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Goal 6: Promote fair housing access and opportunities for all persons.
Policies
Policy 6.1: Tenant Protections
Explore reasonable and enforceable regulations that protect tenants from evictions and exorbitant rent increases and refer residents with issues such as foreclosures, landlord-tenant disputes, and unlawful evictions, and housing discrimination to counseling services.
Policy 6.2: Discrimination Prevention
Identify, monitor, and prevent discriminatory housing practices.
Policy 6.3: Displacement Avoidance
Create housing stability for current residents by supporting limited equity and community ownership models and facilitating the preservation and production of affordable housing units.
Policy 6.4: Resources Alignment
Prioritize programming and align funding and resources, including City staff, with highest needs.
Policy 6.5: Lower Income Family Needs
Assess unit size production of publicly subsidized units and align target units sizes of publicly funded and private development projects with the needs of lower income families with children as feasible.
Programs
Program 6.A: Community Land Trust
Design and implement strategies to enable community land trusts that will preserve or create affordable housing opportunities to acquire public land, create an inventory of vacant and blighted properties, and create a Community Land Policy package to encourage and enable production and preservation of permanently affordable housing. See also 6.R (Equitable Public Land Policy) and 6. K (Neighborhood and Land Stabilization Program)
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Breakthrough Grant
Time Frame: Second quarter of 2024
Program 6.B: Shared Equity Program Study
Study existing shared equity programs in California and determine whether it is feasible to establish a shared-equity program in Richmond as a way of providing more affordable housing.
Under a shared-equity program, the City c ould provide funding to assist families with home
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purchases. In return for its investment, the City could share the benefits of any appreciation in home price. The City’s share of the home’s appreciation could be returned to the City in the form of a cash payment that could be used to help another family with a home purchase. The City’s share could also stay with the home, reducing the cost of that home for the next family. Explore strategies for effective implementation of and funding opportunities for this program in conjunction with the Housing Equity Roadmap (HER).
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Breakthrough Grant, other sources as available Time Frame: 2022-2024.
Program 6.C: Counseling Service Referrals for Foreclosures, Landlord-Tenant Disputes, Unlawful Evictions, and Housing Discrimination
Continue to refer homeowners, tenants, and landlords to third-party organizations such as Bay Area Legal Aid, Community Housing and Development Corporation of North Richmond, and 211 Bay Area for assistance with issues such as foreclosures, landlord-tenant disputes, unlawful evictions, and housing discrimination. Provide r eferral information as part of the Online Housing Resource Center. In addition, continue to administer the Richmond Rent Program to offer daily counseling sessions for landlords and tenants about the Rent Ordinance, Relocation Ordinance, and related State and local laws, and to fund community legal services agencies.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Rent Program, IT Department
Funding Source: Rent Program Fees
Time Frame: Ongoing.
Quantified Objective: Refer three persons to third-party organizations described in this program throughout the planning period.
Program 6.D: Enforcement of Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance Continue to enforce Richmond’s Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance that was expanded by Ballot Measure L in 2016. The City will continue to provide information to residents and property owners and managers on the Ordinance requirements through the City’s website.
Responsible Party: Rent Program, IT Department
Funding Source: Comprehensive planning fee, Rent Program fees Time Frame: Ongoing.
Program 6.E: Housing Access and Discrimination Protocols and Monitoring Develop a protocol to eliminate instances of housing discrimination where discovered, and coordinate with local organizations and representatives providing support to groups receiving unfair treatment in the pursuit of suitable housing. D evelop ongoing monitoring practices to prevent future instances of housing discrimination.
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Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Rent Program
Funding Source: Comprehensive planning fee
Time Frame: Develop protocols and monitoring practices by fourth quarter 2026.
Program 6.F: Mortgage Credit Certificate Tax Credit Program Support and promote the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Tax Credit Program administered by the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development and make program information readily available through the Online Housing Resource Center as funding becomes available. Also provide information about first-time homebuyer programs administered by local non-profits such as Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC).
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, IT Department Funding Source: Contra Costa County, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Annually review and update program information on the City’s Online Housing Resource Center.
Quantified Objective: If the MCC Program is funded, 10 Richmond homeowners assisted by 2031.
Program 6.G: Housing Equity Roadmap (HER)
The City, with support by Just Cities Institute, is developing a Housing Equity Roadmap (HER) to provide a concrete set of policy and program recommendations for City implementation in the next 5 to 10 years. The Housing Equity Roadmap will include information about demographic changes, including at neighborhood level that are critical to policy development, as well as best practice research of effective efforts from other jurisdictions. The HER effort will include research on the legal and public policy framework for conducting a fair housing impact assessment and local preference and right to return policies, taking into account the housing needs of persons of color who have historically been discriminated against in housing practices.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funds
Time Frame: Develop draft HER by second quarter 2023; final HER by fourth quarter 2023; implementation of the HER based on HER action plan.
