowded
(1.51 or more persons per
room)
0% 0% 4.9% 6.5% 5.1% 5.3%
Source: American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2010 and 2020.
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Substandard Housing
Incomplete plumbing or kitchen facilities can be used to measure substandard housing conditions. Substandard housing is defined by the U.S. Census as:
• Housing without hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet and a bathtub or shower; and • Households with kitchen facilities that lack a sink with piped water, a range or stove or a refrigerator Table 9.15 below shows substandard housing within Hillsborough, San Mateo County and the State of California. No housing units in the Town of Hillsborough have substandard conditions. The County of San Mateo is comparable to the State. Overall, a higher percentage of housing units lack a complete kitchen over lack of plumbing.
The current distribution of the age of homes in Hillsborough also indicates that majority of homes in the Town were built prior to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which may result in a lack of accessible homes for those residents experiencing a disability.
The Town’s older housing stock also reflects a rapidly gaining need to rehabilitate housing to meet minimum livability and quality requirements, which is a barrier to many homeowners and residents in Hillsborough who have a lower fixed income.
Tenure
Typically, renters are more likely to be cost burdened than homeowners. As shown in Figure 9.23 below, only seven percent of homes in Hillsborough are renter occupied. Single parent households may also experience disproportional housing needs, and female headed households typically have lower incomes, creating a greater housing need for this group. In Hillsborough, seven percent of households are comprised of single parent households, and 20 percent of these households are renter occupied, while four percent of households are female headed households, comprised of 18 percent renter occupied units.
Large households, or households with five or more members, are subjected to special housing needs because of limited availability of housing with an adequate number of bedrooms. Large households are typically lower income and are more likely to experience overcrowding within smaller units to avoid being cost burdened. 18 percent of households in Hillsborough are large-family households, and in 2017, 43 percent of these households were cost burdened, while simultaneously, about 4 percent of these households were in the very low-income bracket, earning less than 50% of the area median income (AMI). Lower income and cost burdened large households could benefit from larger rental units with three or more bedrooms per unit. Additionally, 98 percent of occupied households in Hillsborough had three or more bedrooms, however only six percent were occupied by renters, suggesting an inadequate size supply of larger rental units.
Table 9.15: Substandard Housing Over Time by Geography
Factors Town of Hillsborough San Mateo County State of California 2010 2020 2010 2020 2010 2020
Total Occupied Housing Units 3,650 3,605 255,758 263,351 12,392,852 13,103,114 Without Compete Plumbing 0% 0% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4%
Without Complete Kitchen
Facilities 0% 0% 0.7% 0.9% 1.1% 1.2%
Source: American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2010 and 2020.
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10 43
2,378
958
0 17
188
39 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1 Bedrooms 2 Bedrooms 3-4 Bedrooms 5 Or More Bedrooms
Households
Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms and Tenure, Town of Hillsborough, 2019 Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
2845
259
113 76 96 156
40 25 23 0
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Married-Couple Family
Households
Householders Living
Alone
Female-Headed Family
Households
Male-Headed Family
Households
Other Non-Family
Households
Households
Housing Type by Tenure, Town of Hillsborough, 2019
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Figure 9.23: Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms and Tenure, 2019 Figure 9.24: Housing Type by Tenure, 2019
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Displacement
There are no assisted units in the Town of Hillsborough to displace. According to the Urban Displacement Project, no census tract in the town are vulnerable to displacement.
Displacement occurs when housing costs or neighboring conditions force current residents out and rents become so high that lowerincome people are excluded from moving in. UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project (UDP) states that a census tract is a sensitive community if the proportion of very low-income residents was above 20 percent in 2018 and the census tracts meets two of the following criteria: (1) Share of renters above 40 percent in 2018; (2) Share of Non-White population above 50 percent in 2018; (3) Share of very low-income households (50 percent AMI or below) that are also severely rent burdened households above the county median in 2018; or (4) Nearby areas have been experiencing displacement pressures.
The potential for economic displacement risk can result from a variety of factors, including large-scale development activity, neighborhood reinvestment, infrastructure investments, and changes in local and regional employment opportunities. Economic displacement can be an inadvertent result of public and private investment, where individuals and families may not be able to keep pace with increased property values and market rental rates.
The U.C. Berkeley Urban Displacement Project developed a neighborhood change database to map neighborhood transformations and identify areas vulnerable to gentrification and displacement. This data was developed to assist local decision makers and stakeholders better plan for existing communities and provide additional resources to areas in need or at-risk of displacement and gentrification.
Figure 9.25 shows that the Town has a lower displacement risk. Outside of the Town limits, there is one census tract in San Mateo and one in San Bruno at risk of displacement. The following table identifies demographics for two census tracts in Hillsborough.
Table 9.16: Areas At-Risk of Displacement (2019)
Census Tract
06081605600
Census Tract
06081605700 Town-Wide
Demographics
Population 6,099 5,348 11,447
Households 1,895 1,738 3,633
Renter Occupied 8.0% 5.4% 6.7%
Median Income $250,001 $250,001 $250,000+
Low-Income Households 16.4% 13.6% 24.8%
Speak English Less Than Very Well 9.7% 6.5% 8.1%1
Race/Ethnicity LatinoWhite
White 55.3% 58.6% 59.9%
Black 0.0% 2.3% 1.1%
Asian 32.6% 30.3% 31.6%
LatinX 4.8% 3.3% 4.1%
Other 7.4% 5.6% 3.3%
Housing
Median Rent $3,501 $3,135 $3,490
Rent Gap Tract rent is $1,040 higher than
nearby rents
Tract rent is $554.71 higher
than nearby rents -
Hot Market Yes Yes -
Displacement Type: Lower Displacement Risk Lower Displacement Risk - Note: The Census greatly underestimates rent and home values. 1 Average of Town of Hillsborough census tracts.
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development – AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Census tract 6056 includes the largest population of individuals who speak English “less than well,” as well as a greater ratio of low-income households. Median income across both census tracts is above $250,000 annually. Both census tracts primarily consist of white (above 50 percent) and Asian (above 30 percent) residents. Both census tracts in the Town are also considered “hot markets” and have rent gaps. Census Tract 6056 has rent that is $1,040 higher than nearby rents and Census Tract 6057 has rent that is $554.71 higher than nearby rents.
Figure 9.25 Estimated Displacement Risk, 2022
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development AFFH Data Viewer Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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In addition to displacement and gentrification data, the U.C. Berkeley Urban Displacement Project also analyzes the occurrence of anti-displacement policies, as defined below:
• Just Cause Eviction Ordinance – Just cause eviction statutes are laws that allow tenants to be evicted only for specific reasons.
These “just causes” can include a failure to pay rent or violation of the lease terms. • Rent Stabilization or Rent Control – Rent control ordinances protect tenants from excessive rent increases, while allowing landlords a reasonable return on their investments. Such ordinances limit rent increases to certain percentages, but State law allows landlords to raise rents to the market rate once the unit becomes vacant. • Rent Review Board and/or Mediation – Rent review boards mediate between tenants and landlords on issues related to rent increases and encourage them to come into voluntary agreement. As mediators, the board normally does not make binding decisions.
• Mobile Home Rent Control – Mobile home rent control places specific rent increase restrictions on the land rented by mobile homeowners, or the mobile homes themselves.
• SRO (Single-Room Occupancy) Preservation – Single room occupancies, also called residential hotels, house one or two people in individual rooms. Tenants typically share bathrooms and/or kitchens. These are often considered a form of permanent residence affordable for low-income individuals. SRO Preservation Ordinances help to preserve or create new SRO units. • Condominium Conversion Regulations – In addition to state laws regulating the conversion of multi-family rental property into condominiums, many cities have enacted condominium conversion ordinances. These impose procedural restrictions and/or substantive restrictions on the ability to convert apartment units into condominiums to protect the supply of rental housing. • Foreclosure Assistance – Many cities and counties have local programs that assist homeowners when they are at risk of foreclosure. These programs may be funded with federal grants. • Jobs-Housing Linkage Fee or Affordable Housing Impact/Linkage Fee – Affordable housing impact/linkage fees are charges on developers of new market-rate, residential developments. They are based on the square footage or number of units in the developments and are used to develop or preserve affordable housing. • Commercial Linkage Fee/Program – Commercial linkage fees are charged to developers per square foot of new commercial development. Revenues are used to develop or preserve affordable housing. • Housing Trust Fund – A housing trust fund is a designated source of public funds—generated through various means—that is dedicated to creating affordable housing.
• Inclusionary Zoning/Housing (Below Market Rate Housing) – Inclusionary housing policies require market-rate developers of rental or for-sale housing to rent or sell a certain percentage of units at affordable prices. Some policies include a provision for developers to pay “in-lieu fees” in place of building the housing; this revenue is used to develop affordable units elsewhere. • Density Bonus Ordinance – Density bonuses allow developers of market-rate housing to build higher-density housing, in exchange for having a certain portion of their units offered at affordable prices. In this inventory, we only include a city as having this policy if they allow an additional density bonus beyond that mandated by the State. • Community Land Trusts – Community land trusts are nonprofit, community-based organizations (supported by the city or county) whose mission is to provide affordable housing in perpetuity by owning land and leasing it to those who live in houses built on that land.
