City of Pacifica
Housing Element
February 6, 2025
2023-2031
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Pacifica City Council
Mayor Sue Vaterlaus
Mayor pro Tem Sue Beckmeyer
Mayor pro Tem Councilmember Mary Bier
Councilmember Tygarjas Bigstyck
Councilmember Christine Boles
Council Member Mayra Espinosa
Council Member Greg Wright
Planning Commissioners
Samantha Hauser, Chair
Alex FergusonDavid Leal, Vice Chair
Lauren Berman
Daniella Devine
Alex Ferguson
James Godwin
Chris Redfield
David Leal
Greg Wright
Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager
Samantha Updegrave, Community Development Director
Kavitha Kumar, Former Interim Community Development Director Christian Murdock, Former Planning Director
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Prepared for
City of Pacifica
by
City of Pacifica
Housing Element
2023-2031
February 6, 2025
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Housing Element would not have been possible without input from a wide variety of City of Pacifica citizens, interest groups, and other stakeholders who participated in the public process. The public engagement opportunities that contributed to the development of the Housing Element are described in detail in Appendix A – Community Consultation and associated attachments. The City is especially grateful to the following groups that provided direct feedback, assisted with community outreach, or otherwise helped to shape the Housing Element: Pacifica Resource Center, Pacifica Historical Society, Pacifica School District, Jefferson Union High School District, Pacifica Collaborative, Housing Choices, 21 Elements Equity Advisory Group The Housing Element was authored by Good City Company with contributions including support with data analysis, research and outreach from the following organizations and City of Pacifica staff:
Samantha Updegrave, Community Development Director
Kavitha Kumar, Former Interim Community Development Director Christian Murdock, Former Planning Director
Kavitha Kumar, Interim Community Development Director
Elizabeth Brooks, Management Analyst II
Brianne Harkousha, Senior Planner
Stefanie Cervantes, Former Senior Planner
Christopher Clements, Police Captain
Nelson Schlater, Former Wastewater Engineering Manager
Community Planning Collaborative (formerly Baird + Driskell Community Planning) 21 Elements Working Group
Association of Bay Area Governments
Kearns & West
Root Policy Research
Cover Photo by Tegan Mierle on Unsplash
GOOD CITY COMPANY TEAM
Nicholas Hamilton, Project Manager
Aaron Aknin, Principal
Carol Johnson, Planning Director
Sandy Council, Project Advisor
Sabina Mora, Senior Planner
Mark Sullivan, Housing Manager
Dara Phung, Photography and Graphics
Susan Smith, Formatting and Editing
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................. i HOUSING ELEMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 1
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1
2. HOUSING ELEMENT AND GENERAL PLAN ....................................................................................................... 2
3. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION .............................................................................................................................. 4
4. PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW ................................................................................................................... 5
5. HOUSING NEEDS .................................................................................................................................................... 6
6. ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING .......................................................................................................................... 8
7. HOUSING RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................ 9
8. HOUSING SITES INVENTORY ................................................................................................................................ 9
9. HOUSING CONSTRAINTS ..................................................................................................................................... 19
10. FAIR HOUSING PLAN ........................................................................................................................................... 20
11. GOALS AND POLICIES .......................................................................................................................................... 22
12. 2023-2031 PROGRAMS .......................................................................................................................................... 25
13. ONGOING POLICIES ............................................................................................................................................. 60
14. QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................... 61
15. CONSISTENCY WITH GENERAL PLAN, ZONING CODE, AND LOCAL COASTAL LAND USE PLAN........ 62 APPENDIX A: COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ............................................................................................. A-1
1. OVERVIEW OF HOUSING ELEMENT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ..................................................................... A-1
2. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS ................................................................................................. A-4
3. HOW WE INCORPORATED WHAT WE HEARD INTO THE PLAN ............................................................ A-12 APPENDIX B: PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW ................................................................................. B-1
1. PACIFICA’S ACHIEVEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. B-1
2. PACIFICA’S CHALLENGES .................................................................................................................................. B-4
3. CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW............................................................................. B-6
4. EVALUATION OF APPROPRIATENESS, EFFECTIVENESS, AND PROGRESS OF PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. B-6 APPENDIX C: HOUSING NEEDS......................................................................................................................... C-1
1. HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................ C-1
2. DATA SOURCES .................................................................................................................................................... C-1
3. POPULATION GROWTH AND PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................. C-2
4. AGE ........................................................................................................................................................................ C-3
5. RACE AND ETHNICITY ....................................................................................................................................... C-4
6. EMPLOYMENT TRENDS ...................................................................................................................................... C-5
7. TENURE ............................................................................................................................................................... C-13
8. DISPLACEMENT ................................................................................................................................................. C-17
9. ASSISTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AT-RISK OF CONVERSION .......................................................... C-22
10. SUBSTANDARD HOUSING ................................................................................................................................ C-26
11. HOME AND RENT VALUES .............................................................................................................................. C-27
12. OVERPAYMENT AND OVERCROWDING ....................................................................................................... C-30
13. LARGE HOUSEHOLDS....................................................................................................................................... C-35
14. FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS .................................................................................................................. C-38 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT iii
15. SENIORS .............................................................................................................................................................. C-39
16. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ............................................................................................................................ C-41
17. HOMELESSNESS ................................................................................................................................................. C-48
18. FARMWORKERS .................................................................................................................................................. C-54
19. NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS ............................................................................................................................... C-58
20. SUMMARY: GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS ............................................... C-59 APPENDIX D: CITY OF PACIFICA ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING ............................................... D-1
1. AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING (AFFH) ............................................................................ D-1
2. FAIR HOUSING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ......................................................................................................... D-2
3. HISTORY OF SEGREGATION IN THE REGION .............................................................................................. D-2
4. REPORT CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION .................................................................................................... D-4
5. PRIMARY FINDINGS ........................................................................................................................................... D-7
6. FAIR HOUSING ISSUES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ........................................................................... D-12
7. FAIR HOUSING ENFORCEMENT AND OUTREACH CAPACITY ................................................................. D-14
8. INTEGRATION AND SEGREGATION ............................................................................................................. D-17
9. ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY ............................................................................................................................. D-39
10. DISPARATE HOUSING NEEDS ....................................................................................................................... D-55
11. SITE INVENTORY ANALYSIS IMPACT ON FAIR HOUSING ........................................................................ D-67
12. OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS: LOCAL CONTEXT ....................................................................................... D-70 APPENDIX E: HOUSING RESOURCES .............................................................................................................. E-1
1. FINANCIAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... E-1
2. HOUSING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ............................................................................................................. E-5
3. FAIR HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS .................................................................................................................... E-6
4. EXISTING HOUSING FOR LOWER INCOMES OR SPECIAL NEEDS .............................................................. E-6 APPENDIX F: HOUSING SITES ............................................................................................................................ F-1
1. STATE REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... F-1
2. INFRASTRUCTURE................................................................................................................................................ F-3
3. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ...................................................................................................................... F-3
4. PLANNED AND APPROVED PROJECTS ............................................................................................................ F-4
5. ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS ........................................................................................................................ F-9
6. LAND CAPACITY IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS ............................................................................ F-10
7. LAND CAPACITY FOR SITES THAT NEED REZONING ................................................................................. F-13
8. INCOME ASSUMPTIONS ON RHNA SITES LIST ........................................................................................... F-36
9. PACIFICA SITES LIST ......................................................................................................................................... F-39 APPENDIX G: HOUSING CONSTRAINTS ....................................................................................................... G-1
1. NONGOVERNMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ........................................................................................................... G-1
2. GOVERNMENTAL CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................................... G-6
3. ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRAINTS ...................................................................... G-35 The following attachments are included at the end of the document following Appendix G:
Attachment A-1 Community Consultation
Attachment D-1 San Mateo County Fair Housing Survey Findings Attachment D-2 ABAG Housing Needs Data Packet
Attachment G-1 FY2022-23 Master Fee Schedule
Attachments are also located at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 iv PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2024
List of Figures
Figure 1: Overview of Housing Element Sites ................................................................................................... 14 Figure 2: North Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites ....................................................................... 15 Figure 3: Central Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites ..................................................................... 16 Figure 4: Southwest Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites ............................................................... 17 Figure 5: Southeast Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites ................................................................ 18 Figure C-1: Population Growth Trends ................................................................................................................. C-2 Figure C-2: Pacifica Population by Age, 2000-2019 ............................................................................................. C-3 Figure C-3: Pacifica Senior and Youth Population by Race ............................................................................... C-4 Figure C-4: Pacifica Population by Race, 2000-2019 ........................................................................................... C-5 Figure C-5: Jobs in Pacifica ...................................................................................................................................... C-6 Figure C-6: Pacifica Workers by Earnings as Place of Work and Place of Residence ................................... C-7 Figure C-7: Pacifica Jobs-Worker Ratios, By Wage Group ................................................................................ C-7 Figure C-8: Jobs-Household Ratio .......................................................................................................................... C-8 Figure C-9: Resident Employment by Industry .................................................................................................... C-8 Figure C-10: Unemployment Rate ............................................................................................................................ C-9 Figure C-11: Households by Household Income Level ...................................................................................... C-10 Figure C-12: Pacifica Household Income Level by Tenure ................................................................................ C-10 Figure C-13: Pacifica Poverty Status by Race ........................................................................................................ C-13 Figure C-14: Housing Tenure .................................................................................................................................. C-14 Figure C-15: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Race of Householder ....................................................................... C-15 Figure C-16: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Age ...................................................................................................... C-16 Figure C-17: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Housing Type.................................................................................... C-16 Figure C-18: Pacifica Households by Displacement Risk and Tenure .............................................................. C-18 Figure C-19: Pacifica Housing Type Trends ......................................................................................................... C-19 Figure C-20: Pacifica Housing Units by Year Structure Built ............................................................................. C-20 Figure C-21: Vacant Units by Type ......................................................................................................................... C-21 Figure C-22: Pacifica Substandard Housing Issues .............................................................................................. C-27 Figure C-23: Home Values of Owner-Occupied Units ....................................................................................... C-28 Figure C-24: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) .................................................................................................. C-28 Figure C-25: Contract Rents for Renter-Occupied Units ................................................................................... C-29 Figure C-26: Median Contract Rent ........................................................................................................................ C-30 Figure C-27: Pacifica Cost Burden by Tenure ....................................................................................................... C-31 Figure C-28: Pacifica Cost Burden by Income Level ........................................................................................... C-31 Figure C-29: Pacifica Cost Burden by Race ........................................................................................................... C-32 Figure C-30: Pacifica Cost Burden by Household Size ....................................................................................... C-33 Figure C-31: Pacifica Cost-Burdened Senior Households by Income Level ................................................... C-33 Figure C-32: Pacifica Overcrowding by Tenure and Severity ............................................................................. C-34 Figure C-33: Pacifica Overcrowding by Income Level and Severity ................................................................. C-35 Figure C-34: Pacifica Overcrowding by Race ........................................................................................................ C-35 Figure C-35: Pacifica Household Size by Tenure ................................................................................................. C-36 Figure C-36: Pacifica Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms ........................................................................ C-36 Figure C-37: Household Type ................................................................................................................................. C-38 Figure C-38: Pacifica Female-Headed Households by Poverty Status .............................................................. C-39 Figure C-39: Pacifica Senior Households by Income and Tenure ..................................................................... C-40 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT v
Figure C-40: Pacifica Disability by Type ................................................................................................................ C-44 Figure C-41: Homelessness by Household Type and Shelter Status, San Mateo County .............................. C-49 Figure C-42: Racial Group Share of General and Homeless Populations, San Mateo County .................... C-50 Figure C-43: Hispanic Share of General and Homeless Populations, San Mateo County ............................ C-50 Figure C-44: Characteristics for the Population Experiencing Homelessness, San Mateo County ............. C-52 Figure C-45: Farm Operations and Farm Labor by County, San Mateo County ............................................ C-56 Figure C-46: Population with Limited English Proficiency ................................................................................ C-59 Figure D-1: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Predominant Race by Census Tract ............................. D-22 Figure D-2: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Diversity Index by Census Tract .................................. D-23 Figure D-3: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Neighborhood Segregation Typology by Census Tract ..................................................................................................................................................... D-24 Figure D-4: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Median-Income by Census Tract ................................. D-27 Figure D-5: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Disability Status by Census Tract ................................. D-29 Figure D-6: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Female-Headed Households with Children by Census Tract ....................................................................................................................................... D-33 Figure D-7: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to RCAA’s by Census Tract ............................................... D-36 Figure D-8: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to TCAC Resource Areas by Census Tract ..................... D-41 Figure D-9: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to TCAC Educational Outcome Score by Census Tract ..................................................................................................................................................... D-43 Figure D-10: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Proximity to Jobs by Census Tract .............................. D-46 Figure D-11: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to TCAC Economic Opportunity Score by Census Tract ..................................................................................................................................................... D-47 Figure D-12: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to TCAC Environmental Score by Census Tract ........... D-52 Figure D-13: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Renter Households by Census Tract ........................... D-59 Figure D-14: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Overpayment by Renter Households by Census Tract ..................................................................................................................................................... D-60 Figure D-15: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Overcrowded Households by Census Tract ............... D-62 Figure D-16: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Sensitive Communities – Urban Displacement Project ................................................................................................................................................. D-63 Figure D-17: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Overall Displacement– Urban Displacement Project ................................................................................................................................................. D-65 Figure D-18: Percent of All Households with Any of the 4 Severe Housing Problems ............................... D-66 Figure F-1: Pacifica Opportunity Sites (“Sites Inventory” or “Sites List”) .................................................... F-26 Figure F-2: Site 21 – Oceana High School .......................................................................................................... F-27 Figure F-3: Site 22 – Terra Nova High School ................................................................................................... F-28 Figure F-4: Site 23 – Sanchez Art Center ............................................................................................................ F-29 Figure F-5: Site 24 – Sanchez Library .................................................................................................................. F-30 Figure F-6: Site 28 – Fairmont Shopping Center ............................................................................................... F-31 Figure F-7: Site 29 – Linda Mar Shopping Center ............................................................................................. F-32 Figure F-8: Site 32 – Brentwood Shopping Center ............................................................................................ F-33 Figure F-9: Site F – Oddstad Boulevard ............................................................................................................. F-34 Figure F-10: Site G – Skyline Water Tank ............................................................................................................. F-35 Figure G-1: Primary Mortgage Market Survey, U.S. Weekly Average Mortgage Rates from February 9, 2013 to February 9, 2023 .............................................................................................. G-5 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 vi PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2024
List of Tables
Table 1: Regional Housing Needs Allocation...................................................................................................... 7 Table 2: RHNA Capacity Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 10 Table 3: Residential Sites with Existing Capacity .............................................................................................. 11 Table 4: Sites that Require Rezoning to Meet RHNA Capacity ..................................................................... 12 Table 5: Program Implementation Overview .................................................................................................... 26 Table 6: Quantified Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 62 Table B-1: Quantified Objectives Analysis .......................................................................................................... B-2 Table B-2: City of Pacifica PRIOR Housing Element Review ......................................................................... B-9 Table C-1: Population Growth Trends ................................................................................................................. C-2 Table C-2: Pacifica Cost Burdened Renter Households by Income .............................................................. C-17 Table C-3: Pacifica Cost Burdened Owner Households by Income ............................................................. C-17 Table C-4: Pacifica Housing Permitting ............................................................................................................. C-20 Table C-5: Assisted Units at Risk of Conversion .............................................................................................. C-22 Table C-6: Inventory of Units At Risk of Losing Use Restrictions ............................................................... C-23 Table C-7: Pacifica Population with Developmental Disabilities by Age ..................................................... C-45 Table C-8: Pacifica Population with Developmental Disabilities by Residence........................................... C-46 Table C-9: 2022 One-Day Unsheltered Homeless Count ............................................................................... C-51 Table C-10: Students in Local Public Schools Experiencing Homelessness .................................................. C-51 Table C-11: Migrant Worker Student Population ............................................................................................... C-55 Table D-1: Pacifica and San Mateo County Population with Developmental Disabilities ........................ D-30 Table D-2: Living Arrangements of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Pacifica Compared to San Mateo County ........................................................................................................................ D-31 Table D-3: San Mateo County Jurisdictions and Unemployment Rate of People with Disabilities ........ D-53 Table D-4: Pacifica Site Inventory Units by Income and Summary of Segregation and Integration Fair Housing Factors ........................................................................................................................ D-69 Table D-5: Pacifica Site Inventory Units by Income and Access to Opportunity Fair Housing Factors ................................................................................................................................................. D-69 Table D-6: Pacifica Site Inventory Units by Income and Disproportionate Housing Need Fair Housing Factors ................................................................................................................................. D-70 Table F-1: City of Pacifica Regional Housing Need Allocation ....................................................................... F-2 Table F-2: Planned and Approved Housing Units ............................................................................................. F-5 Table F-3: Pacifica Annual ADU Permit Data .................................................................................................. F-10 Table F-4: Actual Approved Densities 2015-2022 ........................................................................................... F-11 Table F-5: Existing Residential CApacity ........................................................................................................... F-13 Table F-6: Lower Income Units .......................................................................................................................... F-14 Table F-7: Historical Non-Vacant Redevelopment Summary ........................................................................ F-21 Table F-8 Lower-Income Site Amenities .......................................................................................................... F-37 Table F-9: RHNA Capacity Analysis .................................................................................................................. F-39 Table F-10: Sites That Have Allowed Density Under Existing Zoning (Table A HCD Sites List) ........... F-41 Table F-11: Sites That Need Rezoning (Table B HCD Sites List) ................................................................... F-50 Table F-12: Sites That Need Rezoning – Buffer (Table B HCD Sites List) ................................................... F-44 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT vii
Table G-1: Standardized Land Value and Share of Property Value for Zip Code 94044 and San Mateo County (2020) from the Price of Residential Land for Counties, ZIP Codes, and Census Tracts in the United States ........................................................................................... G-2 Table G-2: Land Use Designations ....................................................................................................................... G-7 Table G-3: Development Standards by Residential Zoning District ............................................................... G-9 Table G-4: Housing Types Permitted By Zone ................................................................................................ G-13 Table G-5: Residential Project Development Costs – San Mateo County (Unit & Square Foot) ............ G-26 Table G-6: Total Fees (Includes Entitlement, Building Permits, and Impact Fees) per Unit ................... G-26 Table G-7: Timelines for Discretionary Permit Processing ............................................................................ G-28 Table G-8: Discretionary Permit Requirements for Sample Developments ................................................ G-29 Table G-9: Allowances for Housing in Commercial Districts (C-1 & C-2) ................................................. G-32 Table G-10: Housing in the Coastal Zone ........................................................................................................... G-35 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 1
HOUSING ELEMENT
February 6, 2025
1. INTRODUCTION
Pacifica’s history of housing development has varied. First inhabited by the Ohlone people, contemporary Pacifica took shape in the early 20th Century. Land speculators subdivided large tracts of land near the stops of the short-lived Ocean Shore Railroad, forming Pacifica’s earliest neighborhoods–Sharp Park, Vallemar, Rockaway Beach, and Pedro Point.
Pacifica is within the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, and at its northern end is less than 10 miles from downtown San Francisco. The cities of Daly City, South San Francisco, and San Bruno border the city on the north and east and reflect urban development up to the city’s borders. Much of the land to the southeast and south is preserved as units of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, State and County parks, and protected San Francisco watershed areas, and rural and agricultural land is prevalent to the south. The Pacific Ocean borders Pacifica to the west. Land west of Coast Highway, as well as the Shelldance Nursery property is part of the Coastal Zone, subject to Pacifica’s Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) and the policies of the California Coastal Act. Pacifica’s Coastal Zone comprises approximately 1,286 acres of land, or about 15 percent of the city. Access to Pacifica is primarily via Coast Highway (also known as State Route-1, “SR 1,” “1,” Cabrillo Highway, and Highway 1) and State Route 35 (SR 35, or Skyline Boulevard.) Like many suburban areas across the country, the post-World War Two period involved construction of thousands of new housing units in Pacifica. Some of Pacifica’s signature neighborhoods were constructed in this era, including Fairmont, Linda Mar, and Park Pacifica. The legacy of this period is that 85 percent of Pacifica’s housing stock was constructed prior to 1980.
Pacifica’s community acceptance of large-scale housing construction changed in the 1970s. As with the broader state and nationwide trends for housing construction through the mid-20th century, emerging environmentalism in the 1970s led Pacifica to impose new land use policies to limit development. Notable legislation of the period includes the City of Pacifica Hillside Preservation District of 1972, the California Coastal Act of 1976, and the City of Pacifica 1980 General Plan, among others. The combined effect of these laws, along with state legislation such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 and increasingly scarce undeveloped land in Pacifica, was a sharp drop in housing construction for the next several decades.
Since 1980, only a few thousand housing units have been constructed in Pacifica, with most developed in the 1980s. Housing development decreased to fewer than 1,000 units in the 1990s and fewer than 400 units in the 2000s. The Great Recession of 2008 further slowed development activity in Pacifica for several years. Years of limited housing production combined with a resurgent Bay Area economy led to rapid housing price increases in the 2010s.
Community concern about housing affordability emerged as a key community issue starting in the mid-2010s.
City Council considered but ultimately did not pass a rent stabilization and just-cause eviction ordinance during this period. Other positive actions did occur, though, including formation of a Rent Advisory Task Force (2016) to enable community dialogue on renter issues; Home for All engagements (2019) that consisted of two wellREVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 2 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
attended community conversations on impacts of unaffordable housing on the community; entry into an affordability agreement (2020) with a new apartment owner to preserve 168 affordable housing units; creation of a temporary safe parking program (2021) to establish safe spaces for vehicle habitation while transitioning to permanent housing; and the 2040 General Plan update and Sharp Park Specific Plan adoption (2022) that included significantly increased housing densities and other supportive policies for infill housing development.
At the same time, many community members have organized into housing advocacy groups that attend and comment at City Council meetings to encourage positive City Council action on housing.
The impact of housing unaffordability can be felt throughout Pacifica and the community dialogue related to housing has shifted from decades past. Housing affordability is understood in Pacifica to affect neighborhood character, the environment, and whether children and neighbors can continue living in the community. This Housing Element will aid the City’s continuation of policies that support housing in ways that address these concerns. It will continue the progress made in recent years to support housing development and address the community’s varied housing needs.
The Housing Element of the General Plan establishes how the City will comply with State Housing Law and where it can meet regional housing needs as determined in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
It is shaped by the input of community members, detailed analysis, and state law and it establishes a baseline for the City’s housing goals, policies, and programs from 2023 to 2031 to increase the feasibility of housing development and other supportive housing activities. The Housing Element outlines the City's long-term housing objectives and includes policies and specific actions to facilitate housing production across all areas of the city. It also includes policies and actions to address fair housing issues and discrimination, reverse patterns of housing segregation, and address the needs of residents with disproportionate housing needs. The Housing Element also identifies sites with the capacity for future development to meet Pacifica’s regional share of housing needs (RHNA) of 1,892 units plus a sufficient buffer to ensure “no net loss” in the event housing projects are approved at less than the projected densities. It does not approve specific housing projects or guarantee housing will be built on the identified sites. Rather, it takes steps to ensure the City’s policies and procedures are supportive of housing development to meet Pacifica’s RHNA and to minimize the potential for displacement of residents who live in existing housing.
2. HOUSING ELEMENT AND GENERAL PLAN
The Housing Element is a major part of Pacifica's General Plan. The other eight elements of the Pacifica General Plan were updated in 2022 and, together with the Housing Element, the General Plan comprises a policy document mandated by State law to address issues related to physical development and conservation of resources. Pacifica's General Plan outlines a long-range vision that reflects the aspirations of the community, establishes goals and policies to guide development and conservation decisions by the Planning Commission, City Council, and City staff; and provides a basis for determining whether specific development proposals and public projects are in harmony with the City’s long-range vision.
Development of enough housing in Pacifica, the Bay Area, and California remains one of today’s greatest policy challenges. The Bay Area is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the nation and has experienced nearcontinuous growth in both population and jobs over several decades. While regional job and population growth over the past 50 years has steadily increased, housing production has stalled, contributing to the housing shortage that communities are experiencing today. In many cities, this has resulted in residents being priced REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 3
out, increased traffic congestion and adverse environmental impacts caused by longer commutes, and fewer people across all income levels being able to purchase homes or pay surging rents.
Photo: Coastline and the Pacifica Municipal Pier in the West Sharp Park neighborhood (2019) Pacifica’s population and number of housing units has grown at a far lower rate than the region, reflecting a population increase of approximately 7 percent over 50 years, while the nine-county Bay Area region’s population grew by approximately 68 percent since 1970. The Housing Element provides a roadmap for how to meet the city’s share of the region’s housing needs. These housing needs vary by income, family size, disability, and other factors. This Housing Element analyzes existing housing conditions, community needs, and constraints to housing development. The Housing Element also includes policies to facilitate the production of more housing and to strengthen maintenance, improvement, and development of existing housing across a diversity of housing types for all income groups, with a focus on affordable housing.
Importantly, the Housing Element includes actions to affirmatively further fair housing and reverse historical regional patterns of segregation and housing discrimination.
The Housing Element is organized into 15 major sections: Introduction, Housing Element and the General Plan, Community Consultation, Prior Housing Element Review, Housing Needs, Assessment of Fair Housing, Housing Resources, Housing Sites Inventory, Housing Constraints, Fair Housing Plan, Goals and Policies, 2023-2031 Programs, Ongoing Policies, Quantified Objectives, and Consistency with General Plan, Zoning Code, and Local Coastal Land Use Plan. Seven appendices present the detailed analysis and consultation that serves as the foundation of the plan. These appendices are as follows: Appendix A – Community Consultation, Appendix B – Prior Housing Element Review, Appendix C – Housing Needs, Appendix D – Assessment of REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 4 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Fair Housing, Appendix E – Housing Resources, Appendix F – Housing Sites, and Appendix G – Housing Constraints.
3. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
A comprehensive engagement strategy to obtain the input of residents, business and property owners, housing advocates, resources providers, City staff, and elected officials was central to the process for updating the Housing Element to effectively address community needs and values. Pacifica’s Housing Element engagement process engaged the community through strategies like targeted outreach to hard-to-reach groups, partnering with local organizations, conversations with people at community events, and multiple citywide surveys.
Appendix A – Community Consultation describes the City’s efforts to engage the community throughout the Housing Element process and the feedback that was received. The Housing Element also describes ongoing efforts to engage the public and stakeholders in the implementation activities. An initial 30-day public comment period began when the first draft was published on February 24, 2023. Appendix A has been updated to include the dates that the Housing Element and subsequent revisions were made available for public comment and how those comments were considered and incorporated into the plan where appropriate.
The community has been very clear throughout the Housing Element and recent General Plan processes that there is a strong preference for redeveloping many of the existing shopping centers into walkable mixed-use centers with new housing created with a diversity of types and cost levels as reflected in Goal HE-G-1. This approach is one of the central organizing themes for the entire Housing Element and approximately half of the programs and policies advance this goal. Community feedback also consistently revealed a strong community preference for ensuring housing was accessible to people of all ages and abilities and programs HE-I-4, HE--I--5, HE-I-7, HE-I-8, and HE-I-10 advance this community priority.
Outreach on equity, discrimination, and fair housing revealed the constraint on housing supply (and related lack of housing affordable at all levels) is a burden for the entire region and has cascading effects on all fair housing issues. When the cost of housing increases, households with the greatest economic challenges face a disproportionate impact on their livelihoods. This elevates HE-G-1 “Maintain, Improve, and Develop Housing:
Encourage the development and retention of housing in a variety of types for all income levels with priority given to low-income households and projects that foster sustainable urban development” to be the first, and most important goal of the Housing Element. HE-G-2 “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing: Ensure community members have equitable access to safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, foster inclusive neighborhoods, remove barriers to housing for vulnerable communities, and protect residents from displacement” ensures that the City’s policies and programs will not only strive to meet a diverse mix of housing needs but will also prioritize housing for vulnerable residents. These two goals are supported in all the policies and programs in the Housing Element.
Community intermediaries, from the Pacifica Resource Center to the Police Department, painted a more nuanced view of the fair housing issues present in the city and these are addressed by many programs including programs HE-I-4 and HE-I-7 through HE-I-11. Moreover, support for seniors has long been a community priority and ongoing policy, including HE-O-4, and new programs HE-I-1, HE-I-7 through HE-I-9 reflect how the City continues to operationalize this important community priority. A key community concern relates to safety. Community members were clear that building along vulnerable areas of coastline or in more fireprone areas should be avoided if possible.
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Public Draft Review
A discussion of the public draft review process and feedback received is described in Appendix A – Community Consultation.
4. PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW
The update of the Housing Element provides an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and challenges, identifying what is working to facilitate and what is limiting Pacifica’s housing production. The following summary highlights key accomplishments and challenges from the previous Housing Element’s planning period. A full assessment including a detailed review of progress and performance of the previous Housing Element activities is included in Appendix B – Prior Housing Element Review. This information will help ensure that the updated element for 2023 to 2031 builds on success, responds to lessons learned and positions the City to better address the community’s housing needs. Appendix G – Housing Constraints includes an analysis of governmental and non-governmental constraints to housing production in the City of Pacifica that have contributed to the City’s many challenges with housing production over the last cycle.
Key Achievements
In 2022, the Pacifica City Council adopted the updated 2040 General Plan. The new plan replaced the City’s 42-year-old General Plan, last comprehensively updated in 1980. The plan provides the land use framework for potential growth over the next several decades with an emphasis on in-fill and mixed-use development.
A new Sharp Park Specific Plan was adopted in 2022 which will also provide focused land use, transportation, and other policies to realize a revitalized Sharp Park neighborhood.
Pacifica’s General Plan and the Sharp Park Specific Plan include density levels of up to 50 units an acre, a significant increase from the city’s previous limit of 21.8 units an acre.
The City approved a final Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) in 2020 and submitted a certification draft LCLUP to the California Coastal Commission for review and certification which is currently underway.
The City established two priority development areas (PDAs) consistent with ABAG requirements: the Sharp Park PDA and the Skyline Corridor PDA, which will guide the City’s long-term focus for planning and redevelopment.
The City updated its accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance, passed a “reasonable accommodation” ordinance, and helped to preserve and rehabilitate existing affordable housing by providing incentives for housing preservation, including an affordable housing regulatory agreement at the 170-unit The Villages at Pacifica apartment complex.
The City approved the Pacifica School District’s application for workforce housing for faculty and staff on a former elementary school site (Oddstad Elementary School). The 7.5-acre site would produce 70 housing units (45 committed as workforce housing).
Key Challenges
There is an overall lack of public or private funding available to construct or acquire housing affordable to lowand very-low-income households.
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In the last Housing Element cycle, Pacifica did not achieve its RHNA. Housing sites were identified, but the constraints and economic feasibility of their development, and lack of funding did not result in their development.
The city’s physical environment creates challenges for new housing due to Pacifica’s coastal location, slopes, erosion, and high fire danger, in addition to the additional regulatory burden of having 15 percent of the city designated within the Coastal Zone and approximately 40 percent of the city’s land area preserved as open space or dedicated parklands.
Pacifica’s coastal location and proximity to San Francisco has created economic incentives for private property owners to convert long-term rental housing into short-term rental housing.
A limited transportation network that lacks connectivity and access to transit creates barriers to accessing employment opportunities.
Due to limited City staff resources and budget challenges, the City has not passed all the ordinances that were included in the work plan in its last planning cycle.
5. HOUSING NEEDS
The goals, policies, and programs in the Housing Element were developed from an analysis of housing needs and various methods to provide adequate housing for Pacifica residents from all walks of life. The purpose of Appendix C – Housing Needs is to describe and quantify existing and projected housing needs and conditions in Pacifica. This appendix identifies and analyzes households with disproportionate housing needs such as extremely low-income households, households with people with disabilities, lower-income seniors, homeless residents, female-headed households with children, as well as cost burdened and overcrowded households, among others. This appendix is a profile of the community, including an analysis of the city’s population, housing characteristics, employment, and income trends.
The Plan Bay Area 2050 Final Blueprint, the nine-county Bay Area’s regional plan, forecasts that the region will add 1.4 million new households between 2015 and 2050. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) develops a regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) for all counties in the Bay Area. New State Housing Element Law has resulted in a higher number of housing units projected compared to previous RHNA cycles.
For this Housing Element cycle covering the planning period from 2023-2031, the number of total units in the Bay Area region increased by 135 percent, from 187,990 to 441,776. The share of units allotted to San Mateo County is 47,687 units (11% of the Bay Area total). For Pacifica, the proposed RHNA to be planned for this cycle is 1,892 units (4% of San Mateo County’s allocation) and an almost 1,500-unit increase from the previous cycle requirement of 413 units. The assigned RHNA segments housing need by income level in the categories very low, low, moderate, and above moderate. The assigned RHNA does not project Extremely Low-Income (ELI) units (30% AMI), but State Law requires that the City project its ELI needs. Pacifica has used the State approved methodology of using half the Very-Low-Income (VLI) RHNA for its projected ELI needs. Table 1 shows the City’s RHNA by income category.
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Photo: A blufftop building in Pacific Manor neighborhood prior to demolition (2016) The City must plan for a variety of housing types affordable to persons with varying incomes during the planning period. The Housing Element policies and programs address the housing needs identified through the analysis in Appendix C – Housing Needs. Each program in the Housing Element includes a section titled “How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Housing Needs.” TABLE 1: REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION
Income Group
Pacifica
Units
San Mateo
County
Units
Bay Area
Units
Pacifica
Share
San Mateo
Share
Bay Area
Share
Extremely Low-Income (0-30%
of AMI) 269 6,098 57,221 14.2% 12.8% 13.0%
Very-Low-Income
(30%-50% of AMI) 269 6,098 57,221 14.2% 12.8% 13.0%
Low-Income
(50%-80% of AMI) 310 7,023 65,892 16.4% 14.7% 14.9%
Moderate-Income
(80%-120% of AMI) 291 7,937 72,712 15.4% 16.6% 16.5%
Above Moderate-Income
(>120% of AMI) 753 20,531 188,130 39.8% 43.1% 42.6%
Total 1,892 47,687 441,176 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Source: Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
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6. ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING
While ensuring an adequate supply of housing is developed is a critical goal of this Housing Element, another key objective is to develop housing for the city’s diverse residents in a way that affirmatively furthers fair housing across the city. “Affirmatively furthering fair housing” means taking meaningful actions that, collectively, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity. These actions aim to replace segregated living patterns with integrated and balanced living patterns, transform racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAP) into areas of opportunity, and foster compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws. Assembly Bill (AB) 686 requires that all public agencies affirmatively further fair housing and “take no action inconsistent with this obligation.” The duty to affirmatively further fair housing extends to all public agency activities and programs relating to housing and community development (Government Code Section 8899.50, subd. (a)(1).) AB 686 makes changes to Housing Element Law requiring housing elements to include an analysis of fair housing issues including an assessment of whether the city’s site inventory further exacerbates patterns of local and/or regional segregation.
The policies and programs in this Housing Element were developed to help achieve the City’s fair housing objectives. The Housing Element will encourage new housing choices in high resource areas, preservation, conservation, and improvement of existing affordable housing and other community assets in areas of lower opportunity and concentrated poverty, and protection of existing residents from displacement.
Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing includes an assessment that evaluates the site inventory relative to fair housing factors including segregation and integration, racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAP), racially concentrated areas of affluence (RCAA), access to opportunity, disproportionate housing needs and displacement risk. The assessment includes a history of segregation in the region, resident needs survey, an assessment of fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity, and an assessment of fair housing factors. The assessment of fair housing factors analyzes concentrations of fair housing factors across the city and the region and assesses whether the distribution of the units in the site inventory will exacerbate patterns of segregation in the city and the region.
The analysis concludes that Pacifica’s site inventory will not exacerbate existing patterns of local or regional segregation because it will accommodate housing units for a mix of incomes across the city and for lower and moderate incomes in a higher resource area. The proposed distribution of Pacifica’s site inventory combined with the Housing Element’s policies and programs facilitates housing development for a mix of lower and moderate-income units in a higher resource area and a RCAA, helping to reverse existing patterns of regional segregation.
In addition to consideration of housing sites, the analysis resulted in the identification of local fair housing issues and contributing factors. The programs and policies included in the Housing Element were, in part, developed to address fair housing issues that touch on all the fair housing factors, including segregation and integration, access to opportunity and disproportionate housing need. One strategy of this Housing Element is to increase housing availability for people of lower incomes in higher resource areas. Therefore, all zoning amendments and programs that encourage the development of housing for lower incomes in a higher resource area will affirmatively further fair housing and are a part of the fair housing plan. Programs that affirmatively further fair housing are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦). In addition, each Housing Element program includes a section titled “How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Housing Needs” explaining how the program will address the fair housing issues and contributing factors REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 9
analyzed in Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing. Fair Housing issues and contributing factors are prioritized in Appendix D. Fair Housing issues identified in Pacifica include:
Low production of affordable housing limits housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs.
Hispanic households have disproportionate housing needs. These needs are evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates.
Higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population. Pacifica’s proportion of the overall San Mateo County population is 5 percent, but the city has 15 percent of the unsheltered homeless population in the county.
There is a concentration of residents living with a disability in the city's northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services.
Lack of adequate transportation network and lack of access to employment centers contributes to the disproportionate housing needs of lower-income households.
7. HOUSING RESOURCES
The housing resources available to the City of Pacifica are described in Appendix E – Housing Resources and can be summarized as a combination of financial resources, a network of providers of housing and related services, and existing affordable and special needs housing. The inventory of sites that can meet the projected housing need is a housing resource described in Appendix F – Housing Sites, and discussed in the following section. Other housing resources include potential funding for development of affordable housing in the city.
Activities that these resources may be used for include predevelopment, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, conversion, and preservation. Housing resources also include community service organizations that provide housing services and manage housing programs and provide services to residents of low-income housing, the homeless population, people with disabilities, residents facing displacement, among others. Lastly, housing resources also include affordable housing projects and housing projects that provide housing for residents with special housing needs.
8. HOUSING SITES INVENTORY
The Housing Element identifies sites for housing development in Pacifica in order to accommodate the city’s share of the regional housing need for the planning period (1,892 housing units plus a 30% buffer). Pacifica’s site inventory can accommodate housing for all income levels. The City has identified sites capable of accommodating 2,5682,574 total housing units, including 1,271 Lower-Income units which includes a 50 percent buffer over its Lower-Income RHNA requirement and a buffer of 36 percent over its total RHNA requirement. Appendix F – Housing Sites details how the City will meet its RHNA via pipeline projects, ADUs, and opportunity sites.
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Photo: Rockaway Beach neighborhood (2022)
The 1,892 units allocated to Pacifica as part of the RHNA process for 2023 to 2031 (or 2,568 2,574total housing units including a 36% buffer) include approved projects in the pipeline, projected ADUs, and opportunity sites identified in the site inventory, as indicated in Table 2. The City has already approved 217 223 pipeline units, which consist of approved projects that have not received a certificate of occupancy before June 30, 2022.
Based on average annual ADU permits approved between 2018-2022, the City estimates the production of 187 ADUs over the eight-year planning cycle. During the planning period the City can accommodate 122 units through the identification of sites currently designated with sufficient allowable density. An additional 2,042 units will require rezoning.
TABLE 2: RHNA CAPACITY ANALYSIS
LowerIncome
Capacity
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Above
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Total
Capacity
RHNA 848 291 753 1,892
Submitted/Approved Projects 52 8 157167 217227
Projected ADU's 112 56 19 187
Sites Inventory List
Residential Sites with Existing Capacity (Table 3) 24 76 22 122 Sites that Require Rezoning to Meet RHNA (Table 4) 1,083 297 662 2,042 Grand Total 1,271 437 860870 2,568
2,578
Surplus RHNA Buffer (Surplus) 423 146 107117 676686
Surplus RHNA Buffer (Surplus Percent)% 50% 50% 14%15% 36% Source: City of Pacifica
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TABLE 3: RESIDENTIAL SITES WITH EXISTING CAPACITY
Site
# Location
LowerIncome
Capacity
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Above
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Total
Capacity
3 Santa Maria Ave/Palmetto Ave 0 0 8 8
6 Talbot Ave/Goodman Rd* 0 21 0 21
15 610 Crespi Dr* 0 55 0 55
33 1655 Oceana Blvd 0 0 14 14
37 St. Peter Church,
700 Oddstad Blvd 24 0 0 24
24 76 22 122
Note 1: Sites indicated with an asterisk (*) include more than one parcel. Each APN listed is included in Appendix F.
Note 2: Refer to Figures 1 through 5 and Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10.
Source: City of Pacifica.
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TABLE 4: SITES THAT REQUIRE REZONING TO MEET RHNA CAPACITY Site
# Location
Existing
Land Use
Existing
Allowed
Density
(DU/A)
Proposed
Density
(DU/A)
Revise
to Allow
Residential
Use
LowerIncome
Capacity
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Above
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Total
Capacity
SITES REQUIRED TO ADDRESS SHORTFALL (CORE RHNA)
Residential
2 751 Oceana HDR 30 40 N/A 6 6 69 81
10 4275 Coast Hwy MUN 30 60 N/A 0 49 0 49
11 Coast Hwy* MUN 26-30 60 N/A 69 0 0 69
16A 1055 Terra Nova Blvd MUN 26 50 N/A 0 17 0 17
16B 1035 Terra Nova Blvd MUN 30 50 N/A 4 3 37 44
18 Linda Mar Blvd MUN 30 60 N/A 53 0 0 53
19 7th Day Adventist,
533 Hickey Blvd MDR 15 30 N/A 0 15 0 15
38 Coast Hwy, San Marlo
Eastside MUN 30 60 N/A 61 0 0 61
Non-Residential
Public
20 Public Works Corp Yard,
155 Milagra Dr*
Retail 0 60 Yes 39 0 0 39
21 Oceana HS,
401 Paloma Ave Public 0 40 Yes 14 12 152 178
22 Terra Nova HS,
1450 Terra Nova Blvd Public 0 40 Yes 10 9 110 129
24 Sanchez Library,
1111 Terra Nova Blvd Public 0 50 Yes 65 0 0 65
25 Caltrans ROW,
Skyline Blvd N/A N/A 40 Yes 165 0 0 165
Shopping Center
27A Pacific Manor Shopping
Center, 440 Manor Pl Retail 0 60 Yes 3 3 31 37
27B Pacific Manor Shopping
Center, 440 Manor Pl Retail 0 60 Yes 4 4 45 53
28 Fairmont Shopping
Center, 777 Hickey Blvd*
Retail 0 50 Yes 3 3 35 41
29 Linda Mar Shopping Ctr,
500 Linda Mar Blvd*
Retail 0 50 Yes 14 13 155 182
30 Builders Exchange,
520 San Pedro Ave Retail 0 30 Yes 0 23 0 23
31 Ace Hardware,
560 San Pedro Ave*
Retail 0 30 Yes 0 30 0 30
Other Commercial Sites
32 Brentwood Shopping
Center, Oceana/Manor* Retail 0 60 Yes 97 0 0 97
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TABLE 4: SITES THAT REQUIRE REZONING TO MEET RHNA CAPACITY Site
# Location
Existing
Land Use
Existing
Allowed
Density
(DU/A)
Proposed
Density
(DU/A)
Revise
to Allow
Residential
Use
LowerIncome
Capacity
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Above
ModerateIncome
Capacity
Total
Capacity
G Water Tank, Skyline Blvd Utilities 0 40 Yes 55 0 0 55 Subtotal Sites Required to Address Shortfall (Core RHNA) 662 187 634 1,483
SURPLUS RHNA SITES (BUFFER)
Residential
12 Hwy 1 between
4300-4400 Coast Hwy MUN 30 60 N/A 169 0 0 169
F Oddstad Blvd MUN 30 40 N/A 0 16 0 16
I Coast Hwy LDR 9 60 N/A 73 0 0 73
Non Residential
Public
23 Sanchez Art Center,
1220 Linda Mar Blvd
Public and
Semi-Public
+ Park
0 40 Yes 130 0 0 130
Other Commercial
A 730 Sharp Park Rd Public and
Semi-Public 0 40 Yes 0 52 0 52
B 2480 Skyline Retail 0 30 Yes 0 0 11 11
D 340 Waterford Retail 0 40 Yes 0 0 6 6
E Car Wash,
340 Waterford Retail 0 40 Yes 0 0 11 11
H 801 Oceana Blvd Office 0 40 Yes 0 42 0 42
J 4400 Coast Hwy Retail/HDR 0-30 60 Yes 49 0 0 49
Subtotal Surplus RHNA Sites (Buffer) 421 110 28 559
Total Rezoning (Core RHNA and Surplus Sites) 1,083 297 662 2,042 Note 1: Sites indicated with an asterisk (*) include more than one parcel. Each APN listed is included in Appendix F.
Note 2: Refer to Figures 1 through 5 and Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10.
Source: City of Pacifica.
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This figure shows the parcels on which housing is intended to be developed on all or a portion of the parcel. Where the entire parcel is not intended to be developed with housing, the specific areas of the parcel intended for housing development are depicted in Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10 “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading).” The areas of the parcels that are not shown as “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading)” are not included in the Housing Element site inventory.
Figure 1: Overview of Housing Element Sites
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This figure shows the parcels on which housing is intended to be developed on all or a portion of the parcel. Where the entire parcel is not intended to be developed with housing, the specific areas of the parcel intended for housing development are depicted in Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10 “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading).” The areas of the parcels that are not shown as “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading)” are not included in the Housing Element site inventory.
Figure 2: North Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 16 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
This figure shows the parcels on which housing is intended to be developed on all or a portion of the parcel. Where the entire parcel is not intended to be developed with housing, the specific areas of the parcel intended for housing development are depicted in Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10 “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading).” The areas of the parcels that are not shown as “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading)” are not included in the Housing Element site inventory.
Figure 3: Central Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 17
This figure shows the parcels on which housing is intended to be developed on all or a portion of the parcel. Where the entire parcel is not intended to be developed with housing, the specific areas of the parcel intended for housing development are depicted in Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10 “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading).” The areas of the parcels that are not shown as “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading)” are not included in the Housing Element site inventory.
Figure 4: Southwest Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 18 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
This figure shows the parcels on which housing is intended to be developed on all or a portion of the parcel. Where the entire parcel is not intended to be developed with housing, the specific areas of the parcel intended for housing development are depicted in Appendix F, Figures F-2 through F-10 “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading).” The areas of the parcels that are not shown as “Areas assumed for housing (in blue shading)” are not included in the Housing Element site inventory.
Figure 5: Southeast Pacifica Area Detail – Housing Element Sites REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 19
The plan includes a series of amendments to the Pacifica Municipal Code to ensure that housing opportunity sites are available, including rezoning of several commercial sites to allow residential, as well as to ensure that housing sites are distributed across many residential and mixed-use districts throughout the city, including High Resource Areas as defined by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) map (see Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing, Figure D-8 Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to TCAC Resource Areas by Census Tract). The City is also exploring new policies and partnerships for providing housing for essential members of our community, including policies for promoting housing production, preservation, increasing density, and promotion of ADUs. Appendix F includes a detailed assessment of the potential for development on the city’s opportunity sites.
9. HOUSING CONSTRAINTS
Photo: Housing in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood (2022) State Housing Element law requires local agencies to analyze actual and potential constraints upon the maintenance, improvement, or development of housing for all income levels. Appendix G – Housing Constraints provides information about real estate and finance trends that impact the cost of creating new housing, as well as the ability to purchase a home. It also reviews the building and land use regulations, processes and fees, and improvement requirements associated with obtaining approvals to construct housing, as well as potential infrastructure constraints resulting from rainwater inflow and infiltration within the Rockaway Beach Pump Station Tributary Area. Pacifica is located in a unique coastal setting, and additional layers of regulations from the California Coastal Commission, in addition to addressing the impacts of geologic hazards, create further constraints. Options for mitigating the identified constraints are provided as programs to further the production of housing to meet the needs of the community. It is worth noting that since the City’s previous Housing Element was adopted, several substantive changes to State Housing law and Housing Element REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 20 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
requirements have occurred, which create challenges to local government capacity even if they otherwise incentivize additional housing production.
10. FAIR HOUSING PLAN
The City’s fair housing plan consists of meaningful actions and programs to affirmatively further fair housing and address historical housing discrimination. The fair housing plan is deeply integrated within the overall Housing Element. Goals, policies, and actions to affirmatively further fair housing are not independent or isolated from the general Housing Element. Instead, fair housing plan goals, policies, and programs are integrated throughout the goals, policies, and programs of the Housing Element to mainstream the advancement of fair housing among other housing objectives. Nearly all programs and ongoing policies are central aspects of the fair housing plan. Key fair housing goals, policies, programs, and ongoing policies are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦) within the Housing Element.
