December 17, 2024
Community Development
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Jesus Morales, Housing Manager
Subject:
Partnership for the Bay’s Future (PBF) Memorandum of
Understanding
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City was awarded a two-year Housing Fellow to work on specific housing-related policies. The Housing Fellow will be an employee of Coro Northern California and will be set up to work as a volunteer within the Housing
Division.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond applied for and was awarded a
Partnership for the Bay’s Future (PBF) Housing Fellow by the PBF Policy Fund to work on specified housing-related policies. The granting agency requires the City of
Richmond to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU); therefore, staff is seeking Council authorization to enter into this MOU.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a Resolution authorizing the city manager to
execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
the San Francisco Foundation and Coro Northern
California for a Partnership for the Bay’s Future Housing Fellow to work on housing Preservation, Production, and Protection policies – Community Development
Department (Lina Velasco/Jesus Morales 510-620-6649).
AGENDA
REPORT
December 17, 2024
DISCUSSION:
In August 2024, the City, along with two community partners, Richmond LAND and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), submitted two separate applications seeking a Housing Fellow to support the research and evaluation of policies focused on Production and Protection of housing in the City of Richmond. The City was awarded one Housing Fellow with the option of combining the work plans.
Summary of Planned Housing Policy Work
The final work plan for the housing fellow is under development with the community partners and PBF Policy Fund program so is subject to modification and refinement.
It is anticipated that the PBF Housing Fellow will follow through on the implementation steps of the Equitable Public Land Disposition Policy, adopted by the City Council in March 2024, which outlined the City’s goals for developing affordable housing on City- owned land and the preferential criteria for community-controlled public land disposition.
The policy is at a crucial implementation phase where the City has identified two public land sites through the Surplus Land Act process to be marketed for redevelopment.
Crucial implementation steps include: finalizing the RFP(s); finalizing, training, and managing the Oversight and Review Committee; and finalizing the lease vs. sale framework and due diligence steps around development agreements between awarded developer partners and the City. Once this initial implementation phase is completed, the fellow will bring the learnings from Phase 1 implementation to the City Council to discuss staffing resources necessary to operationalize the Equitable Public Lands Policy.
In addition, the Housing Fellow would support the City of Richmond to: (1) implement of its proactive residential rental inspection program, including researching a potential process for review of Tenant Safety Plans to preserve tenancies during major construction or repair work, (2) create Climate Resilient Housing Guidelines to be used in the new inspection program, and (3) create materials for tenants and landlords to understand the modified program.
The final work plan for the Housing Fellow is under development with the community partners and granting agencies so is subject to modification and refinement.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
This project would further several of goals identified in the Richmond 6th Cycle Housing Element, which are: (1) Create housing opportunities for people with special needs, including seniors, persons with disabilities, single-parent households, first-time homebuyers, large families, unhoused individuals and families; (2) Conserve and improve the existing housing stock to enhance quality of life and provide greater housing stability and community resiliency; (3) Encourage energy and resource conservation and sustainability measures; (4) Promote new housing construction to create more equitable and affordable options that meet Richmond’s RHNA; and
December 17, 2024
(5) Facilitate different housing types to accommodate housing needs of moderate- and lower-income households and create inclusive neighborhoods for all income levels.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Draft Memorandum of Understanding