• First Source Hiring Ordinances – First Source hiring ordinances ensure that residents are given priority for new jobs created by municipal financing and development programs.
There are no assisted units in the Town of Hillsborough to displace. According to the Urban Displacement Project, no census tract in the town are vulnerable to displacement.
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Displacement Sensitive Communities
According to the Urban Displacement Project, communities were designated sensitive if they met the following criteria:
• They currently have populations vulnerable to displacement in the event of increased redevelopment and drastic shifts in housing cost. Vulnerability is defined as:
• Share of very low income residents is above 20%, 2017 and the tract meets two of the following criteria:
• Share of renters is above 40%, 2017
• Share of people of color is above 50%, 2017
• Share of very low-income households (50% AMI or below) that are severely rent burdened households is above the county median, 2017
• They or areas in close proximity have been experiencing displacement pressures. Displacement pressure is defined as the percent change in rent above county median for rent increases, 2012-2017 OR
• Difference between tract median rent and median rent for surrounding tracts above median for all tracts in county (rent gap), 2017
Source: https://www.sensitivecommunities.org/
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Analysis of Sites Pursuant to AB 686
AB 686 requires that jurisdictions identify sites throughout the community in a manner that is consistent with its duty to affirmatively further fair housing. The site identification requirement involves not only an analysis of site capacity to accommodate the RHNA, but also whether the identified sites serve the purpose of replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity. The figures in the section will map out candidate sites based on pipeline projects, vacant housing opportunity sites, and subdivision opportunity sites. ADUs are expected to meet the Town’s RHNA requirement for very low income, low income, and moderate-income units based on historic trends, positive responses to the 2022 ADU Survey, proposed modifications to ADU standards, and large size of properties in the Town. Figure 9.23 through Figure 9.29 below identify the sites to accommodate future housing, as identified in the adequate sites analysis, overlaid on demographic, resource and displacement data:
• Figure 9.26: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Hispanic Population • Figure 9.27: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, White Alone Population • Figure 9.28: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Low- and Moderate-Income Block Group • Figure 9.29: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, R/ECAP Areas • Figure 9.30: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, RCAA • Figure 9.31: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, TCAC Opportunity Areas • Figure 9.32: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Gentrification and Displacement • Figure 9.33: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Disability Status • Figure 9.34: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Median Income Overall, the Town’s sites analysis focuses on increased housing across various areas on the outer areas of the Town.
Site Suitability Factors in AFFH
The sites that have been selected are evenly distributed across the jurisdiction and were selected using the following site suitability factors considered by the Town:
• existing land use,
• year built,
• lot acreage,
• improvement ratio,
• vacancy,
• residual lot coverage,
• residual height,
• proximity to amenities,
• fire hazard,
• slope, and landslide/liquefaction.
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Integration and Segregation Patterns and Trends
Hispanic Population
Figure 9.26 shows the proposed candidate sites to meet the RHNA for Hillsborough in relation to the location of residents of Hispanic origin. It is anticipated that accessory dwelling unit (ADU) growth, including growth for affordable ADUs, will occur throughout the Town.
Figure 9.26 shows the following findings:
• All 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are located in census tract block groups with a Hispanic population of less than 18.74 percent of the total population. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites- exclusive of ADUs.
This analysis reveals that housing development, especially affordable housing, on the identified opportunity sites will affirmatively further fair housing by increasing access to the community to diverse populations.
Figure 9.26 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Hispanic Population Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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White Non-Hispanic Population
Figure 9.27 shows the proposed opportunity sites to meet the Town’s RHNA in relation to census data that shows the percentage of the population within each block group that is white alone. Figure 9.27 shows the following findings:
• All 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units , or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in census tract block groups with a white, not Hispanic population greater than 33.02 percent of the population. 26 of the opportunity sites are located in tracts with a non-Hispanic White population of 50 percent or greater. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites- exclusive of ADUs.
As stated previously, this analysis reveals that housing development, especially the development of affordable housing, on the identified opportunity sites will affirmatively further fair housing by providing opportunity for a greater diversity in income of residents within Hillsborough.
Figure 9.27 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, White Alone Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Low to Moderate Income Populations
Figure 9.28 shows the proposed opportunity sites to meet RHNA for Hillsborough in relation with census data showing the percentage of the population within each block group who is categorized as low- to moderate-income by the American Community Survey. Figure 9.28 shows the following findings:
• All 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in census tract block groups where less than 25 percent of the population has a low- to moderate income. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites- exclusive of ADUs.
The identified opportunity sites will provide an opportunity for affordable living options within and throughout the Town supporting housing choice and affirmatively furthering fair housing.
Figure 9.28 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Low- and Moderate-Income Block Group Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty
Figure 9.29 shows proposed opportunity sites to meet RHNA for Hillsborough in relation to data showing R/ECAP areas within region. R/ECAPs are racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty and are represented with red hatches. The goal of AB 686 analysis is to analyze how the sites identified to accommodate the RHNA allocation may exacerbate or mitigate existing fair housing issues. The RHNA allocation places an emphasis on locating units where there is a high level of access to important public services and transit. There are no R/ECAPs in Hillsborough or anywhere in San Mateo County. Figure 9.29 shows the following findings:
• There are no R/ECAP within Hillsborough or anywhere in San Mateo County • No opportunity sites will be affected by R/ECAPs
The data shows that the proposed opportunity sites do not affect existing R/ECAPs.
Figure 9.29 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, R/ECAP areas Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence
Figure 9.30 shows proposed opportunity sites to meet RHNA for Hillsborough in relation to RCAA areas within the Town. RCAAs are racially or ethnically concentrated areas of affluence; they are identified as areas with a white, non-Hispanic population greater than 80 percent and median household income greater than $125,000. Figure 9.30 shows that the two census tracts in Hillsborough (Tract 6056 and 6057) are RCAAs. Figure 9.30 shows the following findings:
• 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in census tracts that qualify as RCAAs. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites. These units are all located in RCAAs.
All proposed sites are located in areas of the Town that are considered RCAAs.
Figure 9.30 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, RCAA areas Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Access to Opportunity
The entire Town of Hillsborough is considered a high resource area according to the TCAC Opportunity Map composite score. All sites identified in the sites inventory are located in the highest resources areas and will provide households access to more opportunity and resources.
One hundred percent of all potential housing units are within the highest resources areas of the Town, which will result in more housing opportunities for lower income households. None of the Town’s opportunity sites are in moderate to low resource areas.
Transit
According to AllTransit, the Town of Hillsborough scored 2.1 out of a possible 10 points. This score is a result of “very low combination of trips per week and number of jobs accessible enabling negligible number of people who take transit to work.” Transit was one suitability factor that was considered for each candidate site selected. The San Mateo County Transit District acts as the administrative body for transit and transportation programs in the county including SamTrans and the Caltrain commuter rail. SamTrans provides bus services in San Mateo County, including Redi-Wheels paratransit service. Sites like the Town Hall Campus are closer in proximity to transportation corridors to the east, and the Tobin Clark site is closer to transportation corridors to the south. This will allow residents of all incomes to take advantage of public transportation.
Environmental
OEHHA’s California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool is used to evaluate levels of pollution burdens in Hillsborough.
The average scores for census tracts where future housing is proposed is 14. All opportunity sites are located in census tracts that scored in the lowest percentile per CalEnviroScreen 4.0 as shown in Figure 9.21. In general, new housing opportunities throughout the Town will have access to some of the lowest pollution burdens in the State.
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Opportunity Areas
Figure 9.31 shows the Town's RHNA opportunity sites in relation to areas of opportunity in Hillsborough. California Tax Credit Allocation Committee/Housing and Community Development (TCAC/HCD) Opportunity maps show the distribution of positive economic, educational, and environmental outcomes in relation to other areas of the Bay Area. Figure 9.31 and Table 9.17 shows the following findings:
• Both census tracts in Hillsborough are some of the region’s Highest Resource areas. • 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in the census tracts considered as highest resource areas. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites. These units are all located in highest resource areas.
As shown in Table 9.17, 221 RHNA units are located in the highest resource areas, accounting for 60 lower-income, 17 moderateincome, and 144 above moderate-income units.
Table 9.17: TCAC Opportunity Area Composite Score (Tract) Count of Parcels Count of Units
Lower
Income
Moderate
Income
Above
Moderate
Income
All RHNA
Units Lower Income Moderate Income
Above
Moderate
Income
All RHNA Units
Highest Resource 0 0 23 23 60 100.00% 17 100.00% 144 161.80% 221 100.00% High Resource 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Moderate Resource
(Rapidly Changing) 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% Moderate Resource 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% Low Resource 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
High Segregation &
Poverty 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Total 60 17 144 221
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Figure 9.31 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, TCAC Opportunity Areas All proposed housing units are located in areas considered as Highest Resource. As a result, lower-income households would have better access to community resources and opportunities.