The actions described as part of the fair housing plan will significantly and meaningfully help overcome identified patterns and trends of past and ongoing housing discrimination. Actions in the Housing Element address key areas: (1) enhancing housing mobility strategies, (2) encouraging development of new affordable housing in high resource areas, (3) improving place-based strategies to encourage community conservation and revitalization, including preservation of existing affordable housing; and (4) protecting existing residents from displacement. The combined actions address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replace segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transform racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and foster and maintain compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws. The plan reflects these areas of focus by including each program’s Fair Housing Category throughout the plan (Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach, Segregation and Integration, Access to Opportunity, Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA), and Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement). The actions in this plan directly respond to the analyses in Appendix C - Special Housing Needs and Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing.
How the Housing Element Addresses Pacifica’s Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Housing Needs
Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing includes a local and regional analysis of fair housing factors and concludes by identifying five fair housing issues in the City of Pacifica (see pp. D-11 to D-13). The analysis identifies “contributing factors” that have over time exacerbated each of the fair housing issues in the community. Together, the combination of policies, programs and implementing actions in the Housing Element will specifically address and help overcome identified discriminatory patterns and trends and target the root cause of each fair housing issue by addressing contributing factors related to each fair housing issue.
Taken together these actions will help affirmatively further fair housing for the lower-income population, Hispanic population, people with disabilities, homeless population and special needs populations. Each program included in this Housing Element has a section titled “How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs” which describes how the actions included within that program will help alleviate patterns of segregation and discrimination by addressing the contributing factors and fair housing issues identified in Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing as well as the housing needs in Appendix C – Special Housing Needs.
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Summary of Fair Housing Issues and Contributing Factors (See Appendix D) Fair Housing Issue: Low production of affordable housing limits housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs.
Contributing Factors:
Predominance of single-family homes
Limited production of affordable housing
Coastal zone restrictions on development
Public opposition to development
Market pressure for short term vacation rentals
Fair Housing Issue: Hispanic households have disproportionate housing needs. These needs are evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates.
Contributing Factors:
Concentration of Hispanic residents in areas with smaller lots, smaller units and more affordable housing options
High cost of housing in the RCAA in part due to large amount of open space parkland Decades of discrimination in employment, education, and housing markets. Historical discriminatory mortgage lending practice
Fair Housing Issue: Higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population.
Contributing Factors:
Lack of housing affordable to extremely low-income households Transportation system that relies heavily on access to automobiles and lacks access to transit creates barriers to accessing employment opportunities for lower-income households Low proximity to jobs, lack of access to employment opportunities that provide jobs with higher wages to residents
Fair Housing Issue: Concentration of residents living with a disability in the northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services.
Contributing Factors:
Lack of supportive housing in the north that overlaps with the concentration of residents living with a disability
High unemployment rate for Pacifica’s residents with a disability Fair Housing Issue: Lack of accessible transportation options other than personal automobiles and lack of access to employment centers contributes to the disproportionate housing needs of lower-income households.
Contributing Factors:
Most employment centers are not directly accessible via transit Living in the southern and eastern parts of the city requires a personal vehicle to efficiently access employment centers
Low proximity to jobs, lack of access to employment opportunities that provide jobs with higher wages to residents
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How the Housing Element Addresses Pacifica’s RCAA
HCD’s definition of a Racially Concentrated Area of Affluence (RCAA) is “A census tract with a median income 1.25 times higher than in the region and a White population of 1.5 times higher than the region.” Five out of the eight census tracts in Pacifica are considered RCAAs. The RCAA neighborhoods are not unique to Pacifica but are a pattern throughout the peninsula. While Pacifica has the only RCAA census tracts in North San Mateo County, RCAAs exist south of Pacifica in Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Portola Valley and elsewhere in the southern parts of the Peninsula. A large portion of the lands contained in the RCAA are protected parkland and most of San Mateo County protected park land lies west of Highway 280.
Compared to some of its neighbors in the region, Pacifica has no lower resource areas, fewer households living in poverty, well above average scores in environmental, educational, and economic outcomes and no concentrations of overcrowding. On a regional level, Daly City, South San Francisco and San Bruno residents experience higher levels of poverty, lower incomes and are more racially and ethnically diverse communities when compared to Pacifica. However, when comparing within Pacifica, especially between the north and the south, fair housing factors related to access to opportunity, including economic, educational, and environmental factors (see Figure D-7 to Figure D-12 in Appendix D) tend to be more favorable within the five RCAA census tracts in the south when compared to the three northern census tracts. In addition, Pacifica residents face barriers to access to public transportation and employment opportunities relative to its neighbors east of I-280.
See Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing for information about concentrations of racial and economic segregation, access to opportunity, fair housing issues and housing needs in Pacifica’s RCAA.
The sites inventory includes a potential 1,089 lower-income and moderate-income units within the RCAA, which will have access to amenities, schools and opportunities in a higher resource area. Pacifica’s sites inventory identifies several significant sites within, as well as adjacent to or in close proximity to, the RCAA.
The proposed distribution of the sites identified for future housing development in Pacifica will help to open a higher resource area to a mix of housing types and will help to reverse existing patterns of regional segregation.
The housing sites inventory and goals, policies, and programs were developed to include housing opportunities within the RCAA and to encourage a diverse mix of housing for lower incomes and special needs. The Housing Element includes implementing actions that specifically address Pacifica’s RCAA and strives to reverse regional patterns of income and race segregation. Through its policies and programs and site inventory, the city will advocate for lower income housing production in existing higher resource neighborhoods and areas of opportunity. Through actions in this Housing Element the City will prioritize sites for development of lowerincome housing in the RCAA as well as adjacent to the RCAA in order to increase access to opportunity for lower-income residents in higher resource areas. The Housing Element also encourages the production of deeply affordable housing to serve the needs of the city’s most vulnerable populations.
11. GOALS AND POLICIES
Purpose and Organization
Housing goals, policies, and programs are a core part of a Housing Element. They reflect the commitment the City is making to the community and the State of California to define a regulatory framework that can accommodate the RHNA described above. This section, 11. Goals and Policies, describes the overarching goals, and specific policies the City of Pacifica is establishing to guide program design, prioritization, and REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 23
implementation. The following section (12. 2023-2031 Programs) establish the specific actions required for the City to adequately maintain, preserve, and develop housing during the planning period. Each program includes measurable targets and timeline commitments.
All of the goals and policies, and most of the programs and ongoing policies of the Housing Element constitute this Housing Element’s fair housing plan. Key aspects of the fair housing plan are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦). Pacifica also has many existing and ongoing housing initiatives in place. These are reflected in the City’s Zoning Regulations and its administrative operations, many of which were established in prior Housing Element cycles, many of such initiatives are described in Section 13. Ongoing Policies.
The notation for each goal is read “HE-G-#,” for each policy “HE-P-#,” and Program (sometimes known as an implementing action) “HE-I-#.” Previous housing elements have used the term “housing plan” to describe a subset of the housing element content. This document does not refer to this content separately and instead refers directly to each section and topic.
Goals
The goals of the City of Pacifica Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period provide the overarching and long-term framework for the policies and programs the City will undertake during the planning period.
HE-G-1♦ Maintain, Improve, and Develop Housing: Encourage the development and retention of housing in a variety of types for all income levels with priority given to low-income households and projects that foster sustainable urban development.
HE-G-2 ♦ Affirmatively Further Fair Housing: Ensure community members have equitable access to safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, foster inclusive neighborhoods, remove barriers to housing for vulnerable communities, and protect residents from displacement.
Policies
The policies of the City of Pacifica Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period provide the policy framework to guide program design, prioritization, and implementation the City will undertake during the planning period.
HE-P-1 ♦ Amend the general plan, map, and zoning ordinance to implement the land use designations, goals, policies, and programs identified in the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
HE-P-2 ♦ Focus redevelopment in underutilized commercial shopping centers to create vibrant, mixed-use, and walkable neighborhood centers.
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HE-P-3 ♦ Remove constraints to housing development by streamlining the City’s development review and permitting processes and conducting a significant code modernization initiative.
HE-P-4 ♦ Promote energy savings in housing and urban development patterns.
HE-P-5 ♦ Strengthen transportation networks that connect residents with services and economic opportunities, including through partnerships with transportation agencies, with an emphasis on seniors, people with disabilities, and lowerincome residents.
HE-P-6 ♦ Facilitate production of affordable housing with an emphasis on affordable rental housing, workforce housing, and affordable home purchase opportunities to decrease the impact of housing prices on cost burdened households, and to provide opportunities to build generational wealth.
HE-P-7 ♦ Expand affordable rental and homeownership housing choices in areas of opportunity and higher resources and promote opportunities for homeownership among communities that are disproportionately underrepresented in homeownership to foster intergenerational wealth.
HE-P-8 ♦ Encourage upgrades to and maintenance of housing units.
HE-P-9 ♦ Support the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages and abilities by encouraging age-friendly and universal design in new and rehabilitated housing and neighborhood improvements.
HE-P-10 ♦ Support lower income families with children and multiple generations living together by ensuring a proportion of lower cost units include three or more bedrooms.
HE-P-11♦ Deeply affordable housing is needed by people with developmental disabilities.
Extremely low-income (ELI) units are particularly important to people with developmental disabilities, and some of the City’s planned production of ELI units should be subject to a preference for people with developmental disabilities.
HE-P-12 ♦ Protect residents from displacement and preserve the affordability of existing housing by preventing the conversion of existing affordable housing units to less affordable housing types. For example, by supporting the preservation and habitability of mobile home communities.
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HE-P-13 ♦ Housing opportunities shall be provided for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, color, family status, disability, or any other legally protected class.
HE-P-14 ♦ Maintain effective reasonable accommodation policies and programs.
HE-P-15 ♦ Promote fair housing enforcement and outreach by regularly communicating about fair housing issues and laws to residents and property owners.
HE-P-16 ♦ Improve services and amenities in existing neighborhoods, especially in areas of lower opportunity, with an emphasis on the needs of families, children, and seniors.
HE-P-17 ♦ Support housing security for households with low incomes or special needs by strengthening services for residents facing eviction, housing instability, and risk of homelessness.
12. 2023-2031 PROGRAMS
Programs, often referred to as implementation actions, to be undertaken by the City during the planning period aim to further the goals and policies articulated above and make measurable progress toward the objectives, constraints, and fair housing issues below. The implementation actions will address City processes and policies (governmental constraints) and external factors such as development costs (nongovernmental constraints) to reduce barriers and encourage the development of a variety of housing types and affordability, with a particular emphasis on housing affordable to those with low incomes.
The programs make a high-level reference to the respective constraints, objectives, fair housing issues, and contributing factors they address. For a detailed analysis of the constraints, objectives, and fair housing topics referenced, please see Appendix C – Housing Needs, Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing, Appendix E – Housing Resources, and Appendix G – Housing Constraints. It should be noted that the programs may simultaneously advance multiple goals and policies.
Policies and programs constituting the fair housing plan are integral to the overall Housing Element. The Housing Element and the fair housing plan are one and the same because each program includes implementing actions that address a fair housing issue and contributing factor and affirmatively further fair housing. Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing identifies and prioritizes fair housing issues and “contributing factors” that have over time exacerbated each of the fair housing issues in the community. The combination of policies, programs and implementing actions in this Housing Element targets the root cause of each fair housing issue by addressing contributing factors. Each program included in this Housing Element has a section titled “How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs” which describes how the actions included within that program will help address contributing factors and fair housing issues identified in Appendix D – Assessment of Fair Housing as well as the housing needs in Appendix C – Special Housing Needs. In addition, Appendix D provides an in-depth local and regional analysis of categories of fair housing issues including Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach, Segregation and Integration, Racially Concentrated REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 26 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Areas of Poverty and Affluence, Access to Opportunity, and Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk. The Housing Element indicates which fair housing category each program addresses. Key fair housing programs that constitute the programs of the fair housing plan are indicated with a diamond symbol (♦). Table 5 provides an overview of the programs and implementation timelines.
TABLE 5: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW
Program 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
HE-I-1 General Plan and Zoning Amendments to
Achieve RHNA (R)
HE-I-2 Zoning Modernization and Streamlining
HE-I-3 Master Planning and Implementation for Public
Sites
HE-I-4 ♦
Support for Development of Accessory
Dwelling Units and Housing Mobility
HE-I-5 ♦ Fund a Housing Action Fund
HE-I-6 ♦ Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program
HE-I-7 ♦ Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Units
HE-I-8 ♦
Rehabilitation of Homes in Lower Resource
and Coastal Areas
HE-I-9 ♦
Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special,
and Disproportionate Needs
HE-I-10 ♦ Strengthen Services for Homelessness
HE-I-11 ♦
Support Fair Housing Enforcement and
Outreach Capacity
HE-I-12 ♦ Fair Housing Affirmative Marketing Strategy
HE-I-13 ♦ Infrastructure Capacity Improvements
HE-I-14 ♦ State and Federal Law Conformance
Notes: 1. Programs indicated with (R) are rezoning programs. All land use redesignation and rezoning to accommodate RHNA are included within HE-I-1 and are intended to be complete by June, 2024, February, 2025, however, additional significant implementation activities will continue through December 2026.
2. Programs indicated with (♦) are key programs of the fair housing plan that are central to addressing fair housing issues and contributing factors.
3. The darkest color squares in the table above reflect the years of principal activity for a given program. It is assumed each program may also have minor associated activities that may occur in prior or subsequent years.
4. The table above is intended to provide a visual overview. Dates provided in the program text below should govern in the case of any discrepancies. The timing for any backup actions is not included in the above table.
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HE-I-1 General Plan and Zoning Amendments to Achieve RHNA Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Create the regulatory framework to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) sites inventory, promote development of multi-family housing, including rental housing and missing middle housing.
Address land use constraints to make the production of housing more likely. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including governmental land use constraints related to the general plan, zoning, local coastal plan, and multi-family housing. This program reflects the priority given in the General Plan and this Housing Element to focus redevelopment in existing commercial shopping centers.
The program also indirectly addresses many of the nongovernmental, environmental, land cost, construction cost, financing, and California Coastal Act constraints discussed in Appendix G.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs The actions included in Program HE-I-1 are necessary to allow and encourage the development of Pacifica’s 1,892 RHNA housing units on opportunity sites, including lower, moderate, and market-rate units. The majority of sites to be rezoned are located within the RCAA which will open these neighborhoods to new housing opportunities. Furthermore, the majority of the sites located within the RCAA are designated for future lower and moderate-income housing. The City anticipates that implementing these actions will help address the contributing factors preventing housing development and ultimately result in a healthier housing market that provides opportunities for housing for people of lower incomes and special needs. The actions address Pacifica’s most significant fair housing issue which is low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs. Contributing factors include the predominance of single-family homes, limited production of affordable housing, coastal zone restrictions on development, public opposition to development, and market pressure for short-term rentals further limiting the housing supply. The implementation actions associated with this program are considered beneficial to fair housing objectives but are not classified as key elements of the fair housing plan.
This program addresses the special housing needs of lower-income households by planning for housing units affordable to lower income households.
This program includes actions to facilitate the development of publicly owned sites which the City will prioritize for the development of housing the meets special needs such as extremely low-income units, units for persons with disabilities including developmental disabilities, homeless individuals, large households, farmworkers, and low-income seniors.
This program includes an action to update the Local Coastal Land Use Plan to provide additional capacity for lower income housing.
This program addresses public opposition to housing development by maintaining consistency with the recently updated General Plan and strategically adding capacity for housing in areas with existing access to services and transit.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Segregation and Integration
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Implementation Actions and Timeline
1. Amend General Plan Land Use designations and zoning designations to accommodate the RHNA by June2024May 2025, as shown in Table 4.
2. Review the zoning regulations and map to identify inconsistencies between the general plan densities and uses and the currently adopted zoning regulations and amend accordingly to resolve (selected sites on Table 3).
3. Submit an amendment of the Local Coastal Land Use Plan Update to the California Coastal Commission for land use changes proposed for sites 27A, 27B, 30, and 31 by December 2025 to implement actions 1 and 2 in HE-I-1.
4. Complete any required CEQA environmental analysis for redesignation and rezoning in program HE-I-1 by June, 2024May 2025.
5. Initiate State of California decertification process for any Caltrans or other State-owned site (sites 18, 25, G), including making an initial deposit of funds (approximately $35,000 in 2022) by June 2025December 2024, and designate sites as required. It is anticipated that the City may partner with nonprofit housing developers for these sites.
6. City Council to evaluate potential of City-owned sites (including Sanchez Art Center, Sanchez Library, and Corp Yard) and seek affordable housing developer interest in conformance with any applicable Surplus Land Act (SLA) requirements. By December 2026, determine the process under the SLA by which the City will propose to transfer each site, which may include a declaration that a site is exempt under the SLA or that the City plans to issue a Notice of Availability to transfer a site. The City will prioritize affordable units on City-owned sites. See also HE-I-3. The City will commission a study examining whether any other Cityowned sites are appropriate for an RFP for a developer to work collaboratively with the City to try to develop a key site, and will present recommendations to the City Council by December 2025 with a goal of adoption by December 2026.
a. The City will prepare the required detail to commit to completion of the SLA and other required processes for City-owned sites in conformance with Government Code Article 8 (commencing with Section 54220) of Chapter 5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5. It will also complete coordination with the Pacifica School District and Jefferson Union High School District to complete the SLA process for school district-owned sites, and completion of the decertification process for Caltrans-owned sites within three years from the start of the planning period. b. The City will prioritize development of City-owned sites in the RCAA. c. Backup Action is described below
6.7. Work collaboratively with owners of public or semi-public sites that have potential for development and identify potential housing developers to facilitate development of the site.
7.8. Rezone to implement state Government Code sections 65583, subdivision (c)(1) and 65583.2 subdivisions subd. (c), (h), and (i) to allow approval of residential developments “by-right” if at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to low income for the two sites identified in multiple housing elements: Sites 24, 27A, and 27B. These sites will be rezoned such that they will allow at least 16 units on each site and rezoned to allow a density of at least 20 units per acre in accordance with Government Code section 65583.2, see also Table 4 and Table F-11 for site-specific rezoning details. Site 24 is the Sanchez Library located at 1111 Terra Nova Blvd. Sites 27A and 27B are in the Pacific Manor Shopping Center located at 440-494 Manor Plaza.
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8.9. Existing recreational facilities, such as playing fields on public sites to be preserved if possible.
9.10. Rezone the following core RHNA sites to 60 dwelling units per acre:
a. Site 10: 4275 Coast Hwy, Lumberyard (49 units, Moderate Income) b. Site 18: Linda Mar Park & Ride (53 units, Lower Income) c. Site 27A: Pacific Manor Shopping Center (37 units, Above Moderate with Below Market Rate Inclusionary)
d. Site 27B: Pacific Manor Shopping Center (53 units, Above Moderate with Below Market Rate Inclusionary)
e. Site 32: Brentwood Shopping Center (97 units, Lower Income)
10.11. Rezone the following surplus sites to 60 dwelling units per acre:
a. Site 12: Former Caltrans, now private (169 units, Lower Income)
11.12. Review, and where appropriate amend, the Zoning Code to establish a By-Right designation for housing sites that propose a minimum of 20% units affordable to lower income to meet the lower income RHNA shortfall, and other requirements in accordance with Government Code 65583 (c) (1) and 65583.2 (h).
13. Amend Zoning Code for the commercial and mixed-use sites included to achieve RHNA to require a minimum amount of residential within the development and prohibit 100% commercial uses and other requirements in accordance with Government Code section 65583.2.
12.14. Amend zoning code to remove constraints to housing production including:
a. Reduce the off-street parking requirement for studio and one-bedroom units to one parking space per unit (covered or uncovered), and to require no guest parking for such units citywide. a.b. Revise use and density descriptions regarding the term “Family” within the zoning regulations citywide.
The definition of family will affirm persons with disabilities are not subject to any potential special regulations such as the number of persons, population types, licenses, higher discretionary standards or other requirements that do not apply to other residential uses in the same zoning district. b.c. Increase height limits where necessary to achieve RHNA capacity on sites as indicated on Table 4. c.d. Reduce setbacks where necessary to achieve RHNA capacity on sites as indicated on Table 4.
15. Pipeline Projects:
a. Establish a monitoring program for pipeline projects citywide that will include tracking of planning and building applications filed, status of approvals, and breakdown of project status by affordable and market rate units.
b. Contact ten 10 expiring planning applications per year, prioritizing by total number of units and those with deed restricted affordability or market-produced affordability, to monitor status and interest in pursuing project, and to identify any reasonable opportunities for City assistance to avoid expiration of project approvals.
16. Mid-Cycle Review:
a. A mid-cycle review of the status of progress toward reaching RHNA will be completed in 2027.
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b. A mid-cycle review of the status of pipeline projects will be completed in 2027 and will include tracking of planning and building applications filed, status of approvals, and breakdown of project status by affordable and market rate units.
13.17. Implementation to begin by June 2023 and requires significant effort through December 2026.
Backup Actions:
1. If the decertification process does not conclude in decertification of one or more of the three Caltrans sites (Site 25: Skyline, Site 18: Linda Mar Blvd Park-and-Ride, and Site G: Skyline Water Tank site) by June 2026, or if the City does not issue an RFP for a City-owned site by June 2026, the City will initiate a further increase in density on other sites to make up the difference of the one or more sites that were not decertified by Caltrans, with an initial priority on the existing shopping center sites to be initiated by July 2026 and Completed by June 2027.
2. If a mid-cycle review of progress towards RHNA indicates significant deficiencies in achieving RHNA or progress on implementation actions, an action plan will be developed and presented to the Council by December 2027.
3. If a mid-cycle review of pipeline project progress is at least 30% less than projected trends at a mid-cycle review (2027), and if an analysis indicates that such a gap in production or affordability cannot be adequately accommodated in the buffer sites, then the City will identify additional sites and rezone by June 2028.
Metrics:
1. Progress towards meeting the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (units created) as described in each Annual Progress Report (APR).
2. Completion of required rezonings.
3. Completion of zoning revisions to reduce off-street parking as described above.
4. Completion of zoning revisions to update the definition of family as described above.
5. Submission of an amendment of the Local Coastal Land Use Plan Update.
6. Completion of mid-cycle review.
7. Issuance of RFP for City-owned sites.
8. Contact with ten 10 expiring planning applications per year.
9. Completion of Caltrans Decertification process State-owned land.
Funding Source: General Fund; external grant funding may be available to support technical assistance and specific planning described above.
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
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HE-I-2 Zoning Modernization and Streamlining
Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Modernize zoning code to make it easier to use, foster greater development in select areas, and streamline the application submittal and review processes. Address land use and processing and permitting procedure constraints to make the production of housing more likely. This program is a citywide comprehensive code update to remove barriers to housing development, improve the function and interpretation of the zoning code, and to ensure consistency with the updated 2040 General Plan. It is intended to apply citywide and not be limited to sites identified on the RHNA sites inventory. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including governmental land use constraints related to zoning and permit findings and General Plan; multifamily housing, residential uses in commercial zoning districts, and constraints associated with the California Coastal Act. This program will also indirectly address the nongovernmental constraints related to construction costs and financing How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs The actions included in Program HE-I-2 are necessary to remove barriers to development and streamline the development process to facilitate housing development at all income levels. The actions address Pacifica’s most significant fair housing issue which is low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs. Contributing factors include the predominance of single-family homes, limited production of affordable housing, coastal zone restrictions on development, public opposition to development, and market pressure for short-term vacation rentals further limiting the housing supply. The implementation actions associated with this program are considered beneficial to fair housing objectives but are not classified as key elements of the Fair Housing Plan. This program and its associated actions will address public opposition to housing development, a contributing factor to the lack of housing development, by implementing objective standards that are consistent with the City’s recently updated General Plan. This program addresses the special housing needs of lower-income households by making it easier and less costly to develop housing units affordable to lower income households. For example, it establishes priority building permit processing and reduced plan check times for multi-family housing projects affordable to lower-income households or units that serve special needs populations. This program addresses Pacifica’s lack of housing development by streamlining the development process and making it less costly by incorporating best practices in zoning and development regulations.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Segregation and Integration
Implementation Actions and Timeline
Applies citywide except as noted:
1. Comprehensive Zoning Regulation modernization to increase the potential for development with a focus on areas identified in the general plan for increased density. The potential changes described within this action item are intended to facilitate housing development in areas identified for increased density in the REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 32 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
General Plan and are not required to demonstrate RHNA capacity. By December 2027 the City will consider the following:
a. Increase height limits.
b. Redefine density calculations from gross area to form based or another mechanism to allow greater density while still enforcing design standards.
c. Add additional definition or refinement to the municipal code:
i. Align development standards between rental and for sale. d. Increase density.
e. Increase Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
f. Reduce off-street parking requirements.
g. Reduce setbacks.
h. Require a minimum of 50 percent of floor area dedicated to residential uses in selected mixed-use developments.
i. Allow residential in select non-residential zones (evaluate standards for maintaining employment development).
j. Establish other objective standards to enable ministerial approval of multi-family projects for lowerincome levels as a permitted use for projects up to 20 dwelling units in all multi-family and mixed-use zones. Establish ministerial site-plan review for multi-family developments up to 20 units (and any housing portion of mixed-use projects).
k. Prohibit single-family residential development in multi-family and mixed-use zones. l. Establish multi-family uses as permitted in mixed use zones. m. Other code updates to make development requirements easier to understand.
2. Establish minimum transportation-related objective standards including but not limited to minimum site distance, turning radii, driveway/drive aisle width, on-street and off-street parking design, non-vehicular transportation features (e.g., bike lanes and sidewalks), and street width standards.
3. Adopt Objective Design Standards for multi-family residential projects and mixed-use projects with a residential component. Development of Objective Design Standards began in fall of 2023 to be adopted byDecember 2024 June 2025.
3.4. Amend Planned-Development Zoning District to eliminate potential barriers to multi-family and affordable housing development, including but not limited to reconsideration of the cost revenue analysis and general list of price ranges requirements. Clarify language regarding multi-family developments and the term “unit” in this context by December 2025.
4.5. Develop Zoning Code amendments to align with SB 330 objective standard requirements and make a recommendation to the City Council by December 2024June 2025.
5.6. Establish priority building permit processing and reduced plan check times for multi-family housing projects affordable to lower-income households or units that serve special needs populations.
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6.7. Establish a process to facilitate ministerial approvals where feasible to expedite the review and approval of housing projects. For example, establishing projects of up to 20 dwelling units that are affordable to lowerincome households as a permitted use in multi-family and mixed-use zones.
7.8. The City shall initiate a standard operating procedure where the Planning Department determines the level of CEQA review for a proposed development within 30 days after deeming a development application complete, with a possible 15-day extension if the project applicant and lead agency agree, in accordance with the requirements of Public Resources Code Section 21080.2. The timeframes for processing applications after a CEQA determination shall be in accordance with the Permit Streamlining Act, Government Code 65950(a)(5). If a project is found to be exempt from CEQA, then relevant provisions of the Permit Streamlining Act shall apply, and the application shall be processed within 60 days (Gov.
Code 65950(a)(5).)
8.9. Revise Site Development Permit (PSD) findings for approval to remove subjective findings required to approve residential projects or mixed-use projects that include residential use. The revised findings will focus on verifying objective development standard, objective design standard, and objective transportation standard compliance.
9.10. Revise zoning to remove the requirement for approval of a Conditional Use Permit (UP) to authorize residential uses consistent with the General Plan including but not limited to land use and density.
10.11. Rezone properties that are undeveloped, designated in the General Plan for residential use, and zoned as P-D (Planned Development) to a non-P-D zoning classification aligned with their allowable use(s) and permissible densities in the General Plan to establish an approval process for these sites that does not require legislative approval by City Council (the Development Plan). a. Revise the criteria and findings associated with project approvals in the P-D zoning district to focus on objective standards compliance to streamline project review and approval for sites located in the HPD (Hillside Preservation District) overlay district that must be rezoned to P-D.
12. Site assembly: to assist multi-parcel sites such as shopping centers consider establishing a site consolidation incentive by December 2025. This could include a technical assistance program, specific planning processes, and/or establishing a graduated density incentive for lot consolidation or front-loading CEQA analysis to make the sites more likely to be redeveloped into housing/mixed use. a. Create an ombuds/liaison program to provide technical assistance to shopping center owners to facilitate the production of more housing, provide information on any applicable fees and development standards, provide additional informational resources as requested, and serve as a point of contact to provide information back to City staff regarding additional actions the City may take to facilitate site assembly and housing production on shopping center sites.
11.13. Incentivize the production of large units with 3 or more bedrooms to meet the needs of lower income families by reducing parking requirements for units that include 3 or more bedrooms and are affordable to lower-income households.
12.14. Initiate any required CEQA environmental analysis for the comprehensive zoning modernization program by January 2026.
13.15. Implementation to begin by December 2023 and will require significant effort through December 2027.
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Metric: Adopt a comprehensive update to the City’s Zoning Regulations. Provide a 30-day response to all application submittals. Monitor and reduce development review process timeline for housing projects. Site assembly metric: Conduct outreach to at least 50% of owners of at least two shopping centers and create an ombuds/liaison program. Large unit metric: create a parking incentive for 3 or more-bedroom units that will assist at least 25 units.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-3 Master Planning and Implementation for Public Sites Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation Sites Inventory by evaluating public lands to support future housing development. Address constraints associated with land cost and land use controls. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including requests to develop at less than allowed densities; General Plan land use constraints; zoning and permit findings and other constraints on residential density; parking standards, clustered housing standards; multifamily housing. It also directly addresses processing and permitting procedures including those around findings, exemption from standards, residential uses in commercial zoning districts, and the definition of family. This program will also indirectly address the nongovernmental constraints related to land cost and construction costs.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs The actions included in Program HE-I-3 are necessary to facilitate development of housing for low to moderate income households such as residential units that are affordable for individuals and families who work in Pacifica. This program will address several fair housing issues by planning and advocating for interagency partnerships to use public land for workforce housing. It will address the following fair housing issues: Hispanic households have high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates, higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population. The implementation actions associated with this program are considered beneficial to fair housing objectives but are not classified as key elements of the Fair Housing Plan.
This program increases opportunities for collaboration on housing projects that will include units for extremely low-income households that live and work in Pacifica but still struggle with the high cost of market-rate housing in the area.
The City anticipates that implementing these actions will overcome barriers to the development of affordable workforce housing and provide housing options close to employment centers, reducing long commutes and help to sustain a diverse mix of income and housing types in the community.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Segregation and Integration
Implementation Actions:
1. The City will pursue a specific strategy tailored to each of the following types of publicly owned sites.
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a. District Sites: Proactively engage public agencyschool district landowners including the Jefferson Union High School District, and Pacifica School District, North Coast County Water District, County of San Mateo, and others, to develop a common long-range land use vision for all publicly owned property owned by the school districts within the city in 2023 2024 and 20252024. The City will develop a development “Toolkit” establishing a working schedule of steps, review processes, and identifying opportunities for streamlining. By June 2025, hold a meeting with District representatives to discuss ways for the City to support the District in facilitating housing development on District-owned land. Items to discuss with the District include: (i) offering for the City to serve as the lead agency for environmental review, (ii) early-development support including coordination during the SLA and RFP development process to increase certainty on development potential for the site, (iii) provide early information on any applicable fees, and (iv) setting a schedule for frequent meetings throughout the processing to streamline review. Target December 2027 to release draft comprehensive objective development standards. See also Program HE-I-1. b. State-Owned Land (Sites 18, 25, G: Caltrans and Skyline Water Tank): See Program HE-I-1, which will revise the land use designations and associated zoning to ensure the sites will have capacity for the RHNA numbers assigned. By June 2025, hold a meeting with State representatives to discuss ways for the City to support the State in facilitating housing development on State-owned land. Items to discuss include: (i) offering for the City serve the lead agency for environmental review, (ii) early-development support including coordination during the SLA and RFP development process to increase certainty on development potential for the site, (iii) provide early information on any applicable fees, and (iv) setting a schedule for frequent meetings throughout the processing to streamline review. Target December 2027 to release draft comprehensive objective development standards. See also Program HE-I-1 c. City Owned Sites (Sites 23: Sanchez Art Center and Site 24: Sanchez Library): The City will conduct a “fit study” to determine the feasibility of future efforts at Sanchez Library and Sanchez Arts Center by June 20252024 and subsequently examine if rezoning or redesignation would be appropriate for any publicly owned sites, in addition to any sites identified in HE-I1. i. The City fit study will include commissioning a consultant to demonstrate feasibility to inform Council direction on preparation of SLA and other required processes. and Staff will bringpresent a menu of options for potential development and a any recommendations to the City Council by December 20242025. i. By December 2026, determine the process under the SLA by which the City will propose to transfer each site, which may include a declaration that a site is exempt under the SLA or that the City plans to issue a Notice of Availability to transfer a site.
See also Program HE-I-1.
ii. Develop project description and RFP process and solicit developers by December 2026.
iii. Target Exclusive Negotiating Agreement by December 2027. iv. Target land use entitlements issuance by December 2028. d. Corp Yard (Site 20): The City will continue to pursue a partnership with Pacifica School District to explore implementation requirements of an interagency partnership to use the City's current corporation yard for district offices, ideally including housing above, and consolidate City and Pacifica School District corporation yard functions at the existing Pacifica School District corporation yard at 375 Reina del Mar Avenue by December 20262027. Council REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 36 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
reviewed project concepts in 2022, and the Pacifica School District has expressed interest in pursuing and evaluating a test fit.
i. By June 2025, hold a meeting with District representatives to discuss ways for the City to support the District in facilitating housing development on this site through an interagency partnership.
ii. Pursue development of an MOU or other vehicle to memorialize the purpose and approach of an interagency partnership by June 2026.
iii. If a decision is made to pursue an interagency partnership on this site, work with District to develop a project description and RFP process targeted by June 2027.
2. By June 2025, the City will commission a study examining whether any other City-owned sites are appropriate for an RFP for a developer to work collaboratively with the City to try to develop a key site and will present recommendations to the City Council by December 2025 with a goal of adoption by December 2026.
3. Objectives:
a. City Owned Sites: The City will target a total of 182 low-income units. b. State-Owned Sites: (Caltrans and Skyline Water Tank): The City will target a total of 273 lowincome units. c. School District Sites: The City will target a total of 307 Mixed-Income units, a minimum 15% of which would be affordable to low- and moderate-income levels consistent with the City’s BMR Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance.
d. Corp Yard: The City will target a total of 39 low-income units.
2.4. Implementation to begin by December 2023 and require significant effort through December 20272026.
Metric: Fit study completed; recommendations brought to City Council. Hold at least one meeting with each school district regarding district owned properties and corp yard site by June 2025. Hold at least one meeting with State of California by June 2025. Determine if each property is exempt from SLA or begin compliance with SLA to transfer the property for the development of housing by December 2026.
Funding Source: General Fund; external grant funding may be available to support technical assistance and specific planning described above.
Responsible Agency: Planning Department (will pursue collaboration with Pacifica School District and Jefferson Union High School District)
Backup Action:
1. For City Owned Sites (Sites 23: Sanchez Art Center and Site 24: Sanchez Library): If by June 2028 the City has not established the necessary developer agreements, the City will pursue the following alternative actions to enable the development of the sites for affordable housing:
a. Increase outreach efforts with non-profit affordable housing developers beginning in July 2028.
b. Re-issue RFP and solicit developers by December 2028.
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c. Consider if any alternative publicly owned sites would be superior housing sites by December 2028.
d. Pursue funding opportunities to assist with entitlement and building permit fees beginning in December 2028.
e. Develop incentives for developers including accelerated approval timeline, revisions to development standards such as parking standards for multifamily development by December 2028.
HE-I-4 ♦ Support for Development of Accessory Dwelling Units and Housing Mobility Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
To improve housing mobility and new housing choices in areas throughout the City, including through increasing Increase the rate of ADU production to expand the number of units affordable to lower-income households in higher resource areas across the city. Address constraints associated with land cost, construction cost, financing, and land use controls as they relate to the production of ADUs. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including land cost, General Plan compliance, parking standards, and other constraints to ADU production.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs ADUs are typically smaller and less complex than traditional homes, which makes them less expensive to build and can translate into lower rents. ADUs can be built in existing neighborhoods and provide access to amenities and services in higher resource areas. The actions included in program HE-I-4 will help address lack of affordable housing options in higher resource areas, and low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs, and expand housing mobility, new housing choices and affordability in areas of opportunity. This program facilitates and streamlines the development of ADUs which can increase the supply of affordable housing in higher resource neighborhoods and in Pacifica’s RCAA. This program will help promote multigenerational living, which can provide support for lower income seniors and families.
ADUs can also help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution by providing access to housing near jobs and other neighborhood amenities.
Fair Housing Category: Access to Opportunity, Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, RCAA
Implementation Actions and Timeline
By December 2026 (applies citywide except as noted):
1. Citywide ADU Programs to advance housing mobility:
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a. Provide technical ADU design tools and resources to homeowners to encourage ADU development, including pre-approved ADU plans (e.g., HEART) to increase the rate of production of affordable ADUs beyond the number developed over the previous planning period. b. Evaluate developing a “building permit ready ADU” program and plans that have been preapproved by the Building Division and conform to the current building code and present a recommendation to the City Council.
c. Strengthen the ADU OneStop shop program to provide additional information and technical assistance to understand ADU regulations.
d. Collaborate with other jurisdictions to develop a regional forgivable loan program for homeowners to construct an ADU that is held affordable for extremely low-income households for a minimum term.
e. Annually identify and pursue funding applications (federal, state, local, nonprofit and private) to support the development of ADUs with low interest loans and/or grants and other incentives. f. Study and bring suggestions to City Council to revise development standards for ADUs to incentivize greater ADU production beyond the requirements in state law (including tuck-under parking, allowing multiple ADUs, increasing height limits, and reducing setbacks). g. The City shall maintain a list of existing ADUs within Pacifica to understand trends and issues in ADU development, maintenance, and habitation. The City shall revise its ADU application materials to request that property owners provide information on the anticipated use and rental rate for proposed ADUs and will use this information to track ADU uses and rents. This information shall be tracked beginning 2026 and continue throughout the planning period h. Apply for one grant to support rental assistance or other housing mobility programs by June 2025. i. To expand the production of ADUs and missing middle housing, create a publicly accessible land use and zoning GIS tool by December 2026.
2. To improve housing mobility and new housing choices in areas throughout the Ccity, a suite of actions will be employed and targeted outside of the Housing Inventory sites, including targeting resources, outreach and other strategies in the highest-resource neighborhoods in R1 and other predominantly single family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave. with an overall goal of 85 housing opportunities affordable to lower income households in the planning period. Actions to be completed by December 2026 include:
a. Conduct proactive marketing to highest-resource neighborhoods in R1 and other predominantly single family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave. regarding regional ADU programs.
Objective: 30 new ADUs in R1 and other predominantly single-family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave over the planning period, at least half of which are affordable to extremely low-, very low-, low-, or moderate-income households to improve residential mobility in lower density neighborhoods.
b. By 2026 send or help coordinate a mailing to all households in the city at least once every two years advising them of the opportunity to create an ADU, the potential benefits of having an ADU, and potential incentives in the event the ADU is occupied by a household worker, caregiver, family member, or other household meeting the definition of a low or very low-income household.
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c. Participate in a home sharing program, such as HIP Housing’s Home Sharing Program, to improve housing opportunities for lower-income seniors and extremely low-income residents. A home sharing program matches persons needing housing with homeowners that have space in their homes. This program will increase residential mobility by providing access to homes in a community where every census tract is considered a high resource area. A shared housing program could prevent displacement of lower-income households, including lower-income seniors and persons with disabilities, that are in need of rental income or minor help with home repairs and maintenance in order to stay in their homes.
d. Objectives: (a) Develop an outreach program and connect with a home share program provider to expand participation in the program; (b) Connect 10 lower-income Pacifica residents with shared housing program participants; and, (c) Focus shared housing efforts on low-density neighborhoods, with an emphasis in R1 and other predominantly single family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave over the planning period all of which are considered high-income, highresource areas. e. Accessibility Improvements: Research and pursue funding opportunities at least every other year to make accessibility improvements to homes and community infrastructure.
3. Objective Design and Development Standards to facilitate missing middle housing in certain Low Density Residential Zones in accordance with SB9 to improve housing mobility in a variety of neighborhoods, including RCAAs.
a. Develop Objective Design and Development Standards for two-lot subdivisions and two-unit developments to facilitate small multi-unit housing including in R1 and other predominantly single family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave by December 2028. This includes creating mixed residential neighborhoods through new and innovative housing types that meet the changing needs of Pacifica households and expand housing choices in a variety of neighborhoods.
Housing types include, but are not limited to single dwelling units, multifamily dwelling units, accessory dwelling units, small and micro units, use of prefabricated homes, and clustered/cottage housing.
b. The implementation of Objective Design and Development Standards to facilitate the development of small multi-unit housing will occur in a variety of neighborhoods, including in R1 and other predominantly single-family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave.
4. Prioritize safety and accessibility mobility improvements included in the Bike/Ped Master Plan in the northern areas of the city. This includes finalizing the design and completing permitting of the ADA sidewalk improvements and bike lanes on Palmetto Avenue by December 2025 and construction by December 2026. Additionally, as part of the City’s Annual Resurfacing and Concreting Project, segments of Manor Drive and Hickey Blvd are scheduled for design and completion of permitting by December 2025.
5. By December 2025 and annually thereafter conduct proactive outreach to all known nonprofit higher education and religious institutions citywide and offer support for early development activities such as defining development opportunities possible on their sites and providing information on any applicable fees.
6. By December 2026, adopt an ordinance to expand the feasibility of deed-restricted housing development on nonprofit higher education and religious institutions.
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a. The ordinance will include:
i. The density maximums for selected sites will be set based on an analysis of viable affordable housing prototypes.
ii. Recommendations will also include densities appropriate for 100% affordable projects. iii. Associated impact fees for deed-restricted affordable housing on higher education and religious institution sites would also be waived.
iv. Prioritization would be for R1 and other predominantly single-family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave.
v. Zoning amendments and any necessary CEQA analysis are targeted to be complete by December 2026.
b. Staff will also present recommendations to the Council regarding: Zoning amendments to allow up to 100 units on religious/institutional sites with a land use designation in the General Plan of Public and Semi-Public or Low Density Residential to augment other program changes required to achieve RHNA.
7. By December 2025 conduct proactive outreach and offer to provide technical assistance to at least two manufactured housing park owners and/or resident groups regarding the Manufactured Housing Opportunity & Revitalization Program (MORE). An initial meeting with interested parties would be targeted to begin no later than June 2025.
8. Improve access to affordable housing in the City’s high-opportunity neighborhoods and remove barriers to fair housing choice through implementation of program commitments: HE-I-1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.10-a,
1.10-b, 1-13, and 1-14.
2.9. Mid-Cycle Review: A mid-cycle review of the status of progress toward expanding mobility will be completed in 2027
3.10. Implementation to begin by January 2025 and require significant effort through December 2026 Metrics:
1. Process at least 1525 ADU planning applications per year.
2. Annual staff report presented to City Council housing mobility progress and progress toward advancing home share program goals stated above.
3. Two home share placements per year.
4. Annual APRs submitted.
5. Adopt Objective Design and Development Standards for missing middle housing by December 2028.
6. Finalize the design and complete permitting of the ADA compliant sidewalks and bike lanes on Palmetto Avenue by December 2025 and construction by December 2026.
7. Apply for one grant in support of rental assistance or other housing mobility program by June 2025. Launch GIS tool by December 2026.
8. Conduct outreach to at least two higher education and religious institutions per year starting in 2025.
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9. Increase the number of housing units supported, including the combination of small multi-unit housing, religious institutions, ADUs, Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU), manufactured housing unit improvements through the MORE Program, implementation of the components of program HE-I-1 noted above, and SB 9 by 100 units (including 20 of these units as being affordable) over the eight year planning period with the further goal of at least 25 of the units in R1 and other predominantly single family residential districts southwest of Fassler Ave, or adjoining parcels designated in the General Plan as Public and SemiPublic.
Funding Source: General Fund and federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private fundings sources.
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
Backup Actions:
1. If the actual production and affordability of ADUs is at least 30% less than projected trends at a mid-cycle review (2027), and if an analysis indicates that such a gap in production or affordability cannot be adequately accommodated in the buffer sites, then the City will identify additional sites and rezone within a timely manner by December 2028.
2. If a mid-cycle review of progress toward achieving objectives regarding housing mobility and home share program indicates significant deficiencies, an action plan will be developed and presented to the Council in 2027 with a target to complete implementation by December 2029. The action plan will include:
a. Analyzing alternative land use strategies and recommend amendments to zoning or other land use documents to facilitate a variety of housing choices, including but not limited to higher density opportunities on religious, institutional, and quasi-institutional lands, b. Further outreach to nonprofit higher education and religious institutions and affordable housing developers to determine policies that would better encourage these projects and address government constraints, including expanding the incentives to be available to mixed-income projects,
c. Additional missing middle zoning updates in addition to SB 9 such as SB 10, adaptive reuse, d. Increasing beyond the current ADU and JADU limits in state law on parcels in R1 and other predominantly single-family residential districts,
e. Acquiring and adding affordability to existing structures, upzoning, and f. Researching and pursuing participation in a program that would provide low-interest loans to single-family homeowners and grants to homeowners with household incomes of up to 80% of the Area Median Income to develop accessory dwelling units with affordability restrictions on their property. This research should also explore outside funds.
HE-I-5 ♦ Fund a Housing Action Fund
Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Fund a Housing Action Fund to support housing projects or other supportive activities to remove constraints on housing production and promote development of multi-family rental and for-sale housing. Specifically, this REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 42 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including land cost, park dedication fees, housing for persons with disabilities, and other planning and development fees.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-5 addresses the fair housing issue of low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs. Lack of funding is a significant barrier to the production of affordable housing. By providing financial incentives to support increasing and preserving the number of extremely low-income units in Pacifica, this program can help reduce poverty and homelessness.
Program HE-I-5 will reduce financial barriers and increase financial incentives to support community-based organizations that are developing and operating affordable housing. Funds can be used to develop and operate affordable housing units for specific vulnerable populations, such as people with disabilities, homeless individuals, extremely low-income families and seniors.
Program HE-I-5 will help prevent displacement of existing lower income households by providing financial support for the preservation of existing affordable housing and helping to prevent conversion of affordable housing units to market rate housing.
Fair Housing Category: Access to Opportunity, Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk Implementation Actions and Timeline
Applies citywide except as noted:
1. By December 2024June 2025, hire consultant to study best practices in establishing and funding a local housing fund using available funding sources and utilizing that fund to leverage new funding sources, including the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHC) and the Bay Area Preservation Pilot Fund (BAPP).Revenue options for further study include: Development Impact Fees, Linkage Fees, Vacancy Taxes, Grand Nexus Study in partnership with other local jurisdictions, other forms of land value capture to generate housing funds, exploring the market impacts of increasing the required BMR units from 15 percent to 20 percent minimum, short-term rental fees, general fund, the sale of surplus land, and transfer fees on luxury properties (e.g., 1.5% for property transactions greater than $2 million).
2. By December 2025, explore other funding opportunities to support affordable housing development.
Efforts include actively tracking available Federal, State, Regional, and Local funding opportunities for affordable housing and determining how to leverage these funds to build or rehabilitate more affordable housing. Actively coordinate with city partners, including nonprofit housing developers on how best to leverage these resources.
3. By December 2024June 2025, identify funding to address limitations on staff capacity to implement the other implementation actions articulated in the Housing Element, including LEAP and REAP grants.
4. By December 2024June 2025, study the City’s participation in a shared housing capacity program being considered by the County of San Mateo County and other jurisdictions within San Mateo County.
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5. Establish extremely-low-income housing units, larger, lower income family units (3+ bedrooms), and units for people with disabilities including developmental disabilities as high priority investments for the housing fund.
6. Develop an annual strategy for the raising and disposition of funds. Staff to provide annual reports to the City Council.
7. Implementation to begin by January 2024 and require significant effort through December 2026 Metric: Fund established; funding sources identified. Staff to submit one funding application for outside funding per year, beginning in 2025. Develop annual strategy each year, produce annual reports each year.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-6 ♦ Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program
Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Commission a study to evaluate revisions to current Below Market Rate (inclusionary zoning) program to increase the minimum required proportion of affordable units and incentivize production of units with deeper affordability than the current program.
Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including typical densities approved, and the inclusionary housing and density bonus ordinances.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-6 addresses the fair housing issues of low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs; and Hispanic households have disproportionate housing needs. These needs are evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates.