Program 6.H: Increased Housing Staffing
Assess and increase City Housing Division staffing needs to successfully implement the Housing Element programs, Homelessness Strategic Plan, and Housing Equity Roadmap.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funds, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Complete assessment of Housing Division staffing needs by December 2023.
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Quantified Objective: Hire one new staff member and augment staffing with contract services (three contractors minimum) by June 2024. Identify long-term funding for staff and programming by December 2026.
Program 6.I: AFFH Housing Funding
Identify potential regional, State, federal, and private funding resources for the implementation of identified AFFH meaningful actions.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Comprehensive planning fee
Time Frame: Identify potential funding sources and include in the Housing Equity Roadmap by December 2023.
Quantified Objective: Secure a minimum of $300,000 of new funding by September 2024.
Program 6.J: Public Financing Options
Evaluate new public financing options for voter consideration that w ould minimize negative impacts, such as displacement, faced by lower income residents and can be dedicated towards increasing City Housing Division staffing and implementing identified meaningful actions .
Potential public financing mechanisms may include amending the real estate transfer tax or vacant properties parcel tax. Create a process for including the most viable public financing option in the 2026 election.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney, City Council Funding Source: Comprehensive planning fee
Time Frame: Evaluate public financing options by December 2023. Include most viable public financing option on ballot for 2026 election by September 2026.
Quantified Objective: Evaluate a minimum of two public financing options.
Program 6.K: Neighborhood Land Stabilization Program
Develop a Neighborhood and Land Stabilization Program (NLSP) that supports community land trust acquisition and rehabilitation of residential properties in order to stabilize neighborhoods by avoiding displacement of existing tenants in substandard rentals and owners in properties that have fallen under deferred maintenance and retaining tax default. As part of this program, the City will:
• Create a database of abandoned, deteriorated, vacant, and tax delinquent properties, as well as habitability violations by June 2023.
• Investigate Revenue and Taxation Code Chapter 8 tax defaulted program design by September 2023.
• Evaluate current Housing Receivership Program impacts by September 2023. • Initiate community engagement by September 2023.
• Enact the NLSP. Begin adoption phase by September 2023.
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• Pilot at least one acquisition for community land trust (either vacant or developed property) to benefit a minimum of two low-income family households by December 2026.
Also see Program 6.A. (Community Land Trusts).
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney Funding Source: Breakthrough grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: See above.
Quantified Objective: Pilot at least one acquisition for community land trust (either vacant or developed property) to benefit a minimum of two low-income family households.
Program 6.L: SB 1079
Investigate SB 1079 (2020), which created a new foreclosure sale process for two -to-four-unit buildings that allows qualified parties a means to purchase property in foreclosure, subject to certain requirements. If feasible, assist the transfer of property under SB 1079.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney Funding Source: General Fund
Time Frame: Complete feasibility analysis by December 2023. Assist in the transfer of units under SB 1079 beginning March 2026, then assist annually Quantified Objective: Assist two units annually if determined to be feasible.
Program 6.M: Anti-Displacement Zones
Study legal and programmatic feasibility of creating anti-displacement zones (ADZ) that implement anti-displacement strategies, including: researching best practices for incorporating neighborhood level median income for defining “AMI” levels for affordable housing being built in ADZs while still complying with TCAC and HCD definitions for subsidized projects; evaluating existing local laws regarding demolition of rent stabilized buildings and potential ability to requir e one for one replacement in the new units in compliance with State legislation.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: December 2023
Program 6.N: Local Preference and Right to Return Policies Develop local preference and right to return policies for new affordable housing units, services, and financial assistance in compliance with State legislation and funding source requirements.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: See below.
Quantified Objective: Develop outreach materials about existing anti -displacement resources and conduct annual outreach to 300 residents in displacement vulnerable areas
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by December 2024. Once new expanded anti -displacement resources are available, conduct annual outreach to 1,000 residents in displacement vulnerable areas beginning March 2026.
Program 6.O: Fair Housing Impact Assessment Policy
Pilot the use of a Fair Housing Impact Assessment policy and evaluate its utility in guiding City informed decision-making and public knowledge of the impacts of new development projects. This will be included in the Housing Equity Roadmap.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: See Program 6.G (Housing Equity Roadmap).
Quantified Objective: Pilot the use of a Fair Housing Impact Assessment Policy (beginning with public property) to benefit a minimum of 100 households , beginning December 2024.
