March 15, 2022
Community Development
DATE: March 15, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Andrea Villarroel, Planner
Subject:
Housing Element Annual Progress Report 2021
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact for the proposed action; however, jurisdictions who fail to submit the required
Annual Progress Report (APR) to State Department of
Housing and Community Development (HCD) are
ineligible to apply for certain grant funds (e.g., One Bay Area grants).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
California Government Code Section 65400 requires
jurisdictions (cities and counties) to prepare an Annual Progress Report (APR) to their legislative body, the State Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD), and the Governor’s Office of Planning and
Research (OPR) describing the status of implementing
the General Plan Housing Element. The 2021 APR
includes information on the City’s progress in addressing the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and the
status of housing policies/programs listed in the 2015- 2023 City of Richmond Housing Element.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a Resolution accepting the 2021 Annual Progress
Report for the City’s Housing Element (2015 -2023) –
Community Development (Lina Velasco, 510-620-6706).
AGENDA
REPORT
March 15, 2022
DISCUSSION:
California Government Code Section 65400 requires jurisdictions to prepare and submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) describing the status of implementing the General Plan Housing Element. The APR includes information on the City’s progress in addressing the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and the status of housing policies/programs listed in the 2015-2023 City of Richmond Housing Element. The RHNA is allocated to Bay Area cities by the Association of Bay Area Governments for a planning period. The planning period for the current RHNA is 2015-2023. Below is a summary table of Richmond’s RHNA and unit performance from 2015-2021.
Table A: Richmond RHNA Progress and Permitted Units by Affordability
Income Level
RHNA
Allocation by
Income Level
Permitted
Units
(2015-2021)
Total Remaining
RHNA by
Income Level
Very Low 438 438 0
Low 305 214 91
Moderate 410 0 410
Above
Moderate 1,282 805 477
Total Units 2,435 1,457 978
HCD provides forms and instructions for preparation of the APR. The APR provides a snapshot of housing unit production across affordability levels and provides an update on housing program implementation. The APR must be considered by the City Council at a public meeting, during which the City should receive any public comments. The City Council is required to accept the APR prior to sending to HCD and OPR. The APR deadline for this year’s submittal is April 1, 2022.
The City completed a comprehensive update of the Housing Element in 2014 for the 8- year review and update cycle established by the Association of Bay Area Governments.
As part of the 5th cycle, the 2015-2023 City of Richmond Housing Element was adopted on May 19, 2015, and certified by HCD on May 27, 2015. The City initiated the review and update of the 6th cycle Housing Element in 2022, which includes a comprehensive update covering 2023-2031, and will include implementation of recent housing element law changes. The updated Housing Element is anticipated to be considered for adoption by the City Council in 2023.
The 2021 APR (See Attachment 2) provides the number of housing units for which the City issued building permits, both in the aggregate and by affordability levels according to State-defined income levels, during calendar year 2021. The APR also identifies progress made on implementation programs included in the City’s Housing Element. It
March 15, 2022
should be noted that timelines assigned to the various implementation programs are estimates only, subject to resource availability. In summary, the City entitled 310 residential units, 264 building permits issued, and 353 units received certificates of occupancies.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
HCD reporting requirements do not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
CONCLUSION:
Staff is seeking City Council acceptance of the 2021 Annual Progress Report for submission to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 – 2021 Annual Progress Report