Program HE-I-6 will strengthen the City’s inclusionary housing policy and aim to increase the supply of affordable housing in higher resource areas and in a RCAA. By increasing the number of affordable housing units in higher resources areas, it can create opportunities for lower income residents to live in these areas and access amenities available there. The program will help ensure that there is a mix of housing types affordable to lower income households across the city.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Access to Opportunity, RCAA
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Implementation Actions and Timeline
By December 2025 (applies citywide except as noted):
1. City will commission a study regarding an amendment to the City’s Below Market Rate (inclusionary) program ordinance. The Study will make detailed recommendations to the City Council and result in a draft revised ordinance and implementation guide. The study will make recommendations regarding the following:
a. Require a minimum 20 percent affordable units in developments subject to the ordinance. b. Include best practices for additional incentives to encourage production of affordable units. c. Include best practices for longer periods of affordability restrictions. d. Make recommendations to streamline the ordinance, ensure compliance with state law, and remove barriers to implementation.
e. Include best practices research on prioritization of households with extremely low-incomes and special needs, including analysis of housing needs data and community outreach. f. Examine the feasibility of establishing priority allocation or establish a BMR unit set-aside for the following households in City-assisted and private development projects with BMR units:
i. Extremely low-income households (households earning less than 30% AMI). ii. People with developmental disabilities who receive services from the Golden Gate Regional Center.
iii. Units with three or more bedrooms to support large households
2. Adjust the City's Below Market Rate program to allow a smaller unit contribution (<15%), larger density bonuses, and/or other incentives in exchange for affordable units that address the needs of residents with disproportionate housing needs identified in HE-I-6.1.e and HE-I-6.1.f above.
3. Subsequent to an examination of feasibility, adjust the City’s Below Market Rate program to allow higher percentages of housing units for extremely low-income households (households earning less than 30% AMI) in exchange for additional flexibility to meet obligations through a combination of an in-lieu fee and affordable unit contribution.
4. Revise the BMR marketing requirement to ensure that BMR units in new developments are marketed to residents outside of the RCAA, for example, by marketing units in schools outside the RCAA to reach lower income families in need of affordable housing.
5. Strengthen the administration of the Below Market Rate program by creating written program guidelines and implementation procedures and seeking external program administration support (such as the shared housing capacity program described above in program HE-I-5.4).
6. Once the new ordinance is adopted, the City will develop an implementation guidebook that includes clear explanations for implementing the ordinance with example projects.
6.7. Evaluate changes included within this program as potential constraints to development.
7.8. Implementation to begin by January 2024 and require significant effort through December 2025.
Metric: Complete a study and adopt revisions to the Below Market Rate program by December 2025. Increase utilization of the program in higher resource areas to at least one project by 2027 and a second project by the REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 45
end of the planning period. Market all BMR units in new developments to potential residents outside the RCAA.
A report evaluating changes included within this program as potential constraints to development to be produced by December 2025 and updated to address additional constraints as necessary.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-7 ♦ Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Units
Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors Preserve the city’s deed-restricted affordable units that will expire in the next decade and develop a plan for preservation of all existing affordable units to keep them affordable long term. Protect residents of lessexpensive market-provided units. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including land cost, construction cost, financing, and requests to develop at less than allowed densities; it also indirectly addresses code enforcement constraints.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-7 will help prevent low-income residents from displacement or housing-cost burden due to expiration of affordable covenants, helping vulnerable populations remain in their homes. This program will address the lack of investment in existing affordable housing by developing a long-term funding plan for the preservation of affordable units. The program will help protect existing residents from displacement by implementing strategies that protect residents in areas of lower or moderate opportunity and concentrated poverty and preserves housing choices and affordability.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk Implementation Actions and Timeline
The City will monitor “at-risk” affordable rental units. One property, Casa Pacifica, may be at risk of losing affordability of 100 senior units, since its Section 8 rental assistance contract with HUD expires Jan 2025. Staff will has contacted this property owner. by June 2024 A contract renewal was being pursued and finalized at the time of publication. Section 9 of Appendix C includes a detailed analysis of this property, including an analysis of at-risk units and resources for preservation, factors which may eliminate or reduce risk, cost analysis of preserving versus replacing at-risk units, and resources for preservation such as nonprofit developers, public financing, and subsidy programs.
1. To preserve housing units affordable to extremely low-income households, the City will develop an inventory of extremely low-income units in the city (units serving households that earn less than 30% AMI).
Ensure ELI and special needs units are included in monitoring of affordable units.
2. In the event City receives Notice of Intent to convert to market rate housing, conduct tenant outreach and education.
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a. The City will conduct outreach to the property owner in order to understand the status of each property’s restrictions by JuneDecember 2024.
b. Provide noticing to tenants and affected public entities in accordance with Gov. Code, § 65863.10, 65863.11, and 65863.13.
c. The City will respond promptly to any Notices of Intent to terminate affordability protections. d. If the City identifies units are at risk of converting to market rate, then the City will leverage available local resources by coordinating with San Mateo County Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART) and the County of San Mateo Department of Housing as well as work with its owner to pursue other financial resources (federal, state, local, nonprofit and private) to aid in the preservation of at-risk units.
3. Develop a long-term funding plan for preservation of at-risk units to keep them affordable long term by December 2024.
4. Consider revisions to land use policies necessary to ensure there is not an economic incentive to discontinue and redevelop affordable units at risk of conversion to market rate.
5. Amend the Zoning Code to incorporate specific requirements stipulated in California Government Code Section 66300 pertaining to the replacement of protected housing units.
6. Preserve the affordability of existing affordable housing by requiring replacement of Below Market Rate units lost during any construction, redevelopment, or demolition projects.
7. Pursue HEART program to fund acquisition and preservation of existing rental units to preserve as affordable housing.
8. Evaluate policies to prevent the conversion of existing affordable housing units to less affordable housing types. For example, by supporting the preservation and habitability of mobile home communities, or programs to facilitate the donation of private homes to affordable housing programs.
9. Implementation to begin by January 2024 and will require significant effort through December 2026.
Metric: No loss of existing deed restricted affordable units in the planning period. No net loss of affordable housing units following any construction, redevelopment or demolition projects resulting in the removal of affordable housing units.
Funding Source: General Fund, federal, state, local, nonprofit or private funds.
Responsible Agency: Planning Department; Partners may include affordable housing developers such as Mercy Housing, BRIDGE Housing, MidPen Housing, HEART, San Mateo Housing Department, among others.
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HE-I-8 ♦ Rehabilitation of Homes in Lower Resource and Coastal Areas Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors Support maintenance and rehabilitation activities that improve the condition of the city’s existing housing stock in order to preserve existing housing options, especially for extremely low-income households and households with special needs. Address any building code constraints to facilitate preservation of existing housing stock.
Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including the Local Coastal Plan, code enforcement, and the California Coastal Act constraints. It also directly addresses land cost and construction cost constraints.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-8 addresses the fair housing issue of a concentration of residents living with a disability in the northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services as well as Hispanic households’ disproportionate housing needs. These needs are evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates. When low-income homeowners can afford to make essential repairs to their homes, they are less likely to be evicted or foreclosed on and can help prevent homelessness. Repairs can also help to make homes safer by eliminating hazards. This program will implement strategies that protect the existing housing options of residents in areas of lower or moderate opportunity and concentrated poverty.
Program HE-I-8 will invest in maintenance and accessibility improvements of existing homes for extremely low-income households or households with special needs.
The program will also provide critical disabled access improvements to create safer homes for people with disabilities.
Minor repair and rehab programs can create jobs for contractors and other workers who make repairs to homes.
This can help to boost the local economy and provide people with additional job opportunities.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Access to Opportunity Implementation Actions and Timeline
1. The City will add home maintenance education resources to its website by 2024.
2. The City will conduct a survey to ascertain the housing conditions and rehabilitation or accessibility needs for existing homeowners and properties located in low resource areas by 2027.
3. Pursue opportunities to create repair and rehabilitation programs to address housing units in need of repair in low-resource areas by 2026. Funding sources may include local, regional, and/or state funds. Examples may include:
a. Minor home repair program that will provide life safety and accessibility repairs to low-income seniors and disabled homeowners at no cost.
b. Loan program or microgrant to aid in the repair or rehabilitation of homes owned or occupied by extremely low-income households.
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4. While resources will be added to the website by 2024 (HE-I-1.1), analysis and program implementation to begin by January 2025 and require significant effort through December 2027 (HE-I-2 and HE-I-3).
5. Staff will initiate a proactive property identification program by December 2026:
a. Code enforcement staff to identify properties in need of significant maintenance – prior to receipt of a complaint and initiation of enforcement activity – to ascertain with property owners and occupants any underlying reasons for the degraded property condition, and connection with available local, state, and federal resources that can assist with property rehabilitation.
6. Staff will initiate a coastal housing preservation program by December 2026:
a. The City will update its operating procedures including all applicable forms to require as an application submittal requirement information about the income levels of building occupants prior to issuance of any permit to authorize demolition or conversion of a dwelling unit to a nonresidential use within the Coastal Zone.
7. Completion of Program: HE-I-4.7 (support for manufactured housing park owners and/or resident groups). See also Program HE-I-4 for associated metrics.
Metric: Beginning in 2027, a minimum of two properties per year have participated in the proactive property identification program.
Funding Source: General Fund, federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private funding.
Responsible Agency: Planning Department; Partners may include San Mateo County Department of Housing, nonprofit housing developers, and private foundations.
HE-I-9 ♦ Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special, and Disproportionate Needs Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors Reduce development constraints on the construction of extremely low-income units as well as a variety of housing types to meet the needs of populations with special and disproportionate housing needs. Extremely low-income units will help serve residents with disproportionate housing needs, which include Hispanic residents, Other/Multiple race residents, American Indian or Alaskan Native residents, Black residents, large families, seniors, female-headed households, farmworkers, residents needing disability accommodations, cost burdened households, and unhoused people--including vehicle-housed. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including parking standards, code enforcement, and the California Coastal Act.
Through the implementation actions listed below, the City will prioritize a mix of unit sizes at inclusive housing properties that would address the needs of those who require live-in aides, want to live with roommates or partners, or have children. The City will also encourage development near public transit to accommodate the transit-dependency of most adults with developmental disabilities.
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How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-9 addresses the fair housing issue that Pacifica has low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs, higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population as well as a concentration of residents living with a disability in the city's northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services.
Program HE-I-9 includes several incentives to encourage the production of housing for extremely low-income households and special needs populations. The incentives aim to reduce the cost of developing and operating housing for extremely low-income households.
Incentives described in Program HE-I-9 will make it possible to build more deeply affordable housing that can help to reduce the number of extremely low-income households who are homeless or who are living in overcrowded or substandard housing.
Incentives described in Program HE-I-9 will help provide extremely low-income households (including family households, farmworker households, senior households) access to safe and affordable housing, so they can free up more of their income to spend on other things, such as education and job training. This can help them to improve access to jobs and create more opportunities for economic mobility. Incentives described in Program HE-I-9 can help to reduce the cost of developing affordable housing for people with disabilities. This can make it more feasible for developers to build these units, even in areas where land and construction costs are high. By making it easier and more affordable to develop affordable housing for people with disabilities, incentives can help to increase the supply of these units and give people with disabilities more choices about where they live, help to reduce the number of people with disabilities who are homeless or who are living in overcrowded or substandard housing.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Segregation and Integration, Access to Opportunity, RCAA
Implementation Actions and Timeline
When available, the City will offer financial incentives or regulatory concessions to encourage a variety of housing types to meet the needs of extremely low-income households and households with disproportionate housing needs. By June 2026 and ongoing (applies citywide except as noted):
1. For any projects that include extremely low-income units or housing for special needs populations with an emphasis on housing for extremely low-income households and people with disabilities including developmental disabilities, homeless individuals and farmworkers, the City will complete evaluation of the following incentives:
a. Implement a streamlined review process to expedite development review. Develop a streamlined checklist to facilitate expedited application processing. b. Grant fee deferrals or waivers.
c. Allow exceptions to development standards and grant concessions. d. For any projects that include a city-incentive or public subsidy, prioritize project proposals that provide the most units for populations with disproportionate housing needs (i.e., include evaluation criteria that grant more points for these projects).
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e. Provide additional local density bonus, above the State Density Bonus Law. f. Reduce or remove parking requirements whenever feasible.
2. Provide additional local density bonus, incentives, and/or concessions for housing projects that include a minimum number of units for people at the Extremely Low-Income affordability level (e.g., 5% of total units, to be confirmed by economic study).
3. Target city-owned land, land dedicated to affordable housing and city housing funds to achieve city-specific priorities such as a percentage of the units subject to a preference for people with extremely low incomes or special housing needs. The City will prioritize city-owned land and other resources to support development projects that maximize units suitable for the following special needs groups:
a. Extremely low-income households (households earning less than 30% AMI). b. People with developmental disabilities who receive services from the Golden Gate Regional Center. c. Homeless individuals
d. Farmworkers
4. The City will annually identify and pursue funding applications (federal, state, nonprofit and private) to support the development of housing units for extremely low-income households or households with disproportionate housing needs.
5. On an ongoing basis and at least annually, the City will provide outreach and coordination with affordable housing developers to support the development of units for extremely low-income households or households with disproportionate housing needs. For example, the City can conduct outreach to neighborhood groups, stakeholders, advocates, and local businesses regarding the advantages of providing opportunities for new construction and preservation of Single-Room-Occupancy (SROs) as a source of housing for extremely low-income households.
6. To address unmet need for supportive housing and services the City will conduct additional outreach to better understand community needs, analyze existing regulations around small-size facilities, interview key intermediaries, and identify if there are licensing or other barriers that could be lowered.
6.7. The City will prioritize the incentives above to support sites for development of extremely low-income housing in the RCAA and in R1 and other predominantly single-family residential districts southwest of Fassler as well as adjacent to the RCAA those areas to increase access to opportunity for extremely lowincome residents in higher resource areas.
7.8. Implementation to begin by January 2026 and subsequently will require significant ongoing effort.
Metric: Number of housing units built to accommodate residents with disproportionate housing needs and extremely low-income households during the planning period. Beginning in 2026 project processing times for development projects will be monitored and a report completed every two years. Determine if further study is needed regarding additional density bonus for projects with an ELI component by December 2027. See also metrics associated with Program HE-I-4.
Funding Source: General Fund; Grant and Loans from Federal, State, Private and Nonprofit Sources Responsible Agency: Planning Department
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HE-I-10 ♦ Strengthen Services for People At-Risk of Experiencing Homelessness Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors Support social services for homeless residents and homeless prevention and work with homeless service providers to prioritize legal help, housing assistance, and other social services for unhoused families.
Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including constraints associated with zoning, parking standards, zoning for a variety of housing types, emergency shelters, and processing and permitting procedures, including regarding findings, exemption from standards, and allowances for residential uses in commercial districts.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-10 addresses the fair housing issue of a higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population. Program HE-I-10 strengthens the City’s support to nonprofits that offer housing solutions and services for the homeless Pacifica such as the Pacifica Resource Center. Homeless services can include access to shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities. They can also provide support services such as case management, job training, and mental health and addiction treatment. Homeless programs can help prevent homelessness by helping people who are at risk of becoming homeless, such as those who are facing eviction or foreclosure. This assistance can include financial assistance, housing counseling, and mediation with landlords.
Fair Housing Category: Access to Opportunity, Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk Implementation Actions and Timeline
Beginning in 2025, then ongoing:
1. The City shall support nonprofits that offer housing solutions and services for the homeless. The City shall support with staff expertise and funding, as available, nonprofit organizations that offer solutions to solving homelessness and/or provide housing related services for the homeless or at-risk homeless.
2. The City shall continue its participation in HOPE (Housing Our People Effectively). The City shall be an active participant in HOPE and support its efforts to address the needs of Pacifica’s homeless residents by attending at least three-quarters of all meetings during a calendar year.
3. The City shall provide referrals to the Pacifica Resource Center helping families with social services for housing and homeless prevention.
4. The City shall provide referrals to veterans and their immediate families that are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Resources for referrals include the Veteran’s Affairs (VA) National Call Center of Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET and to the HUD-VASH program that is a joint effort between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program to move veterans and their families out of homelessness and into permanent housing through a voucher program that allows homeless veterans to rent privately owned housing.
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established by the 2022 San Mateo County Point In Time County. Evaluation will be completed within one year of Housing Element adoption.
6. Prepare an update to Section 9-4.2818 of the Pacifica Municipal Code to modify the parking standard for Emergency Shelters to be consistent with AB 139, which shall be revised to state the following, “One (1) space per staff member (including employees or volunteers) on duty when the shelter is open to individuals utilizing the emergency shelter or parking to accommodate all staff working in the emergency shelter, provided that the standards do not require more parking for emergency shelters than other residential or commercial uses within the same zone.”
7. Implementation to begin by January 2025 and subsequently require significant ongoing effort.
Metric: Reduce the San Mateo County Point in Time homeless count in Pacifica by 10 percent over the planning period.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-11 ♦ Support Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors Maintain and distribute accurate information about fair housing law and policies and regulate existing loopholes related to substantial remodels. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including transitional and supportive housing, special care facilities, housing for persons with disabilities, the definition of family, and code enforcement.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-11 addresses the fair housing issue of lack of knowledge about fair housing laws by renters, landlords and property owners. Program HE-I-11 will support fair housing training that will help people understand what discrimination is and how to report it as well as how to avoid engaging in discriminatory practices and how to intervene and stop discriminatory practices. Fair housing training is important for housing providers, such as landlords, property managers, and real estate agents who have a responsibility to provide fair housing to all potential tenants and buyers.
Fair Housing Category: Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity Implementation Actions and Timeline
By June 2025 and ongoing (applies citywide except as noted):
1. Identify inconsistencies between fair housing laws and the Zoning Code and include consistency with fair housing laws in the Zoning Code Update (program HE-I-2) by June 2025.
2. Partner with local fair housing organization to complete a study session with City Council on fair housing laws by June 2025.
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3. The City shall support nonprofits providing legal counseling and advocacy concerning fair housing laws, rights, and remedies to those who believe they have been discriminated against by referring persons requesting information or assistance related to housing discrimination to one or more fair housing groups for legal services annually and on an ongoing basis.
4. Brochures providing information on fair housing and tenants’ rights will be available at City Hall, public libraries and on the City’s website. The brochures will also be available at nonprofit organizations serving low-income residents. The brochures will be available in multiple languages by June 2025 and ongoing.
5. As funding allows, the City shall provide annual funding assistance to organizations that provide fair housing, tenant/landlord, and habitability counseling and other general housing assistance by June 2025 annually and ongoing.
6. Consider Adopt an ordinance requiring that a building permit is required be issued, if otherwise required under state and local law, as a prerequisite to serving a substantial renovation eviction notice consistent with Government Code Section 1946.2(b)(2)(D)(iv)(III)under the Ellis Act by June 2025.
7. Implementation to begin by January 2025 and subsequently will require significant ongoing effort.
Metric: Amount of funding provided to support renter advocacy and number of referrals to advocacy organizations. ConsiderationAdoption of an ordinance requiring that a building permit is required be issued, if otherwise required under state and local law, as a prerequisite to serving a substantial renovation eviction notice consistent with Government Code Section 1946.2(b)(2)(D)(iv)(III) under the Ellis Act by June 2025. See also metrics associated with Program HE-I-4.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-12 ♦ Fair Housing Affirmative Marketing Strategy
Rationale
Objectives, Constraints, Fair Housing Issues, and Contributing Factors To support and engage in efforts to educate community stakeholders and residents, in particular those with special needs (such as farmworkers, people with disabilities including those with developmental disabilities, single-female head of households, and cost burdened households, and unhoused people--including the vehiclehoused), about housing gaps and the effects of programs and policies on addressing those gaps. Proactively create opportunities for all communities to have a voice and be involved in shaping policies and programs.
Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including employee and farmworker housing, housing for persons with disabilities, the definition of family, and code enforcement.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-12 addresses the fair housing issue of a lack of fair housing information provided to lower income and special needs populations as well as ensuring that there will be proactive outreach to lower income and special needs populations about new affordable housing opportunities in the RCAA.. Program HE-I-12 includes actions to proactively market new affordable housing units, especially those located within the RCAA, REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 54 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
to extremely low-income households and special needs populations living in lower resource areas. This program also includes outreach to farmworkers which is essential for determining their housing needs and developing future programs and policies that address those needs.
Fair Housing Category: Segregation and Integration, Access to Opportunity, Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity, RCAA
Implementation Actions and Timeline
1. Research other cities and best practices to create an affirmative marketing strategy for Fair Housing information and resources by June 2024.
2. Partner with local fair housing organization to provide training on an annual basis for landlords and tenants at least annually by June 2024, and ongoing.
a. Support the training curriculum offered by nonprofit partners to increase knowledge about fair housing laws and reasonable accommodation requirement and provide information to landlords on fair housing laws and reasonable accommodation by December 2024.
b. Promote training sessions in areas identified as lower resource areas. c. Ensure training is available in multiple languages and promote training sessions by including the information on the city’s website.
3. Conduct the following proactive outreach by June 2025 and on an annual basis:
a. Conduct proactive outreach about fair housing issues (i.e., explain the right to request reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities), with residents and other stakeholders. Outreach will be conducted at least annually during the planning period and may include sharing information via newsletters, email communication, events, or social media. b. Continue to inform realtors, builders, City staff, and the community at large about fair housing law and policies, through information posted on city’s website and handouts available at City Hall, Library, the Senior Center and other city facilities (ongoing).
c. Continue to participate in Countywide (and other) efforts to share best practices on equitable engagement and inclusive outreach. (e.g., Home For All “Learning Network”) d. Include Spanish marketing materials and ensure bilingual interpretation services are available. Other languages may also be included in some instances.
4. Complete the following website updates by June 2025:
a. Add information on the City’s website to clearly define reasonable accommodation in housing in accordance with state fair housing law.
b. Modify the City’s webpage to include more information about reasonable accommodation. c. The City shall ensure that its website and handout materials regarding housing resources, requirements, and services for persons with disabilities are updated annually and made available to the public.
d. Update the City’s website to include a robust fair housing section that is consistent with best practices.
5. Proactively Market Available Housing Opportunities to Residents with Disproportionate Housing Needs (such as farmworkers, people with disabilities including those with developmental disability, single-female head of households, and unhoused people--including the vehicle-housed) by June 2025 and ongoing.
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a. Market available affordable units to lower income households by developing standard City-required marketing activities by housing developers for new or available BMR or low-income units. b. Include extremely low-income households, farm workers, people with disabilities, and households with disproportionate housing needs, and unhoused people--including the vehicle-housed, as new target group for marketing new affordable units where appropriate. c. Add schools outside the RCAA to the required recipient list for application solicitations to increase the chances of people and especially families with children outside the RCAA to learn about affordable housing opportunities within the RCAA.
d. Partner with community intermediaries such as schools and churches to conduct outreach activities in multiple languages, including activities with a significant representation of hard-to-reach communities such as extremely low-income households. The City will conduct outreach and education on a projectby-project basis and will ensure that programs target/affirmatively market to lower-income households outside of the RCAA.
e. Include Spanish marketing materials and ensure bilingual interpretation services are available. Other languages may also be included in some instances.
6. Identify any existing service providers along the Coastside that support farmworker housing needs to gain greater insight into potential farmworker housing needs in Pacifica. Work cooperatively with local growers, agriculture-related businesses (such as packing and distribution facilities), the farm bureau, and advocates for farmworkers such as the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) in order to determine available resources and shortfalls.
7. Increase educational outreach efforts on fair housing issues related to frequent housing discrimination faced by farmworkers due to their ethnicity and type of employment, landlord/tenant issues and the Employee Housing Act related to farm laborers, farm labor contractors and agricultural employers.
8. Revise provisions for Granting Reasonable Accommodation by June 2026. Article 51, Reasonable Accommodation requests under PMC Title 9, Chapter 4 are required to include documentation of the specific accommodation request, property/applicant details, and the necessity of the accommodation to ensure equal opportunity to use and enjoy the residence. The City will revise Article 51 to remove or significantly change potentially subjective finding no. 3 regarding “architectural compatibility.” The City will also revise finding no. 4 to objectively define “undue financial or administrative burden” (e.g. would not result in obstructing other members’ of the public’s use of any public spaces and would not present greater than 1% of the City’s associated program or project budget). The City will also revise finding no. 7 to provide more objective criteria for when a use would adversely affect health or safety or be injurious to property or improvements.
9. Completion of additional housing mobility marketing actions included in program HE-I-4.10, -4.13, and -
4.15. 10. Implementation to begin by January 2024 and subsequently requires significant ongoing effort.
Metric: Proactively Market affordable housing opportunities and available housing opportunities to residents with disproportionate housing needs in partnership with community intermediaries at least two times per year.
Increase the number of educational and public engagement opportunities available to Pacifica residents about fair housing issues and affordable housing opportunities. Partners to have conducted at least two fair housing trainings per year by December 2025 and each year following. Modify the city’s webpage to include more information about reasonable accommodation by December 2025 REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 56 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department; Partners may include Project Sentinel and Pacifica Resource Center
HE-I-13 ♦ Infrastructure Capacity Improvements
Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Ensure adequate utilities, transportation and other infrastructure to accommodate future housing needs and address any infrastructure constraints to make the production of housing more likely. Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including general plan consistency, multi-family housing, and infrastructure constraints, including those associated with the Coast Highway, water, and wastewater.
How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-13 addresses the fair housing issue of lack of accessible transportation options other than personal automobiles and lack of access to employment centers contributes to the disproportionate housing needs of lower- income households and people with disabilities. This program undertakes a broad-based approach to addressing the housing needs of persons with disabilities including a developmental disability as well as lower income households.
Infrastructure such as roads, public transportation, and broadband internet can make it easier and more affordable for people to live in communities with good schools, jobs, and other amenities. This is particularly important for households with people with disabilities. For example, public transportation can help residents get to and from work and school without having to own a car.
Infrastructure investments can play a significant role in making the production of affordable housing more likely. Infrastructure investments can reduce the cost of developing affordable housing by providing developers with access to essential services such as water, sewer, and transportation. This can make it more feasible for developers to build affordable housing units or to build units that are accessible to people with disabilities.
Fair Housing Category: Access to Opportunity
Implementation Actions and Timeline
1. Include projects in the city's Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and in other long-term improvement plans, initiatives to eliminate infrastructure capacity constraints (including, if necessary, such as the approved and funded replacement and rehabilitation (R&R) projects in the Vallemar and Rockaway Beach neighborhoods scheduled to begin by July 2025 (Vallemar) and July 2026 (Rockaway Beach)) that may limit housing production, by December 2027. City will begin construction on CIP projects listed above by July 2026 (Vallemar) and July 2027 (Rockaway Beach).
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connect residents with services and economic opportunities, including through partnerships with transportation agencies.
a. Support improvements to public transit routes, services and facilities to facilitate longer distance travel.
Activities would include encouraging SamTrans to improve service coverage, frequency, and operating hours in these areas, in part by helping the agency better understand where this special needs population is located in Pacifica.
b. Commit the City’s representatives on the regional Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) boards and committees to actively advocate for transportation and transit planning improvements in Pacifica. c. Continue capital investments in sidewalk and bike lane projects with priority in the identified areas of need to improve mobility and access to employment opportunities. d. The City will encourage development of housing for seniors, people with disabilities, and lower-income residents near public transit and areas with amenities.
3. Implementation to begin by January 2025 and require significant effort through December 2027.
Backup Action:
If the CIP projects are not initiated by July 2026 (Vallemar) and July 2027 (Rockaway Beach), and a reduction in capacity within the catchment area is at least 30% less than projected capacity, and if an analysis indicates that such a gap in production or affordability cannot be adequately accommodated in the buffer sites, then the City will identify additional sites and rezone by July 2027 (Vallemar) and July 2028 (Rockaway Beach).
Metrics:
1. Identified infrastructure needs are accounted for in adopted plans.
1.2. Construction of replacement and rehabilitation (R&R) projects in the Vallemar and Rockaway Beach neighborhoods to begin by July 2026 (Vallemar) and July 2027 (Rockaway Beach).
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
HE-I-14 ♦ State and Federal Law Conformance
Rationale
Objectives and Constraints
Amend the zoning ordinance and other local policies to remove any inconsistencies between local policies and State and Federal law.
Specifically, this program is designed to address constraints described in Appendix G including the Local Coastal Program, parking standards, multi-family housing, accessory dwelling units, transitional and supportive housing, employee and farmworker housing, emergency shelters, low barrier navigation centers, SB 9, SB 35, and processing and permitting procedures.
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How this Program Addresses Fair Housing Issues, Contributing Factors and Special Needs Program HE-I-14 addresses the fair housing issues of low production of affordable housing limiting housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs, Hispanic households have disproportionate housing needs evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates, higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population, and concentration of residents living with a disability in the northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services.
California has passed a number of laws in recent years aimed at increasing housing production. The laws work together to make it easier and faster to build housing, especially affordable housing. Several laws address the housing needs of special groups such as homeless individuals, people with disabilities, farmworkers, and the types of housing that may be affordable to extremely low-income households such as Single Room Occupancy units. Through the implementation of actions in program HE-I-14, Pacifica will be in conformance with state housing laws making it easier to build the type of housing that will meet the needs of its most vulnerable residents.
Fair Housing Category: Disproportionate Housing Needs and Displacement Risk, Segregation, and Integration
Implementation Actions and Timeline
Annually, beginning in 2023, and ongoing unless otherwise indicated below:
1. Monitor housing production against ABAG Fair Share Allocation, including regarding no net loss compliance, during planning period, and provide an annual report on housing production to the City Council each year, prior to submittal of the Annual Progress Report to HCD and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) by April 1st of each year.
2. Review, and where appropriate amend, the Zoning Code to establish a By-Right designation for housing sites reused from prior Housing Element for housing projects that propose a minimum of 20 percent affordable units, where appropriate, by December 2026.
3. Amend Zoning Regulations to adopt an ordinance and administrative procedures implementing SB 9 by December 2025.
4. Amend Zoning Regulations to adopt an ordinance and administrative procedures implementing SB 35 by December 2025.
5. Amend Zoning Regulations to define employee housing (farmworker housing) and regulate the use in accordance with Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5, 17021.6 and 17021.8, which precludes a local government from requiring a conditional use permit, zoning variance, and/or other zoning clearance for certain employee housing, including agricultural employee housing, by December 2025.
6. Amend Zoning Regulations to define Transitional and Supportive Housing and regulate the use(s) in accordance with Government Code Section 65651 and 65583(c)(3) by December 2025. Updates shall ensure: Transitional housing and supportive housing shall be considered a residential use of property and shall be subject only to those restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone. Supportive housing, as defined in Section 65650, shall be a use by right in all zones where multifamily and mixed uses are permitted, as provided in Article 11 (commencing with Section 65650).
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7. Amend Zoning Regulations to define Low Barrier Navigation Centers in accordance with Government Code Section 65660 and regulate the use in compliance with Government Code Sections 65662 through 65666 by December 2025.
8. Amend Zoning Regulations to define Emergency Shelter and identify one or more zoning designations that allow residential uses, including mixed uses, where they will be allowed as a permitted use without a conditional use or other discretionary permit and that are suitable for residential uses in compliance with Government Code Section 65583(a)(4)(A) through (J) by December 2023. To implement this, Ordinance No. 894-C.S. was adopted on December 11, 2023, and is effective for areas outside the coastal zone on January 10, 2024.
9. Review, and if appropriate amend, Zoning Code to implement AB 2162 and allow by-right 100 percent affordable housing that has 25 percent or 12 units of permanent supportive housing, where multi-family or mixed-use housing is permitted by December 2025.
10. Distribute the certified Housing Element to local water and other utility providers and encourage them to grant service priority/allocations to developments that contain units affordable to persons with lower incomes by December 2024.
11. Allow group homes for seven or more residents, specifically for people with disabilities, as a permitted use in all zoning districts allowing residential uses by December 2025. Amend the Zoning Code to remove the 500-foot spacing requirement and apply the same types of zoning standards to group homes with seven or more persons as would apply to other similar housing types in the same zoning district. The amended zoning code will expand beyond recent updates to the zoning code to clarify that seven or more individuals as described above living in a home would be a permitted use and not by itself be cause for application to the City for a use permit or license. Where applicable state and federal regulations may still apply. a. The definition of family will be revised by December 2025 to conform with contemporary best practice, including clarification that family be defined as, “family or single housekeeping unit.”
12. Consider requiring replacement of existing affordable units in conformance with Government Code Section 65583.2(g)(3).
13. Update the Zoning Code to ensure Pacifica’s ADU Ordinance conforms to state law. Following a review of Pacifica’s ADU Ordinance, HCD provided a list of ADU non-compliance issues which included the definition of site, minimum landscaping requirements, parking, and subjective standards, among others.
Complete ADU Ordinance update by December 2024.
14. Single-Room-Occupancy (SRO) is not specifically identified as a separate allowed use in the Pacifica Municipal Code but is conditionally permitted as “Boardinghouse” as a conditional use subject to approval of a use permit in the R-3, R-3, R-3-G, and R-5 zoning districts. Boardinghouse is currently defined as “a dwelling other than a hotel where lodging and meals for five (5) or more persons are provided for compensation.” In addition, SROs applications in the R-3 zoning district are treated as an allowed use. a. Consider amendment to By December, 2025 amend the zoning and building code to facilitate and encourage new SRO construction. This would include adding a definition and use of “Single-Room Occupancy” and the identification of at least the R-3 zoning district where SROs will be permitted, as consistent with state law. Alternatively, the City can review the existing definition for “Boardinghouse” and amend the definition to specifically include SROs. This action will strengthen the viability of SRO buildings as an essential source of housing for extremely low-income households including farmworkers.
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15. Ensure compliance with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) for the Environs of San Francisco International Airport (November 2012) (“SFO ALUCP”), including but not limited to the following actions:
a. Refer all new or amended general plan elements, specific plans, zoning ordinances, or building regulations affecting the development potential of land within the boundary of the SFO ALUCP to the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission for review prior to adoption. b. Refer all proposed development projects on sites within the boundary of the SFO ALUCP to the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission for review prior to approval, when applicable. c. Projects applications shall not be approved unless they comply with the following measures, where required the zoning code shall be amended to ensure consistency. These include all Airspace Protection Policies contained in the SFO ALUCP and all noise compatibility criteria and related implementation measures, including but not limited to the Noise/Land Use Compatibility Criteria and related mitigation measures contained in SFO ALUCP Table IV-1.
16. Implementation to begin by December 2023 and subsequently require significant ongoing effort.
Metric: Annual staff report presented to City Council on state and federal policy changes and recommended code updates; annual APRs submitted.
Funding Source: General Fund
Responsible Agency: Planning Department
13. ONGOING POLICIES
The City of Pacifica embraces the need to maintain, preserve, improve, and develop housing for persons at all income levels and for persons with certain special housing needs. As a result of its past efforts, including action programs in previous Housing Elements, the City has incorporated various activities related to housing best practices into its standard policies and operations. The following summary lists the City’s orientation to key aspects of Housing Element actions. The list is not inclusive of all housing policies of the City, but rather is representative of Pacifica’s supportive orientation to housing projects.
Some of the items listed were previous action programs that the City accomplished, and it is no longer appropriate to list them as action programs during the planning period. Other items listed do not have a timeline for implementation given their ongoing nature, making it inappropriate to list them as action programs during the planning period in response to State requirements pertaining to action programs. Such items included in this list may lack specific beneficial impacts and a defined date for accomplishment given the uncertain nature and timing of applications for housing-related permits. Nevertheless, the items below are best described as ongoing policies which are in place to facilitate housing projects whenever necessary. Ongoing policies that affirmatively further fair housing and are part of the fair housing plan are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦).
HE-O-1 ♦ Maintain safe and sanitary housing: implement the safe and sanitary criteria of the housing code and engage with property owners of deteriorated or deteriorating housing.
HE-O-2 Conserve energy through implementation of the California Green Building Standards Code and California Energy Code.
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HE-O-3 ♦ Require smoke detectors: property owners are required to maintain smoke detectors and verification of smoke detectors by building division whenever there is an inspection related to other city permits.
HE-O-4 ♦ Impose a condition of approval on all permits benefitting from a Density Bonus Ordinance or other deviations from development standards to develop affordable or senior housing to restrict future uses to affordable, senior, or both.
HE-O-5 ♦ Regulate condominium conversions to minimize housing impacts to renters as codified in Pacifica Municipal Code Title 9, Chapter 4, Article 24.5.
HE-O-6 Support and encourage property owner-designation of historic structures as set forth in Pacifica’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.
HE-O-7 ♦ Prioritize infill residential development.
HE-O-8 ♦ Provide an encouraging environment for construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
HE-O-9 ♦ Identify opportunities to include housing incentives in development applications.
HE-O-10 ♦ Assist affordable housing developers with preparation of funding and development applications.
HE-O-11 Require a geotechnical site investigation prior to permitting site development.
HE-O-12 Reference the Open Space Task Force Report when evaluating development proposals for sites identified in the report.
HE-O-13 ♦ Prevent the deterioration of housing units resulting from deferred maintenance.
The following ongoing policy was included in the previous Housing Element and has been discontinued:
Encourage development of a shared living community (co-housing) in an appropriate location to provide diversity in housing opportunities.
14. QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES
Quantified Objectives estimate the number of units likely to be constructed, rehabilitated, or conserved/preserved by income level during the planning period. Per State requirements, the Sites List identifies sites for just three income categories (Low, Moderate, and Above Moderate). The Low category on the Sites List is a total of Extremely Low-, Very Low-, and Low-income subsets. However, throughout the REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 62 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Housing Element, the City needs to demonstrate that its programs and policies will encourage development of housing for all of the income subcategories. The quantified objectives for all income categories do not set a ceiling on development; rather, they set a target goal for the city to achieve based on assumptions of future residential development from actual pipeline projects and estimates of production from the Sites List based on existing City affordability requirements combined with the new programs to be implemented. Each quantified objective is detailed by income level, as shown in Table 6.
TABLE 6: QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES
New
Construction Rehabilitation
Conservation/
Preservation Totals
Extremely Low 101 0 0 101
Very Low 304 8 101 413
Low 336 8 0 344
Moderate 125 0 0 125
Above Moderate 928 0 1 929
Totals 1,794 16 102 1,912
15. CONSISTENCY WITH GENERAL PLAN, ZONING CODE, AND LOCAL
COASTAL LAND USE PLAN
State Law requires that a General Plan and its constituent elements “comprise an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies.” This implies that all elements have equal legal status and no one element is subordinate to any other element. The Housing Element must be consistent with land use goals and policies set forth in the Land Use Element, and it must be closely coordinated with the Circulation Element of the General Plan. The Housing Element must also be consistent with area Specific Plans.
The General Plan provides the basis for all of the city’s regulations, policies, and programs. In addition to requiring that the General Plan and the Housing Element be internally consistent, the State also requires “vertical consistency”—i.e., consistency between the Housing Element and other city actions. This requirement means that the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances, specific plans and redevelopment plans, all development approvals, public works projects, and open space implementation programs must be consistent with the Housing Element.
In order to ensure consistency with the General Plan, the City will review the Housing Element during the annual review of the General Plan to ensure consistency is achieved and maintained during the planning period with all other legally required elements and revise as necessary. The City will consider whether major changes in objectives and policies are necessary to achieve its goals and undertake revisions as necessary.
As this Housing Element is being developed, the City will have completed its effort to comprehensively update the General Plan. The timing of the City’s recent General Plan update process allowed the City to review the new general plan prior to the development of the Housing Element’s policies and programs and identify in advance where updates to the General Plan may be needed. The Housing Element will implement the recently adopted General Plan vision and include a combination of programs and policies from the General Plan’s REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT 63
guidance and community input. The contemplated land use changes, policy goals, and companion zoning for the General Plan inform the actions and opportunity sites of the Housing Element.
To ensure internal consistency among all General Plan elements, the new General Plan was reviewed prior to the development of the Housing Element. As much of the city is already built out and vacant parcels are few, most development will occur at sites that are currently developed and will undergo intensification or redevelopment. Most employment and residential growth is anticipated along major transportation corridors and all other areas are expected to experience population growth attributable to residential infill, including ADU development.
The city’s Zoning Ordinance is one of the most important tools for implementing the Housing Element.
Following Housing Element adoption, zoning must be revised to be consistent with the Housing Element, as needed.
The City will address potential inconsistencies between the July 2022 General Plan Update and the Housing Element by updating the Land Use Element, Map, and zoning. Additionally, the City’s effort to achieve California Coastal Commission (CCC) certification of the Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) update approved by the City Council in February 2020 is ongoing. Certification by the CCC is necessary before the LCLUP, and any other amendments necessitated by adoption of the Housing Element, may take effect in the Coastal Zone (that area west of Coast Highway and the Shelldance Nursery area east of Coast Highway).
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3Photo: Plan Pacifica community meeting on General Plan update in Pedro Point neighborhood (2019) APPENDIX A: COMMUNITY
CONSULTATION
February 6, 2025
1. OVERVIEW OF HOUSING ELEMENT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The City of Pacifica, recognizing community engagement is essential to developing and implementing a successful Housing Element, undertook a robust community engagement effort designed to reach as many community members who live in or are a part of Pacifica as possible. The goals of the city’s outreach plan were to:
Raise awareness among Pacifica residents of the importance of the Housing Element update for shaping the future of the community;
Have robust and diverse community participation that is representative of the full range of demographics, perspectives, and experiences of the Pacifica community; and Leverage the public’s deep knowledge of housing issues in Pacifica to inform the programs and policies of this Housing Element.
To this end, the city launched a dedicated website, conducted extensive email and social media outreach, and promoted the Housing Element update via local newsprint and media outlets. A dedicated email inbox was established to receive written comments and questions. Physical informational mailers were sent citywide and project updates were provided by mail to residents who do not use social media. The project team interviewed key community stakeholders to inform development of an equity-focused engagement plan. Three workshops were held to foster small group discussions and hear feedback from community members as well as answer questions in depth. Childcare, dinner, translation, and accessibility services were offered to attendees. The city conducted three community-wide surveys, and results helped inform how the staff designed community REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 A-2 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 engagement efforts and the key priorities of the Housing Element update. The final survey, which focused on the priorities for housing programs and policies, identification of potential sites to reach Pacifica’s RHNA, and the challenges facing residents with disproportionate housing needs, was made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English. Written comments were received throughout the process and considered in staff analysis prior to release of the public comment draft in February 2023. At key points in the update process, staff canvassed on foot throughout the city to promote the various activities and engagement opportunities, and when possible, materials were made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English.
In addition to the three local public workshops and the three community-wide surveys that focused specifically on the development of this Housing Element, the city’s extensive efforts to develop and adopt the 2040 General Plan, Sharp Park Specific Plan, Local Coastal Land Use Plan as well as participation in the 2019 event series Home for All, have provided opportunities for significant consultation with the community on housing needs and priorities, all of which has helped inform this Housing Element.
The city also held joint study sessions of the City Council and Planning Commission to provide a combined review and direction opportunity for both decision-making bodies that would ultimately be involved in approval of the Housing Element. The first joint study session occurred on March 21, 2023, during the 30-day public review and comment period on Public Review Draft #1. The other joint study sessions occurred on September 25 and October 16, 2023, as part of the City’s process to respond to comments from Housing and Community Development (HCD) staff on the first Draft Housing Element submitted to the agency for review. These joint study sessions provided additional input opportunities for verbal comments and allowed the public to learn more about the draft Housing Element to inform their written public comments. Several public commenters participated in the joint study sessions and decision makers from the City Council and Planning Commission provided additional input to staff based on public comments to guide development of the Housing Element.
The city also partnered with other San Mateo County jurisdictions for a countywide outreach effort in 2019 through a collaboration with 21 Elements, a working group that supported the development of housing elements for all San Mateo County jurisdictions. The working group led a series of housing element engagements with San Mateo County and Pacifica stakeholders, which resulted in additional community input opportunities as well as a countywide survey that focused on the challenges encountered by residents with disproportionate housing needs (referred to as the affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) Survey).
This draft Housing Element, including its policies and programs, incorporates key findings collected from all the aforementioned public engagement efforts. The community input informed several key components of this Housing Element, particularly on a community preference for fostering vibrant, mixed-use communities and clustering a significant amount of new housing development on existing shopping centers, recognizing the value of new zoning to create new opportunities for housing as well as housing programs and policies to facilitate the City’s efforts to achieve its Regional Housing Needs Allocation and other housing goals. A detailed summary of community outreach activities, public participation, and the key takeaways that emerged throughout the outreach process is provided below. Attachment A-1 includes an exhaustive collection of public input received and documentation of all community engagement efforts, including all written public comments received during the formal public review and comment periods on the draft Housing Element.
Website, Social Media, and Print
City staff conducted an online FlashVote community poll in July 2022 to seek input on how community members would like to be engaged for the Housing Element update process and this guided the design of the REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT A-3
outreach plan staff presented for Council and community comment on August 8, 2022. Based on public input, Council instructed staff to hold one additional community engagement meeting and send a citywide informational mailer, which were additions to staff's original proposed community engagement strategy.
Following the August 8 meeting, the city launched a Housing Element Update website, conducted extensive email and social media outreach, and promoted the Housing Element update via local newsprint and media outlets. A dedicated email inbox was established to receive public input and written comments were received throughout the process and comments were considered in the drafting of this Housing Element. Physical informational mailers were sent citywide in September 2022 and project updates were provided by mail to residents who do not use social media. On multiple occasions, wide-ranging canvassing was done throughout Pacifica to promote the various outreach activities, with information made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English.
City staff and consultants also participated in and helped shape the Let’s Talk Housing initiative. Through this collaboration, the jurisdictions of San Mateo County worked together to increase awareness of and participation in the Housing Element Update process and to ensure broad participation in shaping our shared future. Pacifica also supported an Equity Advisory Group with 21 Elements to ensure outreach not only reflected the Pacifica community but also included historically marginalized communities and equity priority populations such as renters, lower-income residents, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, lower-income seniors, and female-headed households with children, among others.
Community Meetings
Stakeholder interviews and presentations at the meetings of local community-based organizations included:
Equity-focused engagement stakeholder interviews/early November 2022 (described below) San Mateo County Libraries
Pacifica School District
Pacifica Resource Center
Housing Element Overview and Engagement Opportunities/Senior Lunch 11/28/22 Housing Element Overview and Engagement Opportunities/Pacifica Collaborative 12/1/22 The City of Pacifica organized three public Housing Element workshops. These included:
Housing Element Virtual Community Workshop 9/28/22
Housing Element Community Workshop 10/25/22
Housing Element Community Workshop 11/1/22
The city also participated in several meetings and webinars in partnership with 21 Elements, including:
Let’s Talk Housing – Introduction to the Housing Element All About RHNA (countywide)
Listening Sessions (countywide)
Outreach Activities
City staff and consultants conducted three online surveys, informational outreach at community events, and canvassing throughout the city. These locally led efforts included:
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City of Pacifica Housing Element Community Survey 11/1/22 to 12/16/22 Holiday Extravaganza 12/3/22 to 12/4/22
Citywide canvassing end of October 2022 to early December 2022
2. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS
Website, Social Media, and Print
Pacifica launched a Housing Element Update website that includes informational material, policy documents, past event video recordings, meeting materials, outreach and survey summaries, information about upcoming meetings, ways to get involved in the process, and links to Pacifica’s 2015-2023 Housing Element. It also contains draft Housing Element documents and a collection of all community feedback.
Email campaigns and social media efforts from August 2022 through December 2022 included invitations to participate in community workshops, public meetings, and online surveys that were sent to city-maintained email lists, numerous community-based organizations, housing advocates, community activists, and local property owners. Survey informational and promotional materials were made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English. City staff recorded a promotional commercial for the Housing Element community meetings, which aired on the YouTube and regular broadcast channels of Pacific Coast TV, a regional television station. The city was also successful in promoting Housing Element Update activities in the Pacifica Tribune (the local newspaper) and via the communication channels of various community groups, including among others: Pacifica School District, Pacifica Locals, Pacifica Collaborative, Pacifica Libraries, Pacifica Parks, Beaches, and Recreation’s various programs, and Pacifica Resource Center.
A citywide mailer was sent to 15,060 homes and businesses on September 14, 2022, inviting community members to participate in community workshops, an online survey, subscribe for updates, and information on how to share their feedback by mail, email, phone, or in-person. Project updates were provided by mail to residents who do not use social media. Printed materials were made available to the community during multiple wide-ranging canvassing efforts throughout the city. Survey promotional materials were made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English.
The city also participated in, and helped shape, the Let’s Talk Housing initiative with 21 Elements, which included a countywide website available in five languages, detailing the process timeline, engagement activities, and resources, videos about the process in several languages, and a social media presence. As of December 2022, the website has been visited more than 23,500 times.