Program 6.P: Housing Reparations Fund
Establish a Housing Reparations Fund for both homeowners and tenants, with robust community engagement to aid Richmond’s long-time Black/African American residents impacted by displacement and/or structural racism in compliance with Proposition 209. The program may include a right of return, affordable housing preference policy, and/or other forms of economic assistance.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Design Housing Reparations Fund by June 2024. Identify monies to fund the program by March 2025. Implement the program by December 2025.
Quantified Objective: Identify and obtain at least $250,000 to fund the program with the aim to increase the program funding over time.
Program 6.Q: Basic Income Program
Evaluate creation of a basic income program (e.g., through Richmond Rapid Response Fund (R3F)); the target population for the program should be identified with input from the community.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Adopt policies as part of the R3F strategic plan and governance structure development by June 2023.
Quantified Objective: Serve a minimum of four households per year beginning March 2024 (i.e., 28 households through January 2031).
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Program 6.R: Equitable Public Land Policy
Develop an Equitable Public Land policy, in compliance with the Surplus Land Act, with guidelines and preferential criteria for the disposition or use of publicly owned land. Also see Program 1 .J (Surplus Land Act Sites) and Program 6.A. (Community Land Trusts).
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Breakthrough Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Conduct spatial inventory of publicly owned land by December 2022.
Conduct robust community engagement, including engaging a minimum of 300 residents from Richmond’s lower income neighborhoods by December 2023. Adopt new Equitable Public Land policy in consultation with Community Land Trusts, Limited Equity Cooperatives, and other non-profit entities that prioritize permanently affordable housing while supporting homeowner equity attainment and renter stabilization; or immediate and long-term housing solutions for unhoused residents. Issue annual Notice of Availability, for one to two parcels to provide a minimum of six units beginning September 2024.
Quantified Objective: Conduct robust community engagement, including engaging a minimum of 300 residents from Richmond’s lower income neighborhoods . Issue annual Notice of Availability, for one to two parcels to provide a minimum of six units.
Program 6.S: Anti-Displacement Services
Provide new anti -displacement services, including proactive and affirmative enforcement to prevent discrimination against single female headed households with children who are at high risk of eviction.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Begin annual outreach March 2024.
Quantified Objective: Connect with a minimum of 20 female headed households with children for educational workshops and access to services annually.
Program 6.T: Renter Policies
Evaluate new renter policies to protect renters from the long-term collateral consequences of the COVID19 pandemic. Assess and design potential new renter access policies that address discrimination based on credit scores, eviction history, source of income, and income level requirements (i.e., requiring income three times or more of the rent costs), as part of the Housing Equity Roadmap.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: See Program 6.G (Housing Equity Roadmap).
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Program 6.U: Senior Resident Housing Needs
Assess housing needs of senior residents, particularly lower income senior renters and homeowner and provide new housing services for low -income senior residents. Design new programming and/or policies through community surveys, analysis of mortgage and rent burden, and tailored community forums to inform housing assistance services and additional policies.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Conduct assessment and design new programs for seniors and policies by March 2024.
Quantified Objective: Implement at least one new program to serve needs of seniors starting in July 2025. Serve 50 low-income seniors by December 2030.
Program 6.V: LGBTQ+ Housing Issues
Partner with local organizations to hold forum on LGBTQ+ housing issues with community organizations. Coordinate with community -led efforts to better understand the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Produce publicly available report summarizing anonymized feedback on LGBTQ+ housing issues and proposed solutions with additional opportunity for community engagement and feedback by December 2025. Complete assessment of community needs by September 2027.
Quantified Objective: Hold two annual forums (2024 and 2025) with a minimum of 25 participants at each by September 2027.
Program 6.W: Formerly Incarcerated Resident Housing Needs Prioritize the housing needs of formerly incarcerated residents through: 1) Completed implementation of current Fair Chance housing and 2) Considered expansion of the Fair Chance Housing law to apply to all for ms of housing and eliminate the entire use of criminal records (similar to the cities of Berkeley and Oakland).
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Produce City staff report on the outcomes of the current Fair Chance Housing Ordinance; evaluate landlord compliance and tenant experience of the current law by December 2023. Review implementation of the cities of Berkeley and Oakland Fair Chance Housing Ordinances and work with the City Attorney and the community, including re-entry service organizations to draft an expanded ordinance for City Council review and adoption by March 2024.
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Program 6.X: Re-Entry Housing
Preserve at-risk re-entry housing units and integrate re-entry housing priorities into City housing plans, including Homelessness Strategic Plan and Housing Equity Roadmap. Advocate with the County for similar actions.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Integrate re-entry housing priorities into City housing plans by March 2024.