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Displacement Risk
UC Berkeley and the University of Toronto created the Urban Displacement Project, which identifies populations that are vulnerable to displacement, which they define as “sensitive communities.” If a community has greater than 40 percent renters and greater than 50 percent people of color, combined with the population of low-income renters experiencing extreme housing cost burden, it is considered vulnerable to displacement. Figure 9.32 shows Hillsborough's proposed opportunity sites to meet RHNA in relation to urban displacement data showing areas at-risk or currently experiencing displacement in Hillsborough. Figure 9.32 and Table 9.18 show the following findings:
• 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in census tract block groups that are not vulnerable to displacement. Of the total opportunity sites yield, 60 units are allocated for either very low- or low-income units and are all derived from the multi-family opportunity sites.
These units are all located in block groups that are not vulnerable to displacement. • Of the Four multifamily opportunity sites, 127 units will be contributed towards the Town’s RHNA, with 60 units contributing towards the Town’s low-income requirement. 16 units are located in the northern portion of Hillsborough at the Town Hall Campus, all of which are intended for low-income populations, 100 units (44 low income) are located in the southern end of the Town at the Tobin Clark site.
The data shows that the proposed candidate sites to meet the RHNA allocation are evenly distributed across the jurisdiction and were selected using the following site suitability factors considered by the Town: existing land use, year built, lot acreage, improvement ratio, vacancy, residual lot coverage, residual height, proximity to amenities, fire hazard, slope, and landslide/liquefaction. The goal of the opportunity sites strategy is to increase lower income housing opportunity throughout the Town to mitigate the risk of displacement.
The proposed sites are in areas that are not vulnerable to displacement. Increasing housing in high resource areas will provide Hillsborough residents with opportunities to live near high educational, economic environmental, and transportation resources. This may result in areas within the Town becoming more stable/mixed income, further integrating all income levels throughout the Town.
Table 9.18: Sensitive Communities Urban Displacement Group (Block Group) Count of Parcels Count of Units
Lower
Income
Moderate
Income
Above
Moderate
Income
All RHNA
Units Lower Income Moderate Income
Above
Moderate
Income
All RHNA Units
Not Vulnerable 0 0 23 23 60 100.00% 17 100.00% 144 161.80% 221 100.00% Vulnerable 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Total 60 17 144 221
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Figure 9.32 Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Gentrification and Displacement Hillsborough Housing Element | Affiramtively Furthering Fair Housing Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
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Figure 9.33: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Disability Status Disability
Figure 9.33 shows proposed opportunity sites to meet RHNA for Hillsborough in relation to data showing the percentage of the population in each tract that has a disability. Disability falls under 6 categories according to ACS data: sensory, physical, mental, selfcare, go-outside-the-home, and employment. Many of the disabilities under these 6 categories require assistive infrastructure under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Comparing the opportunity sites with the collected data reveals the following conclusions:
• All 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield) are in census tracts where the disabled population is below 10%. • This percentage is below the national average of 13%.
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Figure 9.34: Proposed Housing Units in Hillsborough, Median Income Median Income
Median income is an important factor to consider in the allocation of RHNA units, as it will influence their relative affordability, as well as the quality of life for residents. Figure 9.34 shows the Town’s RHNA opportunity sites in relation to the median income of its block groups. This figure reveals the following:
• Of the 37 proposed opportunity sites to accommodate the Town’s RHNA obligation (177 potential units, or 30 percent of the total potential unit yield), 11 are located in block groups which have a median income over $125,000. California’s State Median Income as of 2020 was $87,100, far below Hillsborough’s median income.
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Accessory Dwelling Unit Approach
The Town intends to take the steps listed below to facilitate new ADU construction and rental to lower income households, and increased ADU construction and conversion. These steps will prevent the strategy from contributing to continued exclusion and disparities in the region. Additional detail on the actions related to these steps are included in Policy 2 of the Housing Plan. • Continue to support and fund a Town ADU Ombudsman to guide property owners through the Town’s ADU process, • Further streamline and expedite the ADU and JADU permitting process, • Allow up to two detached ADUs on lots two acres and larger, • Create a program to encourage and expedite the conversion of pool houses, guest houses, and other accessory structures to recorded ADUs/JADUs,
• Create a retroactive permitting program for existing, unpermitted ADUs, • Promote partnership with HIP (Human Investment Project) Housing to facilitate the rental of ADU and JADU units, • Encourage landlords to accept Section 8 and Housing Choice Vouchers by providing information on the Town’s Tenant/Landlord website regarding the programs and how to participate,
• Distribute HIP Housing’s monthly, multilingual home sharing fliers directly to City Council, Board, and Commission members, and public and private schools.
Approach Summary to Meet RHNA
Utilizing the five approaches detailed in Section 8: Housing Opportunities and Section 10: Housing Plan and the corresponding actions detailed in the Housing Plan, the Town of Hillsborough is confident that it can meet the housing needs of current and future residents and its RHNA 6 obligation. Table 9.19 below summarizes the yield from all approaches and their impact on the Town of Hillsborough’s RHNA 6 obligation. The Town’s approaches produce a surplus of units in the very low-income, moderate-income, and above moderate-income categories. The surplus units provide the Town with a no net loss buffer of 51 units (9%).
Table 9.18: Approach Summary
Approach Very Low
Income Units
Low Income
Units
Moderate
Income Units
Above
Moderate
Income Units
Total Units
Approach 1: ADUs 120 80 80 120 400
Approach 2: Pipeline Projects 0 0 0 12 12
Approach 3: Vacant Housing
Opportunity Sites 0 0 0 23 23
Approach 4: Subdivision Housing
Opportunity Sites 0 0 0 43 43
Approach 5: Multi-family
Opportunity Sites 51 9 17 50 116
Total 605 (51 unit
surplus)
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Approach 1: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
The Town of Hillsborough has a strong track record of supporting and encouraging ADU development. In response, the Town has seen a significant increase in ADU development applications during RHNA Cycle 5 (2015-2023). Based on the interest in building ADUs expressed by the community, and the comprehensive ADU program with additional ADU related goals and actions in the Housing Plan section of this document (Policy 2), the Town projects that a total of 50 ADUs will be built annually in Cycle 6 for a total of 400 ADUs. ADUs are constructed throughout the community and are available to all sectors of the community, in support of AFFH goals.
Approach 2, Approach 3 and Approach 4:
Each site associated with these approaches can accommodate one primary single-family residence which, given the cost of land in Town, would likely be made available at above moderate-income affordability levels.
Approach 5: Multi-family Opportunity Sites
Currently, the Town of Hillsborough does not have any multi-family housing. Recognizing the importance of multi-family housing in providing for housing choice and opportunity and in affirmatively furthering fair housing, Hillsborough is proposing two multi-family opportunity sites in Town on Town-owned properties. Residents of these units would have access to the three elementary schools and one middle school within the Hillsborough City School District. The district’s state test scores are regularly in the top 1% of districts in the state.
Due to the characteristics of the Town of Hillsborough, all of the identified opportunity sites enjoy the benefits of a high-opportunity neighborhood; less poverty, better schools, less crime, and parks. These sites share the same barriers as the majority of other sites in Town in terms of access to grocery stores, high-quality transportation, and other resources. Access to resources is not increased or decreased based on the area of the Town or the type of housing. Access is impacted due to the rural characteristics in Town, topography, and land use.
Town Hall Complex
After numerous public meetings and extensive public comment, the City Council has chosen to move forward with a redevelopment plan with a total of 16 housing units identified at the Town Hall Complex. Since the Town will control the development and the ultimate price point at which the units are offered for rent, nine units will be made available to low-income households and seven to very-low-income households. There is interest from the community to prioritize seniors and individuals who work in town. The site’s proximity to transit, daily shopping needs, job opportunities, and educational opportunities makes it an ideal location for affordable housing in Hillsborough.
Tobin Clark Site
The Town of Hillsborough owns a 20.9-acre site located in the former Tobin Clark estate, along the Town’s southern border of the town. The site’s proximity to the College of San Mateo is ideal, as housing for faculty and staff of the College of San Mateo is greatly needed in the area, and the Tobin Clark site presents a tremendous opportunity to provide affordable housing with easy access to the College’s campus. Preliminary discussions with the City of San Mateo and the College of San Mateo regarding the project are in progress and County of San Mateo officials have indicated their support for the project concept.
The conceptual development plan includes a total of 100 units constructed in phases over four to six size building pads, with a variety of densities, unit sizes, and housing types, including smaller high density multi-family ranging from studios to three-bedroom units and mid-density townhomes to provide a variety of affordable housing for a range of household sizes, in support of AFFH goals.
Nueva Private School
Nueva Private School intends to develop six units of housing on their campus located on Skyline Blvd. in Hillsborough. The units would be made available to moderate income households. The housing units are located on a flat part of the property and would have dedicated parking for the residents. The school campus is located with excellent access to 280.