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Community Meetings
Interviews and Presentations with Community Organizations Stakeholder Interviews – Equity-Focused Outreach
The City of Pacifica had specific objectives for conducting equity-focused community engagement during the Housing Element update:
Adapt effective outreach strategies to bring the voices that are often not found in city planning efforts. Enhance the way the city does outreach to historically marginalized communities with virtual or inperson engagement best practices.
The project team interviewed key
community stakeholders to inform
development of an equity-focused
engagement plan. Each interviewee was
asked the following questions and their
responses informed outreach strategies
employed by the city.
What are the communities that
you serve in Pacifica?
What are your strategies for outreach and engagement with under resourced or underserved communities in Pacifica? What do you find is the most effective way to reach them? What places in Pacifica can the city use to be effective in their outreach and engagement efforts? Regarding what you may know about housing-related challenges facing this community right now, do you have any recommendations for the city to help guide their housing goals? Below is an overview of the housing concerns that the interviewees shared. The complete equity-focused engagement and implementation plan resulting from the interviews is available in Attachment 1. Capacity of existing infrastructure and traffic: Concerns about the existing infrastructure, e.g., many of the roads in the city are one way in one way out.
Families getting priced out: There are property buyers in Pacifica for VRBO and Airbnb are taking viable housing, homes are staying vacant.
Families forced to live together multi-generationally: Younger families are unable to afford property and have to live with their older relatives, leading to overcrowding in homes. Families forced to move out of Pacifica: Many families are moving out of Pacifica, especially Spanishspeaking population. Housing costs: Families are unable to relocate within Pacifica due to high rental prices.
Stakeholders Agency
Stephanie Saba, Library Manager San Mateo
County Libraries
Heather Olsen, Superintendent
Nicole Ortega, Administrative Secretary of Student
Services Department, and long-term resident
Yolanda Pranza, Administrative Secretary of Student
Services Department, and long-term resident
Pacifica
School District
Anita M. Rees, Executive Director Pacifica
Resource Center
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In addition to community workshops, city staff proactively engaged with two key community organizations and joined their regularly scheduled gatherings to present an overview of the Housing Element Update, information on how to engage in the process, and the “City of Pacifica Housing Element Community Survey” to complete and share. Nearly 30 seniors were present at Pacifica’s Senior Congregate Lunch for the information and survey and the same information and opportunities were shared with the Pacifica Collaborative, an alliance of 15 community-based organizations, including those listed below. Each organization was provided materials to share with their networks in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English. Several of these organizations provide services to and directly engage with populations that were harder for the City to reach directly via traditional community workshops and surveys, such as the Pacifica Resource Center that provides services to people experiencing homelessness.
Pacifica Resource Center
Pacific Coast Television
Pacifica Library
Pacific Beach Coalition
Pacificans Care
Pacifica School District
Daly City Partnership
Daly City Youth Health Center
Jefferson Union High School
District
Pacifica's Housing 4 All
Pacifica Peace People
Coast Pride
Pacifica School Volunteers
Pacifica's Parks, Beaches, and
Recreation Dept
HealthRight360 (including Asian
American Recovery Services)
Key themes discussed with these community groups included housing affordability, housing supply, and challenges with transportation. Among the seniors particularly, many commented they were on a fixed income that was not sufficient to meet their housing needs. The community organizations elevated the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness, low-income residents, and those experiencing housing discrimination.
Public Workshops
The city held three public Housing Element workshops between September 2022 and November 2022, one virtually and two in-person. Feedback was collected through live polls, breakout rooms, and small group discussions. The first workshop (virtual) was to give an overview of the Housing Element Update process and to learn residents' views on current and future housing needs and priorities in Pacifica. Of the 40 participants, almost all were long-time Pacifica residents and homeowners. Attendees were from various neighborhoods across the city. This is significant because housing needs in Pacifica can vary greatly between one neighborhood to the next due to the city’s very diverse geography. The aim of the two subsequent workshops was to share more in-depth information about opportunity sites and collect input from residents on potential sites and strategies.
Workshops were held in-person at local elementary schools in the northern and southern regions of Pacifica.
Childcare and dinner were advertised, provided, and utilized. Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodation and interpretation services were offered. The meetings were promoted on city social media channels, via citywide and targeted email distribution lists, by community partners, at City Council meetings, in the Pacifica Tribune, on local television, at local community events, via canvassing businesses and popular locations in the city, by mail to those who requested printed project materials, and on the city and project websites.
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Below is an overview of feedback from all three community workshops.
Community Concerns:
Development in Pacifica is difficult due to difficult approval processes, lack of available space, lack of appeal due to environmental concerns, and low supply of employment opportunities. Those who would like to cannot afford to live here and long-time residents are being displaced due to high housing costs.
There is not an adequate supply of housing.
Too many homes are being used for Airbnb/short-term rentals. Achieving this cycle’s RHNA would cause Pacifica to lose the small town and safe feel residents here love.
There are not adequate public transportation services as it is. Traffic and parking are already bad.
Fire safety and inadequate emergency egress already problems as it is. There are not enough city staff, emergency services, or infrastructure to support more housing.
Developer and Property Owner Concerns:
Streamline and simplify processes (i.e., approval process, lot consolidation and lot split processes, etc.) Increase density in residential and mixed-use zones.
Allow residential development on public lands.
Allow residential development in commercial zones.
Start process to acquire Caltrans sites.
City actions to establish surplus sites.
Pressing Housing Needs:
Affordable housing (for those seeking to rent and own). Low-income housing.
Housing for working families.
Housing for essential employees in the community where they serve. Meeting the RHNA 6 numbers.
Community Priorities and Values:
Protect environment (i.e., protecting hillsides, open spaces, and coastal zone). Adequate public transportation and not increasing traffic congestion. Neighborhood and fire safety.
Being able to work where you live.
Equal enthusiasm for increasing housing supply and for not increasing it. Maintain Pacifica’s small-town feel.
Site Strategies:
Overall, the site strategies examples presented at the community workshops were supported, especially:
For redeveloping and increasing density at shopping center sites. Quarry development.
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Developing on private sites.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Strong support for rezoning where needed, increasing density where appropriate, and for building higher when it will not block views.
Strong opposition to building in hazard areas and the coastal zone.
Apart from the comments related to the distinct challenges that come with Pacifica’s unique landscape and coastal location/access, feedback received at the workshops aligned with countywide data collected by Root Policy in their San Mateo County AFFH survey. Affordability and supply of housing and traffic/transportation challenges are significant challenges in the region. The priorities and values community members emphasized at the workshops echo themes heard in the 2040 General Plan, Sharp Park Specific Plan, Local Coastal Land Use Plan, and the 2019 Let’s Talk Housing event series. One distinction from previous community engagement feedback, however, was that the community more readily accepts that meeting the state-mandated Regional Housing Need Allocation necessitates the development of additional housing and there will need to be a divergence from the typical single-family home sites that currently make up approximately 70 percent of the dwelling units in the city.
While concerted efforts were made to engage with Pacifica’s equity priority populations in community workshops and other participatory opportunities via targeted outreach and by offering multiple meeting locations and modes, childcare, dinner, ADA accommodation, and interpretation services, ultimately the workshop attendees did not include proportional representation of those populations. Attendees were more likely to be homeowners rather than renters, white, from small households, and have income greater than $100,000/year. Yet, through one-on-one conversations with community members, engagement with community organization leaders who provide direct services to many hard-to-reach communities (such as the Pacifica Resource Center, which serves renters at risk of displacement and unhoused populations), and interviews with city police, fire, and building inspection professionals, who characterized the needs they have observed and discussed with members out in the community, as well as using data collected by Root Policy in their San Mateo County AFFH survey, the city was able to gain insight into the housing challenges and priorities of populations with disproportionate housing needs. These insights and data greatly informed and guided the policies and programs of the Housing Element.
Let’s Talk Housing Conversations
In partnership with 21 Elements/Let’s Talk Housing: An Introduction to the Housing Element event, Pacifica provided a housing element overview with breakout discussion rooms that was part of a series of introductory meetings attended by over 1,000 community members countywide. Additionally, Let’s Talk Housing held an All About RHNA webinar and a countywide four-part webinar series to help educate and inform San Mateo County residents and stakeholders on regional and local housing issues. The four-part virtual series took place in fall of 2021, focusing on the following topics and how they intersect with the Bay Area’s housing challenges and opportunities: Why Affordability Matters, Housing and Racial Equity, Housing in a Climate of Change, Putting it All Together for a Better Future. The series included speaker presentations, audience Q&A, breakout sessions for connection, and debrief discussions. The sessions were advertised and offered in Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese, though participation in non-English channels was limited. The All About RHNA webinar provided an in-depth overview of the methodology for selecting opportunity sites.
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Outreach Activities
Community-wide Launch Survey
In early September 2022, the city launched an introductory Housing Element survey to the community. The goals of this survey were to get a sense of housing challenges the community is facing, preferred methods of public participation, note language preferences of the community, raise awareness of the Housing Element Update efforts, and garner subscribers for project updates and future participation. The results of the survey helped guide communication strategies used throughout the community engagement process and the focus of policies and programs in the draft Housing Element.
A total of 50 responses were received. When compared to city averages overall, respondents tended to be older, more likely to own their own home, and from the southern neighborhoods of Pacifica. By far, affordability and availability of housing were identified by respondents as the greatest housing challenges.
Community-wide “City of Pacifica Housing Element Community Survey” The city launched and widely promoted a community-wide Housing Element survey from November 1 to December 16, 2022. The survey was promoted expansively through email and social media campaigns with information and invitations to participate being sent to city-maintained email lists, numerous community-based organizations, housing advocates, community activists, and local property owners, as well as being shared on city and partner organization’s social media channels. The survey was also promoted via extensive canvassing throughout the city. All survey informational and promotional materials were made available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Filipino, and English.
In total, there were 380 survey responses. Below is an overview of feedback from the survey.
Of the types of housing people consider most important for Pacifica, responses were ranked as:
1. Housing that meets safety standards and is safe from natural hazards.
2. Energy efficient housing.
3. Walkable development (within walking distance of transit, stores, schools, other services).
4. Housing affordable to teachers and first responders, working families.
5. Senior housing.
Respondents identified the following as the top three barriers to finding affordable housing:
6. Income not enough to pay for housing.
7. The cost of quality housing is too high.
8. There is a low supply of housing.
By far the most supported strategy to guide production of new housing was the “Redevelopment of existing developed properties that have potential to incorporate housing or more housing units.” Respondents indicated the most important ways to better serve the housing needs of all residents of Pacifica are to “Build affordable housing near transit and job,” “Help homeowners add rentable units such as accessory dwelling units,” and to “Encourage the private sector to construct more affordable housing.” However, for vulnerable communities in particular, respondents believe locating housing where services and transit are within walking distance is the best way to address their living and housing needs.
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A total of 2,382 residents participated in a San Mateo County resident survey conducted by Root Policy to support the AFFH analysis. The survey, which was offered in both English and Spanish, explored residents’ housing, affordability, and neighborhood challenges and experiences with displacement and housing discrimination. The survey also asks about residents’ access to economic opportunity, captured through residents’ reported challenges with transportation, employment, and K-12 education.
Among City of Pacifica residents, there were 84 responses. Of those, 50 percent were homeowners, 45 percent were renters; 42 percent were White, 17 percent were Asian, and 14 percent were Hispanic. Of respondents, 38 percent earned more than $100,000/year, 20 percent earned $50,000-$99,999/year, and 17 percent earned less than $49,999/year. Of the households represented, 39 percent were households with older adults (over age 65+), 35 percent were households with children under 18, and 35 percent were households with a member who has a disability.
Key findings unique to the City of Pacifica survey respondents are summarized below.
Housing and Neighborhood Challenges
The survey asked about various housing, neighborhood, and affordability challenges experienced by residents.
While Pacifica respondents reported housing challenges at a higher rate than the county average on more than half the conditions surveyed, countywide these conditions were least reported by Pacifica’s larger demographics (i.e., homeowner, white, over $100k annual household income).
For both the overall county (31%) and Pacifica (28%) respondents, “I would like to move but can’t afford anything that is available/my income is too low” was the most frequent challenge. This was followed by, “Bus/rail does not go where I need to go or does not operate during the times I need” (24%) and “I can't get to public transit/bus/light rail easily or safely” (21%) as the next most experienced challenge for Pacifica respondents, which are both higher than the countywide average.
Experience Finding Housing
The survey looked at the proportion of those who looked for and were denied housing to rent or buy. For Pacifica respondents, 51 percent reported they have seriously looked for housing in the past five years. Of those, 38 percent reported having been denied housing. Denials were largely due to “income too low” (47%), and/or “don’t have a regular/steady job/consistent work history” (33%).
Pacifica Resident Survey Conclusions
Overall, Pacifica’s results are fairly unique among San Mateo County jurisdictions with a population that tends to be more likely to own their own home, be white, and earn more than $100,000/year, the demographics who tend to report lower rates of experiencing affordability and housing challenges. Among the renters, who are more likely to have been seeking to rent or buy in the last 5 years, affordability is of major concern and income being too low is the number one reason seekers are denied housing. However, public transit is a major challenge in Pacifica, among renters and homeowners alike. With a limited job supply and public transportation challenges, renters and precariously housed residents of Pacifica are most at risk for affordability and housing security issues.
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Public Outreach
City staff hosted booths at the Pacifica Fog Fest and Coastside Farmer’s Market on three occasions to raise awareness in the community of the Housing Element Update, surveys, workshops, and other ways for being involved in the process. Staff spoke with approximately 70 people and through those conversations as well as hand-written comments on provided flip charts. Below are some of the sentiments that community members shared regarding housing challenges in Pacifica.
‘There is not sufficient public transportation to support additional residents.’ ‘I have had so many neighbors have to move away because they could no longer afford to live here.’ ‘More housing will increase already bad traffic.’
‘More housing is going to really change the community feel.’ ‘There is no benefit to me for more housing if my kids can't even afford to live here.’ ‘I don't want low-income housing near me. I am concerned about crime.’ ‘People don't want to live in Pacifica because they can't commute from Pacifica [by public transit].’ ‘The North side of Pacifica is hard to reach [with important information], but they are the ones that need to participate in this conversation.’
Key Takeaways
The price of housing is a major concern:
Many voiced concerns about the prohibitive cost to rent or buy a home today, either for themselves, friends, or family. It is an issue that touches a lot of lives.
More housing (and affordable housing) is needed:
Relatively little new housing has been constructed in Pacifica in recent decades and more housing for all income levels is needed, particularly affordable housing. While there are diverging views on how to accomplish this, who it should be for, where it should go, and what it should look like, there was significant community interest in clustering housing in vibrant, walkable, and mixed used redevelopment of current and former shopping centers.
Issues are connected:
Transportation, climate change, access to living wage jobs and education opportunities are all tied to housing and quality of life. These issues are not siloed in people’s lives and there is a desire to address them in interconnected ways.
Developers are interested but hindered:
There is evident interest from property owners and developers to build in Pacifica. Many expressed they are hindered from doing so by the overly bureaucratic and slow development review process.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 A-12 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Residents are divided when it comes to neighborhood feel:
While some people voiced their interest in upzoning single-family neighborhoods, other homeowners want to protect them and have concerns about long-term property values.
Equity is on people’s minds:
Local leaders and community organizations who serve hard-to-reach communities want to talk about housing inequities and how to solve them.
Regional dynamics matter:
It was valuable to build a broader sense of community needs and shared resources at the countywide level, especially for some of Pacifica’s hard-to-reach communities.
Diversity in participation was a challenge:
Despite partnering with organizations to engage with the hardest to reach communities and providing multilingual outreach, achieving diversity in participation was challenging. What the city learned from this experience strengthened the city's knowledge of how to reach populations with disproportionate housing needs. Pacifica can build on this experience to strengthen its outreach to these groups in future outreach efforts.
Housing is personal:
People often have differing views on housing because it is a very personal issue tied to feelings of safety, belonging, and identity. Often the comments reflected people’s current housing situation. Those with safe, stable housing that they can afford were more concerned with change. Those without were more interested in bolder policies and more housing in general. Many people shared meaningful stories of being priced out of their communities or of their children not being able to live in the community where they grew up.
3. HOW WE INCORPORATED WHAT WE HEARD INTO THE PLAN
The extensive outreach and community engagement conducted as part of this process and previous community conversations played a significant role in the development of the goals, policies, and programs within the 2023- 2031 Housing Element. The feedback and insights received helped to highlight new policy opportunities and ways to strengthen and improve existing policies. The overarching challenge of housing affordability and availability was heard during most every meeting and conversation. In addition, themes such as investing in disadvantaged communities, simplifying the planning approval processes, improving access to transit, and providing a variety housing options for working families helped inform policies in the Housing Element.
Below are a few examples of the policies and programs that received a high level of support from the community:
Develop housing opportunities in existing commercial areas and shopping centers. Develop housing opportunities on sites with access to transportation options and close to services. Support the construction of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Improve walkability and access to transit in communities with disproportionate housing needs. Streamline the permitting process and simplify the rules and regulations for new housing development.
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Provide more materials and information in languages other than English. Improve awareness and availability of resources as well as training/education about fair housing laws to property owners and tenants.
Establish a BMR unit set-aside for tenants with physical or developmental needs.
In addition, the city carefully considered all written public comments received during the public review and comment period from February 24 through March 27, 2023. The city received written comments from 73 unique commenters. The city also carefully considered additional written public comments received after the public review and comment period and before release of the Public Review Draft #2 (December 2023).
Discussion of comments received between October 16, 2023, and December 12, 2024, are described in greater detail in the following section. Additionally, public comments received prior to December 12, 2024, as part of the environmental review process are discussed below. While comments covered a broad range of housing and non-housing topics, most comments fell into one of 12 themes which are summarized below followed by the city’s responses. The full written comments received by the city are included in Attachment A-1.
Theme 1: Define the meaning of “affordable” housing.
The definition of “affordable” housing can vary depending on the affordable housing context. For instance, sometimes the income levels associated with affordable housing can differ between federal, state, and local housing laws and programs. However, the following income levels are generally accepted and are those used in the Housing Element:
Extremely low income: 0-30% of Area Median Income (AMI) Very low income: 30-50% of AMI
Lower income: 50-80% of AMI
Moderate income: 80-120% of AMI
Above moderate income: Above 120% of AMI
Based on 2022 AMI for San Mateo County ($166,000, based on a household size of four persons), the actual income levels for each category were as follows:
Extremely low income: Up to $55,900
Very low income: $55,901-$93,200
Lower income: $93,201-$149,100
Moderate income: $149,101-$166,000
Above moderate income: $166,000+
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 A-14 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Theme 2: The Housing Element should prioritize use of publicly-owned lands for affordable housing.
Identification of suitable sites for construction of affordable housing is a formidable challenge. Often affordable housing projects are only financially feasible when land can be donated or acquired by an affordable housing developer at below-market cost. For these and other reasons, publicly-owned land can be especially important to the feasibility of affordable housing projects.
The city has identified three city-owned sites (Sites 20, 23, and 24) that are suitable for housing development and which would provide a total of 232 lower income housing units. The Housing Element also includes three Caltrans-owned sites (Sites 18, 25, and 26) that, if able to be decertified and made available for purchase by the city or a qualified affordable housing developer, would provide a total of 338 affordable housing units. Other publicly-owned sites are also included in the Housing Element (Sites 17, 21, and 22) but are not specifically indicated for 100 percent affordable housing development, although the Pacifica School District has indicated its intention to construct at least 45 units of workforce housing for District employees, including 11 belowmarket rate (BMR) affordable housing units, at the 930 Oddstad Boulevard site comprised of the former Oddstad Elementary School(Site 17). The City Council approved the project in May 2023.
Theme 3: The city should revisit its inclusionary zoning ordinance to make various changes including elimination of fees in-lieu of affordable unit construction, extending the term of deed-restricted affordability, and increase the required proportion of affordable units in housing developments.
The Housing Element includes Program HE-I-6 Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program. This program includes, among other activities, consideration of increasing the required affordable housing share to 20 percent from 15 percent, extending restricted affordability periods beyond the 45- or 55-year periods in the current ordinance, and providing other flexibility and incentives to provide affordable housing units for very low and extremely low income levels. The city also moved forward implementation of the program by three years to begin in 2024 and conclude in 2025 based on feedback received during the public comment period.
Theme 4: The Housing Element should include a program to create an anti-displacement ordinance including consideration of a just cause for eviction ordinance.
The Housing Element includes Program HE-I-11 Support Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity. Within this program, the city would support nonprofit legal service providers to assist lower income residents with fair housing issues including unlawful evictions. This program would also include consideration of a new ordinance to require a building permit as a prerequisite to serving a substantial renovation eviction notice under the Ellis Act. The Housing Element also includes Program HE-I-7 Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Units to support preservation and acquisition of affordable housing. The City Council considered but ultimately did not pass a rent stabilization and just cause eviction ordinance during the 2015-2016 time period and the Housing Element does not propose reconsideration of such an ordinance at this time.
Theme 5: The city should establish and fund a Housing Action Fund to support a range of affordable housing activities. The Housing Element includes Program HE-I-5 Fund a Housing Action Fund to establish and fund a special-purpose city fund to pursue affordable housing-related activities. The key challenge is not establishment of such a fund but identifying feasible and meaningful sources of funding. As acknowledged in the program description, many potential funding sources are available, and the city will consider which funding sources are viable in Pacifica when implementing this program. Notably, the city has already identified an initial funding source for the Housing Action Fund. It allocated approximately half of the $3.4 million of Excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Funding (ERAF) revenues projected to be collected in FY2023-24 (approximately $1.67 million) to start accumulating a fund balance to be used for affordable housing purposes in the future. While the city is not guaranteed REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT A-15
to receive Excess ERAF long-term, the allocation of these funds in the FY 2023-24 budget demonstrates the city’s commitment to support housing activities.
Theme 6: The city should address the loss of housing units from short-term rentals (STRs).
The city has analyzed the issue of STRs and their impacts on the housing stock in Pacifica. In total, less than 1 percent of the housing stock is in use for STR purposes. However, in the current environment of high housing prices, the city recognizes that the loss of even one housing unit for long-term residential use is an important impact. With this in mind, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 888-C.S. in February 2023 to establish a citywide cap of 150 STRs, only slightly above the current number of active, permitted STRs in Pacifica. The city is working to obtain California Coastal Commission certification of the ordinance so that it may be applied in the Coastal Zone. The ordinance is currently in effect in areas of Pacifica outside the Coastal Zone (generally, east of Coast Highway).
Theme 7: The Housing Element should prioritize earlier completion of various programs, including amendments to the inclusionary zoning ordinance, seeking proposals for affordable housing projects on city-owned properties, updating the zoning code to modernize and incentivize high-quality housing development, Caltrans land decertification, amending the STR ordinance, and other programs.
The city considered various public comments suggesting prioritization of specific programs in the Housing Element. Where possible, the city revised the Housing Element to prioritize implementation of as many programs as possible, including moving forward implementation of HE-I-3 Master Planning and Implementation for School Sites, Program HE-I-4 Support Development of Accessory Dwelling Units, Program HE-I-5 Fund a Housing Action Fund, Program HE-I-6 Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program, and HE-I-8 Rehabilitation of Homes in Lower Resource and Coastal Areas. The aggregate effect of prioritizing these programs earlier in the planning period will be an earlier benefit in support of affordable housing. While the city would ideally prioritize implementation of all programs, it is important to prepare a realistic plan for program implementation that reflects Pacifica’s limited staffing and financial resources, as well as the significant effort required to implement Program HE-I-1 General Plan and Zoning Amendments to Achieve RHNA and Program HE-I-2 Zoning Modernization and Streamlining to implement major rezoning and zoning code modernization programs to facilitate construction of new housing in Pacifica.
Theme 8: The Housing Element should consider ways to reduce Highway 1 traffic that would worsen from new housing development and to improve access to public transportation.
Resolving existing traffic congestion is beyond the scope of the Housing Element. As it pertains to the existing traffic congestion experienced at times along Coast Highway, particularly between the intersections of Reina del Mar Avenue and Fassler Avenue, the wide distribution of Housing Element sites throughout the city minimizes impacts on those key intersections. The Housing Element site inventory also prioritizes infill development to support similar policies in other elements of the city’s 2040 General Plan. The 2040 General Plan also includes policies to seek enhancements to walking, biking, and transit access in new development, which will further efforts to provide non-automobile transportation options. Lastly, larger housing developments that may result from the Housing Element that generate 100 or more average daily trips will remain subject to the San Mateo County Congestion Management Program (CMP) that requires a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan to reduce vehicle trips from new development.
Theme 9: The proximity to jobs analysis appears erroneous.
These comments question the accuracy of Figure D-10 Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to Proximity to Jobs by Census Tract. The figure was prepared by a third-party on a regional basis. It appears the figure does not take into account Pacifica’s geography and transportation network, which requires driving north on Coast Highway to connect to Interstate 280 in order to reach jobs located elsewhere in the region, and results in longer travel REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 A-16 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 distances for areas in the southern half of Pacifica. Rather, it appears the figure may rely on a straight line or “as the crow flies” methodology to assess distance to jobs centers located in central San Mateo County and Santa Clara County. Regardless of any limitations in Figure D-10, the housing site inventory in the Housing Element results in a distribution of housing sites throughout Pacifica including many sites in high resource and high opportunity areas.
Theme 10: The Housing Element should prioritize development and marketing of housing to people with special needs/persons with disabilities and those who are most housing insecure.
The Housing Element takes important steps to prioritize development and marketing of housing to people with special needs/persons with disabilities and those who are most housing insecure. Program HE-I-6 Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program includes consideration of increasing the required affordable housing share to 20 percent from 15 percent, extending restricted affordability periods beyond the 45- or 55-year periods in the current ordinance, and providing other flexibility and incentives to provide affordable housing units for very low and extremely low-income levels, as previously noted. It also includes exploring the possibility of including a set-aside in the BMR ordinance for extremely low-income households (households earning less than 30% AMI) and people with developmental disabilities who receive services from the Golden Gate Regional Center, as well as allowing for a contribution of fewer than the required share of BMR units in exchange for those units addressing the needs of residents with disproportionate housing needs. Program HE-I-6 would also revise the BMR program to require marketing of BMR units in schools outside the Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA) to reach lower income families in need of affordable housing.
Program HE-I-9 Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special, and Disproportionate Needs provides critical support to the city’s efforts to support housing for extremely low-income persons. Importantly, this program prioritizes making city-owned properties available for housing development early in the planning period to reduce the costs associated with extremely-low-income housing projects.
Theme 11: Property owner and public requests to modify the housing site inventory by adding or removing specific sites.
The city carefully considered property owner requests to add their properties to the Housing Sites Inventory described in detail in Appendix F. Wherever possible, while also aligning with the key community planning priorities identified in the Housing Element process and considering the constraints identified in Appendix G, the city added such sites. Notably, the city added Sites I and J in response to public comments received at the joint City Council/Planning Commission joint study session on September 25, 2023.
Theme 12: Correct various typographical errors noted in the draft Housing Element.
The city has considered the typographical errors identified by the commenters and made revisions where appropriate, including a correction to the name of a local community group Protect San Pedro Mountain. The city appreciates the community’s attention to detail that has improved the quality of the Housing Element.
Comments received between October 16, 2023, and December 12, 2024.
The City received several comments between October 16, 2023, and December 12, 2024, and all written comments have been included in Appendix A. Each comment was thoroughly considered in the development of the current draft. A significant share of the comments received during this period were consistent with the themes 4, 5, 10, and 11 described in greater detail above and listed below.
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Theme 4: The Housing Element should include a program to create an anti-displacement ordinance including consideration of a just cause for eviction ordinance; and Theme 5: The city should establish and fund a Housing Action Fund to support a range of affordable housing activities.
Theme 10: The Housing Element should prioritize development and marketing of housing to people with special needs/persons with disabilities and those who are most housing insecure.
Theme 11: Property owner and public requests to modify the housing site inventory by adding or removing specific sites.
How the Element considered, and in many cases incorporated, requests and comments regarding themes 4, 5, 10, and 11 is also described in the corresponding narrative above.
Additional specific comments included: emphasizing the need for additional housing protection, preservation, and production, particularly for affordable housing; criticism of lack of recent prior progress in housing development in the City; a request to provide greater support nonprofit housing providers such as HIP and HEART to advance fair housing and inclusion goals; concern that sites on the inventory may not be “shovel ready” or economically feasible or that owner interest in the development of housing has not been publicly confirmed for each site; opposition to the inclusion of Oceana High School; request to include parcels in the Sharp Park Specific Plan area with APNs 016-031-130, 016-050-390, and 016-050-410; and specific interest in having additional sites added to the inventory. These comments are discussed in greater detail below.
During the environmental review process, the City also received written comments noting state requirements and recommendations from the Native American Heritage Commission letter, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Caltrans. The City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) provided comments noting the environmental review documents should appropriately consider Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan requirements. Members of the public also made comments seeking clarification on the environmental review process, expressed concern or opposition to the environmental review process, and expressed particular concern for birds and about parking and traffic impacts. Public comments received prior to December 12, 2024, as part of the environmental review process were also considered in the development of the Element and the environmental review process.
Comments received prior to publication of the Housing Element were carefully reviewed and considered by the project team and provided to policy makers throughout the revision process. The revised Housing Element makes additional program commitments in housing protection, preservation, and production, and includes additional support and specific targets around support for nonprofit housing partners such as HIP.
Regarding the economic feasibility of sites on the inventory: as described in Appendix F, the sites inventory is consistent with State Housing Law, including Government Code Section 65583.2 and HCD guidance. The sites list is an inventory of land suitable for residential development that can be feasibly developed during the 2023- 2031 period sufficient to provide for the regional housing need for all income levels. Consistent with State Housing Law, the analysis considers the realistic capacity and general feasibility for the sites included in the Inventory but does not include a detailed economic feasibility analysis of each specific site, nor does it exclusively include sites for which the owner has publicly stated an intention to develop.
Requests from property owners were also thoughtfully considered by the City during the Housing Element Update process, including those from property owners expressing interest in residential development on their properties. However, the City was unable to accommodate all property owner requests while also complying with all analysis required in the Housing Element pursuant to state law, including but not limited to an analysis of applicable infrastructure capacity limitations, consistent with Government Code Sections 65583, subd. (a)(3) REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 A-18 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 and subd. (c)(1). Of note, parcels with APNs 016-031-130, 016-050-390, and 016-050-410, were not included on the inventory as they do not meet established HCD criteria, would not result in a substantial number of units, and are also challenged by constraints associated with their location within the coastal zone.
The City’s analysis of applicable infrastructure capacity limitations was a key factor that limited the City’s ability to add sites to the Sites Inventory solely on the basis of expressed property owner interest. Most notable among these factors was the limited capacity of the Rockaway Beach Pump Station (RBPS) that conveys sanitary sewer flows from the RBPS Tributary Area to the Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant (CCWRP). The RBPS Tributary Area generally consists of the central portion of the Highway 1 corridor inclusive of most of the Vallemar and Rockaway Beach neighborhoods and some additional areas on the periphery of these neighborhoods. As discussed in detail in Appendix G Housing Constraints, the wet weather capacity limitations of the RBPS prevented the City from adding a significant number of new housing units within the RBPS Tributary Area until planned infrastructure improvements are completed during the Housing Element planning period. The City’s conservative estimate of added capacity to the RBPS from planned infrastructure improvements would accommodate an additional 200 housing units. This served as a critical planning factor for the City’s consideration of sites in the Housing Sites Inventory within the RBPS Tributary Area.
The City considered requests from five property owners or property owner representatives for properties located within the RBPS Tributary Area. The City considered these requests in light of the 200-housing unit capacity limitation caused by the RBPS. During the public review process, the City specifically considered requests related to the following properties:
1. Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 018-140-460 and 018-140-470 City-estimated Capacity: Site 11/Core RHNA – 69 housing units Owner-estimated Capacity: Not provided
2. APNs 018-140-220, 018-140-300, and 018-140-660
City-estimated Capacity: Site 38/Core RHNA – 61 units (APN 018-140-300, and 018-140-660); Site I/Buffer – 73 housing units (APN 018-140-220),
Owner-estimated Capacity: 140 housing units
3. APNs 018-140-680, 018-140-690, and 018-140-700
City-estimated Capacity: Site 12/Buffer – 169 housing units (APN 018-140-700 only) Owner-estimated Capacity: 225 housing units
4. APN 022-150-440
City-estimated Capacity: TBD
Owner-estimated Capacity: 113-127 housing units
5. APN 022-027-030
City-estimated Capacity: TBD
Owner-estimated Capacity: 6 housing units
The City considered these requests not only in relation to the 200-housing unit RBPS capacity limitation, but also in relation to other sites already identified in the Housing Sites Inventory within the RBPS Tributary Area, prior to submission of these property owner requests. In total, the City has identified six sites within the RBPS Tributary Area totaling 179 housing units in the Core RHNA category (Sites 10, 11, and 38) and 291 housing units in the buffer category (Sites 12, I, and J). As demonstrated above, four sites included in the Housing Sites Inventory were related to property owner requests. Yet, due to the RBPS capacity limitation, the City could REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT A-19
not accommodate additional property owner requests for inclusion in the Core RHNA category because any additional site included in the Core RHNA category of the Housing Site Inventory would exceed the RBPS capacity estimation. It should be noted that the Housing Sites Inventory does not dictate where residential development will occur, and the decision whether to pursue development of any particular privately owned site always remains with the owner of the property, not the City. Not being included in the Inventory does not in itself preclude the development of housing on such a site. The established development application review process of the City would govern any such proposal. Therefore, the City provided fair and careful consideration of property owner requests for inclusion in the Housing Sites Inventory while also considering applicable infrastructure limitations.
Appendix A Attachments
Attachment A-1: Community feedback, communications, and documentation that support the findings and conclusions in this section. Written public comments received during the initial Housing Element public review and comment period from February 24 through March 27, 2023, as well as written public comments received after the initial public review and comment period through December 12, 2024but before release of the Public Review Draft #2, are included at the end of the document following Appendix G.
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Photo: Coastline in West Sharp Park neighborhood (2019) APPENDIX B: PRIOR HOUSING
ELEMENT REVIEW
February 6, 2025
The update of the Housing Element provides an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and challenges as well as an opportunity to identify what is working and what is limiting Pacifica’s housing production. Appendix B highlights key accomplishments and challenges from the previous Housing Element’s planning cycle (2015 to 2023). Table B-1 provides a high-level analysis of quantified objectives over the prior Housing Element cycle.
Following a review of key developments, Table B-2 includes a full assessment of the work plan in the previous Housing Element, including a detailed review of progress and performance as well as recommended next steps.
This information will help ensure that the Housing Element for the 2023 to 2031 planning cycle builds on success, responds to lessons learned, and helps achieve the City’s housing goals.
1. PACIFICA’S ACHIEVEMENTS
Adoption of the Pacifica General Plan
The Pacifica City Council adopted the updated 2040 General Plan on July 11, 2022. The new plan replaced the city’s 40+ year old General Plan, last comprehensively updated in 1980. The updated 2040 General Plan provides the City with new tools to address housing challenges and includes a set of policies and programs that serve as the blueprint for physical development. Its purpose is to establish a long-range vision for the community and to plan for new growth, housing needs, public services, and environmental protection (see Chapter 8 – Consistency with General Plan).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 B-2 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 TABLE B-1: QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES ANALYSIS
Income Category
New
Construction
New
Construction
Actual Rehab
Rehab
Actual Preservation
Preservation
Actual
Extremely Low 60 – 95 – 101 101
Very Low 61 – 158 – 93 –
Low 68 – 135 – 5 –
Moderate 70 57 72 – 8 –
Above Moderate 154 55 80 – 16 1
TOTAL 413 112 540 0 223 102
GRAND TOTAL PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT 1,176
GRAND TOTAL BUILT 112
Surplus (Deficit) (1,064)
Adoption of the Sharp Park Specific Plan
The Sharp Park Specific Plan, adopted in August 2022, provides focused land use, transportation, and other policies to realize a revitalized Sharp Park neighborhood. The Sharp Park neighborhood has significant potential for growth over the next several decades. It is the city’s civic core and is home to many unique businesses as well as the iconic Pacifica Pier. There are opportunities for mixed-use buildings, new housing, and higher intensity development that will help the City address issues of housing affordability.
The Sharp Park Specific Plan includes density levels of up to 50 dwelling units per acre, a significant increase from the previous limit of 22 dwelling units per acre. The plan also includes height bonuses for projects with greater levels of affordability and several policies designed specifically to support the construction and preservation of affordable housing. The plan reflects community support for quality-of-life amenities as well as the importance of affordable housing for workers and younger generations.
Most of the plan area is in the Coastal Zone and requires California Coastal Commission (CCC) certification before the plan can take effect. There is at least one site, the Eureka Square Shopping Center (20 Eureka Drive), that is not in the Coastal Zone, and will allow density of up to 50 dwelling units per acre (more than double the previous allowable density for this site). Portions of this site contain uses that may potentially redevelop in the next Housing Element cycle.
Completion of an Update to the Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) The City Council approved a comprehensive Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) update in February 2020 and submitted the update to the CCC for certification in June 2020. The City expects a hearing on the LCLUP update at the CCC in 2023. Certification of the LCLUP update by the CCC will enable the City to issue coastal development permits at the increased densities contained in the plan (see Chapter 6 – Coastal Zone Housing).
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Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) has increased significantly in recent years. In the last planning period, the first income-restricted ADUs were constructed when 42 affordable ADUs were developed for residents earning 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The construction of ADUs in single-family and multi-family residential developments has increased in popularity since the City updated its ADU ordinance in response to changes in State law and launched programs to help interested homeowners more easily add ADUs to their property. Pacifica was selected to participate in an ADU One-Stop Shop program administered by Hello Housing’s Brighten Your Backyard program. The ADU One-Stop Shop provides a clearinghouse for information and technical assistance to understand ADU regulations and provides grants for ADU development. The City distributed information about ADUs to the community through public engagement initiatives. The City also promoted the use of an online tool (Symbium) to assess the feasibility of ADU development on specific properties.1 Reasonable Accommodation Ordinance The previous Housing Element recommended the creation of a reasonable accommodation program to allow deviations from zoning standards for projects that improve access for persons with disabilities. In August 2019, the City amended Chapter 4 (Zoning) of Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Pacifica Municipal Code to establish a procedure for requesting reasonable accommodation in the City’s land use and zoning regulations for persons with disabilities as protected by Fair Housing Laws. The new regulations were prepared based, in part, on the California Department of Housing and Community Department’s (HCD) “model ordinance” as well as reasonable accommodation ordinances adopted in other California jurisdictions. The amendments provide a process to address regulatory barriers that would otherwise prevent an individual with a disability from accessing equal housing opportunities. A reasonable accommodation would allow for physical modifications that would provide a suitable housing environment for disabled residents.
Adoption of Development Agreement Ordinance
The City adopted a new Development Agreement Ordinance that enables the City to negotiate additional Below Market Rate housing units in addition to the minimum Below Market Rate requirements, among other potential public benefits.
Affordable Housing Unit Preservation
The City helped preserve much-needed affordable housing in the community. For example, the Villages at Pacifica is a 170-unit apartment complex that was purchased and rehabilitated by an affordable housing operator and now provides 168 apartment units affordable to people earning 80 percent or less of the AMI. The City incentivized the preservation of the affordable units and entered into an affordable housing agreement with the operator. The project prevented displacement of tenants from the potential sale of the property to a market rate operator.
1 https://symbium.com/research/california-adu/pacifica
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The City in 2023 approved the development of workforce housing for faculty and staff of the Pacifica School District on a former elementary school site (Oddstad Elementary School). This 7.5-acre site will include 70 housing units (45 committed as workforce housing), including 11 Below Market Rate housing units.
Mobile Home Preservation
The City has made provisions to preserve the affordability of mobile homes. There is one mobile home park in the city, where residents either rent the land and own their home or rent both the mobile home and the land from the park owner. The City has a rent control ordinance in the mobile home park. There is also a recreational vehicle (RV) park in the city, although it is not oriented towards long-term residency.
2. PACIFICA’S CHALLENGES
Physical Environment
Pacifica’s slopes, coastal location, and other environmental factors create constraints on new development.
Approximately 42% of the land area of the city is publicly owned land including parks, open space, and public beaches. Much of the undeveloped land in private ownership includes coastal bluffs and vertical elevations with limited development potential. Additionally, some parts of town have limitations on development due to erosion, high fire severity, and restrictions of the California Coastal Act. Traffic back-ups on Coast Highway have a negative and reoccurring impact on the community and presents a challenge to providing adequate transportation for new development.
Coastal Zone
Pacifica’s Coastal Zone comprises approximately 1,286 acres of land, or about 15% of the city. As a Coastal Zone, the CCC must approve all the City’s land use plans within the Coastal Zone. The process for approval can be lengthy and add significant costs and uncertainty to a project. In addition, there is an appeal process for locally approved projects within a portion of the Coastal Zone, which can add uncertainty and lengthy delays to the development process.
Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance
The Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, which applies to projects including eight or more dwelling units, requires that at least 15 percent of dwelling units are affordable to persons of moderate or low incomes. In the last Housing Element planning cycle, the policy has not resulted in an uptick in the number of affordable units in the city. Many of the projects in Pacifica have been too small to be subject to the ordinance. Further analysis of the incentives and disincentives to constructing projects with eight or more units is needed. The challenges are in part due to the availability of sites for larger projects as well as relatively low densities allowed under the prior General Plan. With higher densities allowed under the updated 2040 General Plan, additional projects may be subject to the ordinance.
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Availability of Sites
In the last Housing Element cycle, Pacifica relied on existing zoning to accommodate each of the sites required to meet its RHNA. The City was not required to rezone any sites to meet its obligations under Assembly Bill (AB) 1233, which require rezoning if there is a shortfall. Challenges to producing large numbers of housing units during this housing period include: the capacity of the market to produce housing, numerous small sites, topography and protected open space, impacts of State of California coastal regulations.
Policy Challenges
Due to limited City staff resources and budget challenges, the City hasn't passed all the ordinances that were included in the work plan in its last planning cycle. This includes the ordinance for boarding houses and farmworkers, which would amend agricultural zoning to allow for farmworker housing. It also includes an ordinance for emergency shelter and transitional supportive housing.
Community Preference for Single-Family Zoning
The community values Pacifica’s coastal, rustic character and single-family home neighborhoods. The community has historically preferred single-family homes; a development pattern that will not result in enough dwelling units to meet current or future housing needs. There is a tension between retaining existing development patterns and accommodating additional housing. Recent community feedback has shown growing support for multi-family housing in redeveloped commercial shopping centers and along major transportation corridors.
Vehicular Homes and Recreational Vehicles (RVs)
Some community members are concerned and have expressed opposition to a temporary safe parking program for oversized vehicles in the public right-of-way. The City created a Temporary Safe Parking Program (TSPP) that permits 13 parking spots inside and outside the coastal zone. RVs are allowed to park for up to 29 days providing that they receive services from the Pacifica Resource Center and apply for and receive a permit. All 13 RV parking spots are on public streets or in designated locations in the public right-of-way. Five of the 13 RV parking spots located within the Coastal Zone have been appealed to the California Coastal Commission by opponents of the TSPP. The City has partnered with the Pacifica Resource Center and a designated community service officer in the Police Department to work with program participants to ensure compliance with program guidelines and address neighborhood quality of life concerns.
Planned Development Areas
The City established two priority development areas (PDAs) consistent with Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) requirements: the Sharp Park PDA and the Skyline Corridor PDA, which will guide the City’s long-term focus for planning and redevelopment. The City adopted the Sharp Park Specific Plan for the Sharp Park PDA in 2022. Following completion of the comprehensive zoning update and rezoning program required to accommodate the RHNA in this Housing Element, the City will evaluate the potential establish a specific plan for the Skyline Corridor PDA.
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The growing popularity of the short-term rental market contributes to displacement pressure in Pacifica. The City is working on options for additional regulations, such as putting a cap on short-term rentals, and further study of other regulations on short-term rentals. Pacifica’s coastal location and proximity to San Francisco has created economic incentives for private property owners to convert long-term rental housing into short-term rental housing.
3. CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW
A review of each of the programs included in the prior Housing Element (2015-2022) reflects the challenges and successes of Pacifica’s housing programs over the last eight years. The evaluation of the progress and performance of Housing Element activities as indicated below served as an important initial step in developing the goals, policies, and programs of the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
During the 2015-2022 period while important progress was made, it is substantially lower than the Quantitative Objectives identified in the 2015-2022 Housing Element. Housing development in Pacifica faces myriad challenges from cost of construction and land and various governmental and non-governmental constraints.
For a thorough analysis of these constraints, please see Appendix G.
4. EVALUATION OF APPROPRIATENESS, EFFECTIVENESS, AND
PROGRESS OF PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT
Government Code, Section 65588 (a) and (b) require the City to evaluate the appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives, and policies in contributing to the attainment of the state housing goal; the effectiveness of the housing element in attainment of the community’s housing goals and objectives; and the progress of the city, county, or city and county in implementation of the housing element. This analysis speaks to the overall effectiveness of this Housing Element in achieving its previously articulated state and local housing objectives.
An individual analysis of each program follows a discussion of analysis of appropriateness, effectiveness, and progress.
Appropriateness
When analyzed together the City’s housing goals, objectives, and policies contributed to the attainment of State housing goals appropriately.
Notable progress was made on infill housing, ADUs, reasonable accommodation, mobile home park preservation, expanding affordable infill housing, including approval of a 70-unit proposal. Housing preservation generally, and mobile home park and senior housing in particular, saw significant progress over the planning period. While efforts on housing maintenance and agricultural worker housing were not as effective as progress in other areas, looking comprehensively we find the goals, objectives, and policies contributed to the attainment of state housing goals appropriately.
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It is also important to note that while completion of the General Plan Update in 2022 was not an explicit Housing Element program in the previous cycle it had and will continue to have significant impact of the ability for almost all Housing Element objectives, including those of the previous cycle.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the Housing Element in attainment of the community's housing goals and objectives was also evaluated. Looking comprehensively at the actions implemented, the progress was deemed to be effective.
The adoption of the Pacifica General Plan in July 2022 and Sharp Park Specific Plan in August 2022 have already begun to impact development interest and is expected to do more so moving forward into the current planning period. Completion of an Update to the LCLUP was also key toward advancing both production and equity goals, however, its ultimate impact will reside with the California Coastal Commission through its review and certification of the LCLUP. The housing rehabilitation program approach was not as effective as envisioned and has been substantially revised.
The notable progress made on ADUs, Affordable Housing Unit Preservation, and Mobile Home Preservation has yielded an increase in production and preservation described and quantified above. Taken together, the housing goals programs and policies were deemed effective.
Progress
Substantial progress was made in implementing the programs identified in the prior cycle. A handful of programs saw little progress. Seismic upgrades and the creation of a Housing Element implementation committee saw no implementation; however, these programs have been discontinued for the current element and other approaches and efforts prioritized due to their expected effectiveness.
Efforts to amend the Zoning Ordinance for emergency shelters straddles the Housing Element cycle timelines.
At the time of writing new policies were on the agenda for City Council adoption. Progress was made in both the previous and current housing cycles.
Cumulative Evaluation of Impact of Prior Housing Element Looking comprehensively at the appropriateness and effectiveness of past goals, policies, and related actions in meeting the housing needs, and the progress toward their implementation, meaningful and measurable impact has been achieved. The programs of the prior cycle Housing Element in aggregate, given market conditions and other conditions, resulted in twice the projected preserved units and over five times the number of rehab units.
However, the scale of the housing need in the region is immense and housing need within the city reflects these challenges. With 112 units constructed (see Table B-1) compared with a RHNA of 413 units, the programs of the prior element alone were not sufficient to overcome market conditions and constraints that have limited housing production at the scale envisioned. The overall lack of public or private funding available to construct or acquire housing affordable to low- and very-low-income households has been a central obstacle to the production of housing.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 B-8 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Limited City staff resources and public funds available also limit the ability to effectively achieve the production goals previously established. Progress toward addressing the challenges associated with special needs populations was overall quite positive, particularly for the programs relating to outcomes for seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons experiencing homelessness. Programs that could have positively impacted large households, female-headed households, agricultural workers were less effective and are discussed in greater details in the housing needs, fair housing, constraints, and programs sections of the Housing Element.
The current transportation network has frequency, connectivity, and access shortcomings that limit the relative socio-economic impact housing production and preservation within the city. While largely outside the influence of the city, transportation is integrally related to housing goals and is key to accessing employment opportunities and other key services. Investment in transportation is fundamental to achieving key aspects of the housing goals of the City and State.
Every unit produced, preserved, or rehabilitated is an important outcome and the City made substantial progress in achieving previously articulated goals despite shortcomings. Lessons learned from the previous cycle have informed the analysis and shaped the design of each program articulated in the current Housing Element.
