APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY VICE MAYOR KAPLAN
RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO FUND ALL
PENDING HOMEKEY APPLICATIONS
WHEREAS, California is facing a housing affordability crisis with housing costs exceeding growth in wages, particularly for low-income households. In California, approximately
2.5 million low-income households are cost burdened, spending more than 30% of their incomes on housing; and
WHEREAS, of those 2.5 million low-income households, 1.5 million face severe cost pressures, spending more than half of their income on housing. Job loss or an unexpected expense could result in homelessness for this group of individuals; and
WHEREAS, the high cost of housing is a significant contributing factor to California’s homelessness crisis; more people experience homelessness in California than any other state; and
WHEREAS, as of the most recent point-in-time count from January 2020, California has approximately 161,500 individuals experiencing homelessness, which represents 20% of the total homeless population in the country. This statistic is even more stark given that California’s overall population only represents 12% of the country’s total population; and
WHEREAS, homelessness has long-term and serious consequences to the health and safety of those who experience it, and are at risk of health problems including life-long behavioral health challenges; and
WHEREAS, in response to the mounting challenges around homelessness, in July of 2020, California launched its Homekey initiative, allocating funding to allow local public agencies to buy underused properties, and develop a broad range of housing types - including but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, single-family homes and multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and manufactured housing - to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings and vacant land to permanent or interim affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, the program requires that project applicants be local public entities, including cities, counties, public housing agencies, or federally-recognized tribal governments, and public
2 entities were encouraged to partner with affordable housing developers and service providers as part of their applications; and
WHEREAS, Homekey has been lauded for allowing local jurisdictions to develop housing strategies that best fit the needs of their homeless populations, available resources, and market conditions; and
WHEREAS, the State Homekey Program is currently in the process of awarding approximately $1.45 billion in grant funding to local public entities to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness; and
WHEREAS, Oakland is among the jurisdictions facing multiple extraordinary challenges when it comes to meeting its housing needs: the COVID-19 pandemic, gentrification and displacement, high rates of unemployment, and homelessness and lack of sufficient affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, according to the City of Oakland’s Housing Element Annual Progress Report for 2020, the City has met only 43% of its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals for very low-income housing; and
WHEREAS, the December 2021 RHNA allocation plan for the Bay Area for 2023-2031 concluded that jurisdictions throughout the region needs to add many thousands of units of very low income housing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council in December, 2021, and January, 2022, adopted resolutions which authorized the City Administrator to jointly apply for, accept, and enter into standard agreements as a local agency partner for funds from the State’s Homekey Program with several projects; and
WHEREAS, although the State of California has issued multiple Homekey awards to other jurisdictions, there are many excellent projects, both in Oakland and elsewhere, which have not yet been approved for funding; and
WHEREAS, both the State of California, the City of Oakland, and others have acknowledged and declared that we face a crisis of homelessness, and lack adequate affordable housing, and Oakland has sought to remedy this crisis, including by dedicating public lands and other resources to providing affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, the Oakland City Council has adopted a Resolution to authorize providing the value of City-owned public land for the purpose of Homekey applications, and dedicated multiple publicly-owned parcels to be used to provide affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, California is anticipating a $45.7 billion surplus for the 2022-23 fiscal year, and $20.6 billion will be available for discretionary use; and
WHEREAS, the rising homeless crisis warrants a substantial and urgent response, commensurate with the magnitude of the crisis, and with multiple pending Homekey applications
3 awaiting award statewide, substantial additional people could be helped off the streets and into better facilities, for a cost that would be a tiny fraction of the State surplus; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council strongly urges the State of California to fund all pending Homekey Applications in order to promptly respond to our serious affordable housing needs; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Council directs the City Administrator or their designee to distribute this Resolution upon its adoption to Governor Gavin Newsom, California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez, and Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez. IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS NOES – ABSENT – ABSTENTION – ATTEST: ASHA REED City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of Oakland, California
3163852v1 / DR - updated 4/6/2022