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Burlingame Country Club
The Burlingame Country Club, a private recreational facility in the heart of Hillsborough, has shared their intention to evaluate the possibility of creating up to five units of housing on their property for use and occupancy by employees of the Club. A letter expressing this intent is included in Appendix A: Public Participation. The Town of Hillsborough’s zoning ordinance currently allows such multi-family housing to be developed on the Country Club site.
Contributing Factors
Locally derived knowledge and contributing factors were developed in response to community participation in outreach events and through analysis conducted in Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Development and analysis of sites inventory feedback and comments on the draft Housing Element’s data, analysis, and policy program. The contributing factors listed below were identified as creating, perpetuating, and/or increasing the severity of fair housing issues in Hillsborough:
• Limited local job opportunities.
• Limited access to frequent and widespread public transportation. • Lack of access to sewer infrastructure.
• Limitation on density from existing zoning.
• Difficulty in obtaining public or private financing to offset the costs of affordable units. • Limited site capacity due to environmental constraints such as fault zones, fire hazards, and slopes. • These factors are addressed by the discussion of sites in Section 8 – Housing Opportunities, and in Section 10 - Housing Plan.
Table 9.20: Fair Housing Actions
Action Area Identified Fair
Housing Issue Local Contributing Factors
Related
Policy/Goal/Action
from Chapter 10 -
Housing Plan
Housing
Mobility
Fair Housing
Education,
Outreach, and
Enforcement
This finding is informed by the lack of Fair Housing Education materials in Hillsborough. Lack of local public fair housing outreach and enforcement may be a significant contributing factor to fair housing issues in Hillsborough.
There are no local public entities that conduct fair housing outreach and enforcement, with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and HUD constituting the only public enforcement bodies that operate in San Mateo County. A local enforcement agency, if created, would have the potential to be responsive to victims of discrimination in Hillsborough than either the state or HUD.
Action 7.1(b)
Action 7.1(g)
Action 7.3(a)
Action 7.3(b)
Action 7.3(c)
Action 7.3(d)
Housing
Mobility
&
New Housing
Opportunities
in Higher
Opportunity
Areas
Lack of
Affordable
Housing
A lack of affordable housing means a lack of racially and ethnically integrated and balanced communities. The inadequate supply of affordable housing within the Town creates a severe housing shortage for communities of color, which are disproportionately economically disadvantaged.
Goal 1.5
Goal 1.6
Policy 2
Goal 3.3
Goal 3.4
Policy 5
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Table 9.20: Fair Housing Actions
Action Area Identified Fair
Housing Issue Local Contributing Factors
Related
Policy/Goal/Action
from Chapter 10 -
Housing Plan
Integration and
Segregation
Community
Opposition to
New Housing
Residents often prefer single-family homes in their neighborhoods, which residents typically describe as based on fear of lowered property values, overcrowding, or changes in the character of the neighborhood. When communities resist new housing, it often results in the exclusion of people of color and low-income households.
Goal 1.7
Access to
Opportunity
Zoning and Land
Use Constraints
The Town primarily consists of residential land uses with only small areas of land designated for public facilities, private schools, open space, and private recreational. In addition, the Town has a minimum lot size of one-half acre, which has led to the Town exclusively consisting of large single-family homes.
Without multi-family and higher density residential land uses, housing variety and opportunity is limited to people with lower incomes.
Goal 1.5
Access to
Opportunity
Housing
Disbursement
Two RCAAs are found in the Town, indicating a concentration of affluent White populations in the Town. RCAAs may indicate that historical exclusionary practices continue to affect the Hillsborough community. More integrated, mixed-income housing is required to dissolve RCAAs.
Goal 1.5
Goal 1.6
Policy 2
Goal 3.3
Goal 3.4
Policy 5
Access to
Opportunity
&
Place Based
Strategies
Inclusive
Community
The entire Town of Hillsborough is designated as high or highest resource areas. This indicates that these census tracts are within the top 40 percent in the region in terms of areas that lower-income residents may thrive if given the opportunity to live there. While the Town does have high opportunity, it is also exclusive.
Goal 1.5
Goal 1.6
Policy 2
Goal 3.3
Goal 3.4
Policy 5
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Policies, Goals, & Actions
The policies, goals, and actions provide the Town of Hillsborough with a coordinated and comprehensive strategy for promoting the production of safe, decent, and affordable housing throughout the community.
The Town of Hillsborough’s Housing Element includes policies to promote the maintenance of existing housing and increase capacity for additional housing options. The Housing Element ensures that current and future housing needs of people living and working in the Town of Hillsborough are met.
The Town’s Housing Element includes policies and related goals and actions that will assist in meeting the housing needs of residents. A separate action plan includes the specific actions the Town will take to implement each policy and achieve each goal.
The Action Matrix Table below identifies the lead Town department that will implement each action, along with the time frame for completion and key milestones and metrics for each action detailed above.
Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Policy 1: Reduce Barriers to Housing Development
Goal 1.1: Allow for increased subdivision opportunities throughout the community Action 1.1 (a): Continue to implement Senate Bill 9
(SB9), as appropriate. SB 9 allows all properties within a “single-family residential zone” to be subdivided
into two parcels and developed with two primary
dwelling units per lot, irrespective of local standards.
City Council
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2023 Continue to implement
State Law related to SB 9.
High
Action 1.1 (b): Complete a study to determine if
modifications to chapter 16 of the Hillsborough
Municipal Code (Subdivisions) would facilitate
the subdivision and development of additional
housing in a manner that protects public safety.
If the study indicates that the change would likely
result in increased development and have minimal
impact to public safety, the Town will modify
existing subdivision standards pertaining to average
slope and minimum lot size. Additionally, if the
analysis finds standards to be potential constraints
to cost, supply, or affordability to development,
amendments will be made.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
March 2024;
June 2024
Completion of feasibility
analysis of modifications to
hillside development
standards.
Adoption of modified
hillside development
standards.
Mid
Goal 1.2: Streamline the project review process for housing-related applications Action 1.2 (a): Improve transparency in permitting
time and workflow by updating the Town’s ageing
permit tracking software to a streamlined, userfriendly web-based platform with online payments accessible to applicants 24-hours/day, 365 days/year.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Fully updated and
implemented permitting
software.
Mid
Action 1.2 (b): Update all housing developmentrelated application forms to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance with all state statutes, including the
Permit Streamlining Act, Housing Accountability Act
and Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330).
Building &
Planning
Department
January 2024 All housing developmentrelated application forms updated and in compliance
with all state statutes.
High
Action 1.2 (c): Continue to evaluate and improve
the streamlined processing system to facilitate
residential development.
Building &
Planning
Department
Annually Evaluate to identify
potential efficiencies on an
annual basis.
Low
Action 1.2 (d): Utilize CEQA exemptions for infill
development sites, to shorten entitlement review time.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
Project-by-project
basis
Utilize and promote CEQA
exemptions on qualifying
projects.
Low
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Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Goal 1.3: Assist Town residents in the resolution of land use conflicts to promote successful housing development projects Action 1.3 (a): Maintain the Town’s contract
supporting Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center
(PCRC) and refer conflicted parties to PCRC’s no-fee
mediation services.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
Annually Contract with PCRC
updated annually.
Low
Goal 1.4 Amend the Town’s zoning regulations to comply with all recently adopted state legislation Action 1.4 (a): Allow group homes with an
administrative approval in all residential zoning
districts. Establish objective standards for group
homes, including group homes with seven or more
persons and ensure the Town’s definition of group
home in the zoning ordinance is in compliance with
federal and state fair housing laws.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with federal and
state fair housing laws.
High
Action 1.4 (b): Amend the Density Bonus section of
the zoning ordinance to ensure it is in compliance
with state density bonus law. (Government Code
Sections 65915 et seq.)
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town Density Bonus
section of the zoning
ordinance complies with
Government Code Sections
65915 et seq.
High
Action 1.4 (c): Ensure the zoning ordinance is in
compliance with the Employee Housing Act.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with the
Employee Housing Act.
High
Action 1.4 (d): Ensure the Town’s definition of
transitional and supportive housing in the zoning
ordinance is in compliance with Government Code
Section 65382 and Section 65650 and amend
the zoning ordinance to permit transitional and
supportive housing as required by Sections 65683
and Sections 65650 et seq.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with Government
Code Section 65382
and Section 65650.
High
Action 1.4 (e) Amend the zoning ordinance to allow
emergency shelters by right within the Multi-Family
zones, including the objective standards detailed
in Chapter 6: Housing Constraints. Regulations for
emergency shelters will comply with Government
Code Section 65583.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with Government
Code Section 65583.
High
Action 1.4 (f): Amend the zoning ordinance to
permit Low Barrier Navigation Centers in zones as
required by Government Code Section 65662.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with Government
Code Section 65662.
High
Action 1.4 (g): Amend the Town’s parking
requirements for development within one-half mile
of a major transit stop consistent with Government
Code Section Government Code Section 65863.2.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Town zoning ordinance
complies with Government
Code Section 65863.2.
High
Goal 1.5: Amend the Town’s zoning regulations to accommodate a variety of housing types.
Action 1.5 (a): Eliminate the minimum required
residential structure size.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning ordinance
amendment adopted.