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TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action Goal 1: Housing Maintenance – Encourage upgrades to and maintenance of the city’s existing housing units; improve neighborhood aesthetics. 1: Grant and Loan Funding for
Rehabilitation
Advertise available grant and loan funding for
lower income property owners to
rehabilitate substandard housing units.
The City will strive to refer enough residents
to ensure two residents will successfully
apply for the program each year.
Timeline: Annual and Ongoing
The City does not have information to
confirm whether any Pacifica residents
received program loans or grant funding.
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-8.
2: Seismic Upgrades to Unsafe
Buildings
Reduce potential loss of life and property
damage from earthquakes by requiring
seismic upgrades (structural strengthening
and hazard mitigation) to unsafe buildings,
which includes unreinforced-masonry
buildings and soft-story buildings (those with
ground floors having a lateral stiffness
significantly less than that of the stories
above).
Timeline: 2016-2017
The City did not pursue a mandatory
seismic upgrade ordinance.
The statewide California Earthquake Brace
+ Bolt (EBB) program is available to owneroccupied residential buildings containing 1-4 dwelling units and provides grants for up to
$3,000 toward a seismic retrofit for
qualifying older houses.
Discontinue. Staff intends to continue to
distribute information about the statewide
California Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)
program but has removed the program from
the Housing Element.
Goal 2: Preservation of Housing Affordability – Prevent the conversion of existing affordable housing units to less affordable housing types. 3: Preserve At-Risk Senior
Housing
Develop programs to help preserve the "atrisk" units at Casa Pacifica senior housing complex.
Monitor Casa Pacifica Apartments for any
indication of intent to cease participation in
the Section 8 program. Formulate a
comprehensive response with affordable
housing partners to any notice of intent to
cease Section 8 participation.
Timeline: 2013-2018
12/31/2018: Contacted property owner to
inquire about long-term intentions for the
site. The current Section 8 program
contract is from 1/31/2021 through
1/31/2025
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-7.
4: Mobile Home Park
Preservation
Encourage preservation of the existing mobile
home park as an important source of lowand moderate-income housing.
Monitor mobile home park operator’s longterm intentions for the site, encouraging Timeline: 2020
12/31/2017 and 12/31/2020: Contacted
property owner to inquire about long-term
intentions for the site.
Program completed. Staff intends to support
the property owner to successfully engage
with the Coastal Commission but have
removed this as a program in the Housing
Element.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 B-10 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action maintenance of the mobile home park use.
Administer Ordinance No. 550-C.S. if
necessary. Unless development of additional
mobile home parks occurs during the
planning period, the maximum performance
related to this policy would be one mobile
home park conversion.
The mobile home park operator intends to
operate the site on a long-term basis and
has resumed leasing units to residents after
completing various site upgrades.
The City successfully negotiated relocation
assistance for households leaving the
community. The City will support property
owner in their efforts to engage the
California Coastal Commission in order to
protect the shoreline and maintain the
habitability of the site.
5: Marketing of Affordable
Housing Programs
Ensure proper marketing of housing
affordability programs and groups by partner
agencies, including the Reverse Annuity
Mortgage (RAM) program, Human
Investment Project (HIP) Homesharing
Program, Lease-Purchase Program,
emergency shelters, Project Sentinel, and
Center for the Independence of the Disabled.
Timeline: Biannual
1) Conducted training of Planning Division,
Code Enforcement Division, and Parks,
Beaches, and Recreation staff regarding
available housing referral programs, services,
and agencies.
2) Contacted partner agencies to verify
whether they continue to make referrals
and cross-referrals to other assistance
agencies.
The HIP Homeshare program was
presented at City Council meetings to raise
public awareness in 2019. Program
representatives staffed a table at Home for
All engagement opportunities held on
housing topics in 2019.
This program was significantly revised to
emphasize staff training and promotion of
external programs and is now included as
HE-I-12.
6: Reasonable Accommodation
Program
Create a reasonable accommodation
program and procedures to allow deviations
from zoning standards for projects that
improve access for persons with disabilities.
Objective: Adopt an ordinance by the end of
2016.
Timeline: 2016
To promote housing opportunities for a
person with disabilities, in 2019 the City
established a reasonable accommodation
process consistent with Fair Housing Law in
land use, zoning, and building regulations by
adopting Ordinance No. 851 to ensure
equal access to housing.
Program completed.
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TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action Goal 3: Housing Improvement – Encourage code compliance through proactive engagement, education and enforcement; leverage City investments to improve the character of neighborhoods; and enhance housing affordability through energy conservation and other strategies. 7: Housing Rehabilitation Emphasize housing rehabilitation to forestall decline in the housing stock. Utilize
government subsidies including Section 8 or
other rental assistance programs to enhance
owner affordability. Use the Code
Enforcement process to refer owners to
apply for Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funds for housing
rehabilitation.
Distribute rehabilitation and housing
affordability program information to 300
property owners during building code or
property maintenance code interactions with
City inspectors. Make 3-5 referrals annually.
Timeline: Annual, ongoing
City staff made zero referrals during the last
year.
Program has been significantly modified and
is now included within program HE-I-8.
8: Voluntary Rehabilitation
Incentives
Establish an incentive program for voluntary
housing rehabilitation, including:
Condition all development approvals to
require improvements to infrastructure
and multi-modal connectivity.
Continue implementation of Complete
Streets policies.
Pursue funding to implement Phase I of the
Palmetto streetscape improvements and
planning for subsequent phases.
Timeline: 2015-2023, Ongoing
1/31/2015 through 1/31/2023: Condition 80
projects (10 per year) requiring Complete
Streets improvements. All development
proposals were conditioned as such. The
General Plan Update adopted in 2022
established a comprehensive Complete
Streets Policy.
The City completed two major sidewalk
connections on Monterey Road to Hickey
Boulevard closing a gap of about 100 feet;
and 1,400 feet along Palmetto Avenue from
Westline Drive.
The City completed Phase I improvements
to Palmetto Avenue in 2018, enhancing the
neighborhood quality of the 92 housing units
in the vicinity of the streetscape
improvements.
Program Complete. See also General Plan
Circulation Element Policy CI-I-2 (Complete
Streets Policy), adopted in July 2022.
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Successfully refer 35 households per year.
Timeline: 2015-2023, Ongoing
City staff maintains and distributes program
information at the Planning Department
counter to facilitate referrals. However, the
City has not received a report from PG&E
regarding the number of residents
participating in the program, and staff did
not track the number distributed.
Promoting Energy Savings in Housing will
become a policy, and while staff intend to
continue to distribute flyers, the program
will be discontinued in the Housing Element.
Goal 4: Housing Development – Prioritize mixed-use residential development on infill sites; provide housing opportunities for all income groups; provide a choice of housing types and densities; maintain a balanced residential environment with access to employment opportunities, community facilities and adequate services; actively monitor Housing Element implementation. 10: Infill Mixed-Use Development
in Underutilized Sites
Prioritize infill mixed-use and residential
development on underutilized sites and
vacant sites interspersed with developed
areas.
Contact two property owners of identified
underutilized sites per year to encourage
redevelopment with higher density, mixeduse projects.
Timeline: Annual
Nearly all projects approved by the City
were infill housing developments. A number
of mixed-use projects have also been
approved. The updated 2040 General Plan
emphasizes this approach and several
complementary policies and programs were
strengthened in this area.
This program has been greatly expanded in
this Housing Element. See programs HE-I-1,
HE-I-2, HE-I-3, and HE-I-4.
11: Second Units Encourage and facilitate construction of second residential units on properties zoned
for single-family residential uses in
conformance with existing zoning regulations.
Encourage construction of two second
residential units per year, or 16 second units
during the planning period.
Periodically evaluate the City’s second unit
zoning regulations and inquire with residents
and construction professionals as to the
perceived level of difficulty and expense
associated with second unit construction.
Where perceptions suggest second unit
construction is difficult, develop strategies to
revise the City’s regulations, such as relaxing
second unit parking requirements.
Timeline: 2016-2022, Biannual
The City permitted at least 187 ADUs over
the 2015-2022 cycle.
The City has observed a significant uptick in
interest in ADU construction after launching
the One Stop Shop ADU Pilot Program and
providing Symbium Build to the public,
leading to an increase in ADU building
permit applications. Considering the new
State regulations and the success of the pilot
program, City staff expects to issue a
greater number of building permits for
ADUs in subsequent reporting periods.
Additional discussion of the City’s ADU
efforts can be found in Section 4 of
Appendix F.
This program has been expanded and is now
included within program HE-I-4.
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TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action 12: Second Unit Ordinance Amend Second Unit Ordinance to incorporate updates in State law.
Timeline: 2016
City Council adopted a new ADU ordinance
(Ord. No. 825-C.S.) in 2017 to comply with
State law.
In early 2019, changes made by the
California Legislature resulted in City
Council adoption of Ordinance No. 841-
C.S., which included a repeal and
replacement of the City’s existing second
residential unit standards with current ADU
standards in the Pacifica Municipal Code
(PMC).
Later in December 2019, Planning
Commission adopted Resolution 2019-037
recommending City Council approval of
additional changes, and in January 2020, the
City Council subsequently approved the
proposed changes and adopted Ordinance
854-C.S.
Program completed.
13: Update Density Bonus
Ordinance
Amend Density Bonus Ordinance to reflect
updates to State law.
The City has not pursued enactment of an
ordinance but implements state law density
bonus requirements.
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-6 and HE-I-9.
14: Expand Zoning Ordinance Consider amending the Zoning Ordinance to allow Rooming Houses and Boardinghouses
for farmworker housing as a permitted use in
the R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential) District.
Timeline: 2017
The City has not pursued enactment of an
ordinance.
Discontinue. See program below.
15: Agricultural Housing Amend A (Agricultural) Zoning District to allow farmworker housing.
Timeline: 2016
The City did not accomplish this zoning
amendment.
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-2 and HE-I-14.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 B-14 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action 16: Amend Zoning Ordinance for
Emergency Shelters, Transitional
and Supportive Housing.
Amend the Zoning Code to create new
definitions for emergency shelters,
transitional housing, and supportive housing.
Create new permitted uses for these types of
facilities to clarify their treatment by the City.
Create development standards for the
establishment and ongoing operations of
these facilities.
Timeline: 2016
The City selected a Housing Element
implementation consultant during 2017. The
consultant has developed a draft zoning
ordinance to allow emergency shelters,
transitional housing, and supportive housing.
An emergency shelter ordinance update was
introduced at a first hearing on November
27, 2023, and is scheduled for an adoption
vote by City Council on December 11,
2023.
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-14.
17: Expand Affordable Low
Income Rental Housing
The City shall initiate contact with developers
from the private and nonprofit sectors
interested in development opportunities in
the City of Pacifica for rental housing
affordable to persons with extremely low,
very low, and low incomes.
Timeline: Ongoing
City staff has participated in several
meetings with potential affordable housing
developers, including with representatives of
the Pacifica School District to discuss the
permitting process for development of
affordable housing for school district
employees at the former Oddstad School
site. A development application was
submitted in 2020 to develop the site with
workforce housing with 70 proposed units
and the City approved the project in May
2023.
Continue. Revised program is now included
within HE-I-4 and HE-I-9.
18: Development of Housing for
all Income Levels
Encourage development of housing for all
income levels, including lower income
individuals, in suitable areas to meet ABAG's
projected housing need.
Update available development site inventory
annually to encourage development of
housing units to satisfy the City’s RHNA.
Timeline: Annual, Ongoing
The City approved housing at all income
levels except Very Low Income and
Extremely Low Income, which reflects in
part the City’s limited funding to support
affordable housing development.
Development of housing for all income
levels is central to the Housing Element and
codified as Goal HE-G-1. See adequate sites
inventory and programs HE-I-1 through HEI-9.
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TABLE B-2: CITY OF PACIFICA PRIOR HOUSING ELEMENT REVIEW Program No./Name Description and Objective Implementation Status Action 19: Housing Element
Implementation Oversight
Form a committee to assert more active
oversight in Housing Element
implementation.
Review the draft Housing Element status and
Annual Progress Report prior to the public
hearing and consideration by City Council.
Devise strategies to accommodate housing
needs that arise during the planning period
that the Housing Element does not
adequately address.
Timeline: Ongoing
The City did not establish a Housing
Element implementation committee.
However, between February 2019 and May
2019, the City worked in collaboration with
San Mateo County's Home for All Network
to host two community engagement events
to introduce information about the current
housing situation affecting the Bay Area
region. The public was asked to identify
potential solutions. One of the potential
housing solutions of greatest interest to
those attending the Home for All events
was facilitating development of ADUs.
As it relates to strategies to accommodate
housing needs that arise during the planning
period that the Housing Element does not
adequately address, the City committed
significant staff and financial resources in
2020 to establishing an affordability
agreement at the Villages at Pacifica
apartments to create 168 apartment units
affordable at low-income levels (80% AMI)
by foregoing future property tax revenues
for the term of the agreement.
Housing Element Annual Progress Reports
are now addressed within Program HE-I-14.
Through community consultation and an
evaluation of experiences with multiple
approaches in municipalities throughout the
region, it was determined that the Planning
Commission and City Council would
provide oversight and policy decision
making. The City Council has also provided
direction that ongoing efforts should focus
on community consultation and the
implementation of policies and programs
identified in the Housing Element.
In addition, the City Council has established
February as the review period for the
Annual Progress Report on the Housing
Element and other elements of the General
Plan, well before the April 1 annual due date.
Scheduling review in February allows the
Council to determine additional areas of
emphasis for General Plan (including
Housing Element) implementation for the
following year, ahead of the City’s annual
prioritization and budgeting process which
begins in March annually.
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Photo: Apartments in the Fairmont neighborhood (2022)
APPENDIX C: HOUSING NEEDS
February 6, 2025
1. HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The purpose of the Housing Needs Assessment is to describe and quantify existing and projected housing needs and conditions in the City of Pacifica and provide important information to support the goals, policies, and programs of the housing element. This chapter will also identify and analyze households with disproportionate housing needs in the community such as extremely low-income households, households with people with disabilities, lower-income seniors, homeless residents, female-headed households with children, as well as cost burdened and overcrowded households, among others. This chapter is a profile of the community, including an analysis of the city’s population, housing characteristics, employment, and income trends. Recent changes to state law require local jurisdictions to examine these dynamics when updating their housing elements.
2. DATA SOURCES
The primary data sources used in this chapter were compiled by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) in April 2021 and are referred to throughout the document as the ABAG Housing Element Data Packet. ABAG relied on the US Census, American Community Survey (ACS), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), California Department of Finance (DOF), California Employment Development Department (EDD), California Economic Development Department, HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Census and other available local sources. Where more current information is available, it has been provided.
Please note that numbers for the same type of data (e.g., households) may not exactly match in different tables and sections because of the different data sources and samples used. The data in this report is derived from REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-2 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 samples and as such, are subject to sampling variability. This means that data is an estimate, and that other estimates could be possible if another set of respondents had been reached.
3. POPULATION GROWTH AND PROJECTIONS
In 2020, the population of Pacifica was estimated to be 38,331 (Table C-1) and Pacifica makes up 5 percent of the San Mateo County population. While many cities in the Bay Area region have experienced significant growth in jobs and population, growth in Pacifica has remained more stable. The Bay Area has seen a steady increase in population since 1990 (except for a dip during the Great Recession in 2008-2010). The Great Recession in Pacifica beginning in 2008 produced a larger decline in population growth compared to the region (Figure C-1).1 Since 2000, Pacifica’s population has remained stable with a slight decrease of 0.2 percent which is far below the growth rate of the region which has grown by almost 15 percent in the same period.
TABLE C-1: POPULATION GROWTH TRENDS
Geography 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Pacifica 37,670 38,621 38,392 38,542 37,234 38,757 38,331 San Mateo
County 649,623 685,354 707,163 719,844 718,451 761,748 773,244 Bay Area 6,020,147 6,381,961 6,784,348 7,073,912 7,150,739 7,595,694 7,790,537 Universe: Total population.
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series.
Figure C-1: Population Growth Trends
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series.
Population growth in Pacifica has been limited in part due to slower job growth compared to other Bay Area jurisdictions but also due to the lack of available housing. Multiple barriers to housing production including high land and construction costs, limited funding, coastal zone regulations, dominance of single-family zoning 1 To compare the rate of growth across various geographic scales, Figure C-1 shows population for the jurisdiction, county, and region indexed to the population in the year 1990. This means that the data points represent the population growth (i.e., percent change) in each of these geographies relative to their populations in 1990.
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limiting opportunities for denser development, and a significant amount of publicly owned land (Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sharp Park, San Pedro Valley County Park, and other public open spaces make up approximately 40 percent of the city’s land area). While Pacifica has not shared in the region’s jobs and population growth over the last several decades, the city is prepared to contribute to regional housing production by facilitating the development of its RHNA sites to help meet regional demand.
4. AGE
The distribution of age groups in a city shapes what types of housing the community may need in the near future. An increase in the older population may mean there is a developing need for more senior housing options, while higher numbers of children and young families can point to the need for more family housing options and related services. There has also been a move by many to age-in-place or downsize to stay within their communities, which can mean more multi-family and accessible units are also needed.
In Pacifica, the median age in 2000 was 37.3; by 2019, this figure had increased, landing at around 42 years.
More specifically, the population of those under 14 has decreased since 2010, while the 65-and-over population has increased (Figure C-2).
Figure C-2: Pacifica Population by Age, 2000-2019
Universe: Total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 SF1, Table P12; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010 SF1, Table P12; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001.
The overall age composition shifted older between 2000 and 2019. Figure C-2 shows a significant increase in residents over the age of 55 between 2000 and 2010 and a significant increase in residents over the age of 65 between 2010 and 2019. This trend is reversed for younger age groups below the age of 55 that remained relatively stable or decreased in numbers during the same time period. Pacifica is similar to many communities in the county and across the nation, where there has been an increase in the percentage of citizens over the age of 65. Looking at the senior and youth populations by race can add an additional layer of understanding, as families and seniors of color are even more likely to experience challenges finding affordable housing. People REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-4 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 of color2 make up 31 percent of seniors and 46 percent of youth under 18 (Figure C-3). Pacifica has a developing need for more senior housing options, as well as options for seniors to age-in-place or downsize to stay within the community. More affordable multi-family and accessible units are needed to meet this need.
Figure C-3: Pacifica Senior and Youth Population by Race Universe: Total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-G).
5. RACE AND ETHNICITY
Understanding the racial makeup of a city and region is important for designing and implementing effective housing policies and programs. These patterns are shaped by both market factors and government actions, such as exclusionary zoning, discriminatory lending practices and displacement that has occurred over time and continues to impact communities of color today.3
Pacifica is predominantly White (52%) and is the only RCAA (Racially Concentrated Area of Affluence) in North San Mateo County. Pacifica’s second most predominant population is Asian (22%), and it also has a large Hispanic minority (19%). Pacifica’s Other Race/Multiple Races population makes up 5 percent of the city and its Black or African American population makes up 2 percent of the city.
Since 2000, the percentage of residents in Pacifica identifying as White has decreased—and by the same token the percentage of residents of all other races and ethnicities has increased—by 12 percentage points, with the 2019 population non-White residents standing at 20,257 residents (Figure C-4). In absolute terms, the Asian / API, Non-Hispanic population increased the most while the White, Non-Hispanic population decreased the most. The population of Hispanic residents increased by 4 percent over the same period. 2 Here, we count all non-white racial groups.
3 See, for example, Rothstein, R. (2017). The color of law : a forgotten history of how our government segregated America. New York, NY & London, UK: Liveright Publishing.
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Figure C-4: Pacifica Population by Race, 2000-2019
Universe: Total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Table P004; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B03002.
6. EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
A city houses employed residents who either work in the community where they live or work elsewhere in the region. Conversely, a city may have job sites that employ residents from the same city, but more often employ workers commuting from outside of it. Smaller cities typically will have more employed residents than jobs and export workers, while larger cities tend to have a surplus of jobs and import workers. To some extent the regional transportation system is set up for this flow of workers to the region’s core job centers. At the same time, as the housing affordability crisis has illustrated, local imbalances may be severe, where local jobs and worker populations are out of sync at a sub-regional scale.
One measure of this is the relationship between workers and jobs. Between 2002 and 2018, the number of jobs in Pacifica increased by 28 percent (Figure C-5). However, compared to the regional job growth, Pacifica’s job growth has been modest. There are 21,248 employed residents, and 5,634 jobs4 in Pacifica—the ratio of jobs to resident workers is 0.27; Pacifica is a net exporter of workers.
This means that many Pacifica residents commute outside of the city for work. Regional jobs, including San Francisco and Silicon Valley job centers are more easily accessed in the northern part of town because of a more accessible transportation network and less traffic congestion. However, relative to the region, Pacifica has a poor transportation network that lacks connectivity and access to transit. Lack of access creates barriers to accessing employment opportunities. Lack of an adequate transportation network and lack of access to employment centers contributes to the disproportionate housing needs of lower-income households. 4 Employed residents in a jurisdiction is counted by place of residence (they may work elsewhere) while jobs in a jurisdiction are counted by place of work (they may live elsewhere). The jobs may differ from those reported in Figure C-5 as the source for the time series is from administrative data, while the cross-sectional data is from a survey.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-6 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-5: Jobs in Pacifica
Universe: Jobs from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files, 2002-2018.
Figure C-6 shows the balance when comparing jobs to workers, broken down by different wage groups, offering additional insight into local dynamics. A community may offer employment for relatively low-income workers but have relatively few housing options for those workers - or conversely, it may house residents who are low wage workers but offer few employment opportunities for them. Such relationships may cast extra light on potentially pent-up demand for housing in particular price categories. A relative surplus of jobs relative to residents in a given wage category suggests the need to import those workers, while conversely, surpluses of workers in a wage group relative to jobs means the community will export those workers to other jurisdictions.
Such flows are not inherently bad, though over time, sub-regional imbalances may appear. For every income category, Pacifica has more residents than jobs (Figure C-6).5 This reflects the lack of major employment centers within the city at all income levels. However, the city has more balance between residents and jobs in lower wage categories indicating that residents in lower wage jobs are more likely to work in the city than residents in higher wage jobs who are more likely to commute outside Pacifica.
Figure C-7 shows the balance of Pacifica’s resident workers to the jobs located in the city for different wage groups as a ratio—a value of 1 means that a city has the same number of jobs in a wage group as it has resident workers—in principle, a balance. Values above 1 indicate a jurisdiction will need to import workers for jobs in a given wage group (Figure C-7). In Pacifica, the higher the wages, the more likely the worker is traveling outside the region for work.
5 The source table is top-coded at $75,000, precluding more fine grained analysis at the higher end of the wage spectrum.
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Figure C-6: Pacifica Workers by Earnings as Place of Work and Place of Residence Universe: Workers 16 years and over with earnings.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data 2015-2019, B08119, B08519.
Figure C-7: Pacifica Jobs-Worker Ratios, By Wage Group
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs); Residence Area Characteristics (RAC) files (Employed Residents), 2010-2018.
Such balances between jobs and workers may directly influence the housing demand in a community. New jobs may draw new residents, and when there is high demand for housing relative to supply, many workers may be unable to afford to live where they work, particularly where job growth has been in relatively lower wage jobs.
This dynamic not only means many workers will need to prepare for long commutes and time spent on the road, but in the aggregate it contributes to traffic congestion and time lost for all road users. In the Bay Area region, the imbalance between supply and demand for housing stems from strong economic growth creating new jobs and the insufficient construction of new housing units to provide enough supply to meet the demand.
Pacifica does not have any large corporate headquarters like South San Francisco with Genentech, a large REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-8 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 biotechnology company, or YouTube in San Bruno. Major employers in Pacifica are Safeway, the Pacifica School District and the City of Pacifica.
Figure C-8: Jobs-Household Ratio
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment; households in a jurisdiction.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs), 2002-2018; California Department of Finance, E-5 (Households).
Sector Composition
In terms of sectoral composition, the largest industry in which Pacifica residents work is Health & Educational Services, and the largest sector in which San Mateo residents work is Health & Educational Services (Figure C-9).
For the Bay Area as a whole, the Health & Educational Services industry employs the most workers.
Figure C-9: Resident Employment by Industry
Universe: Civilian employed population age 16 years and over.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table C24030.
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Unemployment
In Pacifica, there was a 6 percentage-point decrease in the unemployment rate between 2010 and 2020.
Jurisdictions throughout the region experienced a sharp rise in unemployment in 2020 due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there was general improvement in the later months of 2020 with a full recovery of the unemployment rate to historic lows in early 2022.
Figure C-10: Unemployment Rate
Universe: Civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older.
Source: California Employment Development Department, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), Sub-county areas monthly updates, 2010-2021.
Extremely Low-Income Households
Despite the economic and job growth experienced throughout the region since 1990, the income gap has continued to widen. California is one of the most economically unequal states in the nation, and the Bay Area has the highest income inequality between high- and low-income households in the state.6 In San Mateo County, 30 percent AMI is the equivalent to the annual income of $44,000 for a family of four. Many households with multiple wage earners—including food service workers, full-time students, teachers, farmworkers and healthcare professionals—can fall into lower AMI categories due to relatively stagnant wages in many industries. 6 Bohn, S., et al. 2020. Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California. Public Policy Institute of California.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-10 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-11: Households by Household Income Level
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Throughout the region, there are disparities between the incomes of homeowners and renters. Typically, the number of low-income renters greatly outpaces the amount of housing available that is affordable for these households. In Pacifica, the largest proportion of homeowners falls in the Greater than 100 Percent of AMI income group (Figure C-12). Renters are more evenly distributed across all income groups than homeowners. There are more renters than homeowners in all income groups that are below 100 percent AMI except for the Extremely Low-Income earners (households earning below 30 percent of AMI). For the Extremely LowIncome households in Pacifica, there are a similar proportion of owner and renter occupied households.
Figure C-12: Pacifica Household Income Level by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Households and individuals with extremely low incomes may experience the greatest challenges in finding suitable, affordable housing. Extremely low-income households often have a combination of housing REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-11
challenges related to income, credit status, disability or mobility status, family size, household characteristics, supportive service needs, or a lack of affordable housing opportunities. Many extremely low-income households seek rental housing and most likely face overpayment, overcrowding, or substandard housing conditions. These households typically include seniors on fixed incomes, individuals with disabilities, single parents, farmworkers, low-wage and minimum wage workers, and maybe homeless. Currently, people of color are more likely to experience poverty and financial instability as a result of federal and local housing policies that have historically excluded them from the same opportunities extended to white residents. These economic disparities also leave communities of color at higher risk for housing insecurity, displacement or homelessness.
In Pacifica, American Indian or Alaska Native residents experience the highest rates of poverty and make up
0.15 percent of Pacifica’s population. Hispanic residents (Figure C-13) experience the second highest rates of poverty (approximately twice as much as the poverty rate for White residents) and Hispanic residents make up 19 percent of Pacifica’s population. Because Hispanic residents make up a large minority group in Pacifica and have higher rates of poverty and lower incomes, Hispanic residents are more at risk of housing insecurity.
Existing Resources
In the City of Pacifica, there are 534 housing units that are affordable to lower income households or special needs populations such as seniors, but it is not known how many of these units are reserved for households earning less than 30 percent AMI which would be considered extremely low-income. Of the 534 affordable units, 347 units are reserved for seniors. The City will continue to monitor the status of these units by implementing Program HE-I-7 “Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Units” and will take all necessary actions included within this program to ensure the preservation the City’s existing affordable housing stock.
The City will also add an action to this program to monitor the affordability of levels of these units including extremely low-income units.
Gaps in Resources (Needs)
In Pacifica, 48 percent of households make more than 100 percent of the AMI,7 compared to 12 percent making less than 30 percent of AMI, which is considered extremely low-income (Figure C-11). There are 1,630 extremely low-income households in Pacifica. Of these, 785 own their residence, while 845 live in rental housing. Pacifica is unique in that there are a similar proportion of Extremely Low-Income owner and renter households. One of the reasons for this is the very high ownership rates within the city. The city also has neighborhoods that are characterized with smaller lots and smaller units that provided, until recently, relatively affordable opportunities for homeownership.
Local jurisdictions must provide an estimate for their projected extremely low-income households over the eight-year housing element cycle (2023-2031). Pacifica projects that the city’s extremely low-income households will be 50 percent of its very low-income RHNA or 269 housing units over the next housing element cycle. 7 Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located. Households making between 80% and 120% of the AMI are moderate-income, those making 50% to 80% are low-income, those making 30% to 50% are very low-income, and those making less than 30% are extremely low-income. This is then adjusted for household size.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-12 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Over the last eight-year planning cycle (2015-2023), Pacifica produced zero extremely low-income housing units. Given its population of extremely low-income households (1,630), including 785 extremely low-income homeowners and 845 extremely-low-income renter households, there is a critical need to preserve extremely low-income housing units as well as produce new extremely low-income housing in the city. There is a need to assess the number of extremely low-income units that are available in the city since the city does not have detailed information about the 534 existing affordable units. There is also a need to help support the maintenance and repairs of extremely low-income housing stock in the city.
Pacifica has only one project subject to risk of losing use restrictions during this eight-year period for the housing element cycle, Casa Pacifica, located at 1060 Terra Nova Boulevard. Section 9 of Appendix C includes a detailed analysis of this property, including an analysis of at-risk units, factors which may eliminate or reduce risk, cost analysis of preserving versus replacing at-risk units, and resources for preservation such as nonprofit developers, public financing, and subsidy programs.
Proposed Policies, Programs, and Funding to Help Address Gap The City’s Sites Inventory identifies adequate sites to accommodate the housing need for extremely low-income households during the planning period. To accommodate the 269 new extremely low-income households projected over the next housing element planning cycle (2023-2031), the City of Pacifica has identified sites to accommodate extremely low-income units (the City has identified capacity for 1,107 very low-income and lowincome units which includes a 50 percent buffer above the low-income RHNA requirement).
In order to help facilitate the deep affordability required for extremely low-income households earning less than 30% AMI, the City has included Program HE-I-9 “Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special, and Disproportionate Needs” which includes 11 actions that provide concessions, waivers, fee reductions, streamlining, incentives, outreach and coordination to support the production of housing for extremely lowincome households. For example, Program HE-I-9 has an action to target city-owned land, land dedicated to affordable housing, and city housing funds to achieve city-specific priorities such as a percentage of the units subject to a preference for people with extremely low-incomes.
In order to help fund extremely low-income units, Program HE-I-5 seeks to establish a local housing fund and identify funding sources to provide support for affordable projects that meet City priorities such as the inclusion of extremely low-income units. Program HE-I-6 “Strengthen Inclusionary Housing” will also aim to adjust the city's Below Market Rate program to allow for additional flexibility in the program to encourage developers to include extremely low-income units by providing larger density bonuses, and/or other incentives.
There are several sites in the sites inventory that may be suitable for developing housing that includes extremely low-income units. For example, sites in the inventory such as the Linda Mar Boulevard Park n Ride, Caltrans Right of Way on Skyline Boulevard, Public Works Corps Yard, Sanchez Art Center, Sanchez Library, and the Skyline Boulevard Water Tank Property are all sites designated for 100% affordable housing that may be able to accommodate some extremely low-income units.
In order to select sites that are appropriate for lower-income housing, the City used specific criteria to identify sites that would be appropriate for lower-income housing. These criteria included proximity to transit, locational scoring criteria for low-income housing tax credit by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC), proximity to available infrastructure and utilities, sites that do not require environmental mitigation, access to REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-13
high performing schools and jobs, access to amenities, such as parks and services, and access to health care facilities and grocery stores.
The City will also review its zoning code, development regulations, and permitting procedures to reduce constraints and help facilitate housing for extremely low-income households. This is primarily addressed in Appendix G Section 2 Governmental Constraints – Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types and under several actions in Program HE-I-14 “Conformance with State Law.” Program HE-I-14 “Conformance with State Law” includes a series of actions that will remove constraints to housing development for households with extremely low-income and special needs. The changes to the municipal code will reduce constraints to development for housing that may meet the needs of extremely lowincome households such as multi-family rental housing, single -occupancy units, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), farmworker housing, manufactured and factory-built homes, transitional and supportive housing and emergency shelters. Please see Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types in Section 2 Appendix G for more information.
Figure C-13: Pacifica Poverty Status by Race
Universe: Population for whom poverty status is determined.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B17001(A-I).
7. TENURE
The number of residents who own their homes compared to those who rent their homes can help identify the level of housing insecurity—ability for individuals to stay in their homes—in a city and region. Generally, renters may be displaced more quickly if prices increase. In Pacifica, there are 13,750 occupied housing units, and fewer residents rent than own their homes: 29 percent versus 71 percent (Figure C-14). By comparison, 40 percent of households in San Mateo County are renters, while 44 percent of Bay Area households rent their homes. High rates of homeownership in Pacifica contribute to Pacifica’s status as a higher resource area in the region.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-14 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-14: Housing Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003.
Figure C-15 shows housing tenure by race of householder in Pacifica and indicates rates of homeownership of 70 percent or higher for Hispanic, White and Black households (although Black/African American make up a small proportion of households). Homeownership rates often vary considerably across race/ethnicity in the Bay Area and throughout the country. Historically, these disparities not only reflect differences in income and wealth but also stem from federal, state, and local policies that limited access to homeownership for communities of color while facilitating homebuying for white residents. While many of these policies, such as redlining, have been formally disbanded, the impacts of race-based policy are still evident across Bay Area communities.8
In Pacifica, however, these disparities are less pronounced than in the region. Homeownership rates are high in Pacifica relative to the rest of the region, including for minority populations. In Pacifica, 70 percent of Black households, 66 percent of Asian households, 71 percent of Hispanic households, and 74 percent of White households own their homes. There is no significant difference in homeownership rates across different races in Pacifica except for American Indian or Alaska Native (who make up 0.15 percent of the population), and Other Race or Multiple Race (who make up 5 percent of the population). Black or African American residents make up 2.3 percent of the population and almost 70 percent of households owned their homes. The three predominant populations in Pacifica (White, Hispanic and Asian) all have higher rates of homeownership relative to their counterparts in the region. Within these three groups, Asian households have the lowest homeownership rate (66%), and White households have the highest home ownership rate (74%). 8 See, for example, Rothstein, R. (2017). The color of law : a forgotten history of how our government segregated America. New York, NY & London, UK: Liveright Publishing.
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Figure C-15: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Race of Householder Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003(A-I).
One contributing factor is that 70 percent of housing units in Pacifica are single-family units and of the singlefamily housing stock that exists, there are smaller units and smaller lots in the northern end of town, historically allowing for more affordable home ownership opportunities. In Pacifica 29 percent of residents rent their homes. This is a small proportion of renter households especially when compared to the county where 40 percent of households are renters.
The age of residents who rent or own their homes can also signal the housing challenges a community is experiencing. Younger households tend to rent and may struggle to buy a first home in the Bay Area due to high housing costs. At the same time, senior homeowners seeking to downsize may have limited options in an expensive housing market.
In Pacifica, 47 percent of householders between the ages of 25 and 44 are renters, while 19 percent of householders over 65 are renters (Figure C-16). With rapidly rising home prices in recent decades, it is increasingly difficult for younger households to become homeowners. Residents under the age of 35 are more likely to rent and to postpone purchasing a home because housing costs are a barrier to homeownership.
Purchasing and owning a home provides a financial asset that can be passed by one generation of a family to another increasing access to opportunity and providing long term housing security. There are significant barriers to housing security for renters, especially for lower-income people who are more likely to be lifelong renters and unable to benefit from homeownership.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-16 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-16: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Age
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25007.
In many cities, homeownership rates for households in single-family homes are substantially higher than the rates for households in multi-family housing. In Pacifica, 87 percent of households in detached single-family homes are homeowners, while 8 percent of households in multi-family housing are homeowners (Figure C-17).
Figure C-17: Pacifica Housing Tenure by Housing Type
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25032.
Tables C-2 and Table C-3 provide the number of lower-income households, by tenure (rental or ownership) that are paying more than 30 percent of their income toward housing. There are 2,105 renter households earning below 80 percent AMI in Pacifica. Of these renter households, 1,445 are considered cost burdened. On the other hand, out of 1,920 renter households earning more than 80 percent AMI, only 110 households cost burdened. There are 3,740 owner households earning below 80 percent AMI in Pacifica. Of these owner REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-17
households, 1,795 households are considered cost burdened. There are 5,985 owner households earning more than 80 percent AMI and only 760 are cost burdened. There is a disproportionate number of cost burdened renters and homeowners at lower-income levels.
TABLE C-2: PACIFICA COST BURDENED RENTER
HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME
Income By Cost Burden (Renters Only) Cost Burden >30% Total Household Income <= 30% 595 690
Household Income >30% to <=50% 500 645
Household Income >50% to <=80% 350 770
Household Income >80% to <=100% 65 510
Household Income >100% 45 1,410
Total 1,555 4,030
Universe: Households.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data 2015-2019.
TABLE C-3: PACIFICA COST BURDENED OWNER
HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME
Income By Cost Burden (Owner Only) Cost Burden >30% Total Household Income <= 30% 525 870
Household Income >30% to <=50% 420 985
Household Income >50% to <=80% 850 1,885
Household Income >80% to <=100% 450 1,270
Household Income >100% 310 4,715
Total 2,555 9,720
Universe: Households.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data 2015-2019.
8. DISPLACEMENT
Because of increasing housing prices, displacement is a major concern in the Bay Area. Displacement has the most severe impacts on low- and moderate-income residents. When individuals or families are forced to leave their homes and communities, they also lose their support network.
The University of California, Berkeley has mapped all neighborhoods in the Bay area, identifying their risk for gentrification. The study did not find any households susceptible to or experiencing displacement in Pacifica, nor any neighborhoods at risk of or undergoing gentrification. However, the study did identify two areas in Pacifica that are vulnerable to displacement which, according to the study, have income and population characteristics that could indicate potential displacement and gentrification in the future. Two census tracts in the city, both located in the northern area of the city, are vulnerable to displacement, and both have a concentration of cost burdened renter households equal to more than 40 percent of all renter households. UC Berkeley also estimates that 50 percent of households in Pacifica live in neighborhoods where low-income REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-18 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 households are likely to be excluded due to prohibitive housing costs.9 Recent state law including rent control and just cause eviction has helped prevent displacement in the city.
There has been at least one example of displacement pressure documented in Pacifica due to natural disasters.
Along the 300-block Esplanade, there were 52 apartment units in three buildings demolished between 2016 and 2017. The units had been red-tagged for several years due to bluff erosion threatening the buildings. In addition, there were two single-family residences demolished at 528 and 532 Esplanade also due to bluff erosion.
Figure C-18: Pacifica Households by Displacement Risk and Tenure Universe: Households.
Source: Urban Displacement Project for classification, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25003 for tenure.
Housing Types, Year Built, Vacancy, and Permits
In recent years, most housing produced in the region and across the state consisted of single-family homes and larger multi-unit buildings. However, some households are increasingly interested in “missing middle housing”—including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage clusters and ADUs. These housing types may open up more options across incomes and tenure, from young households seeking homeownership options to seniors looking to downsize and age-in-place.
Figure C-19 shows approximately 14,500 housing units in Pacifica broken down by housing type. The housing stock of Pacifica in 2020 was made up of 71 percent single-family detached homes, 7 percent single-family attached homes, 6 percent multi-family homes with 2 to 4 units, 16 percent multi-family homes with 5 or more units, and 0.7 percent mobile homes. In Pacifica, the housing type that experienced the most growth between 2010 and 2020 was Multi-family Housing: Two to Four Units (Figure C-19). 9 More information about this gentrification and displacement data is available at the Urban Displacement Project’s webpage:
https://www.urbandisplacement.org/. Specifically, one can learn more about the different gentrification/displacement typologies shown in Figure C-18 at this link: https://www.urbandisplacement.org/sites/default/files/typology_sheet_2018_0.png. Additionally, one can view maps that show which typologies correspond to which parts of a jurisdiction here: https://www.urbandisplacement. org/san-francisco/sf-bay-area-gentrification-and-displacement.
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Figure C-19: Pacifica Housing Type Trends
Universe: Housing units.
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series.
Of the single-family housing stock that exists, there are smaller lot sizes and smaller units in the northern area of the city allowing for more affordable housing options. The characteristics of the more affordable neighborhoods in Pacifica include more multi-family housing options and single-family homes on smaller lots.
Neighborhoods north of Sharp Park Road have historically provided workforce or more naturally affordable housing in the city, including the availability of single-family home rentals. North of the Sharp Park area has one of the largest proportions of renter-households in the city.
Production has not kept up with housing demand for several decades in the Bay Area, as the total number of units built and available has not yet come close to meeting the population and job growth experienced throughout the region. As previously mentioned, the imbalance between supply and demand resulted from strong economic growth creating new jobs and the insufficient construction of new housing units to meet the demand.
Compared to the region, Pacifica’s job and population growth has been extremely modest. In Pacifica, the largest proportion of the housing stock was built between 1960 to 1979, with 6,529 units constructed during this period (Figure C-20). Since 2010, less than one percent of the current housing stock was built, which is 101 units. Furthermore, of the units that have been built, the majority have been for above moderate-income households. Between 2015 and 2021, 159 housing units were issued permits in Pacifica. 81 percent of permits issued in Pacifica were for above moderate-income housing, 5 percent were for moderate-income housing, and 14 percent were for low- or very low-income housing (Table C-4).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-20 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-20: Pacifica Housing Units by Year Structure Built Universe: Housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25034.
Multiple barriers to housing production exist in
Pacifica, including high land and construction
costs, limited funding, coastal zone regulations,
dominance of single-family zoning limiting
opportunities for denser development, and a
significant amount of public owned parkland
(Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sharp
Park, San Pedro Valley County Park, and other
public open spaces make up approximately
40 percent of the city’s land area (Appendix F –
Constraints).
The housing unit vacancy rate provides a useful indicator of the balance between housing supply and demand.
As a rule of thumb, a 4.5-percent vacancy rate represents a healthy balance between supply and demand in a housing market. When there is a high vacancy rate, people searching for housing have more housing options and may be able to obtain lower rents. With a low vacancy rate, people selling or renting housing are able to raise prices and/or selectively choose their tenants. A low vacancy rate can lead to overcrowding and unsafe and unsanitary living conditions because lower-income households have fewer options and are unable to find suitable and affordable living arrangements. Low-income households, including people on a fixed income, large families with children, and households with special housing needs, are most likely to be negatively impacted by low vacancy rates. In addition, when there is high consumer demand for a limited housing supply, discrimination is more likely to occur.
The Census Bureau classifies a unit as vacant if no one is occupying it when census interviewers are conducting the American Community Survey or Decennial Census. Vacant units classified as “for recreational or occasional use” are those that are held for short-term periods of use throughout the year. Accordingly, vacation rentals and short-term rentals like Airbnb are likely to fall in this category. The Census Bureau classifies units as “other vacant” if they are vacant due to foreclosure, personal/family reasons, legal proceedings, repairs/renovations, abandonment, preparation for being rented or sold, or vacant for an extended absence for reasons such as a TABLE C-4: PACIFICA HOUSING
PERMITTING
Income Group
Above Moderate-Income Permits 129
Moderate-Income Permits 8
Low-Income Permits 22
Very Low-Income Permits 0
Universe: Housing permits issued between 2015 and 2021.
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), 5th Cycle Annual Progress Report Permit Summary (2021).
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work assignment, military duty, or incarceration.10 In a region with a thriving economy and housing market like the Bay Area, units being renovated/repaired and prepared for rental or sale are likely to represent a large portion of the “other vacant” category. Additionally, the need for seismic retrofitting in older housing stock could also influence the proportion of “other vacant” units in some jurisdictions.11 Throughout the Bay Area, vacancies make up 2.6 percent of the total housing units; with units used for recreational or occasional use, and units not otherwise classified (other vacant) making up the majority of vacancies.
Vacant units make up 3.3 percent of the overall housing stock in Pacifica. The rental vacancy stands at
1.3 percent, and the ownership vacancy rate is 1.3 percent. Pacifica has a larger proportion of vacant units classified as units used for recreational or occasional (30%) when compared to San Mateo County (23%) or the Bay area (22%). The popularity of the short-term rental market contributes to some displacement pressure in Pacifica especially in the reduction of available rental units which are a source of housing for lower to moderateincome households. At the time of the drafting this housing element, the Pacifica City Council was considering enacting a maximum cap of 150 short-term rental permits in the city. If adopted, the cap would not go into effect within the Coastal Zone until certified by the California Coastal Commission.
Pacifica also has a large percentage of vacancies that are classified as Sold, Not Occupied or listed For Sale (more than double the proportion in San Mateo County and the Bay Area). More vacant units in Pacifica are in transition (Sold, Not Occupied or Listed For Sale- about 27 percent of vacancies) than are classified as For Rent (11%). On the other hand, in San Mateo County 31 percent of vacant units are classified as For Rent, and 24 percent in the Bay Area. This trend indicates that the Pacifica rental housing market may be even more constrained than the region because many more units are being used as vacation rentals, and because a large proportion of other vacancies are in transition (either recently sold and not occupied or listed for sale).
Figure C-21: Vacant Units by Type
Universe: Vacant housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25004. 10 For more information, see pages 3 through 6 of this list of definitions prepared by the Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/ housing/hvs/definitions.pdf
11 See Dow, P., 2018. Unpacking the Growth in San Francisco’s Vacant Housing Stock: Client Report for the San Francisco Planning Department. University of California, Berkeley.
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9. ASSISTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AT-RISK OF CONVERSION
While there is an immense need to produce new affordable housing units, ensuring that the existing affordable housing stock remains affordable is equally important. Additionally, it is typically faster and less expensive to preserve currently affordable units that are at risk of converting to market-rate than it is to build new affordable housing.
The data in the table below (Table C-5) comes from the California Housing Partnership’s Preservation Database, the state’s most comprehensive source of information on subsidized affordable housing at risk of losing its affordable status and converting to market-rate housing. There are 294 assisted units in Pacifica in the Preservation Database. Of these units, 34 percent (101 units) are at High Risk or Very High Risk of conversion.12 In San Mateo County, 417 units (eight percent) of the total assisted housing units in the county are at risk.
While Pacifica appears to have a large proportion of income-assisted rental units at-risk of conversion to market rate, all 101 units are in single development, Casa Pacifica. The California Housing Partnership’s Preservation Database does not include all deed-restricted affordable units in the state, so there may be at-risk assisted units in a jurisdiction that are not captured in this data table.
TABLE C-5: ASSISTED UNITS AT RISK OF CONVERSION
Income Pacifica San Mateo County Bay Area
Low 193 4,656 110,177
Moderate 0 191 3,375
High 101 359 1,854
Very High 0 58 1,053
Total Assisted Units in Database 294 5,264 116,459
Universe: HUD, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), USDA, and CalHFA projects. Subsidized or assisted developments that do not have one of the aforementioned financing sources may not be included.
Source: California Housing Partnership, Preservation Database (2020).
A potential threat to existing housing units affordable to persons with extremely low, very low, and low incomes is the termination of rental contracts by owners of properties subject to federal subsidy programs. Such contracts may be terminated through cancellation of a Section 8 contract ("opting out") after a certain number of years, or early pay-off of the interest loan after 20 years ("pre-payment"). Project owners who opt-out or pre-pay their rental contracts are free to rent at market rate or, with City approval, may convert rental units to condominiums or a non-housing use.
12 California Housing Partnership uses the following categories for assisted housing developments in its database:
Very-High Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate within the next year that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable nonprofit, mission-driven developer.
High Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in the next 1-5 years that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable nonprofit, mission-driven developer.
Moderate Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in the next 5-10 years that do not have a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability and are not owned by a large/stable nonprofit, mission-driven developer.
Low Risk: affordable homes that are at-risk of converting to market rate in 10+ years and/or are owned by a large/stable nonprofit, mission-driven developer.
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The following analysis complies with Section 65583 of the Government Code, which requires that cities analyze and develop programs to preserve assisted housing developments (Table C-6).
TABLE C-6: INVENTORY OF UNITS AT RISK OF LOSING USE RESTRICTIONS Name Address Zip
Affordable
Units
Total
Units
Funding
Program
Estimated
Affordability
End Year Risk Level
Pacific Oaks 750 Oddstad Blvd. 94044 52 52 Local Life of the Project Low
Ocean View
Senior Apartments 555 Crespi Drive 94044 90 100 LIHTC; CalHFA 2069 Low Lakeside Apartments 2590 Francisco Blvd. 94044 10 10 LIHTC 2058 Low Oceana Terrace 903 Oceana Blvd. 94044 41 42 HUD 2036 Low Casa Pacifica 1060 Terra Nova
Blvd.