Preserve re-entry housing units by December 2028.
Quantified Objective: Work with Rubicon Homes to preserve 10 assisted re-entry housing units at moderate risk of converting to market rate units during planning period.
Program 6.Y: Undocumented Resident Housing Needs
Prioritize the housing needs of undocumented residents by establishing a referral list of non-Legal Service Corporation (LSC) funded organizations for undocumented tenants and by enacting a City policy that removes discriminatory barriers against undocumented residents in access to City funded housing units, services, and financial assistance.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department, City Attorney Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: City Attorney’s office to collaborate with legal advocacy organizations to conduct legal research and review of the City’s legal authority to combat housing discrimination against undocumented residents by December 2024. Evaluate City powers to reduce barriers of entry for undocumented tenants without social security numbers (SSN) to apply for subsidized housing by December 2024.
Program 6.Z: Encampment Projects
Complete the sunsetting of the Castro encampment and continue to offer services and supporting development of a transition plan for previous residents of the Castro and Rydin encampments (the Rydin encampment was closed September 30, 2022) . Emergency housing support is being implemented that bridges urgent needs to get extremely vulnerable households indoors while seeking placement in County safety net resources.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, General Fund
Time Frame: June 2024.
Quantified Objective: Provide alternative housing opportunities, including supportive services, for approximately 130 encampment residents based on individual need assessments and program funding by December 2023. Offer counseling, behavioral health, drug rehabilitation, job related training and support, health services, and housing
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pathways to approximately 130 residents living in these specific encampments, beginning August 2022.
Program 6.AA: Tenant, Community, and Government Opportunity (TOPA/COPA/GOPA) to Purchase Ordinance
Implement a local tenant/community and government opportunity to purchase (TOPA/COPA/GOPA) ordinance and ensure adequate legal and organizational support so that tenants can avail themselves of the TOPA/COPA/GOPA process when it becomes available.
Collaborate with local jurisdictions including Oakland and Berkeley to learn from their experiences designing TOPA/COPA/GOPA policies that would cover a wider array of buildings outside of foreclosure, including rental housing with expiring federal and/or state subsidies and/or affordability protections. Require purchasers to preserve units as permanently affordable. Include these findings and best practice policy implementation information in the Housing Equity Roadmap.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee.
Time Frame: See Program 6.G (Housing Equity Roadmap) . Refine the City’s proposed TOPA/COPA/GOPA Ordinance for City Council review and potential adoption by September 2026.
Quantified Objective: Seek to preserve a minimum of two units annually upon implementation.
Program 6.A B: Public Improvements and Affordable Housing in Low -Income Neighborhoods of Color
Identify place-based strategies for new affordable housing and fair housing investments in low - income areas with new City infrastructure improvements.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: Secure funding by December 2031.
Quantified Objective: Secure at least $5 million for public improvements in low -income neighborhoods of color, coupled with new affordable housing and fair housing strategies.
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Program 6.AC: Resident Planning Councils
Review b est practices of resident planning councils in other cities, including staffing, funding sources, and interface with government to be included in the Housing Equity Roadmap. If deemed feasible, pilot resident planning council would review and provide feedback to the City on proposed development projects in their neighborhoods and policies that may impact resident health and displacement. Conduct a City sponsored training program to discuss how City planning and approval processes work, the history of land use discrimination, land use terminology and major policies, and the role of residents in land use decisions.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Grant funding, comprehensive planning fee Time Frame: See Program 6.G (Housing Equity Roadmap) . Design resident planning councils by December 2024. Launch and evaluate resident planning council by March 2026.
Goal 7: Encourage energy and resource conservation and sustainability measures.
Policies
Policy 7.1: Green Building Measures and Practices
Promote the incorporation of green building measures and practices in new residential development projects and existing residential structures.
Programs
Program 7.A: California Green Building Standards
Continue to enforce the State of California’s Green Building Standards (CALGreen Code), which is intended to reduce construction waste, make buildings more efficient in the use of materials and energy, and reduce environmental impacts during and after construction. Continue to enforce Natural Gas Ban to restrict the use of natural gas for new construction.
Responsible Party: Community Development Department
Funding Source: Permit fees
Time Frame: Ongoing.
Program 7.B: Energy Program Referrals and Funding
Continue to refer property owners to third-party organizations that provide energy programs. The City will continue to improve the energy efficiency of households by partnering with the following initiatives and leveraged funding sources: 1) Leverage funding from the Environmental and Community Investment Agreement (ECIA) to provide incentives to property owners; 2) Develop enhanced building codes and policies through a grant-funded partnership with the California