High
Action 1.5 (b): Replace the term “family” with the
term “household” throughout the zoning ordinance.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning ordinance
amendment adopted.
High
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Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Action 1.5 (c): Amend the zoning ordinance definition
of single-family dwelling to clarify that manufactured
and mobile homes with a permanent foundation are
an allowable single-family dwelling format.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning ordinance
amendment adopted.
High
Goal 1.6: Establish an Affordable Housing Impact Fee program and associated Housing Choice Fund.
Action 1.6 (a): Establish an Affordable Housing
Impact Fee to be levied upon all above moderateincome housing development and substantial reconstruction.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning and subdivision
ordinances amended to
include Affordable Housing
Impact Fee requirement.
High
Action 1.6 (b): Establish a Housing Choice Fund in
which all Affordable Housing Impact Fee dollars will
be deposited.
City Attorney
and Finance
Department
January 2024 Fund infrastructure
established.
High
Action 1.6 (c): Establish a forgivable loan program
to subsidize the development of deed restricted
affordable units, which may include special needs
housing, utilizing Housing Choice Fund dollars.
Finance
Department
and Building
& Planning
Department
March 2024 Conduct robust community
outreach and education
to advertise the availability
of Housing Choice Fund
dollars.
Mid
Action 1.6 (d): Tier the maximum amount of a
forgivable loan available based on the income level
at which the units will be deed restricted.
Finance
Department
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Establish a tiered amount
of available Housing
Choice Fund dollars and
conduct robust community
outreach and education
to ensure residents,
developers, realtors, etc.
are aware.
Mid
Action 1.6 (e): Establish a Housing Choice Fund
monitoring program to track compliance with
deed restrictions and to monitor for no net loss of
affordable units.
Building &
Planning
Department
Bi-Annually Include the results of
the Housing Choice Fund
monitoring program in the
Town’s APRs and utilize the
results to inform mid-cycle
adjustments.
Low
Goal 1.7: Build support for the development of new housing in Hillsborough.
Action 1.7 (a): Continue to encourage developers to
have neighborhood meetings with residents early
in the discretionary land use permit process as part
of the application submittal to undertake problem
solving and facilitate more informed, faster, and
constructive development planning and review.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office
Case-by-case basis Make mailing addresses
for properties in close
proximity to potential
development sites available
to developers in order
to facilitate developer
outreach and successful
neighborhood meetings.
Low
Action 1.7 (b): Coordinate with housing advocacy
groups, neighborhood groups, and organizations
like HIP Housing to build public understanding
and support for workforce, special needs housing
and other issues related to housing, including the
community benefits of affordable housing.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office
Annually In partnership with
housing advocacy groups,
neighborhood groups,
and organizations like
HIP Housing, develop
an annual article for the
Town’s e-newsletter about
the community benefits of
recent affordable housing
development.
Low
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Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Action 1.7 (c): Regularly reach out to community
groups and residents representing a broad range of
socio-economic groups in the community to solicit
ideas for housing strategies when they are discussed
at elected/appointed official meetings.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office
Case-by-case basis Coordinate with local
community groups
and schools (to send
notification to families
of students in an effort
to reach out to residents
representing a broad range
of socio- economic groups)
regarding new housing and
land use policies under
consideration and to solicit
feedback.
Low
Policy 2: Promote the Construction and Affordability of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Goal 2.1: Continue to support and fund the Town ADU Ombudsperson to guide property owners through the Town’s ADU development process.
Action 2.1 (a): Extend or expand the current
ADU Ombudsperson position to ensure sufficient
capacity for timely review
and approval of ADU permits, and budget
accordingly for implementation.
City Council, City
Manager's Office,
and Building
& Planning
Department
July 2023 Staffing and budget
analysis completed to
determine resources
necessary for the ADU
Ombudsperson position(s).
High
Action 2.1 (b): Annually review ADU application and
approval processes, making improvements where
needed to make it easier for property owners to
develop ADUs and JADUs.
Building &
Planning
Department
Annually Improved, updated ADU
application process.
Low
Action 2.1 (c): Analyze the budget impacts of
continuing to reduce/waive ADU development
review fees.
Finance
Department
and Building
& Planning
Department
Annually Completed analysis of
financial implications
and cost-benefit
assessment of reducing/
waiving ADU development
review fees, while funding
the ADU Ombudsperson
position, budget
modifications as necessary.
Low
Action 2.1 (d): Increase Accessory Dwelling Unit
production by encouraging homeowners and
developers to include attached or detached
Accessory Dwelling Units in existing or new homes.
Building &
Planning
Department
Annual and
Ongoing
Annual workshop to
provide education and
increase ADU production.
Mid
Goal 2.2: Further streamline and expedite the ADU and JADU permitting process.
Action 2.2 (a): Analyze incentives for deed restricted
ADUs to encourage rental to very-low-income
households.
Finance
Department
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024
-2025
Completed assessment
of incentives for deedrestriction of ADUs to be
rented at very- low- income
rates. Evaluate whether
various incentives justify
deed restrictions and
whether there is a positive
impact on ADU production.
Implement accordingly.
Mid
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Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Action 2.2 (b): Establish an ADU Review Team
comprised of representatives from the Town’s
various departments including planning, fire,
police, and public works and conduct regular
weekly meetings to ensure efficient review of ADU
applications.
Building &
Planning
Department,
CCFD, Police Dept.,
Public Works Dept.
January 2024
-2025
Creation of ADU Review
Team and commencement
of regular review meetings.
Mid
Action 2.2 (c): Incentivize ADUs and JADUs to be
constructed along with new single-family detached
housing by allowing concurrent permit review and
approval and no-cost deed recording with Town notary.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
January 2024
-2025
Increased ADU production. Mid
Action 2.2 (d): Continue ADU Exception process to
allow exceptions for specified zoning standards,
such as maximum lot coverage and minimum
landscape coverage, to accommodate ADUs and
JADUs that do not comply with every applicable
standard in Section 17.52.020 .
Building &
Planning
Department,
CCFD, Police Dept.,
Public Works Dept.
January 2023 Internal evaluation of
pros/cons of objective,
administrative exceptions
for specified zoning
standards. Consider
expanding ADU Exception
process to expedite review.
Mid
Action 2.2 (e): In coordination with the Central
County Fire Department and CalFire, establish preapproved fire parameters for ADUs to streamline fire related review.
CCFD and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024
-2025
Final document including
pre- approved fire
parameters for ADUs.
Mid
Action 2.2 (g): In coordination with 21 Elements,
assess the feasibility of developing 80 percent
complete construction drawings for ADUs to lower
costs associated with engineering and architecture.
Building &
Planning
Department
January 2024
-2025
Evaluation of pros/
cons and feasibility of
developing 80 percent
complete construction
drawings for ADUs.
Mid
Action 2.2 (h): Update the ADU permit application
requirements to require disclosure of number of
bedrooms in new ADUs in order to track how ADUs
serve households of varying sizes and in turn impact
housing choice.
Building &
Planning
Department
March 2023 ADU permit application
requirements updated
and announced on Town
website and at Town Hall.
High
Goal 2.3: Adopt an ordinance to allow up to two detached ADUs on lots two acres and larger.
Action 2.3 (a): Review best practices and sample
ordinance language for similar multiple detached ADU
programs in jurisdictions of similar size and make up in the ABAG region and throughout the state.
Building &
Planning
Department
January 2025 Completed assessment
of pros/cons of multiple
attached or detached
ADU programs in similar
jurisdictions in the
ABAG region and CA.
Mid
Action 2.3 (b): Based on the findings of Action
2.3(a), draft potential ordinance language facilitating allowing a maximum of two detached ADUs on
lots two acres and larger and conduct community
outreach for feedback.
Building &
Planning
Department
June 2025 Conduct robust community
outreach and education to
gain feedback.
Draft potential ordinance
language, if applicable.
Mid
Action 2.3 (c): Present to City Council for
consideration and adoption, language allowing a
maximum of two detached ADUs on lots two acres
and larger.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
January 2026 Adoption of ordinance
update.
Mid
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Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Goal 2.4: Create a program to encourage and expedite the conversion of pool houses, guest houses, and other accessory structures to recorded ADUs/JADUs.
Action 2.4 (a): Review best practices and sample
ordinance language for similar accessory structure
conversion programs in jurisdictions of similar size
and make up in the ABAG region and throughout
the state.
Building &
Planning
Department
January 2025 Completed assessment of
pros/ cons of accessory
structure conversion
programs in similar
jurisdictions in the ABAG
region and CA.
Mid
Action 2.4 (b): Based on the findings of Action 2.4
(a), draft potential ordinance language facilitating
and providing development standard flexibility for
such conversions and conduct community outreach
for feedback.
Building &
Planning
Department
June 2025 Draft potential ordinance
language and robust
community outreach.
Mid
Action 2.4 (c): Present to City Council for
consideration and adoption, language amending
chapter 17.52 (Accessory Dwelling Units) of the
Hillsborough Municipal Code expediting the
conversion of pool house, guest house, and similar
accessory structures into recorded ADUs.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
January 2026 Adoption of ordinance
update.