94044 100 101 HUD 2025 Moderate
Source: California Housing Partnership Corporation.
Pacifica has only one project subject to risk of losing use restrictions during this eight-year period for the housing element cycle, Casa Pacifica, located at 1060 Terra Nova Boulevard. No other projects are "at risk" during this eight-year period. For more information about existing affordable housing projects in Pacifica that are not at-risk of replacement, see Appendix E – Housing Resources.
Analysis of At-Risk Units and Resources for Preservation Casa Pacifica participates in the HUD Sec. 221(D)(3) Section 8 program and the earliest date of possible change from low-income use is January of 2025. The property includes 100, one-bedroom affordable senior housing units assisted by the Section 8 New Construction rental Assistance Program. The building is 45 years old and the building condition is good with no rehabilitation necessary.
How Units are at Risk
If the owner fails to renew its Section 8 participation by January 2025, the project could lose its low-income use restrictions. The project could then be "converted" to market rate units. Since 2009, the median rent has increased by approximately 62 percent in Pacifica, from $1,400 to $2,270 per month (Figure C-26). 13 If annual increases allowed by HUD do not keep pace with market rates over the term of participation, the owner may at some point feel financial pressure to pursue greater financial returns.
Factors Which May Eliminate or Reduce Risk
The owner of the property has a long track record of regularly renewing its participation in HUD’s Section 8 Program. The owner has had renewal options in the past (1987, 1992, 1997, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020) and has always renewed. Based on current density and future zoning capacity, the city has determined there is no economic pressure for the site to redevelop. The site is already denser than allowed under the land use designation in the recently adopted 2040 General Plan.
13 https://www.rent.com/california/pacifica-apartments/rent-trends REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-24 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Preservation of At-Risk Units
This housing element includes a program for preserving at-risk units. Should the owner decide to "opt-out" of the Section 8 contract, this action would be subject to provisions of federal and state law designed to minimize hardship for the project's tenants, as well as the City’s permit requirements. An "opt-out" is only valid if a one-year notice is provided, allowing time to develop a strategy for preservation of units affordable to persons with extremely low, very low, and low incomes. The Casa Pacifica project is subject to a Use Permit that includes a condition of approval making the permit valid only for a multi-family senior housing complex. Should the owner attempt to convert the project to non-senior housing, it would require a new or amended Use Permit from the City. However, the condition of approval does not require that the owner maintain the units for low-income occupancy. The City also granted the Casa Pacifica project a Variance from the required number of parking spaces on the condition that the property is used solely as residential housing for seniors. Should the owner attempt to convert the project to non-senior housing, the Variance would no longer be valid, and the parking would have to meet current standards. Alternatively, the property owner could request a new Variance. However, the current Variance does not require that the owner maintain the units for low-income occupancy.
Cost Analysis of Preserving Versus Replacing At-Risk Units According to a report provided by Century Urban, it is estimated that constructing a 100-unit multi-family apartment building in San Mateo County costs approximately $400,000733,000 per unit in hard total development costs. Century Urban was engaged by Baird + Driskell (now Community Planning Collaborative) to perform research on the development costs of certain residential prototypes in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for the 21 Elements Working Group. The estimated prototype project costs reflect high-level averages and do not represent any specific project budget. Project costs vary by geography, topography, site conditions, finish level, entitlement and permit status, contractor type, and time among other factors. According to these estimates, the 100-unit Casa Pacifica project would cost approximately $40,000,000 or $400,000 per unit to build today. In general, it is estimated that themore cost effective to preserve the units would be substantially less than to replace them due to the cost and scarcity of developable land and increased construction costs.
Based on apartment buildings for sale listings on Loop Net in March and April 2024, acquisition of existing buildings ranges from $350,000 to $650,000 per unit depending on age, condition, size and location. Another approach is to provide direct rent subsidy. Assuming the market rent for a one-bedroom unit is $2,496 (Dec 2022) and a very low income affordable unit is $1,660, each unit would require $10,000 per year in rent subsidy to remain affordable. This could increase over time if market rents increase faster than the resident’s incomes.
According to these estimates, the 100-unit Casa Pacifica project would cost approximately $73,300,000 to construct, $35,000,000-$65,000,000 to acquire., or at least $ 1,000,000 per year in rent subsidy.14 Conversion Risk Analysis
While possible, there is a low likelihood that the Casa Pacifica project would do so. The long track record of renewal in the Section 8 program, and limits to density and senior housing use requirements as described above, 14 Source: Loop Net https://www.loopnet.com/search/apartment-buildings/for-sale/ REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-25
indicate it is highly unlikely the owner will opt to pursue such a path. As described above and in program HEI-8, the city is committed to proactive outreach to minimize the risk of this occurring.
Resources for Preservation
An owner of a multi‐family rental housing development with rental restrictions (i.e., is under agreement with federal, State, and local entities to receive subsidies for low‐income tenants), may plan to sell their “at-risk” property. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has listed qualified entities that may be interested in participating in California's First Right of Refusal Program. If an owner decides to terminate a subsidy contract or prepay the mortgage or sell or otherwise dispose of the assisted housing development, or if the owner has an assisted housing development in which there will be the expiration of rental restrictions, the owner must first give notice of the opportunity to offer to purchase to a list of qualified entities provided to the owner.
HCD has identified entities that may be interested in participating in California's First Right of Refusal Program in San Mateo County:
ROEM Development Corporation
Northern California Land Trust, Inc.
Housing Corporation of America
Mid‐Peninsula Housing Coalition
Affordable Housing Foundation
Alta Housing (previously Palo Alto Housing Corp)
Nonprofit Housing Developers
There are several partnership opportunities with nonprofit developers that produce affordable units. Most affordable units have been sponsored by nonprofit developers. This trend will most likely continue since the federal programs strongly encourage the use of nonprofit agencies for affordable housing production. The Nonprofit Housing Corporations Listed below are agencies that have the ability to assist in preserving the Casa Pacifica project.
Nonprofit Housing Developers
Mercy Housing California
1256 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-355-7100
mercyhousing.org.
Bridge Housing Corp.
600 California St. #900
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-989-1111
bridgehousing.com.
Eden Housing Inc.
22645 Grand St.
Hayward, CA 94541
510-582-1460
edenhousing.org.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-26 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 EAH Housing
22 Pelican Way
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-258-1800
eahhousing.org.
MidPen Housing Corp.
303 Vintage Park Dr. #250
Foster City, CA 94404
650-356-2900
midpenhousing.org.
Public Financing and Subsidy Programs
There is no local housing authority operating within Pacifica. Additional available funding sources that can support affordable housing preservation include sources from the federal and state governments, as well as local and regional funding. Listed below are programs that may be able to assist housing projects in Pacifica:
Federal Funding
HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program
Project‐Based Vouchers (Section 8)
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Vouchers
Community Reinvestment Act
State Funding
Golden State Acquisition Fund (GSAF)
Multi-family Housing Program (MHP)
National Housing Trust Fund
Predevelopment Loan Program (PDLP)
Permanent Location Housing Allocation (PLHA)
State Low Income Tax Credits
California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)
CalHome Program
Regional, Local, and Nonprofit Funding
Pacifica Housing In-lieu Fund (Fund 24)
San Mateo County Affordable Housing Fund
Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART)
10. SUBSTANDARD HOUSING
Housing costs in the region are among the highest in the country, which could result in households, particularly renters, needing to live in substandard conditions in order to afford housing. Generally, there is limited data on the extent of substandard housing issues in a community. However, the Census Bureau data included in the graph below gives a sense of some of the substandard conditions that may be present in Pacifica. For example,
0.2 percent of renters in Pacifica reported lacking a kitchen and zero percent of renters lack plumbing, compared to 0.4 percent of owners who lack a kitchen and 0.3 percent of owners who lack plumbing (Figure C-22).
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Figure C-22: Pacifica Substandard Housing Issues
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25053, Table B25043, Table B25049.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) developed a series of online maps that display concentrations of more than 20 fair housing factors (AFFH Data Viewer). The AFFH Data Viewer shows that citywide, less than 20 percent of all households in Pacifica have any of the four severe housing problems (lacks complete kitchen, lacks complete plumbing, severely overcrowded, severely costburdened). Pacifica’s neighbors (Daly City, San Francisco, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Mateo) all show that citywide 20 to 40 percent of their households have any of the four severe housing problems.
Approximately 5,300 housing units or 37 percent of Pacifica’s housing units are more than 60 years old (built in 1959 or earlier). Another 46 percent of Pacifica’s housing units (6,500 units) were built between 1960-1979.
This means that 83 percent of housing units in Pacifica are more than 40 years old. At this age, many units need at least minor repairs. Code Enforcement staff have observed leaky roofs, deteriorated siding, overgrown landscaping obstructing building entries, electrical panels in need of replacement, and leaking drafty windows throughout the city. These conditions are often concentrated in areas closer to the coast. Information from the City’s Code Enforcement Division estimates that at least three percent (435 units) of the city’s housing stock (primarily concentrated in the neighborhoods closer to the coast) are in need of rehabilitation due to poor or substandard conditions.
11. HOME AND RENT VALUES
Home prices reflect a complex mix of supply and demand factors, including an area’s demographic profile, labor market, prevailing wages and job outlook, coupled with land and construction costs. In the Bay Area, the costs of housing have long been among the highest in the nation. The typical home value in Pacifica was estimated at $1,161,630 by December of 2020, per data from Zillow. The largest proportion of homes were valued between $750,000 to $1 Million (Figure C-23). By comparison, the typical home value is $1,418,330 in San Mateo County and $1,077,230 in the Bay Area region, with the largest share of units valued $1 Million to $1.5 Million (county) and $500,000 to $750,000 (region).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-28 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-23: Home Values of Owner-Occupied Units
Universe: Owner-occupied units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25075.
The region’s home values have increased steadily since 2000, except for a decrease during the Great Recession.
The rise in home prices has been especially steep since 2012, with the median home value in the Bay Area nearly doubling during this time. Since 2001, the typical home value has increased 130.2 percent in Pacifica from $504,610 to $1,161,630. This change is below the change in San Mateo County, and above the change for the region (Figure C-24). Compared to the region, Pacifica is considered relatively more affordable because it has more housing for sale in the $750,000 to $1,000,000 price range and far fewer for sale housing units that are over $1 Million (Figure C-24).
Figure C-24: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)
Universe: Owner-occupied housing units.
Source: Zillow, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).
Similar to home values, rents have also increased dramatically across the Bay Area in recent years. Many renters have been priced out, evicted or displaced, particularly communities of color. Residents finding themselves in REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-29
one of these situations may have had to choose between commuting long distances to their jobs and schools or moving out of the region, and sometimes, out of the state.
In Pacifica, the largest proportion of rental units rented in the Rent $2,000-$2,500 category, totaling
22.4 percent, followed by 21.4 percent of units renting in the Rent $1,500-$2,000 category (Figure C-25).
However, Pacifica also has a large proportion of rental units on the higher end of the rental market including 19 percent of units renting in the Rent $2,500-$3,000 range and 21 percent of units renting in the over Rent $3,000 range.
Figure C-25: Contract Rents for Renter-Occupied Units
Universe: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25056.
Looking beyond the city, the largest share of units is in the Rent $3,000 or more category (county) compared to the Rent $1,500-$2,000 category for the region. Pacifica’s rental market is relatively expensive compared to the Bay Area as a whole and has far fewer units that rent between $500 and $1,500.
According to Apartments.com data, as of December 2022, the average apartment rent in Pacifica, CA is $2,492 for a studio, $2,496 for one bedroom, $3,199 for two bedrooms, and $3,725 for three bedrooms. Since 2009, the median contract rent has increased by 62 percent in Pacifica, from approximately $1,400 to $2,270 per month in 2019 (Figure C-26). In San Mateo County, the median rent has increased 69 percent, from $1,300 in 2009 to $2,200 in 2019. The median rent in the region has increased significantly during this time from $1,200 to $1,850, a 54 percent increase.15 Pacifica rents have increased at higher rates than both the county and the region and with fewer affordable rental units on the market, as well as market pressures from vacation rentals, Pacifica’s rental market is particularly constrained. Increasing rent burden is the most important issue for many households. Policies in this housing plan (HE-P-6, HE-P-7) are specifically designed to address the impacts of increasing rent burdens and commit the city to specific actions to address these issues. 15 While the data on home values shown in Figure C-24 comes from Zillow, Zillow does not have data on rent prices available for most Bay Area jurisdictions. To have a more comprehensive dataset on rental data for the region, the rent data in this document comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which may not fully reflect current rents. Local jurisdiction staff may want to supplement the data on rents with local realtor data or other sources for rent data that are more current than Census Bureau data.
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Universe: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data releases, starting with 2005-2009 through 2015-2019.
12. OVERPAYMENT AND OVERCROWDING
A household is considered “cost-burdened” if it spends more than 30 percent of its monthly income on housing costs, while those who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs are considered “severely cost-burdened.” Low-income residents are the most impacted by high housing costs and experience the highest rates of cost burden. Spending such large portions of their income on housing puts low-income households at higher risk of displacement, eviction, or homelessness. Renters are often more cost-burdened than owners.
While the housing market has resulted in home prices increasing dramatically, homeowners often have mortgages with fixed rates, whereas renters are more likely to be impacted by market increases.
Thirty-one percent of all households in Pacifica are cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened. These rates vary greatly across income categories and tenure (Figure C-27 and Figure C-28). There are 1,736 occupied housing units in Pacifica that are considered severely cost-burdened (spending more than 50 percent of income for housing). Of these severely cost-burdened households, 921 are owner occupied and 815 are renter-occupied.
There are 2,536 occupied housing units in Pacifica that are considered cost burdened (spending between 30 to 50 percent of income for housing). Of these cost-burdened households, 1,765 are owner-occupied and 771 are renter-occupied.
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Figure C-27: Pacifica Cost Burden by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25070, B25091.
Figure C-28: Pacifica Cost Burden by Income Level
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
There are additional variations depending on income, 71 percent of Pacifica households making less than 30 percent of AMI spend the majority of their income on housing (severely cost burdened). For Pacifica residents making more than 100 percent of AMI, just 0.4 percent are severely cost-burdened. Ninety percent of households making more than 100 percent of AMI spend less than 30 percent of their income on housing.
Currently, people of color are more likely to experience poverty and financial instability as a result of federal and local housing policies that have historically excluded them from the same opportunities extended to white residents. As a result, they often pay a greater percentage of their income on housing, and in turn, are at a greater risk of housing insecurity.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-32 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Black or African American residents are the most cost burdened with 34 percent spending 30 to 50 percent of their income on housing, and American Indian or Alaska Native residents are the most severely cost burdened with 60 percent spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing (Figure C-29). In Pacifica, Black or African American residents account for 2 percent of the population and American Indian or Alaska Native account for less than one percent (0.15 percent) of the overall population. Of the more predominant populations (White, Hispanic, Other Race, and Asian), the Hispanic population is most cost burdened with 42 percent of Hispanics in Pacifica either classified as cost burdened or extremely cost burdened.
Figure C-29: Pacifica Cost Burden by Race
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Large family households often have special housing needs due to a lack of adequately sized affordable housing available. The higher costs required for homes with multiple bedrooms can result in larger families experiencing a disproportionate cost burden than the rest of the population and can increase the risk of housing insecurity.
In Pacifica, 26 percent of large family households experience a cost burden of 30 to 50 percent, while 13 percent of households spend more than half of their income on housing. Some 17 percent of all other households have a cost burden of 30 to 50 percent, with 15 percent of households spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing (Figure C-30).
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Figure C-30: Pacifica Cost Burden by Household Size
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
When cost-burdened seniors are no longer able to make mortgage or rent payments, displacement from their homes can occur, putting further stress on the local rental market or forcing residents out of the community they call home. Understanding how seniors might be cost-burdened is of particular importance due to their special housing needs, particularly for low-income seniors. In Pacifica, 56 percent of seniors making less than 30 percent of AMI are spending the majority of their income on housing. For seniors making more than 100 percent of AMI, 88 percent are not cost-burdened and spend less than 30 percent of their income on housing (Figure C-31).
Figure C-31: Pacifica Cost-Burdened Senior Households by Income Level Universe: Senior households.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-34 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Overcrowding occurs when the number of people living in a household is greater than the home was designed to accommodate. There are several different standards for defining overcrowding, but this report uses the Census Bureau definition, which is more than one occupant per room (not including bathrooms or kitchens).
Additionally, the Census Bureau considers units with more than 1.5 occupants per room to be severely overcrowded. Overcrowding is often related to the cost of housing and can occur when demand in a city or region is high. In many cities, overcrowding is seen more amongst those that are renting, with multiple households sharing a unit to make it possible to stay in their communities. The total number of occupied housing units that are considered overcrowded or severely overcrowded in Pacifica is 657 (460 overcrowded and 197 severely overcrowded); these units make up 5 percent of overall total occupied housing units in the city.
In Pacifica, 4 percent of households that rent are severely overcrowded (more than 1.5 occupants per room), compared to 0.6 percent of households that own (Figure C-32). In Pacifica, 6 percent of renters experience moderate overcrowding (1 to 1.5 occupants per room), compared to 2 percent for those that own. Compared to the region, Pacifica has less overcrowding. According to the AFFH Data Viewer, Pacifica has no census tracts with a concentration of overcrowded households while almost all of Pacifica’s neighboring jurisdictions have higher rates of overcrowding.
Figure C-32: Pacifica Overcrowding by Tenure and Severity Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Overcrowding often disproportionately impacts low-income households. Of very low-income households (below 50 percent AMI), 4 percent experience severe overcrowding, while 0.7 percent of households above 100 percent experience this level of overcrowding (Figure C-33).
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Figure C-33: Pacifica Overcrowding by Income Level and Severity Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Communities of color are more likely to experience overcrowding similar to how they are more likely to experience poverty, financial instability, and housing insecurity. People of color tend to experience overcrowding at higher rates than White residents. In Pacifica, the racial group with the largest overcrowding rate is Asian / API (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) (Figure C-34).
Figure C-34: Pacifica Overcrowding by Race
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25014.
13. LARGE HOUSEHOLDS
Large family households are defined by U.S. Census Bureau as households containing five or more persons.
Due to the limited supply of adequately sized units to accommodate large family households, large families face an above-average level of difficulty in locating adequately-sized, affordable housing. Even when larger units are REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-36 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 available, the cost is generally higher than that of smaller units. Large households often have different housing needs than smaller households. If a city’s rental housing stock does not include larger apartments, large households who rent could end up living in overcrowded conditions.
Figure C-35: Pacifica Household Size by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25009.
Existing Resources
The unit sizes available in a community affect the household sizes that can access that community (Figure C36). Of the single-family housing stock that exists, there are smaller units and smaller lots in the northern end of town and larger homes in the southern area, contributing to the higher cost to live in the south. There are smaller lot sizes and smaller units in the northern area of the city allowing for more affordable housing options.
Figure C-36: Pacifica Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms Universe: Housing units.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25042.
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Family housing encompasses a wide range of housing needs. These include female-headed households, married couples, and large families (with five or more persons). Family housing, especially for low- and moderateincome families, is an especially critical need in Pacifica. Large families have special housing needs and when combined with low to moderate incomes can have difficulty finding appropriate and affordable housing.
In Pacifica, out of 13,750 occupied housing units in the city, 1,187 were large households made up of five or more household members, making up approximately 9 percent of all households. In addition, 12 percent of large households (142 large households) were very low-income, earning less than 50 percent of the AMI. For large households with five or more persons (1,187 households), most units (68.9% or 819 units) are owner occupied (Figure C35).
Large families are generally served by housing units with three or more bedrooms. There are 9,642 units with three or more bedrooms in Pacifica. Among these large units with three or more bedrooms, 88 percent are owner-occupied (8,485 units) and 12 percent are renter occupied (1,157 units) (Figure C-36).
Gaps in Resources (Needs)The total number of occupied housing units that are considered overcrowded or severely overcrowded in Pacifica is 657 (460 overcrowded and 197 severely overcrowded); these units make up approximately 5 percent of overall total occupied housing units in the city.
In spite of the number of larger dwelling units available citywide (9,642 housing units with three or more bedrooms) and the relatively lower percent of households living in overcrowded conditions (5% of total occupied housing units in the city), there is still a need to maintain the city’s large units in lower resource areas.
In addition, many older families live in houses which are too large for their household; but are reluctant to move because they fear that they will lose their lower Proposition 13 stabilized tax rate. In addition, it is unknown how many of the larger units are considered affordable and there are only 10 deed-restricted affordable family units in Pacifica.
Proposed Policies, Programs, and Funding to Help Address Gap As with other special needs groups, large families would benefit from multi-family housing development that includes three or more bedrooms. Housing for large families should be located near public transit and other amenities such as parks and schools. Program HE-I-2 “Zoning Modernization and Streaming” offers financial incentives or regulatory concessions to encourage the inclusion of large units in affordable development projects. In addition, Program HE-I-6 “Strengthen Inclusionary Housing Program” aims to adjust city's Below Market Rate program require additional affordable units that address the needs of large family households. For example, the City may provide larger density bonuses, and/or increased City support in exchange for 3- bedroom units for larger families. The City will examine the feasibility of establishing priority allocation for households with special needs and large families in City-assisted and private development projects with BMR units.
Current parking ordinances which relate the size of the dwelling unit to the number of required parking spaces have inadvertently established incentives for developers to restrict unit sizes in order to reduce parking development costs. By reducing parking standards for units with three or more bedrooms, the City may eliminate barriers and incentivize the development of much needed larger units. Program HE-I-2 “Zoning Modernization and Streaming” also includes an action item reducing parking requirements for housing developments that include three or more bedrooms.
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14. FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS
Figure C-27 shows overall household types in Pacifica compared to the region and show that the majority of households in the Bay Area, San Mateo County and Pacifica are Married-couple Family Households. Female-headed households are households led by a single-female with one or more children under the age of 18 at home. These households’ living expenses generally take up a larger share of income than is the case in two-parent households.
Therefore, finding affordable, decent, and safe housing is often more difficult for female-headed households.
Additionally, female-headed households have special needs involving access to daycare or childcare, health care, and other supportive services. Households headed by one person are often at greater risk of housing insecurity, particularly female-headed households, who may be supporting children or a family with only one income. In Pacifica, the largest proportion of households is Married-couple Family Households at 54 percent of total, while Female-Headed Households make up 10 percent of all households.
Female-headed households with children may face particular housing challenges, with pervasive gender inequality resulting in lower wages for women. In Pacifica, 11.0 percent of female-headed households with children fall below the Federal Poverty Line, while 3 percent of female-headed households without children live in poverty (Figure C-38). Housing affordability is a primary issue because frequently only one income is available to support the needs of the household—and only a limited amount of funds can be allocated to housing. While some of these households may find housing assistance through the Section 8 Housing Choice Program, many others struggle with high rents or overcrowded conditions.
Figure C-37: Household Type
Universe: Households.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B11001.
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Figure C-38: Pacifica Female-Headed Households by Poverty Status Universe: Female Households.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B17012.
15. SENIORS
Senior households often experience a combination of factors that can make accessing or keeping affordable housing a challenge. They often live on fixed incomes and are more likely to have disabilities, chronic health conditions and/or reduced mobility. Seniors who rent may be at even greater risk for housing challenges than those who own, due to income differences between these groups.
Existing Resources
In the City of Pacifica there are five senior assisted living facilities totaling 150 beds (see also Appendix E – Housing Resources) and there are 347 affordable housing units for seniors.
To serve this population, the following are assisted-living facilities for seniors in Pacifica:
Pacifica Nursing and Rehab Center (68 beds)
Linda Mar Rehabilitation (55 beds)
Marinol Senior Care I (6 beds)
Marinol Senior Care II (5 beds)
TLC Pacifica (16 beds)
Cedar Lane Residential Care Home (17 beds – serves Pacifica but located in Montara) In addition to these facilities, senior affordable housing is available as well:
Pacifica Oaks Senior Apartments (104 Senior Units)
Casa Pacifica (101 Senior Units)
Ocean View Senior Apartments (100 Senior Units)
Oceana Terrace Senior Housing (42 Senior Units)
The City of Pacifica has a robust Senior Services Division within the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Department that provides a number of programs for seniors in the community. The City operates a senior shuttle service and provides funding for a taxi service for seniors and people with disabilities. The shuttle REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-40 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 services include transportation to the community center, grocery and shopping trips, non-emergency medical appointments. The shuttles provide ambulatory, wheelchair van services and complies with American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The City of Pacifica also provides information on its website about other resources to serve the transportation needs of seniors including Go Go Grandparent, Senior Clipper Card, SamTrans On Demand, Paratransit services offered by the San Mateo County Transit District, and the San Mateo County Mobility Guide which provides information about transportation options for older people in San Mateo County. The Guide includes information about driver safety, shuttles, public transportation, walking, and other mobility topics. The 31-page guide is available online in English, Spanish and Chinese or can be ordered by calling SamTrans at 800-660-4287. The City also funds a Transportation Specialist as a part of its Senior Services Division. The Transportation Specialist is available at (650)738-7353 to provide information about senior transportation services in Pacifica or to schedule a ride.
The City of Pacifica also administers a Meals on Wheels program. The Pacifica Meals on Wheels program delivers meals Monday-Friday. Its goal is to help Pacifica seniors maintain their independence and stay in their home. Meals on Wheels is available to homebound Pacifica seniors and disabled adults who are unable to prepare or obtain nutritious meals. Pacifica Senior Services also supports a daily lunch program for lowerincome seniors at the Pacifica Community Center. Senior Services Food Services prepares and serves approximately 13,000 meals on-site to 600 unduplicated seniors annually. The City of Pacifica supports HIP Housing which is a home sharing resource that Pacifica seniors can take advantage of.
Pacifica will continue to meet the needs of seniors by supporting affordable housing production that meets the needs of seniors as well as supporting the Pacifica Senior Services Division and partners such as HIP Housing.
Figure C-39: Pacifica Senior Households by Income and Tenure Universe: Senior households.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.
Gaps in Resources (Needs)
The largest proportion of senior households who rent make 0 to 30 percent of AMI, while the largest proportion of senior households who are homeowners falls in the income group Greater than 100 Percent of AMI (Figure C-39). Pacifica is similar to many communities in San Mateo County and across the nation, where there has REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-41
been an increase in the percentage of citizens over the age of 65. There are 2,435 senior households in Pacifica that earn less than 80 percent AMI.
When cost-burdened seniors are no longer able to make mortgage or rent payments, displacement from their homes can occur, putting further stress on the local rental market or forcing residents out of the community they call home. Understanding how seniors might be cost-burdened is of particular importance due to their special housing needs, particularly for low-income seniors. In Pacifica, 56 percent of seniors making less than 30 percent of AMI are spending the majority of their income on housing. For seniors making more than 100 percent of AMI, 88 percent are not cost-burdened and spend less than 30 percent of their income on housing (Figure C-31).
In Pacifica transportation access for older residents and the disabled community is a particular challenge given the lack of public transit options in the city.
Proposed Policies, Programs, and Funding to Help Address Gap To address the needs of lower-income seniors in the future, Program HE-I-9 “Housing for Extremely LowIncome, Special, and Disproportionate Needs” includes 11 actions that are meant to reduce development constraints and incentivize the construction of extremely low-income housing units, housing for people with disabilities including developmental disabilities. Program HE-I-2 “Zoning Modernization and Streaming” includes actions to incentivize large units for families. Incentivizing housing production for persons and families with extremely low incomes, people with disabilities, and affordable larger units will help serve residents with disproportionate housing needs including seniors. Through these implementation actions, the City will prioritize a mix of unit sizes that are accessible and inclusive and that would address the needs of those who require live-in aides, want to live with roommates or partners, or have children.
Low-income seniors living in lower resource areas may have difficulty maintaining their properties. As a result, the City proposed Program HE-I-8 “Rehabilitation of Homes in Lower Resource Areas” to meet the housing needs of lower-income seniors in lower resource areas. Specifically, the program will provide minor home repairs that will provide life safety and accessibility repairs to low-income seniors and disabled homeowners at no cost. This program will support maintenance and rehabilitation activities that improve the condition of the city’s existing lower-income housing stock in order to preserve existing housing options, especially special needs populations such as lower-income seniors living in low resource areas.
16. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
People with disabilities face additional housing challenges. Encompassing a broad group of individuals living with a variety of physical, cognitive and sensory impairments, many people with disabilities live on fixed incomes and are in need of specialized care, yet often rely on family members for assistance due to the high cost of care. State law also requires housing elements to examine the housing needs of people with developmental disabilities.
Decline in Licensed Care Facilities
The California Department of Developmental Services reports that between September 2015 and June 2021, San Mateo County lost 5 percent of its supply of licensed care facilities for people with developmental disabilities (including Community Care Facilities, Intermediate Care Facilities, and Skilled Nursing Facilities), even as the adult population in need of residential options outside the family home grew. This trend increases REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-42 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 the need for affordable housing options coordinated with supportive services funded by the Golden Gate Regional Center. San Mateo County’s reduced supply of licensed care facilities increases the likelihood that Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities will be forced out of the county when their parents are no longer able to house them—unless there is a significant improvement in access to affordable housing.
Longer Lifespans
Between September 2015 and June 2021, the California Department of Developmental Services reports that the number of San Mateo County residents with developmental disabilities age 62 and older grew by 33 percent.
This is due not to migration of senior citizens with developmental disabilities into San Mateo County, but rather to well-documented gains in life span among people with developmental disabilities. With longer life expectancy, more adults with developmental disabilities will outlive their parents and family members who are the single largest source of housing for people with developmental disabilities in Pacifica. Longer life spans will also slow the pace of turnover in the county’s limited supply of licensed care facilities, which will reduce opportunities for Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities to secure a space in a licensed care facility elsewhere in the County.
Displacement
Notwithstanding 10 percent growth in San Mateo County’s total population of adults with developmental disabilities, DDS has documented a 12 percent decline in the age group 42 to 51 and a 10 percent decline in the age group 52 to 61 between September 2015 and June 2021. In light of gains in life expectancy, this loss can reasonably be attributed to displacement from the county because of the lack of residential living options (either licensed facilities or affordable housing) when an elderly parent caregiver passes away or becomes unable to house and care for the adult. Displacement takes a particular toll on adults with developmental disabilities who depend on familiarity with transit routes and shopping and services, as well as support from communitybased services and informal networks.
Existing Resources
In August 2019, Pacifica passed a “reasonable accommodation” ordinance, which will benefit community members with disabilities. The ordinance established a procedure for requesting reasonable accommodation in the City’s land use and zoning regulations for persons with disabilities. The amendments provide a process to address regulatory barriers that would otherwise prevent an individual with a disability from accessing equal housing opportunities.
In addition to the removal of architectural barriers and provision of special accessibility features, persons with physical and developmental disabilities may also need supportive services to help them maintain an independent lifestyle. Individuals with moderate to severe physical or developmental disabilities may need access to assisted living facilities.
To address the mobility needs of people with disabilities, the City of Pacifica operates a senior shuttle service and provides funding for a taxi service for seniors and people with disabilities. Paratransit is also available for residents of Pacifica with disabilities who cannot independently use regular SamTrans bus service some of the time or all of the time. The San Mateo County Transit District provides paratransit using Redi-Wheels on the bayside of the county (including Pacifica) and RediCoast on the Coastside. The ADA requires public transit operators to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities that is comparable to the level of fixed-route REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-43
service provided. Persons with disabilities who cannot independently ride fixed-route transit may be eligible for paratransit service. Peninsula Rides provides information about transportation options to people with mobility challenges so they can get around in and beyond San Mateo County. Peninsula Rides provides seniors and those with accessibility needs in San Mateo County with the resources to stay mobile and get around. Peninsula Rides is managed by the San Mateo County Transit District.
The Jefferson Union High School District offers a special education department that includes a Therapeutic Day School at Terra Nova High School. A therapeutic day school is a specialized educational setting that provides academic instruction, mental health services, and behavioral support to students who are struggling in traditional school settings. Therapeutic day schools are typically smaller than traditional schools, with lower student-to-teacher ratios. This allows teachers to provide more individualized attention to each student’s academic and emotional needs. Therapeutic day schools serve students with a variety of challenges, including:
learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
San Mateo County is fortunate to have access to a variety of resources to assist persons with developmental disabilities in addition to the Golden Gate Regional Center. Many of the organizations work in close partnership with the Regional Center on a referral basis to ensure continuity of care for developmentally disabled persons.
Services of these groups include focusing on job skills to enhance economic stability, and thereby housing stability, as well as direct housing support through counseling, advocacy, search assistance, and direct placement into units. Organizations available to Pacifica residents include the following:
Abilities United: Provides training, education, and support for persons with developmental and physical challenges.
Poplar ReCare: Provides therapeutic treatment, equipment loan, and other services for those with developmental disabilities, illness, or injury.
Puente Clinic: Provides mental health services for developmentally disabled clients by bridging resources from San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS), Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) and Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM).
Golden Gate Regional Center: Provides case management and other services to individuals with developmental disabilities in San Mateo County.
Gaps in Resources (Needs)
Many individuals with disabilities live on a small, fixed income, limiting their ability to pay for housing. Some adults with developmental disabilities depend on monthly income of around $1,000 from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, pricing them out of many of the limited number of affordable housing units in Pacifica. Those with employment tend to work part-time in the lowest paid jobs and also struggle to incomequalify for many of the affordable housing units now available for rent in Pacifica. Most adults with developmental disabilities also do not drive or own a car and many rely on public transit to access services in the community. Many people with disabilities experience severe rent burden, housing instability and displacement. Such disparities are attributable to the lack of housing affordable to extremely low-income (ELI) households (with incomes below 30 percent of Area Median Income).
Geographic concentrations of people living with a disability occur for various reasons. Residents with disabilities may live in a family home with parents or family members who have the resources to care for them, REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-44 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 there may be areas with easier access to services, amenities, and transportation that better serve disabled residents, or there may be concentrations of licensed care facilities and/or supportive services in certain neighborhoods.
When it comes to housing, people with disabilities are not only in need of affordable housing but accessibly designed housing, which offers greater mobility and opportunity for independence. Unfortunately, the need typically outweighs what is available, particularly in a housing market with such high demand. People with disabilities are at a high risk of housing insecurity, homelessness and institutionalization, particularly when they lose aging caregivers. Figure C-40 shows the rates at which different disabilities are present among residents of Pacifica. Overall, 9.2 percent of people in Pacifica have a disability of any kind.16 In Pacifica, there is a concentration of residents living with a disability in the southern part of the city as well as the northern part of the city. The southern area corresponds to a concentration of assisted living facilities for seniors. In the north, however, there is only one licensed senior assisted living facility. This suggests that residents with a disability concentrated in the north may be living in family households which may indicate that there is an unmet need for supportive housing and services there.
Figure C-40: Pacifica Disability by Type
Universe: Civilian noninstitutionalized population 18 years and over.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B18102, Table B18103, Table B18104, Table B18105, Table B18106, Table B18107.
Developmental disabilities are defined as severe, chronic, and attributed to a mental or physical impairment that begins before a person turns 18 years old. This can include Down’s Syndrome, autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and mild to severe mental retardation. Some people with developmental disabilities are unable to work, rely on Supplemental Security Income, and live with family members. In addition to their specific housing needs, they are at increased risk of housing insecurity after an aging parent or family member is no longer able to care for them.17 Table C-7 shows the Pacifica population with a developmental disability by age. In Pacifica, of the population with a developmental disability, children under the age of 18 make up 41percent, while adults account for 59 percent. Table C-8 shows that the most common living arrangement for individuals with 16 These disabilities are counted separately and are not mutually exclusive, as an individual may report more than one disability. These counts should not be summed.
17 For more information or data on developmental disabilities in your jurisdiction, contact the Golden Gate Regional Center for Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties; the North Bay Regional Center for Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties; the Regional Center for the East Bay for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties; or the San Andreas Regional Center for Santa Clara County.
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disabilities in Pacifica is the home of parent /family /guardian. Appendix D –Assessment of Fair Housing includes an analysis of the housing needs of people with disabilities.
TABLE C-7: PACIFICA POPULATION WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES BY AGE
Age Group # of Persons
Age 18+ 109
Age Under 18 77
Universe: Population with developmental disabilities.
Source: California Department of Developmental Services, Consumer Count by California ZIP Code and Age Group (2020).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-46 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 TABLE C-8: PACIFICA POPULATION WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES BY RESIDENCE
Residence Type # of Persons
Home of Parent /Family /Guardian 156
Community Care Facility 18
Other 5
Foster /Family Home 5
Independent /Supported Living 5
Intermediate Care Facility 0
Universe: Population with developmental disabilities.
Source: California Department of Developmental Services, Consumer Count by California ZIP Code and Residence Type (2020).
Physical, mental, and/or developmental disabilities may prevent a person from working, restrict one’s mobility, or make it difficult to care for oneself. Persons with disabilities have special housing needs often related to the limited ability to earn a sufficient income and a lack of accessible and affordable housing. Some residents have disabilities that require living in a supportive or institutional setting. Housing opportunities for people with disabilities can be maximized by removal of barriers in existing housing, and by the construction of new, barrierfree housing units.
Regional Comparison
The share of the population living with at least one disability is 9 percent in Pacifica compared to 8 percent in San Mateo County. Pacifica is home to 180 people with developmental disabilities (Appendix D, Table D-1).
San Bruno is home to 326 people with developmental disabilities and South San Francisco is home to 967 people with developmental disabilities. As a share of the total number of people living with developmental disabilities in San Mateo County, 5 percent of the total live in Pacifica compared to 8 percent in San Bruno and 25 percent in South San Francisco.
table C-8 above shows that Pacifica has a smaller share of adults with developmental disabilities than San Mateo County – only 59 percent of Pacifica residents with developmental disabilities are adults (18 and older) compared to 70 percent of all San Mateo County residents with developmental disabilities. A higher proportion of Pacifica’s residents with developmental disabilities are under 18 years old (41 percent in Pacifica vs 30 percent countywide).
A lack of affordable housing at ELI levels paired with supportive services could be one of the factors contributing to fewer adults with developmental disabilities being able to live in Pacifica. Assessing the housing needs of adults with developmental disabilities is particularly important because as they age adults will require a residential option outside the family home, whereas the family home is the preferred living option for children with developmental disabilities. In Pacifica a larger share of the adult population is living in the family home (71%) with aging parents than in the County overall (56%).
Table D-2 shows the living arrangements of adults with developmental disabilities in Pacifica compared to San Mateo County. Seventy one percent of adults with developmental disabilities live in the home of a parent, family, or guardian. Living in the family home puts adults at greater risk of displacement and homelessness.
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Over-reliance on the family home as a living arrangement is likely due to the lack of housing affordable to ELI households available in Pacifica which is also contributing to fewer Pacifica adults transitioning into their own apartment with supportive services (7%) than in the County overall (11%). In addition, fewer Pacifica adults (17%) are transitioning into licensed facilities (including Community Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities) than in the County overall (32%). However, opportunities for adults to live in a licensed facility are declining throughout the County. Seven percent of Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities live in other living arrangements, which can include but are not limited to homelessness or jail, as compared to only 1 percent of the County’s adult population overall.
Proposed Policies, Programs, and Funding to Help Address Gap In Pacifica transportation access for older residents and the disabled community is a particular challenge given the lack of public transit options in the city. To try to fill this gap, this housing element includes a new action under Program HE-I-13 “Infrastructure Capacity Improvements” which includes exploring the feasibility of expanding transportation services generally, and in particular for focused services people with disabilities, and lower-income residents. The new actions support multiple activities to undertake a broad-based approach to addressing the housing needs of persons with disabilities including a developmental disability:
Support improvements to public transit routes, services and facilities to facilitate longer distance travel.
Activities would include encouraging SamTrans to improve service coverage, frequency, and operating hours in these areas, in part by helping the agency better understand where this special needs population is located in Pacifica.
Commit the City’s representatives on the regional Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) boards and committees to more actively advocate for transportation and transit planning improvements in Pacifica. Continue capital investments in sidewalk and bike lane projects with priority in the identified areas of need to improve mobility and access to employment opportunities. The City will encourage development near public transit to accommodate the transit-dependency of most adults with developmental disabilities.
In addition, this housing element includes an action under Program HE-I-14 “Conformance with State Law to amend the Zoning Regulations” to allow group homes for seven or more residents, specifically for people with disabilities, as a permitted use in certain zone districts by December 2025.
Program HE-I-12 “Fair Housing Affirmative Marketing Strategy” includes a number of actions to support people with disabilities including conducting proactive outreach about fair housing issues (i.e., explain the right to request reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities), with residents and other stakeholders.
Outreach will be conducted at least annually during the planning period and may include sharing information via newsletters, email communication, events, or social media. Additional actions include proactively marketing available housing opportunities to residents with disproportionate housing needs such as people with disabilities including those with a developmental disability.
Program HE-I-8 “Rehabilitation of Homes in Lower Resource Areas” includes an action item to create repair and rehabilitation programs to address housing units in need of repair in low-resource areas by 2026. Funding sources may include local, regional, and/or state funds and examples may include minor home repair program that will provide life safety and accessibility repairs to low-income seniors and disabled homeowners at no cost.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-48 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Pacifica’s sites inventory includes 12 sites located within the four census tracts that have a higher concentration of household members with a disability (602700, 602900, 603300, and 603400). These sites are expected to produce 743 lower-income units, 40 moderate-income units, and 259 above moderate-income units. The City will encourage development near public transit to accommodate the transit-dependency of most adults with developmental disabilities.
The city also projects that it will need to plan for at least 269 ELI units, or 50 percent of its Very Low Income RHNA allocation. ELI units are particularly important to people with developmental disabilities. Pacifica is committed to further fair housing for people with disabilities through policies that will increase the production of ELI units, facilitated through the incentives, waivers, and concessions described in Program HE-I-9 “Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special, and Disproportionate Needs” as well as provide adequate staff capacity to establish an affordable housing fund (Program HE-I-5 “Fund a Housing Action Fund”). Multiple barriers including high land and construction costs and limited funding make it difficult for developers to produce ELI units that would help to reduce such disparities. Local zoning and other policies (included in Program HE-I-14 “Conformance with State and Federal Laws”) that promote increased production of ELI units, as well as city staff dedicated to implementing and overseeing those policies, will help produce the type of housing needed for people with developmental disabilities.
17. HOMELESSNESS
State law also requires housing elements to examine the housing needs of people that are homeless.
Homelessness remains an urgent challenge in many communities across the state, reflecting a range of social, economic, and psychological factors. Rising housing costs result in increased risks of community members experiencing homelessness. Far too many residents who have found themselves housing insecure have ended up unhoused or homeless in recent years, either temporarily or longer term. Addressing the specific housing needs for the unhoused population remains a priority throughout the region, particularly since homelessness is disproportionately experienced by people of color, people with disabilities, those struggling with addiction and those dealing with traumatic life circumstances. In San Mateo County, the most common type of household experiencing homelessness is those without children in their care. Among households experiencing homelessness that do not have children, 76 percent are unsheltered. Of homeless households with children, most are sheltered in transitional housing (Figure C-41).18 In San Mateo County, White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents represent the largest proportion of residents experiencing homelessness and account for 67 percent of the homeless population, while making up 51 percent of the overall population (Figure C-42). In San Mateo County, Hispanic residents represent 38 percent of the population experiencing homelessness, while Hispanic residents comprise 25 percent of the general population (Figure C-43).
18 For more information, see HCD’s Building Blocks webpage for People Experiencing Homelessness: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/ community-development/building-blocks/housing-needs/people-experiencing-homelessness.shtml.
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Figure C-41: Homelessness by Household Type and Shelter Status, San Mateo County Universe: Population experiencing homelessness.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019).
Many of those experiencing homelessness are dealing with severe issues—including mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence—that are potentially life threatening and require additional assistance. In San Mateo County, homeless individuals are commonly challenged by severe mental illness, with 305 reporting this condition (Figure C-44). Of those, some 62 percent are unsheltered, further adding to the challenge of handling the issue.
The San Mateo County Human Services Agency (HSA), in collaboration with community partners, conducts the bi-annual One Day Homeless Count and Survey. The purpose of the One Day Homeless Count and Survey is to gather information to help the community understand homelessness in San Mateo County. This is one data set, among others, that provides information for effective planning of services to assist people experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness.
According to the 2022 San Mateo County One Day Homeless Count conducted in the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, there were 1,808 people experiencing homelessness in San Mateo County. This number includes: 1,092 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness staying on streets, in cars, in recreational vehicles (RVs), or in tents and 716 staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs.
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Universe: Population experiencing homelessness.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-I).
Figure C-43: Hispanic Share of General and Homeless Populations, San Mateo County Universe: Population experiencing homelessness.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-I).
Although the sheltered homeless count has varied over time (including changes in HUD definitions), the unsheltered count has the greatest influence on the overall number of homeless people in the county and is the most visible manifestation of this challenge for the broader community. Table C-9 shows the 2022 Point in REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-51
Time Count of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Pacifica as well as Pacifica’s share of unsheltered homeless in San Mateo County. Pacifica’s share of the overall population in San Mateo County is 5 percent but it has a larger share (15%) of the County’s homeless population (Table C-9).
TABLE C-9: 2022 ONE-DAY UNSHELTERED HOMELESS COUNT
2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022
San Mateo County 1,162 1299 775 637 901 1,092
Pacifica 95 150 63 112 116 161
Pacifica Share of San Mateo County 8% 12% 8% 18% 13% 15% Source: San Mateo County, 2022 San Mateo County One Day Homeless Count and Survey.
San Mateo County has seen a 38 percent decrease in the population of students experiencing homelessness since the 2016-17 school year, and the Bay Area population of students experiencing homelessness decreased by 9 percent. During the 2019-2020 school year, there were 13,718 students experiencing homelessness throughout the region and 1,194 students experiencing homelessness in San Mateo County (Table C-10).
TABLE C-10: STUDENTS IN LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
Academic Year San Mateo County Bay Area
2016-17 1,910 14,990
2017-18 1,337 15,142
2018-19 1,934 15,427
2019-20 1,194 13,718
Universe: Total number of unduplicated primary and short-term enrollments within the academic year (July 1 to June 30), public schools.
Source: California Department of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Cumulative Enrollment Data (Academic Years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019- 2020).
In 2006, San Mateo County developed a 10-Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (HOPE Plan). Key accomplishments of the HOPE Plan included the creation and expansion of Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT), new funding sources for homelessness prevention, Homeless Connect events, the creation of 994 new affordable housing units and 96 new units of permanent supportive housing. The HOPE Plan focused on the creation of new housing inventory as a key strategy to reduce homelessness, but these goals have had limited success given the challenges of the local housing market, including the high cost for existing housing and high construction costs.
In 2016 the county adopted a new San Mateo Homelessness Strategic Plan, Ending Homelessness in San Mateo County. The 2016 plan draws on best practices to reduce homelessness given the existing supply of housing and focusing on short- and long-term housing assistance prioritized for people who are unsheltered. Expansion of the affordable housing supply remains a key priority for the community, but this work is being spearheaded by the Department of Housing along with other stakeholders and workgroups, including the Jobs/Housing Gap Task Force, Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, HEART of San Mateo and other efforts.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-52 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Figure C-44: Characteristics for the Population Experiencing Homelessness, San Mateo County
Universe: Population experiencing homelessness.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019).
The County and its partners have expanded homeless services in recent years, including new shelters, increased homeless outreach services, rapid rehousing services, and enhanced connections between health services and homeless services. The County is also working on additional non-congregate shelters. Project Homekey is a state of California program that provides local government agencies with funds to purchase and rehabilitate housing – including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties – and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. With the help of state Homekey funds and other grants, the County has purchased five former motels/hotels for conversion into permanent or temporary housing for individuals who are unsheltered or at serious risk of becoming unsheltered.
These properties are:
Shores Landing, 1000 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City: 95 units. The former Comfort Inn and Suites, 1818 El Camino Real, Redwood City: 51 units Stone Villa, 2175 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo: 44 units Coast House, 230 Cabrillo Highway, Half Moon Bay: 51 units Pacific Shelter, 2610 El Camino Real, Redwood City: 74 units In addition, in 2022, the County broke ground on a new 240-unit Navigation Center in Redwood City that will provide both temporary housing and intensive services for individuals and couples. The Navigation Center, which will be able to accommodate up to 260 clients each night, will replace the Maple Street Shelter, which currently provides emergency and transitional housing for up to about 110 individuals each night.
The San Mateo County Continuum of Care Steering Committee (CoC), a diverse, cross-sectoral body that guides and shapes the countywide response to homelessness, works closely with San Mateo County Human Services Agency to develop a short-term strategic plan to address homeless issues between 2022-2025. The CoC strategic plan is aligned with the Working Together to End Homelessness (WTEH) initiative being led by REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-53
the County Executive’s Office that is bringing together City representatives, service provider agencies, partner agencies, business representatives, community members, and other partners to craft a high-level framework for ending homelessness as a community. More information on Working Together to End Homelessness is available at SMCEndingHomelessness.org.
In addition, Pacifica has a representative and is a member of HOPE (Housing Our People Effectively) Interagency Council and attends meetings to share information about community efforts to prevent and end homelessness.
In partnership with local nonprofit agencies and community and faith-based organizations, there are several programs that provide services for those who are currently homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless in Pacifica. The following resources are available to people experiencing homelessness in Pacifica:
Pacifica Resource Center (PRC) is the point of entry for homeless services in Pacifica and assists the community with groceries, emergency financial assistance, homeless services, referrals to health and other homeless services and other critical services. Forty one percent of PRC’s clients served in 2022-2023 had a physical or developmental disability. PRC assisted 1 in 8 Pacifica families between July 2021 and June 2022, Examples of the support include:
Provided groceries to benefit nearly 104,000 Pacificans (duplicated), Prevented homelessness & sheltered 412 Pacificans,
Provided 284 showers to unhoused Pacificans, helping them prepare for work, job interviews, and housing search.
Street outreach to 147 unhoused individuals and families in encampments, vehicles, and on the streets. The Pacifica Police Department has an active homeless outreach team that is often the first point of contact between an agency and the unhoused in the city. Nearly all Pacifica sworn police officers have completed crisis intervention training and are aware of the prevalence of mental health issues and substance abuse issues in the unhoused community. Police Officers are trained to be familiar with resources available to the homeless population and may refer individuals to another agency such as the county’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (formerly Mental Health Services) as well as offer resources through the Pacifica Resource Center or PRC (the local Core Services Agency). If officers encounter residents needing assistance after PRC business hours, they can access a shelter in South San Francisco (Safe Harbor is approximately 8 miles from Pacifica), and a 24-hour number for the on-call caseworker with LifeMoves, a nonprofit organization that works with the unhoused in San Mateo County. In the event of severe cold weather or other emergency that threatens the health and safety of residents, the Pacifica Community Center is converted to a temporary emergency reception center if housed persons are displaced due to a disaster.
Pacifica Temporary Safe Parking Program (TSPP). The TSPP began on June 29, 2022. This program provides a permit for a period of 29 days to unhoused persons living in an eligible oversized vehicle (OSV) provided they participate in a resource and housing transition program managed by the PRC. Permits are only assigned for the 13 dedicated PSPP spots and are required to be renewed on the day of expiration.
The goal of PSPP is to develop a plan and support participants towards returning to permanent housing.
Appendix E – Housing Resources includes a list of organizations that support homeless services in Pacifica.
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18. FARMWORKERS
Farmworkers are traditionally defined as persons whose primary incomes are earned through permanent or seasonal agricultural labor. Permanent farm laborers work in the fields, processing plants, or support activities on a generally year-round basis. When workload increases during harvest periods, the labor force is supplemented by seasonal workers, often supplied by a labor contractor. For some crops, farms may hire migrant workers, defined as those whose travel prevents them from returning to their primary residence every evening.
Estimating the size of the agricultural labor force is problematic as farmworkers are historically undercounted by the census and other data sources. For instance, the government agencies that track farm labor do not consistently define farm labor (e.g., field laborers versus workers in processing plants), length of employment (e.g., permanent or seasonal), or place of work (e.g., the location of the business or field). Farmworkers are typically categorized into three groups: 1) permanent, 2) seasonal, and 3) migrant. Permanent farmworkers are typically employed year-round by the same employer. A seasonal farmworker works on average less than 150 days per year and earns at least half of his/her earned income from farmwork. Migrant farmworkers are seasonal farmworkers who have to travel to do the farmwork so that he/she is unable to return to his/her permanent residence within the same day.
Across the state, housing for farmworkers has been recognized as an important and unique concern.
Farmworkers generally receive wages that are considerably lower than other jobs and may have temporary housing needs. Finding decent and affordable housing can be challenging, particularly in the current housing market.
Existing Resources
These San Mateo County community-based organizations provide assistance with food, housing, health and beyond.
Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (https://www.alasdreams.com/programs-farmworkers) ALAS' work consists of liaison and outreach, keeping close and continuous contact with the farms to know their needs. They collaborate with many organizations and different public institutions to bring services and take care of our farmworkers and their families.
Coastside Hope (https://coastsidehope.org/)
Coastside Hope’s mission is to provide necessities to enhance quality of life for all of its neighbors. They provide: necessities in the form of food, housing assistance, online application for government benefits, referrals, and other support when neighbors need it most; Opportunities in the form of free citizenship classes, free tax preparation services, and connections to programs and services of other organizations so that neighbors have the chance to achieve more.
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San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs
Finding an immigration lawyer, housing, a job and learning English are among the many challenges that immigrants face in our community. The Office of Community Affairs (OCA) is your first stop to find help.
OCA is in touch with all of the services and resources available to our valued immigrant community.
Gaps in Resources (Needs)
Based on the 2015-2019 ACS for the City of Pacifica, there are only 64 persons employed in the agriculture and natural resources category, representing only 0.30 percent of the civilian employed population over the age of
16. In addition, in Pacifica, there were no reported students of migrant workers in the 2019-20 school year. The trend for the region for the past few years has been a decline of 2.4 percent in the number of migrant worker students since the 2016-17 school year. The change at the county level is a 57 percent decrease in the number of migrant worker students since the 2016-17 school year.
TABLE C-11: MIGRANT WORKER STUDENT POPULATION
Academic Year Pacifica San Mateo County Bay Area
2016-17 0 657 4,630
2017-18 0 418 4,607
2018-19 0 307 4,075
2019-20 0 282 3,976
Universe: Total number of unduplicated primary and short-term enrollments within the academic year (July 1 to June 30), public schools.
Source: California Department of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Cumulative Enrollment Data (Academic Years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020).
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Farmworkers, the number of permanent farm workers in San Mateo County has decreased since 2002, totaling 978 in 2017, and the number of seasonal farm workers has also decreased, totaling 343 in 2017 (Figure C-45).
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Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Farmworkers (2002, 2007, 2012, 2017), Table 7: Hired Farm Labor.
Farmworkers are generally considered to have special housing needs because of limited income and the unstable nature of employment (i.e., having to move throughout the year from one harvest to the next). The typical temporary nature of farm work is not the case in Pacifica, because very few members of the residential or working community work in agriculture. Even though the demand for specific farmworker housing in Pacifica is estimated to be minimal, it will be addressed through supporting the development of housing for extremely low-income households. Many households with special needs such as farmworkers which may include families with multiple low wage earners can fall into lower AMI categories due to stagnant wages in these industries.
Many extremely low-income households, which include farmworkers, seek rental housing and most likely face overpayment, overcrowding, or substandard housing conditions.
Farmworkers are generally considered to have special housing needs because of their limited income and the often unstable nature of their employment (i.e., having to move throughout the year from one harvest to the next). While no local surveys are available which document the specific housing needs of farm labor in San Mateo County, Statewide surveys provide some insight into the demographic characteristics and housing needs of farmworkers. Statewide estimates indicate that 60-70 percent of the non-farmworker population in both seasonal and migrant farmworker households is between the ages of 1-13 years. This indicates a need not only for migrant worker housing which is commonly dormitory style in nature, but also single-family and multifamily units that are affordable and located within close proximity to work-sites located within close proximity to work-sites.
Farmworkers typically fall within extremely low-incomes groups. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for California farmworkers was $30,370 in 2020. However, the estimate overstates annual earnings by multiplying hourly wages by 52 weeks. When analyzing the actual wages of farmworkers, it is important to consider that many farm workers do not work full-time year-round. Weekly wages in agriculture were about half of average statewide weekly wages between 2001 and 2021. Department of Labor National Agricultural Workers Survey interviewed 3,582 settled farmworkers in California between 2015 and 2019 and found that these workers personal incomes averaged $2,000 a month from farm earnings of about $600 a week for 35 to 40 weeks a year.
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Proposed Policies, Programs, and Funding to Help Address Gap This housing element included an action under Program HE-I-12 “Fair Housing Affirmative Marketing Strategy” to identify any existing service providers along the Coastside that support farmworker housing needs to gain greater insight into potential farmworker housing needs in Pacifica. The City of Pacifica will work cooperatively with local growers, ag-related businesses (such as packing and distribution facilities), the farm bureau, and advocates for farmworkers such as the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) in order to determine available resources and shortfalls. In addition, an action was added to Program HE-I-12 “Fair Housing Affirmative Marketing Strategy” to increase educational outreach efforts on fair housing issues related to frequent housing discrimination faced by farmworkers due to their ethnicity and type of employment, landlord/tenant issues and the Employee Housing Act related to farm laborers, farm labor contractors and agricultural employers.
The City will review its zoning, development standards, and processing requirements to ensure they do not constrain different types of housing for farmworkers (e.g., multi-family, single-room occupancy, ADUs, manufactured homes, migrant centers, etc.). See Appendix G, Section 2, Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types, for more information.
The City will identify zones with appropriate development standards and permit process procedures to encourage and facilitate the development of housing affordable to farm workers (individuals and families). The City has included Program HE-I-14 “State and Federal Law Conformance” which includes a program to amend zoning regulations to define employee housing and farmworker housing and regulate the use in accordance with Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5, 17021.6 and 17021.8 by December 2025. Section 17021.5 generally requires employee housing for six or fewer persons to be treated as a singlefamily structure and residential use. No conditional- use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required for this type of employee housing that is not required of a family dwelling of the same type in the same zone.
Section 17021.6 generally requires that employee housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in group quarters (or 12 units or less) designed for use by a single-family or household to be treated as an agricultural use. No conditional-use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required for this type of employee housing that is not required of any other agricultural activity in the same zone.
The City will consider amendment to the zoning and building code (an action item in Program HE-I-14) to facilitate and encourage new Single-Room-Occupancy (SRO) construction. This would include adding a definition and use of single-room occupancy and the identification of zoning districts where SROs will be permitted consistent with state law. This program will strengthen the viability of SRO buildings as an essential source of housing for extremely low-income households including farmworkers. A more-streamlined entitlement process will help in providing greater predictability in the approval and development of new SROs.
While the City has not denied any applications for SRO units in the last planning element cycle, SROs are not explicitly defined in the Zoning Code.
For those agricultural workers in the city who are full-time residents, housing needs are best met through the provision of permanent affordable housing. To address the need for farmworker housing, the City will address the need for extremely low-income housing through Program HE-I-9 “Housing for Extremely Low-Income, Special, and Disproportionate Needs.” This program includes 11 actions that will incentivize the construction REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-58 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 of affordable housing. As a part of this program the City has established the provision of extremely-low-income housing units and affordable larger units (3+ bedrooms) as a high priority to address the needs of farmworker families. Through the implementation actions in this program which includes streamlining, concessions and waivers of development regulations, fee reduction, incentives, and outreach and coordination the City will prioritize a mix of housing types that address the needs of farmworkers as well as other extremely low-income households.
In addition, the City’s Sites Inventory identifies adequate sites to accommodate the housing need for farmworkers located in town and near services and transit. For example, there are two sites included in the sites inventory that can accommodate farmworker housing with their existing A (Agriculture) zoning classification:
Site 23: Sanchez Art Center (city-owned) Surplus Site with 130 Lower-Income Units and Site 37: St. Peter Catholic Church, 700 Oddstad Blvd. Core RHNA with 24 Lower-Income Units. Other sites may also accommodate housing for farmworkers, including multi-family housing, SRO housing, second-units, and manufactured homes. Please see “Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types” in Appendix G, Section 2, for additional analysis.
Through Program HE-I-5 “Fund a Housing Action Fund” the City will work to establish and fund a local housing fund to leverage new funding sources. The program establishes extremely-low-income housing units, larger units (3+ bedrooms), and units for people with developmental disabilities as high priorities. In addition, through Program HE-I-6 “Strengthen Inclusionary Housing” the City will ultimately adjust the City’s Below Market Rate program to increase the number of units that are developed that meet the needs of residents with extremely-low incomes and large families, which include farmworkers.
It is also important to retain the existing stock of affordable housing that has been financed by federal and State sources. A loss of any existing affordable units would worsen the housing crisis for farmworkers. The City will continue to monitor the status of these units by implementing Program HE-I-7 “Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Units” and take all necessary steps to ensure that a project remains in or is transferred to an organization capable of maintaining affordability restrictions for the life of the project.
19. NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS
California has long been an immigration gateway to the United States, which means that many languages are spoken throughout the Bay Area. Since learning a new language is universally challenging, it is not uncommon for residents who have immigrated to the United States to have limited English proficiency. This limit can lead to additional disparities if there is a disruption in housing, such as an eviction, because residents might not be aware of their rights, or they might be wary to engage due to immigration status concerns. In Pacifica,
1.9 percent of residents 5 years and older identify as speaking English not well or not at all, which is below the proportion for San Mateo County (Figure C-46). Throughout the region the proportion of residents 5 years and older with limited English proficiency is 8 percent (Figure C-46). Jefferson Union High School District’s and Pacifica School District’s enrollment by race and ethnicity are similar to the countywide distribution.
However, there are a higher proportion of Filipino students in Jefferson Union (29% compared to 8% countywide) and a smaller proportion of Hispanic (31% compared to 38% countywide) and White students (14% compared to 26% countywide). Conversely, Pacifica School District’s elementary Schools have a higher proportion of White students (39% compared to 26% countywide) and students who identify with two or more races (16% compared to 8% countywide) and a smaller proportion of Asian (8% to 17% countywide) and Hispanic students (26% compared to 38% countywide).
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Figure C-46: Population with Limited English Proficiency Universe: Population 5 years and over.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B16005.
20. SUMMARY: GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING
CHARACTERISTICS
Pacifica has not shared in the region’s jobs and population growth over the last several decades. The population of Pacifica has remained stable between 2000 to 2020, which is below the growth rate of the Bay Area.
The number of new homes built in the Bay Area has not kept pace with the demand, resulting in longer commutes, increasing prices, and exacerbating issues of displacement and homelessness. There has been a very small increase in housing production in Pacifica which is far below the growth rate for San Mateo County and below the growth rate of the region’s housing stock during this time period. There are multiple barriers to housing production including high land and construction costs, limited funding, coastal zone regulations, dominance of single-family zoning limiting opportunities for denser development, and a significant amount of public open space (Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sharp Park, San Pedro Valley County Park and other public open spaces make up approximately 40% of city land). The overall age composition shifted older between 2000 and 2019. Pacifica is similar to many communities in the county and across the nation, where there has been an increase in the percentage of citizens over the age of 65. Pacifica has a developing need for more senior housing options, as well as options for seniors to age-in-place or downsize to stay within their communities. Since 2000, the percentage of residents in Pacifica identifying as White has decreased—and by the same token the percentage of residents of all other races and ethnicities has increased—by 12 percentage points.
While predominantly White, Pacifica is becoming more diverse. Hispanic residents are more likely to have higher rates of poverty, lower household incomes, and overcrowding in Pacifica. Pacifica has more workers than jobs, which means that many Pacifica residents commute outside of the city for work. Regional jobs are more easily accessed in the northern part of town because of a more accessible transportation network. However, relative to the region, Pacifica has the fewest transportation REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-60 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 options and lowest access to jobs. A poor transportation network that lacks connectivity to employment centers and limited access to transit creates barriers to accessing employment opportunities. There are 1,630 extremely low-income households in Pacifica making up 12 percent of the population earning 30 percent of AMI. Households and individuals with extremely low incomes may experience the greatest challenges in finding suitable, affordable housing. Extremely low-income households often have a combination of housing challenges related to income, credit status, disability or mobility status, family size, household characteristics, supportive service needs, or a lack of affordable housing opportunities. Many extremely low-income households seek rental housing and most likely face overpayment, overcrowding, or substandard housing conditions. These households typically include seniors on fixed incomes, individuals with disabilities, single parents, farmworkers, low-wage and minimum wage workers, and maybe homeless. Hispanic residents experience the second highest rates of poverty (approximately twice the poverty rate as White residents) and Hispanic residents make up 19 percent of Pacifica’s population. Because Hispanic residents make up a large minority group in Pacifica and have higher rates of poverty and lower incomes, Hispanic residents are more at risk of housing insecurity. In Pacifica there are a total of 13,750 housing units, and fewer residents rent than own their homes:
29 percent versus 71 percent. High rates of homeownership in Pacifica contribute to Pacifica’s status as a higher resource area in the region. In Pacifica, 70 percent of Black households, 66 percent for Asian households, 71 percent of Hispanic households, and 74 percent of White households own their homes.
The three predominant populations Pacifica (White, Hispanic and Asian) all have higher rates of homeownership relative to their counterparts in the region. Within these three groups, Asian households have the lowest homeownership rate (66%), and White households have the highest home ownership rate (74%).
With rapidly rising home prices in recent decades, it is increasingly difficult for younger households to become homeowners. Residents under the age of 35 are more likely to rent and to postpone purchasing a home because housing costs are a barrier to homeownership. Purchasing and owning a home provides a financial asset that can be passed by one generation of a family to another, increasing access to opportunity and providing long term housing security.
Home Prices – A diversity of homes at all income levels creates opportunities for all Pacifica residents to live and thrive in the community. The largest proportion of homes had a value in the range of $750,000–to $1 Million in 2019. Home prices increased by 103 percent from 2010 to 2020. Rental Prices – The typical contract rent for an apartment in Pacifica was $2,270 in 2019. Rental prices increased by 61.5 percent from 2009 to 2019. To rent a typical apartment without being cost burdened, a household would need to make $90,840 per year.
Two census tracts in the city, both located in the northern area of the city, are vulnerable to displacement.
Both have a concentration of cost burdened renter households of more than 40 percent of all renter households. UC Berkeley also estimates that 50 percent of households in Pacifica live in neighborhoods where low-income households are likely to be excluded due to prohibitive housing costs. The housing stock of Pacifica in 2020 was made up of 71 percent single-family detached homes. Of the single-family housing stock that exists, there are smaller lot sizes and smaller units in the northern area of the city allowing for more affordable housing options. The characteristics of the more affordable neighborhoods in Pacifica include more multi-family housing options and single-family homes on smaller lots. Neighborhoods north of Sharp Park Road have historically provided workforce or more naturally REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT C-61
affordable housing in the city, including the availability of single-family home rentals. North of the Sharp Park area has one of the largest proportions of renter households in the city. Pacifica has a larger proportion of vacant units classified as units used for recreational or occasional use (30%) when compared to San Mateo County (23%) or the Bay Area (22%). Vacancy data indicate that the Pacifica rental housing market may be even more constrained than the region because many more units are being used as vacation rentals and because a large proportion of other vacancies are in transition (either recently sold and not occupied or listed for sale). Pacifica has a much smaller proportion of vacant units listed for rent than San Mateo County or the region.
Approximately 5,301 housing units or 37 percent of Pacifica’s housing units are older than 60 years (built in 1959 or earlier). Forty-six percent of Pacifica’s housing units (6,529 units) were built between 1960-1979.
This means that 83 percent of housing units in Pacifica are more than 40 years old. At this age, many units are in need of at least minor repairs and lack energy efficient designs, which can increase utility expenses and by extension housing costs.
Pacifica rents have increased at higher rates than both the county and the region and with fewer affordable rental units on the market, as well and market pressures from vacation rentals, Pacifica’s rental market is particularly constrained. Increasing rent burden is the most important issue for many households. Thirty-one percent of all households in Pacifica are cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened. These rates vary greatly across income categories and tenure. Compared to the region, Pacifica has less overcrowding.
According to the AFFH Data Viewer, Pacifica has no census tracts with a concentration of overcrowded households, while almost all of Pacifica’s neighboring jurisdictions have higher rates of overcrowding. Out of 13,750 occupied housing units in the city, 1,187 were large households made up of 5 or more household members, making up approximately 9 percent of all households. Large families have special housing needs and when combined with low to moderate incomes can have difficulty finding appropriate and affordable housing.
Female-headed households are households led by a single-female with one or more children under the age of 18 at home. These households’ living expenses generally take up a larger share of income than is the case in two-parent households. Therefore, finding affordable, decent, and safe housing is often more difficult for female-headed households. Additionally, female-headed households have special needs involving access to daycare or childcare, health care, and other supportive services. Households headed by one person are often at greater risk of housing insecurity, particularly female-headed households, who may be supporting children or a family with only one income. Female-headed households with children may face particular housing challenges, with pervasive gender inequality resulting in lower wages for women. In Pacifica, 11 percent of female-headed households with children fall below the Federal Poverty Line, while 3 percent of female-headed households without children live in poverty (Figure C-38). Cost Burden – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers housing to be affordable for a household if the household spends less than 30 percent of its income on housing costs. A household is considered “cost-burdened” if it spends more than 30 percent of its monthly income on housing costs, while those who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs are considered “severely cost-burdened.” In Pacifica, 18 percent of households spend 30 to 50 percent of their income on housing, while 15 percent of households are severely cost burden and use the majority of their income for housing. Displacement/Gentrification – According to research from The University of California, Berkeley, no households in Pacifica live in neighborhoods that are susceptible to or experiencing displacement, and no REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 C-62 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 areas at risk of or undergoing gentrification. However, 50 percent of households in Pacifica live in neighborhoods where low-income households are likely excluded due to prohibitive housing costs. There are various ways to address displacement including ensuring new housing at all income levels is built. Neighborhood – One hundred percent of residents in Pacifica live in neighborhoods identified as “High Resource” areas according to an assessment of access to opportunity developed by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC). These neighborhood designations are based on a range of indicators covering areas such as education, poverty, proximity to jobs and economic opportunities, low pollution levels, and other factors.
Special Housing Needs – Some population groups may have special housing needs that require specific program responses, and these groups may experience barriers to accessing stable housing due to their specific housing circumstances. In Pacifica, nine percent of residents have a disability of any kind and may require accessible housing. Additionally, nine percent of Pacifica households are larger households with five or more people, who likely need larger housing units with three bedrooms or more. Ten percent of households are female-headed families, which are often at greater risk of housing insecurity.
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Photo: Housing in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood (2022) APPENDIX D: CITY OF PACIFICA
ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING
February 6, 2025
1. AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING (AFFH)
The State of California’s 2018 Assembly Bill (AB 686) requires that all public agencies affirmatively further fair housing (“AFFH”) and “to take no action inconsistent with this obligation.” Affirmatively furthering fair housing means taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity. These actions aim to replace segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transform racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and foster compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws.
The duty to affirmatively further fair housing extends to all of a public agency’s activities and programs relating to housing and community development (Gov. Code, Section 8899.50, subd. (a)(1).) AB 686 also makes changes to Housing Element Law requiring housing elements to include an analysis of fair housing outreach and capacity, integration and segregation, access to opportunity, disparate housing needs, and current fair housing practices. Public agencies receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are also required to demonstrate their commitment to AFFH. The federal obligation stems from the fair housing component of the federal Civil Rights Act mandating federal fund recipients to take “meaningful actions” to address segregation and related barriers to fair housing choice.
AB 686 also requires that the Housing Element include an evaluation of a city’s site inventory relative to its impact on fair housing. The purpose of the site inventory is to identify and analyze land that is available and suitable to accommodate the city’s share of regional housing need (see Appendix F – Housing Sites Inventory).
The analysis included in Sections 5-11 below evaluates whether the identified sites serve the purpose of REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-2 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 affirmatively furthering fair housing. The required analysis below evaluates the site inventory relative to the full scope of the assessment of fair housing, including segregation and integration, racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty and affluence, access to opportunity and disproportionate housing needs and displacement risk. The analysis includes Figures D-1 to D-18 which show the proposed RHNA sites in relation to fair housing factors. The series of maps was developed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) and display concentrations of more than twenty fair housing factors (AFFH Data Viewer). The AFFH Data Viewer displays concentrations of fair housing factors including indicators that provide insight on segregation and integration, access to opportunity and disproportionate housing need in Pacifica and regionally. These maps also illustrate the location of opportunity sites in the site inventory including affordable housing sites that are described in Appendix F – Housing Sites Inventory.
2. FAIR HOUSING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Appendix A – Community Consultation, describes the extensive outreach and community engagement conducted for the housing element update process. Community input collected during the process helped inform the development of policies and programs that prioritize the housing needs of historically marginalized communities as well as ways to strengthen and improve existing policies.
Pacifica’s local outreach included specific objectives for conducting equity-focused community engagement:
1) to adapt to effective outreach strategies to bring the voices that are often not found in city planning efforts, and 2) to enhance the way the City does outreach to historically marginalized communities with virtual or inperson engagement best practices. The public engagement process also included guidance from the Equity Advisory Committee, an advisory body made up of community-based organizations to advance equitable affordable housing opportunities and support community outreach and engagement around the Housing Element Update process.
The City targeted outreach opportunities to historically underrepresented communities across the city. Some of these efforts included two online surveys translated into Spanish and simplified Chinese, outreach at community events such as the farmers markets, local festivals (Fog Fest), holiday events, and canvassing throughout the city. During the community engagement process, residents identified issues such as housing affordability and availability, housing for lower incomes and working families, improving access to transit, and protecting the environment. This helped to inform the analysis of segregation and integration, access to opportunity, and disproportionate housing needs included in this analysis of fair housing factors.
The following analysis of fair housing factors examines geographic areas in the city that are experiencing neighborhood challenges such as vulnerability to displacement and concentrations of poverty or residents with disabilities. The analysis also describes residents’ access to economic opportunity, challenges with transportation, employment, and K-12 education. The public engagement process provided important insight into the community, background information to fair housing issues, and helped shed light on potential solutions to address the city’s most pressing fair housing issues.
3. HISTORY OF SEGREGATION IN THE REGION
The history of segregation in the region is important to understand how residential settlement patterns came about and to explain differences in housing opportunity among residents today. Not all residents had the same REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-3
opportunities to build housing equity. This historically unequal playing field in part explains why residents have different housing needs today.
The United States’ oldest cities have a history of mandating segregated living patterns—and Northern California cities are no exception. The Association of Bay Area Governments (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 “selfsegregation” (i.e., preferences to live near similar people).
It is well documented that throughout the Bay Area, State of California, and United States, that persons of color were denied loans to purchase homes, were not allowed to buy in many neighborhoods because of restrictive covenants and were harassed if they managed to purchase a home in a predominantly White neighborhood. This forced some residents to move into segregated and less desirable neighborhoods next to highways, and often concentrated in public housing and urban renewal developments. These residents also faced greater challenges building wealth through economic mobility and homeownership that remain significant issues today.
Prior to enactment of state and federal civil rights laws, San Mateo County faced resistance to racial integration.
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 housing 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.1 The private sector contributed to segregation through activities that discouraged or prohibited integrated neighborhoods. “White only” covenants were common in homeownership developments in San Mateo County, as were large lot and exclusive zoning practices. Some examples include deeds that specified that only “members of the Caucasian or White race shall be permitted” to occupy for-sale homes—the exception being “domestics in the employ[ment] on the premises.”2 These discriminatory practices were exacerbated by a history of exclusionary zoning driving the dominance of single-family residential zones as well as actions of the Federal Housing Administration which excluded low-income neighborhoods, where most people of color lived, from its mortgage loan program.
Pacifica organically developed as a single-family community in the early 1900s and was mostly made up of small lot single-family beach cottages driven by the subdivision and selling of lots along the Ocean Shore railroad.
Historical actions have led to a significant homeownership gap among racial and ethnic groups that impacts nearly all neighborhoods in the United States, regardless of whether specific instances were documented in a community. In Pacifica, a history of environmental activism opposed to development beginning in the 1970s has helped to limit housing production in the city, which has reinforced the disparate patterns of racial, ethnic, and economic segregation that resulted from past actions by non-city entities. 1 Moore, E., Montojo, N., and Mauri, N., 2019. Roots, Race & Place: A History of Racially Exclusionary Housing the San Francisco Bay Area. Hass Institute.
2 Richard Rothstein, 2017. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-4 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 As shown in the timeline of major federal acts and court decisions related to fair housing choice, zoning and land use on the following page, exclusive 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. Ambler Realty Co. (272 U.S. 365) supported the segregation of residential, business, and industrial uses, justifying separation by characterizing apartment buildings as “parasite(s)” with the potential to “destroy” the character and desirability of neighborhoods. At that time, multi-family apartments were typically 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 discriminatory 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.
4. REPORT CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fair Housing Primary Findings (Section 5) includes the primary findings from the fair housing assessment and the site inventory analysis. This section provides an assessment of the following:
Concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica: i.e., do concentrations of low-income residents overlap with any other factors such as race, familial status, disability status, access to opportunity, or disproportionate housing need.
Whether the housing opportunity sites identified by the City of Pacifica combined with the fair housing policies and programs promotes housing that will exacerbate existing patterns of segregation or help support more integrated living patterns, increase access to opportunity and address the needs of residents with disproportionate housing needs.
Whether the income distribution of the site inventory housing units will exacerbate existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
Contributing Factors and Fair Housing Issues (Section 6) identifies the primary factors contributing to fair housing challenges and prioritizes them in terms of which factors have created the greatest inequities in Pacifica. The fair housing plan, which outlines meaningful actions to improve access to housing and economic opportunity in Pacifica, is included as a part of the city’s Housing Element goals, policies and programs. Key fair housing programs are noted with the following diamond symbol ().
Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity (Section 7) reviews lawsuits, enforcement, actions, and complaints against the jurisdiction. It also describes the city’s compliance with state fair housing laws and regulations, and its capacity to conduct fair housing outreach and education.
Integration and Segregation (Section 8) identifies areas of concentrated segregation, degrees of segregation, and the groups that experience the highest levels of segregation. This section analyzes Predominant Race, Segregation Typology, Household Median Income, Disability Status, Female Headed Households with Children, and Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA) (Figures D-1 to D-8). The section also assesses the distribution of site inventory units relative to fair housing factors related to integration and segregation, including:
Local analysis: concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica.
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Major Public and Legal Actions that Influence Fair Access to Housing REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-6 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Regional analysis: compare concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica to the region. Site inventory analysis: whether the income distribution of the site inventory (lower-, moderate-, and above moderate-income units) exacerbates existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
Access to Opportunity (Section 9) examines differences in access to education, transportation, economic development, and healthy environments. TCAC in collaboration with HCD developed a series of indices that help to identify areas of the community with good or poor access to opportunity for residents (Figures D-8 to D-12). This section analyzes TCAC indicators such as Resource Areas, Jobs Proximity, Economic Opportunity, Educational Outcomes, and Environmental Outcomes. The section also assesses the distribution of site inventory units relative to fair housing factors related to access to opportunity, including:
Local analysis: concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica. Regional analysis: compare concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica to the region. Site inventory analysis: whether the income distribution of Pacifica’s site inventory (lower-, moderate-, and above moderate-income units) exacerbate existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
Disproportionate Housing Needs (Section 10) identifies which groups have disproportionate housing needs including displacement risk. This section will analyze Overpayment for Renters and Homeowners, Overcrowded Households, Displacement Risk, Substandard Housing and Homelessness (Figures D-13 to D-18). The section will also assess the city’s distribution of site inventory units relative to fair housing factors related to disproportionate housing need, including:
Local analysis: concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica. Regional analysis: compare concentrations of fair housing factors in Pacifica to the region. Site inventory analysis: whether the income distribution of Pacifica’s site inventory (lower-, moderate-, and above moderate-income units) exacerbate existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
Site Inventory Analysis Summary and Impact on Fair Housing (Section 11) includes a summary of the city’s site inventory and evaluates Pacifica’s sites relative to their impact on fair housing. This section evaluates whether the development of the sites in the inventory will further exacerbate or help reverse patterns of segregation and/or concentrations of protected classes and/or vulnerable populations. The analysis reviews concentrations of fair housing factors relative to the distribution of sites in the city and the expected income levels of future housing from the previous three sections. Finally, it makes findings about the impact of developing the site inventory on fair housing in Pacifica.
Other Relevant Factors (Section 12) describes other local fair housing issues in the Pacifica and how fair housing issues have surfaced in the city including residents living in recreational vehicles (RVs), local advocacy against housing projects, housing discrimination, and displacement.
Appendix D Attachments
Attachment D-1: San Mateo County Fair Housing Survey Findings Attachment D-2: Housing Needs Additional Data Packet
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5. PRIMARY FINDINGS
This section summarizes the primary findings from the Fair Housing Assessment for Pacifica including the following sections: fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity, integration and segregation, access to opportunity, disparate housing needs, and contributing factors. The city’s housing plan, Goals, Policies, Programs and Quantified Objectives include a goal to “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing” which includes specific policies and programs that address the fair housing issues and contributing factors identified in this assessment. Goals, policies, and programs that affirmatively further fair housing are indicated with the following diamond symbol:
Primary Findings: Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity From 2017 to 2021, 57 fair housing complaints in San Mateo County were filed with HUD— and three complaints (5 percent) were in the City of Pacifica (the city accounts for 5% of the County’s population). In San Mateo County, most complaints cited disability status as the reason (56%) followed by race (19%) and familial status (14%). In Pacifica, the issues cited were discrimination in services and facilities and discrimination in terms, conditions, privileges relating to rental housing, and failure to make a reasonable accommodation.
The complaints filed were on the basis of race (two complaints) and disability (one complaint). Countywide, no cause determination was found in 27 complaints followed by successful conciliation or settlement of 22 complaints. The City of Pacifica has not been a party to fair housing complaints or legal action in the past nor has the City been required to operate under a state or federal consent decree related to fair housing.
Fair housing complaints filed with HUD by San Mateo County residents have been on a declining trend since 2018. While there are fewer fair housing complaints in the county, the National Fair Housing Association (NFHA) has identified two recent trends. NFHA has identified a trend towards the majority of fair housing complaints being processed by private fair housing organizations, rather than state, local, and federal government agencies. Secondly, NFHA found that fair lending cases referred to the Department of Justice from federal banking regulators have been declining. This may suggest a need for local government entities to play a larger role in fair housing enforcement by examining fair housing complaints locally.
Similar to nearby San Bruno, South San Francisco, and Daly City, Pacifica appears accommodating to renters with housing vouchers because the city has a greater share of voucher holders compared to the surrounding communities. The presence of housing voucher users indicates available rental supply to house these residents and a lack of exclusionary behavior from landlords in the city.
Pacifica is compliant with state and federal laws that promote fair and affordable housing. As a part of this housing element process, Pacifica identified several local policies that contribute to a regulatory environment that is favorable for affordable housing development in the city. Pacifica also identified local barriers to affordable housing development as well as local policies that are not in place but would provide the best outcomes in addressing housing shortages. Pacifica has an opportunity to explore many additional housing policies that could encourage more affordable housing and reduce housing barriers.
Pacifica could improve the accessibility of fair housing information on the city’s website to provide resources for residents experiencing housing discrimination, including contact information for local fair housing organizations, legal assistance, and general information about the Fair Housing Act and discrimination, as well REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-8 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 as the City’s assessment of fair housing. The City’s housing plan includes local actions to distribute fair housing information to residents, tenants, and landlords.
Primary Findings: Integration and Segregation
Five out of the eight census tracts in Pacifica are considered Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA) with a predominantly White population. HCD’s definition of a Racially Concentrated Area of Affluence is “A census tract with a median income 1.25 times higher than in the region and a White population of 1.5 times higher than the region.” Pacifica is the only city in North San Mateo County with a RCAA. The proportion of non-Hispanic White residents is 13 percentage points higher in Pacifica than the county. However, racially concentrated areas of affluence exist south of Pacifica in Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Portola Valley and down the peninsula.
The three census tracts in Pacifica that are not in the RCAA have a lower proportion of White residents, and two are predominantly Asian and have more Hispanic and Black residents than the rest of the city. The predominantly White census tract that is not a RCAA has a diverse population; 49 percent White, 4 percent Black, 22 percent Asian, and 18 percent Hispanic. While not represented as a predominant group in any census tract in the city, Hispanic residents are a large minority population and are represented in all census tracts in the city. Hispanic residents make up between 15 percent to 25 percent of each census tract across the city with concentrations in both the north and the south. Hispanic residents are also more likely to have higher rates of poverty, lower household incomes, and live in overcrowded households in Pacifica.
On a regional level, concentrations of racial segregation appear to be more pronounced in Pacifica when compared to some neighboring jurisdictions because Pacifica is predominantly White. Pacifica has a mix of moderate and higher incomes throughout the city in both White and Asian predominant census tracts. In contrast, Daly City, South San Francisco and San Bruno residents experience higher levels of poverty, lower incomes and are more racially and ethnically diverse communities.
Female-headed households with children are considered a vulnerable population because they tend to have lower household incomes and additional household costs (i.e., childcare). One census tract in Pacifica has a concentration of female-headed households with children. The census tract is predominantly White, located within a RCAA, and has no concentrations of cost-burdened or overcrowded households.
Nine percent of Pacifica’s population lives with a disability compared to 8 percent in the county. Four census tracts in the city have a concentration of households with residents with disabilities, two in the north and two in the south within the RCAA. The southern area has a concentration of assisted living facilities for seniors that may contribute to the concentration of residents living with a disability. In the north there is only one licensed senior assisted living facility, suggesting that residents with a disability in this area may be living in family households. This may indicate that there is an unmet need for supportive housing and services for the concentration of residents living with a disability in the northern area.
Unemployment among residents in Pacifica living with a disability is disproportionately higher (10%) than for residents without a disability (3%). This is not unique to Pacifica because other jurisdictions in San Mateo County also experience a similar disparity in the unemployment rate for people with disabilities, including South San Francisco, San Mateo, Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Hillsborough and Millbrae (see Table D-3). Compared to the county average, however, this issue is more pronounced in these cities. The county average shows a similar unemployment rate for people living with a disability (4%) and without a REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-9
disability (3%) (see Table D-3). The City will consider collaborative action in the county on this issue, including outreach to employers to discuss support for people with disabilities as well as supporting nonprofits that work with employers hiring people with disabilities.
Primary Findings: Access to Opportunity
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. Pacifica has a positive concentration of access to opportunity, especially when compared to neighborhoods east of El Camino Real in South San Francisco and San Bruno, as well as some areas of Daly City. According to TCAC indicators, within Pacifica there is a relatively balanced distribution of fair housing indicators related to access to opportunity such as economic, educational, and environmental opportunities.
The entire city is a high resource area and a significant area of the city scores very well for environmental outcomes. Most of the city also has high educational outcome scores. While there are slightly lower outcomes in the northern census tracts than in the southern census tracts, regionally Pacifica has much better educational outcome scores when compared to its neighbors.
The one TCAC indicator where Pacifica is more like its neighbors is the economic score. Pacifica, San Bruno, South San Francisco and Daly City have similar average economic scores. The economic index across Pacifica is above 0.5 which indicates overall positive economic outcomes. The composition of the economic score includes both household income as well as availability of jobs. Part of the reason that San Bruno, South San Francisco, and Daly City score well economically is because of the employment centers in those jurisdictions.
Pacifica’s job proximity scores are lower than its neighboring jurisdictions. Some areas in the northern census tracts score below 20—meaning they have the furthest proximity from jobs compared to rest of the city. The score shows that the south has better access to jobs than the north, however, the northern area is more dense, closer to some job centers and has better access to transit. Regional jobs are more easily accessed in the northern part of town because of a more accessible transportation network. However, when compared to the region, Pacifica has fewer transportation options and a lower proximity jobs score.
Primary Findings: Disparate Housing Need
Over 40 percent of renter households in Pacifica are cost burdened—spending more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing costs—and one in five are extremely cost burdened—spending more than 50 percent of their gross income on housing costs. Housing cost burden in Pacifica varies by race and ethnicity and family size. There are no concentrations of overcrowded households in Pacifica.
Two Pacifica census tracts are vulnerable to displacement according to the Urban Displacement Project.3 This includes the census tract north of Sharp Park Road and one of the northernmost census tracts (see Figure D-16). These two areas also have concentrations of naturally occurring affordable housing including multi3 Communities were designated sensitive if they currently have populations vulnerable to displacement in the event of increased redevelopment and drastic shifts in housing cost. Vulnerability includes metrics for the share of very low-income residents, share of renters, share of people of color, and share of very low-income households (50% AMI or below) that are severely rent burdened (spending 50% of income on rent). Market-based displacement pressures include percent change in rent between 2012-2017 above county median rent increases, and/or a rent gap (meaning rent is substantially lower than rent in surrounding areas).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-10 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 family as well as single-family home rentals. These census tracts have historically provided workforce or more natural affordable housing in the city. The neighborhoods north of Sharp Park Road have more renter households than the rest of the city. Figure D-17 identifies varying levels of displacement risk for low-income renter households in all census tracts in the state from 2015 to 2019 and indicates that Pacifica is experiencing a lower risk of displacement for this population, especially when compared to South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Daly City.
According to the 2022 San Mateo County One Day Homeless Count and Survey, 161 people experienced unsheltered homelessness in Pacifica in 2022 (see Appendix C – Housing Needs). This is an increase from previous counts. The 161 unsheltered homeless in 2022 make up 15 percent of the 1,092 unsheltered homeless in the San Mateo County as a whole. This is a large proportion since Pacifica makes up only 5 percent of the county’s population. The homeless population in Pacifica that identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black, White, and Hispanic, are all overrepresented in the homeless population compared to their share of the general population in San Mateo County.
Pacifica has 101 units out of 294 total income assisted rental units (34%) that are at high- or very high-risk of conversion to market rate units, which would result in displacement of occupants. In San Mateo County, 417 units are at-risk—8 percent of the total assisted housing units in the county. While this appears to be a large proportion of at-risk units, these assisted units are located in one complex (Casa Pacifica), which has a track record of regularly renewing Section 8 contracts and the city expects that this will continue long-term. Based on current density and future zoning capacity, the city has determined there is no economic pressure for the site to redevelop. The city conducts proactive outreach to the property owner and a program for the proactive preservation of at-risk income assisted rental units is included in this housing element.
Primary Findings: Site Inventory Analysis Impact on Fair Housing Pacifica’s Site Inventory Impact on Regional Equity
Compared to its neighbors in the region, Pacifica has no lower resource areas, fewer households living in poverty, well above average scores in environmental, educational, and economic outcomes, no concentrations of overcrowding, and is less impacted by fair housing issues than those faced by its neighbors in Daly City, South San Francisco, and San Bruno. The proposed distribution of the sites identified for future housing development in Pacifica will help to open a higher resource area to a mix of housing types and will help to reverse existing patterns of regional segregation.
This housing element recognizes Pacifica’s unique position in the northern San Mateo County region as a community with significant land area within RCAAs. With this in mind, by facilitating housing development throughout all neighborhoods of a regional RCAA and encouraging lower-income unit production, as well a production of a diverse mix of housing, this housing element strives to meets one of HCD’s equity goals of reversing regional patterns of income and race segregation. Through its policies and programs and site inventory, the city will advocate for lower-income housing production in areas of opportunity.
This housing element also emphasizes the importance of developing housing for persons and families with lower incomes. The housing element site inventory identifies 1,271 lower-income housing units (including 1,107 units in opportunity sites, 52 pipeline projects, and 112 projected ADUs (see Table 2, Capacity Analysis). The projection of lower-income capacity includes an approximately 50 percent buffer over the assigned lowerincome RHNA (surplus of 423 lower-income units). The City’s goal and projected need for Extremely LowREVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-11
Income (ELI) units is 269 units or 50 percent of its Very Low-Income RNHA allocation. There are 741 projected lower-income units that are part of opportunity sites located within the RCAA.
Pacifica’s Site Inventory Impact on Local Housing Conditions Pacifica’s site inventory is evenly distributed throughout available land in the city. Protected parkland (Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sharp Park, and San Pedro Valley County Park) comprises approximately 40 percent of the city’s land and has limited the area available for housing development. The distribution of sites is focused alongside the city’s major transportation corridors and access to services (Coast Highway, Linda Mar Boulevard, Terra Nova Boulevard, Fassler Avenue, Manor Drive and Hickey Boulevard) both in the north and south. The site inventory was designed to distribute housing developments of mixed incomes across the whole city and to take advantage of Pacifica’s existing infrastructure.
The city’s northern census tracts (602800 and 602700) are more diverse and tend to have residents with the most housing needs. Thirteen percent of the units in the site inventory are located in these areas, comprising 287 units and including 223 lower-income units. Housing in these more diverse census tracts will provide more options for residents living there, but the majority of lower-income units are located in other areas, including in the RCAAs. The five census tracts that make up the RCAA, which are considered to have better access to opportunities and are less diverse, are home to 76 percent of the total units in the site inventory (1,634 units) and 67 percent of the lower-income units in the site inventory (741 units).
Facilitating development of a mix of housing types and, in particular, lower- and moderate-income sites, will provide housing opportunities in higher resource areas and within a RCAA.
Pacifica’s Site Inventory Impact on Existing Patterns of Segregation Because this analysis does not show significant patterns of segregation within Pacifica, the site inventory is evenly distributed across the city. The distribution of Pacifica’s site inventory housing units will not exacerbate existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations at the local level. Compared to Pacifica, other jurisdictions in the region have much more pronounced concentrations of residents that are segregated by race and income, disproportionate housing needs, and lack of access to opportunities. Pacifica’s site inventory will not exacerbate existing patterns of regional segregation because it will accommodate a mix of incomes across the city and because it will provide housing opportunities at lower and moderate incomes in a higher resource area.
Primary Findings: Contributing Factors and Local Context Pacifica is affected by significant housing needs despite its regional advantages as a higher resource area and RCAA. These areas of need include a relatively larger homeless population relative to the county, lack of accessible transportation options other than personal automobiles, lack of access to employment centers, and a Hispanic minority population that experiences more poverty, lower incomes and overpayment at a higher rate than other residents.
In addition, there are other local factors that have contributed to Pacifica’s housing needs. Pacifica has had very limited production of housing in recent decades. Since 2015, most of the housing that has received permits has been priced for above moderate-income households. Seventy percent of Pacifica’s dwelling units are singlefamily units and most of the multi-family is located outside of the RCAA. There are some multi-family projects REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-12 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 within the RCAA but they have fewer housing units (i.e., smaller apartment complexes). The existing singlefamily housing stock consists of smaller units and smaller lots in the northern end of town and larger units and larger lots in the southern area, contributing to the higher cost to live in the south. The smaller lot sizes and units in the north allow for more affordable housing options. The vast majority of open space parkland is in the RCAA which also contributes to the higher cost of housing in these areas.
In addition, because of a poor public transportation network, living in the southern and eastern parts of the city requires a vehicle, creating a cost burden for lower-income residents. Transit access as well as opportunities for lower cost housing are significantly more accessible outside of the RCAA in the north.
6. FAIR HOUSING ISSUES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
The disparities in housing choice and access to opportunity stem from historical actions and socioeconomic factors that limit employment and income growth. This analysis of fair housing factors helped the City identify several fair housing issues and contributing factors.
Fair Housing Issue: Low production of affordable housing limits housing choices of households who have lower incomes and disproportionate housing needs.
Contributing Factors:
High Priority: Seventy percent of dwelling units in Pacifica are single-family units. This limits multifamily housing options that provide needed housing to many racially and ethnically diverse residents as well as lower-income residents and workers in the region. More diverse housing choices are needed in the city.
High Priority: Pacifica has had very limited production of affordable housing. New housing that has been built has almost entirely been priced for above moderate-income households.
Medium Priority: The portion of Pacifica within the Coastal Zone is subject to development and environmental protection regulations that pose a constraint to housing production, such as those addressing coastal hazards and setbacks from environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHAs).
Medium Priority: Pacifica has a history of environmental activism opposing housing development beginning in the 1970s which has acted to constrain the amount of housing approved and constructed.
Medium Priority: Pacifica’s housing market is influenced by economic pressures to convert a portion of its housing stock to short-term vacation rentals.
Fair Housing Issue: Hispanic households have disproportionate housing needs. These needs are evident in high levels of cost burden, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates.
Contributing Factors:
High Priority: The northern area has a higher concentration of Hispanic residents. This area has smaller lot sizes and smaller units than the south allowing for more affordable housing options and contributing REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-13
to the higher cost of housing in the south. Most of the open space parkland is in the RCAA which also drives the cost of housing higher in these areas.
High Priority: Higher poverty rates among Hispanic residents stem from decades of discrimination in employment, education, and housing markets. These residents have faced greater challenges building wealth through economic mobility and homeownership.
Medium Priority: It is well documented that persons of color were denied loans to purchase homes and were not allowed to buy in many neighborhoods because of restrictive covenants. These historical actions have led to a significant homeownership gap among racial and ethnic groups.
Fair Housing Issue: Higher rate of homelessness relative to overall county population.