Mid
Action 2.4 (d): Based on the findings of Action
2.4 (a) and Action 2.4 (c), develop an expedited
conversion program and related educational and
outreach campaign to make residents aware of the
benefits of conversion and present to Council for
consideration and ordinance adoption.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
January 2026 Adoption of ordinance
update.
Mid
Goal 2.5: Require all future pool house, guest house, and similar development to be constructed to the standards of an ADU to accommodate future conversion.
Action 2.5 (a): Review best practices and sample
ordinance language for similar accessory structure
requirements in jurisdictions of similar size and
make up in the ABAG region throughout the state.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2025 Completed assessment
of pros/cons of accessory
structure requirements in
similar jurisdictions in the
ABAG region and CA.
Mid
Action 2.5 (b): Based on the findings of Action 2.5(a), draft potential ordinance language requiring pool
house, guest house, and similar accessory structures
to be constructed for use as and recorded as an ADU
and conduct community outreach for feedback.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
June 2025 Conduct robust community
outreach and education to
gain feedback.
Draft potential ordinance
language, if applicable.
Mid
Action 2.5 (c): Present to City Council for
consideration and adoption, language amending
chapter 17.52 (Accessory Dwelling Units) of the
Hillsborough Municipal Code to requiring pool house,
guest house, and similar accessory structures to be
constructed for use as and recorded as an ADU.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
January 2026 Adoption of ordinance
update, if applicable.
Mid
Goal 2.6: Create a retroactive permitting program for existing, unpermitted ADUs and JADUs.
Action 2.6 (a): Establish an ADU/JADU Amnesty
Program to allow eligible properties to legalize existing ADUs that were constructed without a permit.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2025 ADU Amnesty Program
in place and community
education.
Mid
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Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Goal 2.7: Via 21 Elements, coordinate with San Mateo County jurisdictions on facilitating ADU Development.
Action 2.7 (a): Work with 21 Elements and San
Mateo County to provide property tax relief when
ADU/JADUs are constructed.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Attorney, Finance
Department, and
City Manager's
Office
January 2027 Form an ADU working
group through 21 Elements
and San Mateo County that
focuses on facilitating
ADU development through
expedited processing and
tax relief.
Low
Action 2.7 (b): Support the creation of a county
wide nonprofit to increase ADU production.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Attorney, City
Manager's Office,
and San Mateo
County
January 2027 Form an ADU working
group through 21 Elements
and San Mateo County that
focuses on facilitating
ADU development through
expedited processing and
tax relief.
Low
Goal 2.8: Conduct an ADU education and outreach campaign.
Action 2.8 (a): Enhance awareness and
understanding of what ADUs are, how residents
can build them, and how residents can receive
retroactive permits for them.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Quarterly Include information about
what ADUs are, how
residents can build them,
and how residents can
receive retroactive permits
for them (Goal 2.6) in the
Town’s communications.
Mid
Action 2.8 (b): Establish awareness and understanding
of the Housing Choice Fund as a funding tool to
support deed restricted affordable housing.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Bi-annually Advertise the availability
of Housing Choice
Fund dollars for the
development of ADUs
that are deed restricted
affordable (Goal 1.6) in the
Town’s communications.
Low
Action 2.8 (c): In partnership with HIP Housing,
promote their landlord-tenant match program.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Bi-annually Advertise the landlord
tenant match
program in the Town’s
communications.
Low
Action 2.8 (d): Enhance awareness of the Town’s
partnership with the County of San Mateo’s Home
for All initiative and the Second Unit Resource
Center which provides information
and tools to make it easier for homeowners to build
accessory dwelling units.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
June 2023 Update the Town’s website
to include information and
resources.
Mid
Action 2.8 (e): Enhance the Town’s ADU/JADU
Information and Resources webpage on the
Town’s website.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
June 2023 Update the Town’s ADU/
JADU Information and
Resources webpage
to include changes to
regulations and incentives.
Mid
Action 2.8 (f): Establish an ADU/JADU guidebook
to help walk residents through the ADU/JADU
permitting process.
Building &
Planning
Department
January 2025 Final document ADU/JADU
guidebook.
Mid
Action 2.8 (g): Develop an ADU informational video
and share it via the Town’s social media channels.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
January 2023 ADU informational video is
developed and shared via
social media.
Mid
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Action 2.8 (h): Conduct a series of interviews with
ADU owners explaining their positive experience
constructing and renting their ADU and encouraging
other residents to do the same and share the
interviews with the public via the Town’s website
and social media channels.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
June 2023 Interviews are posted on
the Town’s website and
social media.
Mid
Goal 2.9: Monitor ADU production and utilization and trigger mid-cycle adjustments as needed.
Action 2.9 (a): Establish an ADU monitoring program
that tracks the number of ADUs permitted, the
number of ADUs rented / used for housing in the
community, and the rental rate ADUs are offered for.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
June 2023 ADU monitoring program
is established and Building
& Planning Department
staff person assigned as
responsible for tracking.
High
Action 2.9 (b): Include the annual results of the ADU
monitoring program in the Town’s Annual Progress
Report for HCD in order to prepare for mid-cycle
adjustment assessment conducted every two years.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
Annually Results of the ADU
monitoring
program included in the
Town’s Annual Progress
Report for HCD and
presented to the City
Council.
High
Action 2.9 (c): Every two years conduct a mid-cycle
adjustment assessment of the results of the ADU
monitoring program and trigger tiered adjustments
as needed and as detailed below.
Tier I. If the results reveal the Town is behind in
its projections for ADU production, occupancy,
and rental rates by up to 50 percent in RHNA
Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by up to 30 percent in years
4-8, the Town will enhance ADU outreach and
increase the amount of Housing Choice Fund
dollars available to subsidize the construction of
deed restricted affordable housing.
Tier II. If the results reveal the Town is
behind in its projections for ADU production,
occupancy, and rental rates by more than 50
percent in RHNA Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by more
than 30 percent in years 4-8, the Town will
take action under the no net loss statute and
identify additional housing opportunity sites to
accommodate housing development at a housing
density of 20 dwelling units per acre or increase
density allowed at existing opportunity sites.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
Bi-annually Mid-cycle adjustment
triggered as appropriate.
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Policy 3: Facilitate Housing Development on Public, Commercial, Nonprofit, and Institutionally Owned Sites Goal 3.1: Monitor the disposition of all publicly owned land for potential future use for housing development.
Action 3.1 (a): Fund and conduct a Town-owned
property study to identify those properties which may
be suitable for future redevelopment for housing.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
January 2026 Completed feasibility
assessment.
Mid
Action 3.1 (b): Using the findings of the
study referenced in Action 3.1 (a), develop a
comprehensive program to support reuse of
identified sites for housing purposes.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
January 2027 Completed community
engagement process and
creation of program with
conceptual plans.
Mid
Goal 3.2: Encourage and support the use of private recreational and private school land for housing development to accommodate housing choice throughout Hillsborough.
Action 3.2 (a): In coordination with Nueva private
school and the Burlingame Country Club, establish
objective design standards, ministerial review
and approval procedures, and other criteria for
multifamily housing. Provide staff support and
community engagement facilitation to support
development of multi-family housing units Nueva
private school and the Burlingame Country Club.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
Case-by-case basis Housing is developed, in
alignment with the Housing
Element, at Nueva private
school and the Burlingame
Country Club.
Mid
Goal 3.3: Facilitate the development of housing at the Town Hall Campus.
Action 3.3 (a): Refine the recently completed study
of the Town Hall Campus site to reflect the 16 units
of housing proposed in this Housing Element.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
March 2024 Refined Town Hall Campus
Study presented to City
Council and public.
High
Action 3.3 (b): Conduct extensive public outreach to
develop a community driven vision for the Town Hall
Campus, including the 16 units of housing proposed
in this Housing Element.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
March - June 2024 A minimum of three public
workshops conducted to
develop vision for Town
Hall Campus.
High
Action 3.3 (c): Using the findings of the refined
study referenced in Action 3.3 (a) and community
driven visioning process referenced in Action 3.3
(b), develop a comprehensive Town Hall Campus
Redevelopment Program to ensure redevelopment
of the site via a public-private partnership during
the RHNA 6 Cycle. The comprehensive program will
include an overview of team structure, available
revenues and gaps, approvals required, phasing
strategy, and partnership plan.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
July 2024 Town Hall Campus
Redevelopment Program
presented to City Council
and public.
Mid
Action 3.3 (d): Amend the zoning for the Town Hall
Campus to permit development of housing ‘by right’
within the time limits required by State law.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning ordinance
amendment adopted.
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Action 3.3 (e): Comply with the Surplus Lands Act
by either issuing a Request for Qualifications and
negotiating directly with an affordable housing
developer for development of a project meeting the
requirements of Government Code Section 37364
and declaring the property “exempt surplus;” or
issuing a Notice of Availability as required by the
Surplus Lands Act and conducting negotiations as
required by the Act.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
April 2024 Request for Qualifications
or Notice of Availability
published.
Mid
Action 3.3 (f): Enter into an exclusive negotiating
agreement with the proposed developer.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
July 2024 Exclusive negotiating
agreement entered into.
Mid
Action 3.3 (g): Development objective design
standards for multi-family housing. These standards
will be carefully developed using site modeling, in
order to ensure the minimum densities described in
this Housing Element.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
July 2024 Objective design standards
adopted.
High
Action 3.3 (h): Complete design review of the
proposed development and approve a development
and disposition agreement with the proposed
developer, including any proposed City assistance. If
the property is not exempt surplus property, provide
the development and disposition agreement to
HCD prior to approval. Ensure that a covenant is
recorded as required by the Surplus Lands Act.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
October 2025 Town Hall development
approved by City Council.
Mid
Action 3.3 (i): Monitor development of the property
to ensure that housing is constructed as agreed-upon
in the development and disposition agreement.
Building &
Planning
Department
Bi-Monthly Housing is constructed
as agreed-upon in
the development and
disposition agreement.
Low
Goal 3.4: Facilitate the development of housing at the Tobin Clark housing opportunity site.
Action 3.4 (a): Release a request for information
(RFI) to study the Tobin Clark property and develop
conceptual plans to accommodate the 100 units of
housing proposed in this Housing Element.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
August 2023 Tobin Clark study
presented to City Council
and public.
High
Action 3.4 (b): Conduct extensive public outreach
to develop a community driven vision for the Tobin
Clark property, including the 100 units of housing
proposed in this Housing Element.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
February 2024 A minimum of three public
workshops conducted to
develop vision for Tobin
Clark.
High
Action 3.4 (c): Using the findings of the study
referenced in Action 3.4 (a) and community driven
visioning process referenced in Action 3.4 (b),
develop a comprehensive Tobin Clark Development
Program to ensure redevelopment of the site via
a public-private partnership during the RHNA 6
Cycle. The comprehensive program will include
an overview of team structure, available revenues
and gaps, approvals required, phasing strategy, and
partnership plan.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
March 2024 Tobin Clark Redevelopment
Program presented to City
Council and public.
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Action 3.4 (d): Amend the zoning for the Tobin Clark
property to permit development of housing ‘by
right’ within the time limits required by State law.
City Attorney
and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Zoning ordinance
amendment adopted.
High
Action 3.4 (e): Comply with the Surplus Lands Act
by either issuing a Request for Qualifications and
negotiating directly with an affordable housing
developer for development of a project meeting the
requirements of Government Code Section 37364
and declaring the property “exempt surplus;” or
issuing a Notice of Availability as required by the
Surplus Lands Act and conducting negotiations as
required by the Act.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
April 2024 Request for Qualifications
or Notice of Availability
published.
Mid
Action 3.4 (f): Develop objective design standards
for town-owned sites - ensure that those do not
constrain the number of units.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
July 2024 Exclusive negotiating
agreement entered into.
Mid
Action 3.4 (g): Complete design review of the
proposed development and approve a development
and disposition agreement with the proposed
developer, including any proposed City assistance. If
the property is not exempt surplus property, provide
the development and disposition agreement to
HCD prior to approval. Ensure that a covenant is
recorded as required by the Surplus Lands Act.
Building &
Planning
Department, City
Manager’s Office,
and City Council
October 2025 Town Hall development
approved by City Council..
Mid
Action 3.4 (h):Monitor development of the property
to ensure that housing is constructed as agreed-upon
in the development and disposition agreement.
Building &
Planning
Department
Bi-Monthly Housing is constructed
as agreed-upon in
the development and
disposition agreement.
High
Policy 4: Ensure Responsible Development in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Areas Goal 4.1: Continue to support the Central County Fire District (CCFD) WUI Home Inspection Program Action 4.1 (a): Enhance communications to
residents regarding their required participation in
the WUI Inspection Program.
CCFD and City
Manager's Office
Annually Host annual resident
workshops. Continue
to promote WUI Home
Inspection Program
through education and
outreach materials
distributed through the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Low
Action 4.1 (b): Require all new proposed landscape
plans on properties in designated WUI area to
submit a vegetation management plan and receive
approval by CCFD.
Building &
Planning
Department and
CCFD
Project-by- project
basis
Continue to facilitate
expedited review and
approval by CCFD of
landscape plans in WUI
areas.
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Goal 4.2: Continue to support community participation in the National Firewise USA® Recognition Program of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Action 4.2 (a): Maintain the Town’s “Firewise
Hillsborough” webpage to provide residents with
valuable information about how to stay wildfire ready.
CCFD and City
Manager's Office
Ongoing,
as needed
Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Low
Action 4.2 (b): Provide a link on the Town’s Firewise
Hillsborough webpage to access information on
which residential property insurance companies
may be currently offering discounts for fire
hardened homes.
CCFD and City
Manager's Office
Ongoing, asneededProvide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Low
Action 4.2 (c): Maintain the Town’s status as a
Firewise USA Community, as recognized by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
CCFD and City
Manager's Office
Annually Hillsborough Firewise
recognized by the National
Fire Protection Association
(NFPA).
Low
Goal 4.3: Establish and enforce safety standards for structures and landscaping in WUI areas Action 4.3 (a): The Central County Fire Department will review proposed plans for all new buildings and major
additions to ensure the construction complies with fire access requirements and make recommendations for
modifications to reduce fire hazards.
Building &
Planning
Department and
CCFD
Ongoing,
project-by-project
basis
All new buildings and major
additions receive approval
for compliance with fire
access requirements.
Low
Policy 5: Establish and Strengthen Opportunities for Rental Tenancies in ADUs and throughout Hillsborough.
Goal 5.1: Add a Tenant/Landlord information page to the Town website Action 5.1 (a): Promote partnership with HIP Housing
to facilitate the rental of ADU and JADU units.
City Manager's
Office
January 2023 Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
High
Action 5.1 (b): Provide a link on the Town’s Tenant/
Landlord webpage to HIP Housing’s monthly, multilingual, home sharing fliers.
City Manager's
Office
January 2023 Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
High
Action 5.1 (c): Encourage landlords to accept
Section 8 and Housing Choice Vouchers by providing
information on the Town’s Tenant/Landlord website
regarding the programs and how to participate.
City Manager's
Office, Building
& Planning
Department,
and Finance
Department
January 2023 Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
High
Action 5.1 (d): Establish a relationship with the
California Apartment Association (CAA) and work
with their education team to sponsor and promote
fair housing training for Landlords via the Town’s
Tenant/Landlord website.
City Manager's
Office
January 2027 Partner with HIP Housing
and CAA to provide
coordinated education and
resources for landlords
with the Town's Tenant/
Landlord website.
Mid
Goal 5.2: Support the Human Investment Project (HIP Housing) Home Sharing, Self-Sufficiency, and Property programs Action 5.2 (a): Continue annual grant award to the
Human Investment Project (HIP housing), HEART of
San Mateo County, Life Moves, and the County of
San Mateo Human Services (see action 6.2(a))
City Manager's
Office
Annually Annual Budget line item. Low
Action 5.2 (b): Distribute HIP Housing’s monthly,
multi- lingual home sharing fliers directly to City
Council, Board, and Commission members, and
public and private schools.
City Manager's
Office
Monthly Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
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Action 5.2 (c): Post HIP Housing’s monthly, multilingual home sharing fliers at Town Hall.Building & Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Annually Host hybrid workshop for
Hillsborough residents
and employees to provide
education and outreach
about the HIP Housing
home sharing program.
Low
Action 5.2 (d): Provide a link on the Town’s Housing
Resources webpage to HIP Housing’s monthly,
multi-lingual home sharing fliers.
City Manager's
Office
Monthly Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Low
Goal 5.3: Establish and continue partnerships with local nonprofits for tenant outreach and counseling.
Action 5.3 (a): Maintain the Town’s relationship
with Project Sentinel and refer tenants to their
no-fee services.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Ongoing,
as needed
Provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Low
Action 5.3 (b): Ensure access to the Town’s
housing-related communication materials through
translation of materials into multiple languages
including Spanish and Chinese, making materials
accessible to those with disabilities, and sharing
information with community organizations, such
as legal service or public health providers. All
communication plans would include strategies to
reach groups with disproportionate housing needs.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Ongoing,
as needed
Partner with 21 Elements
and San Mateo County to
provide information about
available translation and
accessibility resources and
tools. Provide information
on the Town's website,
Quarterly newsletter, and
weekly e-announcements.
Low
Goal 5.4: Adopt an anti-harassment ordinance and a right-to-counsel policy Action 5.4 (a): Review best practices and sample
ordinance language for anti-harassment ordinances
and right-to-counsel policies in jurisdictions in the
ABAG region and throughout the state.
City Attorney and
City Manager's
Office
January 2025 Develop a best practices
framework for antiharassment ordinances and
right-to-counsel policies.
Low
Action 5.4 (b): Draft potential ordinance language
and conduct outreach to tenants, landlords,
community members and tenant/landlord
organizations for feedback.