Contributing Factors:
High Priority: Pacifica lacks housing affordable to extremely low-income households. Without housing options, extremely low-income residents face eviction, instability, and the risk of homelessness.
Medium Priority: A transportation system that relies heavily on access to automobiles and lacks access to transit creates barriers to accessing employment opportunities for lower-income households.
Medium Priority: Low proximity to jobs, lack of access to employment opportunities that provide jobs with higher wages to residents.
Fair Housing Issue: There is a concentration of residents living with a disability in the northern area with an unmet need for supportive housing and services.
Contributing Factors:
High Priority: There is a lack of supportive housing in the north that overlaps with the concentration of residents living with a disability. This concentration is not associated with a concentration of seniors and senior assisted living facilities as in the south.
Medium Priority: The unemployment rate for Pacifica’s residents with a disability is more than three times that of persons without a disability. While this rate is three times the countywide average rate, this is a countywide issue because ten other jurisdictions in San Mateo County have at least twice the unemployment rate for residents with a disability and seven of those have three times the unemployment rate for residents with a disability.
Fair Housing Issue: Lack of accessible transportation options other than personal automobiles and lack of access to employment centers contributes to the disproportionate housing needs of lowerincome households.
Contributing Factors:
High Priority: While there is transit access generally (two BART stations in Colma and Daly City are accessible from Pacifica bus lines), most employment centers are not directly accessible via transit. The need to travel to BART or otherwise undertake multiple transfers on transit affects timely access to jobs.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-14 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Medium Priority: Living in the southern and eastern parts of the city requires a personal vehicle to efficiently access employment centers. This produces a cost burden for lower-income households.
Lower Priority: Low proximity to jobs, lack of access to employment opportunities that provide jobs with higher wages to residents.
7. FAIR HOUSING ENFORCEMENT AND OUTREACH CAPACITY
This section discusses fair housing legal cases and inquiries, fair housing protections and enforcement, and outreach capacity.
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 Civil Rights Department (formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)) was established in 1980 and is now the largest civil rights agency in the United States.4 According to their website, the DFEH’s mission 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), Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, and Ralph Civil Rights Act.”5 DFEH receives, evaluates, and investigates fair housing complaints. DFEH plays a particularly significant role in investigating fair housing complaints against protected classes that are not included in federal legislation and therefore not investigated by HUD. DFEH’s website provides detailed instructions for filing a complaint, the complaint process, appealing a decision, and other frequently asked questions.6 Fair housing complaints can also be submitted to HUD for investigation. Additionally, San Mateo County has a number of local enforcement organizations including Project Sentinel, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. These organizations receive funding from the County and participating jurisdictions to support fair housing enforcement and outreach and education in the County.
From 2017 to 2021, 57 fair housing complaints in San Mateo County were filed with HUD— and three complaints (5%) were in Pacifica (the city accounts for 5% of the County’s population). In San Mateo County, most complaints cited disability status as the reason (56%) followed by race (19%) and familial status (14%). In Pacifica, the issues cited were discrimination in services and facilities and discrimination in terms, conditions, privileges relating to rental housing, and failure to make a reasonable accommodation. The complaints filed were on the basis of race (two complaints) and disability (one complaint). Countywide, no cause determination 4 In July 2022, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s name changed to the Civil Rights Department to more accurately reflect the Department’s powers and duties, which include enforcement of laws prohibiting hate violence, human trafficking, discrimination in business establishments, and discrimination in government-funded programs and activities, among others. 5 https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/aboutdfeh/
6 https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/complaintprocess/
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was found in 27 complaints followed by successful conciliation or settlement of 22 complaints. The City of Pacifica has not been a party to fair housing complaints or legal action in the past nor has the City been required to operate under a state or federal consent decree related to fair housing.
Fair housing inquiries in 2020 were primarily submitted from the City of San Mateo, Redwood City, Daly City, and Menlo Park. Fair housing complaints filed with HUD by San Mateo County residents have been declining since 2018, when 18 complaints were filed. In 2019, complaints dropped to 5, increased to 11 in 2020, and had reached 6 by mid-2021. Nationally, the 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 percent of complaints nationally, whereas this basis comprised 14 percent of cases in the county.
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Pacifica could improve the accessibility of fair housing information on their website and resources for residents experiencing housing discrimination. The city’s website does provide a landing page for affordable housing, which links to San Mateo County affordable housing resources, but does not have a consolidated webpage for information for residents experiencing discrimination in housing.7 This could be improved by providing contact information for local fair housing organizations, legal assistance, and general information about the Fair Housing Act and discrimination, as well as a link to the Regional Assessment of Fair Housing—approved by HUD in November 2017. The housing plan includes a number of local actions related to distributing fair housing information to residents as well as specific information for tenants and landlords.
Compliance with State and Federal Fair Housing Laws
The City of Pacifica is in compliance with state and federal fair housing laws. Where any conflict with state or federal law has been encountered by the City in the application of its land use regulations, the City has recognized the supremacy of the applicable state or federal law provisions. For instance, upon enactment of SB 330, Pacifica halted administration of its Residential Development Allocation (i.e., growth management) program in Title 9, Chapter 5 of the Pacifica Municipal Code. Furthermore, the City updated its Reasonable Accommodation Ordinance in 2019 to advance fair housing for Pacifica residents (PMC Title 9, Chapter 4, Article 51).
Housing Vouchers
According to the HCD AFFH Data Viewer, Pacifica does not have any public housing buildings. However, the city does have one census tract with a sizable share of households using housing vouchers (15% to 30%), two census tracts with a moderate share (5% to 15%) and three other census tracts with some (5% or less) housing voucher utilization. Similar to nearby San Bruno, South San Francisco, and Daly City, Pacifica appears accommodating to renters with housing vouchers because the city has a greater share of voucher holders compared to the surrounding communities. The presence of housing voucher users indicates available rental supply to house these residents and a lack of exclusionary behavior from landlords in the city.
Housing Specific Policies Enacted Locally
Pacifica identified the following local policies that contribute to the regulatory environment for affordable housing development in the city. As indicated below, Pacifica has an opportunity to explore many additional housing policies that could encourage more affordable housing and reduce housing barriers. 7 https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/planning/affordable_housing_/default.asp REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-17
HOUSING TOOLS LEVERAGED IN PACIFICA
Local policies in place to encourage housing
development.
Mixed Use zoning
Density Bonus ordinance
Inclusionary/Below Market Rate Housing
Policy & In-Lieu Fees
Condominium Conversion Ordinance
Preservation of Mobile Homes (Rent
Stabilization Ordinance)
Home sharing programs
Accessory dwelling unit ordinance
Local barriers to affordable housing
development.
Limited areas zoned for housing types
beyond single-family detached homes
Height limits on multi-family developments
Voter initiatives that restrict residential
development in certain areas (e.g., the
Rockaway Quarry)
Minimum lot sizes
Excessive parking requirements
Lengthy approval processes for
development
No policies to mitigate displacement of
low-income households
Restrictive zoning limiting residential
development in historic districts,
commercial zones, or vacant land
Local policies that are NOT in place but would
provide the best outcomes in addressing housing
shortages.
Allow mixed-use and multi-family
development at higher densities along
certain corridors
Policies that allow building height flexibility
to achieve intended density ranges
Reducing off-street parking requirements or
establishing parking maximums
Local policies in place to mitigate or prevent
displacement of low-income households.
Mobile home rent control/relocation and
displacement prevention
Condominium conversion regulations.
Streamlined processing of ADUs
Reasonable accommodation program to
improve access for persons with disabilities
8. INTEGRATION AND SEGREGATION
This section discusses integration and segregation of the population by protected classes including race and ethnicity, disability status, familial status, and income status as well as racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty and affluence. The section analyzes fair housing factors at a local and regional level. It concludes with an analysis of the city’s site inventory that assesses how the income distribution of Pacifica’s site inventory units (lower-income, moderate-income, and above moderate-income) overlaps with concentrations of fair housing factors, and whether the income distribution of site inventory housing units would exacerbate existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
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“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.” Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development Guidance, 2021, page 31.
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Race and Ethnicity
The demographic characteristics of Pacifica are less diverse compared with the overall characteristics of San Mateo County. Over half of the city’s population identifies as non-Hispanic White (52%) compared to 39 percent countywide. However, over the last two decades, the proportion of non-Hispanic White residents in Pacifica has decreased considerably (it was 64% in 2000). The next largest proportion of Pacifica’s population is Asian (22%) compared to 30 percent countywide, followed by Hispanic (19%) compared to 24 percent countywide. Pacifica also has residents that are Other/Multiple race (5%), and Black (2%) residents which mirror countywide rates. The share of the population that identifies as American Indian or Alaska Native is less than 1%. Older residents are less diverse with 69 percent of the population older than 65 years identifying as White compared to only 55 percent of the population for children less than 18 years old. Pacifica has three White majority census tracts,8 three other census tracts with sizable White populations and two census tracts that have sizable Asian majorities.9
Dissimilarity and Isolation Indices
ABAG and the University of California at Merced completed an analysis of racial and income segregation by both census tracts and block groups in Pacifica and the Bay Area region. Several indices were used to assess segregation in the city to determine how the city differs from patterns of segregation and integration in the region overall. 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. 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 the isolation index tend to indicate higher levels of segregation.
The University of California, Merced Urban Policy Lab and Association of Bay Area Governments/ Metropolitan Transportation Commission (ABAG/MTC) developed a detailed report10 on segregation factors for all San Mateo County jurisdictions, including Pacifica. The primary findings for Pacifica include:
As of 2020, White residents are the most segregated compared to other racial groups in Pacifica, as measured by the isolation index. White residents live in neighborhoods where they are less likely to come into contact with other racial groups. These neighborhoods are south of Sharp Park. Among all racial groups, the white population’s isolation index value has changed the most over time, becoming less segregated from other racial groups between 2000 and 2020. As previously mentioned, the proportion of White residents in Pacifica decreased from 64 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2019. According to the dissimilarity index, the highest level of racial segregation is amongst Asian and White residents. There are two predominant Asian census tracts located north of Edgemar Avenue and east of Palmetto Avenue.
8 Majority census tracts show the predominant racial or ethnic group by tract compared to the next most populous. 9 Redlining maps, otherwise known as Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps, are not available for San Mateo County. 10 Pacifica AFFH Segregation Report: UC Merced Urban Policy Lab and ABAG/MTC, https://mtcdrive.app.box.com/s/ d0kki6p26idiq81h5vxgqf77a5hsisdw
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-20 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 According to the Theil’s H-Index, neighborhood racial segregation in Pacifica declined between 2010 and 2020. Neighborhood income segregation declined between 2010 and 2015. Above moderate-income residents are the most segregated compared to other income groups in Pacifica.
Above moderate-income residents live in neighborhoods where they are less likely to encounter residents of other income groups.
Pacifica is a higher resource area overall but also has economically diverse pockets across the city. For example, there are above moderate-income households in all areas of the city, including in the more diverse, lower-income, and predominant Asian census tracts in the north. There are also some concentrations of lower-income households in the higher resource areas of the city in the south. The median household income in the predominant Asian census tracts ranges from $125,000 to $143,000.
This range of median household income is similar in many other census tracts in the north and south of the city.
There are two block groups that have a median household income between $150,000 and $188,000, located in the southwest neighborhoods of Pedro Point and Linda Mar. There are two block groups that have a median household income below $125,000, located along Coast Highway north of the Sharp Park Golf Course near the northern city border and along Manor Drive to the eastern city border.
There are three block groups in the southern neighborhoods with a lower median household income located south of Fassler Avenue between Peralta Road and Adobe Drive and the neighborhood located just west of San Pedro Valley County Park and east of Park Pacifica Avenue. According to the dissimilarity index, segregation between lower-income residents and higher-income residents has decreased between 2010 and 2015. In 2015, the income segregation in Pacifica between lowerincome residents and other residents was lower than the average value for Bay Area jurisdictions.
Site Inventory Analysis: Predominant Race
Concentrations of FH Factors
Pacifica has three significant racial and ethnic groups. including 52 percent White Non-Hispanic, 22 percent Asian and 19 percent Hispanic. The city has six White majority census tracts11 and two census tracts with sizable Asian populations. The predominantly White census tracts make up a majority of the city (see Figure D-1). Five of these census tracts are between 65 percent to 70 percent White and one (the northern most) is 55 percent White and 18 percent Hispanic. The six predominantly White census tracts also have minority populations of Hispanic and Asian residents. The city’s two northernmost census tracts have sizable Asian populations (41% and 42% Asian) and include Hispanic residents (18%-20%) and White residents (27%-29%). The three northern most census tracts in the city also have 3 percent to 4 percent Black population. The Latino community is a minority ethnic group, but not concentrated in any particular area of the community. The percent of Hispanic residents ranges from 15 percent to 25 percent in all census tracts with the largest concentration (20%-25% of residents in the census tract) located in three census tracts distributed across the city, including:
11 Majority census tracts show the predominant racial or ethnic group by tract compared to the next most populous.
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The northernmost census tract (602800) is predominantly Asian (25% Hispanic, 37% Asian, 32% White, and 4% Black);
The Sharp Park census tract (603100) is predominantly White (20% Hispanic, 63% White, 10% Asian and 2% Black);
The southeast census tract that overlaps with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and San Pedro Valley County Park (603400) is also predominantly White (22% Hispanic, 61% White, and 11% Asian). The other five census tracts are between 15 percent and 18 percent Hispanic.
While Pacifica has higher percentage of White population compared to its neighbors, two census tracts (602800 and 602700 in the northern area of the city) are at least 60 percent non-white (combined Asian and Hispanic populations) and two other census tracts (603100, where Sharp Park is located and 602900, northwest area of the city) are between 40 percent and 60 percent non-white.
Figure D-3 shows the RHNA Sites in relation to neighborhood segregation typology, a designation developed by the Urban Displacement Project that describes the predominant racial and ethnic makeup of renter households within the census tract. Most of the census tracts in Pacifica are designated as “3 Group Mixed” typology—a combination of Asian, Hispanic and White renters. Two census tracts are designated as “Hispanic and White” (Sharp Park and coastal Linda Mar area) and one of the predominant Asian census tracts is designated as “4 Group Mixed” typology indicating that it is the most diverse census tract of renters with a combination of renters that identify as Asian, Hispanic, White and Other.
Regional Comparison
Compared to the county, Pacifica is less diverse overall. Pacifica has more White residents (52% versus 39% countywide), fewer Asian residents (22% versus 30% countywide) and fewer Hispanic residents (19% versus 24% countywide). Unlike its eastern neighbors (see Figure D-1) of South San Francisco and San Bruno, Pacifica does not have any predominantly Hispanic census tracts though it does have a sizeable Hispanic minority population of almost 20 percent.
Distribution of Site Inventory
As shown in Figure D-1, Pacifica’s proposed opportunity sites (which do not include ADUs or pipeline projects) are distributed evenly within the city boundaries, with more sites in areas with higher concentrations of White households. Fifty-three percent (53%) of Pacifica’s opportunity site housing units are in three majority White census tracts with a predominant gap of more than 50 percent (census tracts 603100, 603200, and 603300). Thirty-four percent of the opportunity site housing units are in three majority White census tracts with a sizeable gap of more than 10 percent (census tracts 602900, 603000, and 603400). Of the total 1,877 opportunity site housing units located in the six census tracts that are considered White predominant areas, 884 are projected to be very low- or low-income units and 355 are projected to be moderate-income units. The Asian predominant census tracts (602700 and 602800) include five sites which are anticipated to produce 223 lower-income units and 18 moderate-income units.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-1: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Diversity Index by Census Tract
Affordable Sites (Lower and Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(R) Predominant Population - White Majority Tracts
Slim (gap < 10%)
Sizeable (gap 10% - 50%)
Predominant (gap > 50%)
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8
units will include Below Market Rate Units including
lower income units and moderate income units.
1 1
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-2: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Diversity Index by Census Tract
Affordable Sites (Lower and
Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
Lower Diversity
≤ 55.000000
≤ 70.000000
≤ 85.000000
Higher Diversity (A) Diversity Index (2018) Block Group *Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-3: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Neighborhood Segregation Typology by Census Tract
Mostly Asian
Asian-Latinx
Asian-White
Latinx-White
3 Group Mixed
4 Group Mixed
Unpopulated Tract
Affordable Sites (Lower and
Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(A) Neighborhood Segregation Typeology
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units
will include Below Market Rate Units including lower
income units and moderate income units.
1 1
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As previously mentioned, while Pacifica is majority White, the proportion of White residents in the city has decreased over time, indicating that Pacifica is becoming more diverse over time with sizeable Hispanic and Asian minorities in all the city’s census tracts. Figure D-2 shows a diversity index that summarizes racial and ethnic diversity. The index shows the likelihood that two people, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different race or ethnic groups. The index ranges from 0 (no diversity) to 100 (complete diversity). In Pacifica, the northernmost area of the city is more diverse and more like San Bruno and South San Francisco than the south. Figure D-3 shows census tracts by neighborhood segregation typology. Specifically, typologies identify which racial groups have more than 10% representation within the given tract. The northernmost census tracts are the most diverse in the city with a “4 Group Mixed” typology—a combination of Asian, Latino, Other Race, and White renter households. The majority of the city is considered a “3 Group Mixed” typology—a combination of Asian, Latino, and White residents. Across the region, racial and ethnic minority populations generally have higher rates of poverty and lower household incomes compared to the non-Hispanic White populations. In Pacifica, this is mostly documented in the Hispanic population.
Although a majority of the opportunity site inventory units are located in the RCAA, the site inventory includes units located in all neighborhoods and in close to proximity to neighborhoods with Asian and Hispanic residents as well as moderate-income neighborhoods. The additional capacity to build lower-income units will support the city in preserving affordability in existing moderate- and lower-income neighborhoods.
Furthermore, the potential to build affordable units across the city and especially in areas of opportunity that have traditionally been reserved for higher-income residents is an important strategy for reversing existing patterns of segregation in the region. Achieving the city’s RHNA will provide housing opportunities for lowerincome residents in higher resource areas and increase affordability in existing moderate- and higher-income neighborhoods.
Household Income
The household income distribution by percent of area median income (AMI) in Pacifica is similar to the county.
There is only one block group in the city that has a median income below the 2020 state median income of $87,100. A concentration of block groups in the northern part of the city have incomes between the state median and $125,000, while the majority of block groups in the southern portion have median incomes greater than $125,000. All census tracts in Pacifica have poverty rates below 10 percent (Figure D-4).
Site Inventory Analysis: Income
Concentrations of FH Factors
There is a mix of above moderate-, moderate-, and lower-income households in all areas of the city, including in the more diverse and predominant Asian census tracts in the north and the higher resource areas in the south.
Household incomes in the predominantly Asian and White census tracts are similar, ranging between $125,000 and $143,000.
Two block groups, located in the southwest neighborhoods in the Pedro Point and Linda Mar areas (north of Linda Mar Boulevard), have a median household income between $150,000 and $188,000.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-26 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Two block groups located along Coast Highway north of the Sharp Park Golf Course and towards the northern city border and alongside Manor Drive to the eastern city border have household incomes between the state median of $87,100 and $125,000.
Three block groups in the southern neighborhoods located south of Fassler Avenue between Peralta Road and Adobe Drive and the neighborhood located just west of San Pedro Valley County Park and east of Park Pacifica Avenue have household incomes between $87,100 and $125,00. One block group located south of Linda Mar Boulevard between the Linda Mar Shopping Center and Peralta Road has a median-income below the 2020 state median-income of $87,100. This area is in close proximity to some of the higher-income neighborhoods in Pacifica.
Regional Comparison
The household AMI in Pacifica is similar to the county. Countywide, 49 percent of households earn more than $125,000 of AMI compared to 48 percent of households in Pacifica and 13 percent of County Households earn less than 30 percent AMI compared to 12 percent of households in Pacifica. However, Pacifica’s neighbors to the north and east have lower household median incomes and higher poverty rates.
Figure D-4 shows that a majority of Pacifica’s census tracts have households earning above $125,000 AMI, which is higher than South San Francisco, San Bruno and Daly City where most census tracts have household incomes below $125,000 AMI and where there are more pockets of households earning less than the state median-income of $87,100. Daly City and South San Francisco also have multiple census tracts where more than 10 percent of households live below the poverty level while Pacifica has none.
Distribution of Site Inventory
Figure D-4 shows an even distribution of sites in census tracts where the median-income is below $125,000 and above $125,000. There are 16 sites located in census tracts where the median-income is greater than $125,000 and 20 sites located in a census tract where the median-income is lower than $125,000. The unit mix in these sites is also evenly distributed among lower and higher earning census tracts with 525 lower-income units located in higher earning census tracts and 582 lower-income units located in lower earning census tracts.
Disability Status
Many individuals with a disability live on a small, fixed income, limiting their ability to pay for housing. Some adults with developmental disabilities depend on monthly income of around $1,000 from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, pricing them out of many of the limited number of affordable housing units in Pacifica. Those with employment tend to work part-time in the lowest paid jobs and also struggle to incomequalify for many of the affordable housing units now available for rent in Pacifica. Most adults with developmental disabilities also do not drive or own a car and many rely on public transit to access services in the community. Many people with disabilities experience severe rent burden, housing instability and displacement. Such disparities are attributable to the lack of housing affordable to extremely low-income (ELI) households (with incomes below 30 percent of AMI).
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-4: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Median Income by Census Tract
< $55,000
< $55,000
< $125,000
Greater than $125,000
Affordable Sites (Lower and
Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(R) Median Income (ACS, 2015-2019) -
Block Group
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-28 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Geographic concentrations of people living with a disability occur for various reasons. Residents with disabilities may live in a family home with parents or family members who have the resources to care for them, there may be areas with easier access to services, amenities, and transportation that better serve disabled residents, or there may be concentrations of licensed care facilities and/or supportive services in certain neighborhoods.
Site Inventory Analysis: Disability Status
Concentrations of FH Factors
Four census tracts in Pacifica have between 10 percent to 20 percent of the population living with a disability— two in the northern part of the city and two in the south (Figure D-5). There is a concentration of senior housing projects in the southern part of town. Since seniors are more likely to have a disability, the concentration of senior housing may mean that there are more household members with disabilities in these areas. The four census tracts with a concentration of people living with disabilities are:
Census Tract 602700 in the northeast of the city has a predominant Asian population and include block groups with household incomes that are both higher (more than $125,000) and moderate (between $87,100 and $125,000). This census tract also has a concentration of renter households that are cost burdened (between 40% to 60% of renter households).
Census Tract 602900 in the northwest has a predominant White population with household incomes between $87,100 and $125,000. This census tract also has a concentration of cost burdened homeowners (40% to 60% of owner-occupied households).
Census tracts 603400 and 603300 located in the south of the city have a predominant White population and household incomes of more than $125,000. Census tract 603300 also has a concentration of households who are cost burdened; 40 percent to 60 percent of renter households are cost burdened in this census tract.
Distribution of Site Inventory
Pacifica’s sites inventory includes 16 sites located within the four census tracts that have a higher concentration of household members with a disability (602700, 602900, 603300, and 603400). These sites are expected to produce 596 lower-income units, 52 moderate-income units, and 251 above moderate-income units.
The City also projects that it will need to plan for at least 269 ELI units, or 50 percent of its Very Low Income RNHA allocation. ELI units are particularly important to people with developmental disabilities. Pacifica is committed to further fair housing for people with disabilities through policies that will increase the production of ELI units, as well as provide adequate staff capacity to implement and monitor the impact of these policies.
Multiple barriers including high land and construction costs and limited funding make it difficult for developers to produce ELI units that would help to reduce such disparities. Local zoning and other policies that promote increased production of ELI units, as well as City staff dedicated to implementing and overseeing those policies, will help further fair housing in Pacifica and decrease displacement and homelessness for the most at-risk residents, including people with developmental disabilities.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-5: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Disability Status by Census Tract
< 10%
10% - 20%
Affordable Sites (Lower and Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(R) Population with a Disability
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
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The share of the population living with at least one disability is 9 percent in Pacifica compared to 8 percent in San Mateo County. Pacifica is home to 180 people with developmental disabilities (Table D-1). San Bruno is home to 326 people with developmental disabilities and South San Francisco is home to 967 people with developmental disabilities. As a share of the total number of people living with developmental disabilities in San Mateo County, 5 percent of the total live in Pacifica compared to 8 percent in San Bruno and 25 percent in South San Francisco.
TABLE D-1: PACIFICA AND SAN MATEO COUNTY POPULATION WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Age City of Pacifica
City of Pacifica
Percent of Total San Mateo County
San Mateo County
Percent of Total
Under Age 18 74 41% 1,169 30%
18 and Older 106 59% 2,764 70%
Total 180 100% 3,933 100%
Note: The Pacifica population with developmental disabilities is based on zip code level data published by the Department of Developmental Services for zip code 94044, which may overlap with other jurisdictional boundaries, as of September 2021. The San Mateo County population with developmental disabilities is based on county-level data published by the Department of Developmental Services as of June 2021.
Source: Department of Developmental Services.
The table above shows that Pacifica has a smaller share of adults with developmental disabilities than San Mateo County—only 59 percent of Pacifica residents with developmental disabilities are adults (18 and older) compared to 70 percent of all San Mateo County residents with developmental disabilities. A higher proportion of Pacifica’s residents with developmental disabilities are under 18 years old (41% in Pacifica vs 30% countywide).
A lack of affordable housing at ELI levels paired with supportive services could be one of the factors contributing to fewer adults with developmental disabilities being able to live in Pacifica. Assessing the housing needs of adults with developmental disabilities is particularly important because as they age adults will require a residential option outside the family home, whereas the family home is the preferred living option for children with developmental disabilities. In Pacifica a larger share of the adult population is living in the family home (71%) with aging parents than in the County overall (56%).
Table D-2 shows the living arrangements of adults with developmental disabilities in Pacifica compared to San Mateo County. Seventy one percent of adults with developmental disabilities live in the home of a parent, family, or guardian. Living in the family home puts adults at greater risk of displacement and homelessness.
Over-reliance on the family home as a living arrangement is likely due to the lack of housing affordable to ELI households available in Pacifica which is also contributing to fewer Pacifica adults transitioning into their own apartment with supportive services (7%) than in the County overall (11%). In addition, fewer Pacifica adults (17%) are transitioning into licensed facilities (including Community Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities) than in the County overall (32%). However, opportunities for adults to live in a licensed facility are declining throughout the County. Seven percent of Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities live in other living arrangements, which can include but are not limited to homelessness or jail, as compared to only 1 percent of the County’s adult population overall.
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TABLE D-2: LIVING ARRANGEMENTS OF ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES IN PACIFICA COMPARED TO SAN MATEO COUNTY
Adult Living Arrangements Pacifica
Pacifica
Percent of Total San Mateo County
County
Percent of Total
Home of Parent/Family/Guardian 75 71% 1,556 56%
Own Apartment with Supportive Services 7 7% 294 11%
Licensed Facilities 18 17% 894 32%
Other (Including Homeless) 6 6% 20 1%
Total Adults 106 100% 2,764 100%
Note: The Pacifica population with developmental disabilities is based on zip code level data published by the Department of Developmental Services for zip code 94044, which may overlap with other jurisdictional boundaries, as of September 2021. The San Mateo County population with developmental disabilities is based on county-level data published by the Department of Developmental Services as of June 2021. These data assume that all people with developmental disabilities under age 18 live in the family home. The impact of this assumption, if incorrect, is to underestimate the number of adults living in the family home who may need other residential living options.
Source: Department of Developmental Services.
Decline in Licensed Care Facilities
The California Department of Developmental Services reports that between September 2015 and June 2021, San Mateo County lost 5 percent of its supply of licensed care facilities for people with developmental disabilities (including Community Care Facilities, Intermediate Care Facilities, and Skilled Nursing Facilities), even as the adult population in need of residential options outside the family home grew. This trend increases the need for affordable housing options coordinated with supportive services funded by the Golden Gate Regional Center. San Mateo County’s reduced supply of licensed care facilities increases the likelihood that Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities will be forced out of the county when their parents are no longer able to house them—unless there is a significant improvement in access to affordable housing.
Longer Lifespans
Between September 2015 and June 2021, the California Department of Developmental Services reports that the number of San Mateo County residents with developmental disabilities age 62 and older grew by 33 percent.
This is due not to migration of senior citizens with developmental disabilities into San Mateo County, but rather to well-documented gains in life span among people with developmental disabilities. With longer life expectancy, more adults with developmental disabilities will outlive their parents and family members who are the single largest source of housing for people with developmental disabilities in Pacifica. Longer life spans will also slow the pace of turnover in the county’s limited supply of licensed care facilities, which will reduce opportunities for Pacifica adults with developmental disabilities to secure a space in a licensed care facility elsewhere in the County.
Displacement
Notwithstanding 10 percent growth in San Mateo County’s total population of adults with developmental disabilities, DDS has documented a 12 percent decline in the age group 42 to 51 and a 10 percent decline in the age group 52 to 61 between September 2015 and June 2021. In light of gains in life expectancy, this loss can reasonably be attributed to displacement from the county because of the lack of residential living options (either licensed facilities or affordable housing) when an elderly parent caregiver passes away or becomes unable to house and care for the adult. Displacement takes a particular toll on adults with developmental disabilities REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-32 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 who depend on familiarity with transit routes and shopping and services, as well as support from communitybased services and informal networks.
Familial Status
Pacifica’s proportion of single-person households (21%) is similar to San Mateo County (22%). There is also a similar distribution of married-couple family households in the city (54%) and county (55%). Familial status can indicate specific housing needs and preferences. A larger number of nonfamily or single person households indicates a higher share of seniors living alone, young adults living alone or with roommates, and unmarried partners. Higher shares of nonfamily households indicate an increased need for one- and two-bedroom units.
Over 80 percent of married couple households and a majority of residents living alone live in owner occupied housing. The number of housing units available by number of bedrooms and tenure is generally consistent with the familial status of the city’s households. Compared to the county, Pacifica has the same proportion of family households and single person households—which is reflected in the number of bedrooms and tenure of the housing stock.
Site Inventory Analysis: Children in Female-Headed Households Concentrations of FH Factors
Households headed by one person are often at greater risk of housing insecurity, particularly female-headed households, who may be supporting children or a family with only one income. Female-headed households with children may face particular housing challenges, with gender inequality resulting in lower wages for women.
Moreover, the added need for childcare can make finding a home that is affordable more challenging. In Pacifica, 11.0 percent of female-headed households with children fall below the Federal Poverty Line, while
3.2 percent of female-headed households without children live in poverty. Pacifica has 625 single parent femaleheaded households, which can be the most vulnerable households.
As shown in Figure D-6, two census tracts (602800 in the north, which is predominantly Asian and 603400 southeast, which is predominantly White) have a concentration of children in female headed households of between 20 percent to 40 percent. Both census tracts have more households with a median household income above $125,000, which is higher than some of the other areas of the city.
Census tract 602800 in the north has:
Slightly lower environmental and educational outcome indicators than the rest of the city, although these indicators are positive when compared to the region overall. The lowest jobs proximity scores relative to the region. Similar economic opportunities and concentrations of overpayment, and lack of overcrowded areas as the rest of the city. This area is also a sensitive community according to the Urban Displacement Project.
Census tract 603400 in the south has:
Positive environmental, educational, and economic indicators, like the rest of the city, but lacks adequate access to transit, and has low access to jobs.
No overcrowded households, no large concentrations of cost burdened households for either renters or homeowners and has not been identified as being vulnerable to displacement. It is one of the four census tracts in the city that has a concentration of household members with a disability.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-6: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
Female-Headed Households with Children by Census Tract
≤ 20%
20% - 40%
Affordable Sites (Lower and Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(R) Percent of Children in Female Householder,
No Spouse/Partner Present Households
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-34 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 Distribution of Site Inventory
Two of city’s proposed RHNA sites are located in census tract 602800 (north), and three sites are adjacent to this census tract (6022700) and will serve the same neighborhoods. The five sites have the potential to produce 287 housing units, of which 223 are designated for lower-income households.
Two of the city’s proposed RHNA sites are located in census tract 603400 (south) totaling 153 projected housing units. In addition, there are five sites in census tract 603300 that are adjacent to this census tract and will serve the same neighborhoods totaling 272 projected housing units. The seven sites (census tracts 603400 and 603300) have the potential of 425 housing units, of which 233 are designated for lower-income households.
Regional Comparison
Other jurisdictions in the region have at least one census tract with concentrations of female-headed households with children including South San Francisco, Daly City, and San Bruno. In South San Francisco, more than half of the city’s census tracts have a concentration of female-headed households with children. Other communities in the region such as Millbrae, Burlingame, Foster City, San Carlos and Belmont have none.
Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty and Affluence (R/ECAP or RCAA)
Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) and Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAAs) represent opposite 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. Recent research out of 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.12 R/ECAP
HCD and HUD’s definition of a Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty is:
A census tract in an urban area that has a non-White population of 50 percent or more (majorityminority) 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 census tract poverty rate for the County, whichever is lower.
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development Guidance, 2021.
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 12 Goetz, E.G., A. Damiano, and R.A. Williams, 2019. Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence: A Preliminary Investigation.
Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research, 21(1), 99–124.
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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.
This study used a poverty measure of three times the average census tract poverty rate in the County (19%) as the R/ECAP threshold. The study also measured the threshold for edge or emerging R/ECAPS (two thirds of the HUD defined poverty rate), which is two times the average poverty rate in the county (13%).
In 2010, three census tracts qualified as R/ECAPs (19 % poverty rate) in the county and 11 qualified as edge R/ECAPs (13% poverty rate). None of the R/ECAPs were located in Pacifica. However, an edge R/ECAP was located just north of the Pacifica border in Daly City. In 2019, two census tracts qualified as R/ECAPs (19% poverty rate) in the county and 14 qualified as edge R/ECAPs (13% poverty rate). None of the R/ECAPs were located in Pacifica.
HCD’s definition of a Racially Concentrated Area of Affluence is “A census tract with a median income 1.25 times higher than in the region and a White population of 1.5 times higher than the region.” Of the eight census tracts in Pacifica, five are considered racially concentrated areas of affluence, as shown in Figure D-7.
Site Inventory Analysis: R/ECAP or RCAA
Concentrations of FH Factors
Five of the eight census tracts in Pacifica are considered racially concentrated areas of affluence. The three census tracts that are not in the RCAA have a lower proportion of White residents, and two are predominantly Asian and have more Hispanic and Black residents than the rest of the city. The predominantly White census tract that is not a RCAA has a diverse population; 49 percent White, 4 percent Black, 22 percent Asian, and 18 percent Hispanic.
Pacifica is a predominantly homeowner city with 71 percent of residents living in ownership housing and 29 percent in rental housing. The percentage of renter households is significantly lower than the county where 40 percent of households are renter households. Two of the three census tracts that are not in the RCAA have a larger proportion of renter households (35% and 47%), which is significantly more than the citywide rate. In addition, one of the three non-RCAA census tracts has a lower median income than the rest of the city.
Fair housing factors related to access to opportunity, including economic, educational, and environmental factors, tend to be more favorable within the five RCAA census tracts in the south. Although the three nonRCAA census tracts in the north are high resource areas, they tend to have less economic opportunity, lower educational outcomes, and more environmental constraints than the southern areas of the city.
While two of eight of Pacifica’s K-12 public schools are located outside of the RCAA, there is no discernable difference between better access to schools in the RCAA versus outside of the RCAA.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 0 - Not a RCAA
1 - RCAA
Figure D-7: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
RCAA’s by Census Tract
Affordable Sites (Lower and Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(R) Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence “RCAA”
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
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Although the job proximity index shows more favorable access to jobs in the south, the north has better access to the regional transportation network and less traffic congestion. Residents in the northern neighborhoods have better access to regional jobs in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley job centers.
Regional Comparison
Pacifica is the only city in the northern part of San Mateo County to have census tracts designated as Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence. The RCAA census tracts have a greater proportion of higher-income White residents. The proportion of non-Hispanic White residents is 13 percentage points higher in Pacifica than the county. Historical local, state, and federal housing policies have contributed to these disparities as many policies excluded people of color from accessing the same opportunities as White residents.
Pacifica’s immediate neighbors to the east and north, including South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, and Daly City do not have any R/ECAPs or emerging R/ECAPs. However, racially concentrated areas of affluence exist south of Pacifica in Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Portola Valley and down the peninsula.
The RCAA neighborhoods are not unique to Pacifica but are a pattern throughout the peninsula. The census tracts west of I-280 tend to be larger, more rural and contain a significant amount of publicly protected land for parks and open space. According to Sustainable San Mateo County, protected open space is land restricted from new development and construction and generally kept available for wildlife habitat, scenic views, farming, or low-impact public access and comprise 42 percent of San Mateo County. The majority of the County’s protected land lies west of Highway 280.
There is one edge R/ECAP in nearby South San Francisco which has higher concentrations of households with disabilities, lower-income residents, and households that are overcrowded and cost burdened.
Distribution of Site Inventory
Pacifica’s site inventory identifies opportunity sites dispersed throughout the city that will accommodate a total of 2,164 housing units at all income levels with a focus on lower-income production. The potential new housing could include 1,107 lower-income units, 373 moderate-income units, and 684 above moderate-income units, which will expand housing options in a Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Area of Affluence and high resource area. In addition, 1,643 potential housing units (75% of opportunity sites) are projected within the RCAA, including 741 lower-income units and 348 moderate-income units. These lower and moderate-income units will provide new opportunities for housing for lower-income households within a regional RCAA. By producing more affordable housing, the city will improve housing choices for people of different incomes and races. If these projects are built in a way that affirmatively furthers fair housing, the city can facilitate more integrated living patterns, help transform areas of concentrated poverty into areas of opportunity and address the challenges of residents with disproportionate housing needs.
How this Housing Plan Addresses Pacifica’s RCAA
HCD’s definition of a RCAA is “A census tract with a median income 1.25 times higher than in the region and a White population of 1.5 times higher than the region.” Five out of the eight census tracts in Pacifica are REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-38 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 considered RCAAs. The three census tracts in Pacifica that are not in the RCAA have a lower proportion of White residents, and two are predominantly Asian and one is predominantly White.
The RCAA neighborhoods are not unique to Pacifica but are a pattern throughout the peninsula. While Pacifica has the only RCAA census tracts in North San Mateo County, RCAAs exist south of Pacifica in Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Portola Valley and down the peninsula.
A large portion of the lands contained in the RCAA are protected parkland and most of San Mateo County protected park land lies west of Highway 280. The census tracts west of I-280 tend to be larger, more rural and contain a significant amount of publicly protected land for parks and open space. The areas that are designated RCAAs in Pacifica are sparsely developed foothills communities. Typically, in these areas, there is limited opportunity for adding housing aside from ADUs and duplexes. However, the sites inventory in Pacifica’s housing plan has identified several significant sites in the RCAA as well as adjacent to or in close proximity to the designated RCAA.
Concentrations of racial segregation appear to be more pronounced in Pacifica when compared to some neighboring jurisdictions because in contrast, Daly City, South San Francisco and San Bruno residents experience higher levels of poverty, lower incomes, and are more racially and ethnically diverse communities.
Pacifica has a mix of moderate and higher incomes throughout the city in both White and Asian predominant census tracts. While not represented as a predominant group in any census tract in the city, Hispanic residents are a large minority population and are represented in all census tracts in the city.
Compared to its neighbors in the region, Pacifica has no lower resource areas, fewer households living in poverty, well above average scores in environmental, educational, and economic outcomes, no concentrations of overcrowding, and is less impacted by fair housing issues than those faced by its neighbors in Daly City, South San Francisco, and San Bruno. However, when comparing within Pacifica, especially between the north and the south, fair housing factors related to access to opportunity, including economic, educational, and environmental factors, tend to be more favorable within the five RCAA census tracts in the south when compared to the three northern census tracts (Figures D-7 to Figure D-12). Although the three non-RCAA census tracts in the north are high resource areas, they tend to have less economic opportunity, lower educational outcomes, and more environmental constraints than the southern areas of the city.
While Pacifica is not a major jobs center, Pacifica is in close proximity to major regional job centers. Within Pacifica, the largest employers are Pacifica School District, Jefferson Union High School District, Safeway, and the City of Pacifica, most of which are within the RCAA. However, a significant number of regional jobs are easier to access from the north because of better transit infrastructure, general proximity, and highway access.
The northern census tracts have significant more access to job centers in Daly City, South San Francisco, and other neighboring jurisdictions. Regional jobs are also more easily accessed in the northern part of town because of a more accessible transportation network. Transit access is more accessible outside of the RCAA in the north. Pacifica residents that live in the three census tracts outside of the RCAA still have access to opportunity because they have access to jobs, transportation, and services in the more densely populated area of the city.
While two of eight of Pacifica’s K-12 public schools are located outside of the RCAA, there is no discernable difference between better access to schools in the RCAA versus outside of the RCAA. Jefferson Union High School District, which includes the cities of Pacifica, Daly City, Colma and Brisbane is an open-enrollment district. This means that school placement is not based on neighborhood boundaries. As long as you live within the overall district boundaries, students are placed in a school based on parent choice, availability, and a lottery system. Since the City of Pacifica is in one zip code (94044), students throughout the city may be placed into REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT D-39
one of Pacifica's two high schools, Oceana High School or Terra Nova High School. Both Pacifica high schools are located within the RCAA and all Pacifica students, regardless of where they live within Pacifica, have the same access to these schools. Oceana High School is located within close proximity of non-RCAA neighborhoods. The Pacifica School District has six schools which include grades from TK through 8th grade.
The Pacifica School District is also an open enrollment school and does not place students based on neighborhood geography. The district has five schools in the RCAA and two schools outside the RCAA (Ocean Shore School K-8 and Sunset Ridge School TK-5). Ingrid B Lacy Middle School is within close proximity of non-RCAA neighborhoods right across from Oceana High School. Families living within the non-RCAA areas have access to schools within the RCAA and most students in middle school and high School go to school in the RCAA.
This housing element strives to meets one of HCD’s equity goals of reversing regional patterns of income and race segregation. Through its policies and programs and site inventory, the City will advocate for lower-income housing production in existing areas of opportunity. The proposed distribution of the sites identified for future housing development in Pacifica will help to open a higher resource area to a mix of housing types and will help to reverse existing patterns of regional segregation. The housing sites inventory in the housing plan was designed to include housing opportunities throughout all neighborhoods of a regional RCAA and encourage lower-income unit production, as well a production of a diverse mix of housing.
The housing sites inventory provides a significant buffer for lower-income unit capacity of 50 percent above the required lower-income RHNA. In addition, the housing element projects 741 lower-income units that are part of opportunity sites located within the RCAA. In addition to the 741 potential lower-income units within the RCAA, there is an additional potential for 348 moderate-income units within the RCAA. Furthermore, through programs in this housing plan (i.e., HE-I-9, HE-I-5, HE-I-6, HE-I-10) and additional sites that may be suitable for extremely low-income housing (i.e., Linda Mar Boulevard Park n Ride, Caltrans Right of Way on Skyline Boulevard, Public Works Corps Yard, Sanchez Art Center, Sanchez Library, and the Skyline Boulevard Water Tank Property), the city will also encourage the production of deeply affordable housing (affordable to households earning less than 30% AMI) to serve the needs of vulnerable residents. Through actions in program HE-I-9, the city will prioritize sites for development of lower-income housing in the RCAA as well as adjacent to the RCAA to increase access to opportunity for lower-income residents in higher-income areas.
The suite of programs in this housing element creates new opportunities for lower-income households to live in higher income areas. Future residents of the potential 1,089 lower-income and moderate-income units within the RCAA will have access to amenities, schools, and opportunities in the RCAA. The lower-income sites in Pacifica’s RCAA and surrounding areas were chosen specifically because of their relatively good access to local services and amenities (Appendix F Table F-8). As a result of new housing development in higher resource areas, combined with programs such as the affirmative marketing of lower-income units to residents outside of the RCAA (HE-I-12), residents who are not living in high opportunity areas today will have better access to higher-income areas.
9. ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY
This section discusses disparities in access to opportunity among protected classes including access to quality education, employment, transportation, and environment. The section analyzes fair housing factors at a local and regional level. The section concludes with an analysis of the city’s site inventory that assesses how the REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 D-40 PACIFICA 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT FEBRUARY 6, 2025 income distribution (lower-, moderate-, and above moderate-income units) overlaps with concentrations of fair housing factors, and whether the income distribution exacerbates existing patterns of segregation among protected classes or vulnerable populations.
Access to Opportunity
“Access to opportunity is a concept to approximate place-based 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.
The opportunity maps highlight areas of highest resource, high resource, moderate resource, low resource and high segregation and poverty. The opportunity maps also illustrate access to opportunity in quality education, employment, transportation, and environment. Opportunity scores are presented on a scale from zero to one, the higher the number, the more positive the outcomes.
Site Inventory Analysis TCAC Resource Areas
All of Pacifica’s census tracts are designated as high resource areas according to TCAC opportunity maps (Figure D-8). High resource areas correspond with high environmental outcomes, positive educational outcomes and economic scores. However, a large portion of the city has limited access to public transportation, mostly in the south. The northern part of town is better connected by public transportation networks, has less traffic congestion, and is in closer proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley job centers. While the northern census tracts are closer to regional job centers, the area scores poorly on proximity to jobs because these census tracts are the furthest away from the city’s job centers. Regional jobs are more easily accessed from the north than from the south of the city.
Regional Comparison
Pacifica borders high or moderate resource areas in the cities of Daly City, San Bruno, South San Francisco, as well as the Santa Cruz mountains in the south. San Bruno and South San Francisco are the only two cities in North San Mateo County that have low resource areas which are located primarily East of El Camino Real.
REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-8: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
TCAC Resource Areas by Census Tract
≤ 20 (Furthest Proximity)
20 - 40
40 - 60
60 - 80
> 80 (Closest Proximity)
Affordable Sites (Lower and
Moderate Income)
Market Rate Housing Sites*
City/Town Boundaries
(A) Jobs Proximity Index
*Market Rate Housing Sites that have more than 8 units will include Below Market Rate Units including lower income units and moderate income units. 1 1
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All of Pacifica’s sites are located in high resource areas. Pacifica anticipates that housing developed on the opportunity sites will be a mix of housing affordable to lower and moderate-income households, which will be an important step towards slowing regional segregation and opening higher resource areas to households of more diverse incomes.
Education
TCAC’s education score is based on math and reading proficiency, high school graduation rates, and the student poverty rate. According to TCAC’s educational opportunity map, most of Pacifica’s census tracts score greater than 0.75—on a scale from zero to one, the higher the number, the more positive the outcomes (Figure D-9).
Pacifica is served by the Jefferson Union High School District and the Pacifica School District (PSD).13 Both Jefferson Union and PSD experienced decreases in enrollment by 5 percent from 2010 to 2020 and continued to lose students during the COVID pandemic.
The race and ethnicity of students in both districts is similar to the countywide distribution. However, Jefferson Union has a higher proportion of Filipino students (29% compared to 8% countywide) and a smaller proportion of Hispanic (31% compared to 38% countywide) and White students (14% compared to 26% countywide).
Conversely, PSD’s schools have a higher proportion of White students (39% compared to 26% countywide) and students who identify with two or more races (16% compared to 8% countywide) and a smaller proportion of Asian (8% to 17% countywide) and Hispanic students (26% compared to 38% countywide).
Jefferson Union has a higher share of English learners (36% compared to 20% countywide) and students who qualify for reduced cost lunches for children whose family fall within a lower income threshold (44% compared to 29% countywide) compared to the countywide proportion, while PSD has a smaller share (9% and 18%, respectively). Many high schoolers in the county met admission standards for a University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) school. While Jefferson Union had one of the lower rates of graduates who met such admission standards (48%) in San Mateo County, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students who meet these benchmarks over the last five years (21% in 2016-17). Black and Hispanic students in Jefferson Union High School District were less likely to meet the admission standards with rates of 23 percent and 32 percent, respectively.14 Among elementary school districts within the Jefferson Union boundaries, PSD has the lowest rate of chronic absenteeism (7%). While Jefferson Union has the lowest dropout rates in the county—just 3 percent of students—the highest dropout rates were still found among Black (7%) and Hispanic students (6%). 13 JUHSD also includes high schools in Daly City and Brisbane. Data from JUHSD may be skewed because of its inclusion of demographics from other jurisdictions that have a different racial and economic profile than Pacifica. 14 Root Policy Report: Disparate Access to Educational Opportunities. http://21elements.com/documents-mainmenu-3/housingelements/rhna-6-2022-2030/1366-disparate-access-educational-opportunities/file REVISED 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT - HCD SUBMITTAL DRAFT (REDLINE) - FEBRUARY 14, 2025 Figure D-9: Proposed RHNA Sites in Relation to
TCAC Educational Outcome Score by Census Tract
< 0.25 (Less Positive
Economic Outcomes)