City Attorney and
City Manager's
Office
Junuary 2025 Conduct robust community
outreach and education to
gain feedback.
Draft potential ordinance
language, if applicable.
Low
Action 5.4 (c): Based on the outcomes of Actions
6.4 (a) through 6.4 (c), present to City Council for
consideration and adoption, language establishing an
anti-harassment ordinance and right-to-counsel policy.
City Attorney, City
Manager's Office,
and City Council
January 2026 Adoption of ordinance
update, if applicable.
Low
Policy 6: Actively Participate in Addressing the Housing Needs of the Region Goal 6.1: Continue participation in and support for the 21 Elements project Action 6.1 (a): Via 21 Elements, participate in a
multi-city nexus and feasibility study to adopt
housing impact fees and inclusionary requirements.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Annually Form a working group
through 21 Elements and
San Mateo County that
evaluates impact fees and
inclusionary requirements.
Low
Action 6.1 (b): Partner with the 21 Elements
Jurisdictions to assess the viability of sharing
housing staff to support inclusionary zoning,
affordable housing, and other related projects.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Quarterly Form a working group
through 21 Elements and
San Mateo County that
evaluates sharing housing
staff.
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Goal 6.2: Provide financial support to local housing, homelessness, and mental health support programs Action 6.2 (a): Continue annual grant award to the
Human Investment Project (HIP housing)
City Manager's
Office and City
Council
Annually Annual Budget line item. Low
Action 6.2 (b): Continue financial support for the 21
Elements project
City Manager's
Office and City
Council
Annually Annual Budget line item. Low
Action 6.2 (c): Develop and adopt a Town
philanthropy policy which establishes consistency in
giving to local housing, homelessness, and mental
health support programs whose organizational
missions align with the Town’s value statement.
City Manager's
Office and City
Council
January 2026 Adopted Town
philanthropy policy.
Low
Action 6.2 (d): During the annual Town budget
development process, assess the availability
of funds for contribution to local housing,
homelessness, and mental health support programs
whose organizational missions align with the Town’s
value statement.
City Manager's
Office and City
Council
Annually Annual Budget adopted. Low
Goal 6.3: Report annually to City Council on the Town’s progress in meeting the RHNA Cycle 6 housing allocation Action 6.3 (a): Planning staff generate the Town’s
Annual Progress Report (APR) to the California
Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) outlining details of housing
development occurring in Town during the previous
calendar year and progress towards achieving
housing goals
Building &
Planning
Department
Annually Annual Progress Report
(APR) prepared for
submittal to HCD.
Low
Action 6.3 (b): Present the Annual APR to the City
Council
Building &
Planning
Department
Annually Annual Progress Report
(APR) accepted by City
Council for submittal to HCD.
Low
Goal 6.4: Monitor the opportunity sites inventory and the Town’s progress in meeting RHNA.
Action 6.4 (a): Establish a monitoring program that
collects data every two years to:
• Ensure no shortfall is created during the
Housing Element planning period, in
compliance with the No Net Loss Law.
• Track the adequacy of infrastructure to serve
new and existing housing including water,
sewer, and dry utility capacity.
• Monitor unit count and income/affordability
assumed on parcels included in the sites
inventory to inform no net loss findings.
• Monitor actual units constructed and
income/affordability when parcels are
developed.
• Monitor net change in capacity and the ability
of the remaining housing opportunity sites to
meet remaining RHNA requirements to inform
no net loss findings.
• Make the results of the monitoring program
available to the public through an online
dashboard.
Building &
Planning
Department
June 2023 Monitoring program is
established and Building
& Planning Department
staff person assigned as
responsible for tracking.
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Action 6.4 (b): Include the results of the monitoring
program in the Town’s Annual Progress Report for
HCD in order to implement mid-cycle adjustments,
as needed.
Building &
Planning
Department
Annually Monitoring program results
included in APR and staff
recommendation for midcycle adjustments
presented to the City
Council.
Mid
Action 6.4 (c): Every two years conduct a midcycle adjustment assessment of the results of the monitoring program and trigger tiered adjustments
as needed and as detailed below.
Tier I. If the results reveal the Town is behind
in its projections for housing production,
occupancy, and rental rates by up to 50 percent
in RHNA Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by up to 30 percent
in years 4-8, the Town will enhance housing
development related outreach and increase the
amount of Housing Choice Fund dollars available
to subsidize the construction of deed restricted
affordable housing.
Tier II. If the results reveal the Town is behind
in its projections for housing production,
occupancy, and rental rates by more than 50
percent in RHNA Cycle 6 years 1-3 or by more
than 30 percent in years 4-8, the Town will
take action under the no net loss statute and
identify additional housing opportunity sites to
accommodate housing development at a housing
density of 20 dwelling units per acre or increase
density allowed at existing opportunity sites.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Council
Bi-annually Mid-cycle adjustment
triggered as appropriate.
High
Policy 7: Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Opportunities Goal 7.1: Eliminate discrimination in housing based on age, race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, or occupation Action 7.1 (a): Support fair access to housing for all
persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex,
marital status, national origin, or ancestry. Assemble
and promote the distribution of information to
landlords regarding fair housing.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Annually Annually contract with
a fair housing service
provider to promote open
housing practices for
residents, and to facilitate
communication between
tenants and landlords.
Low
Action 7.1 (b): Assemble and promote the
distribution of information to landlords regarding
fair housing.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Annually Continue to provide
resources for bi- lingual
fair housing brochures in a
variety of public locations,
including Town Hall.
Low
Action 7.1 (c): Involve Project Sentinel to aid in
housing-related problem resolution.
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Manager's
Office
Project-by-project
basis
Develop a housing- related
referral protocol with
Project Sentinel.
Low
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Action 7.1 (d): Continue to designate the City
Attorney as the appropriate City official to receive
and administer complaints related to housing
discrimination.
City Attorney and
City Manager's
Office
Annually Annually designate City
Attorney as the City
official to manage housing
discrimination complaints.
Low
Action 7.1 (e): Amend Chapter 17.42 of the
Zoning Ordinance (Requests for Reasonable
Accommodation) to eliminate all subjective review
criteria in order to comply with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA).
Building &
Planning
Department and
City Attorney
January 2024
Case-by-case basis
Adopt objective
review criteria for the
approval of reasonable
accommodations.
High
Provide information about
Requests for Reasonable
Accommodation on
the Town's website and
Quarterly newsletter.
Low
Action 7.1 (f): Provide maximum flexibility in
the development of housing for persons with
disabilities.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
January 2024 Establish an Administrative
Exceptions process to allow
for ministerial approval
of minor variances for
the development of
housing for persons with
disabilities.
High
Action 7.1 (g): Ensure that information related to
fair housing laws is easily available on the Town’s
website and at key Town facilities, including the
Town Hall Campus and Police Station .
Building &
Planning
Department,
Police
Department, and
City Attorney
Quarterly Provide information
about fair housing laws on
the Town's website and
Quarterly newsletter.
Mid
Goal 7.2: Proactively increase access to affordable housing options for historically marginalized and underrepresented groups Action 7.2 (a): Work with HIP Housing and other
self-sufficiency programs to market ADUs to the
disability community and
non-English speakers, including new-immigrant and
refugee communities.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
Monthly Partner with programs to
provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Mid
Action 7.2 (b): Work with HIP Housing and other
self-sufficiency programs to make available paper
and digital versions of multi-lingual applications
and to make all websites containing application
information accessible.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
Monthly Partner with programs to
provide information on the
Town's website, Quarterly
newsletter, and weekly
e-announcements.
Mid
Goal 7.3: Conduct an AFFH Education and Outreach Campaign Action 7.3 (a): Enhance awareness and
understanding of what AFFH is and how it impacts
housing choice in Hillsborough.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
Quarterly Include information
about AFFH and how it
impacts housing choice in
Hillsborough in the Town’s
e-newsletters.
Mid
Action 7.3 (b): Display information about the
availability of reasonable accommodations at the
public information counter in the Planning and
Building Division and ensure that the information is
easily accessible on the Town’s website.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
June 2023 Reasonable
Accommodations Fact
Sheet and Approval Guide
made available at the
public information counter
and on the Town’s website.
High
Hillsborough Housing Element | Housing Plan
Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
224
-151-
DRAFT FOR HCD REVIEW
Housing Element Action Matrix
Town Lead Time Frame Milestone Priority
Action 7.3 (c): In partnership with Project Sentinel
and the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County,
promote available housing issue resolution services
and fair housing information.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
Bi-annually Advertise available
services and fair housing
information in the Town’s
mailed newsletter.
Low
Action 7.3 (d): Ensure that information related to
fair housing laws is easily available on the Town’s
website and at key Town facilities, including Town
Hall and the Police Department.
City Manager's
Office and Building
& Planning
Department
June 2023;
Annually
Update the Town’s website
to include information
regarding fair housing law.
High
Annually work with Project
Sentinel to make flyers and
literature regarding fair
housing law available at key
Town facilities.
Low
Hillsborough Housing Element | Housing Plan
Prepared by Houseal Lavigne
225
-152-