July 7, 2026
Community Development
DATE: July 7, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Jesus Morales, Housing Manager
Subject: Contract Amendment No. 2 with Just Cities, LLC for completion of the Housing Equity Roadmap as specified
in the Housing Element
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $49,999 contract amendment is included within the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Housing
Division’s budget (see Account String: 12031063-
400201). No additional General Fund resources are
required.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
September 12, 2023
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City contracted with Just Cities, LLC to develop the Housing Equity Roadmap (HER). The HER will serve as
an implementation plan for new policies, programs, or
investments that can be realized in the short and long- term to ensure Richmond residents have affordable,
stable, and dignified housing. The contract amendment is needed to allow Just Cities, LLC to complete the HER
and assist the City in the implementation phase of the
HER.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a second contract amendment with Just Cities,
LLC to support completion and implementation of the
Housing Equity Road Map increasing the payment limit by $49,999, for a total payment limit of $209,994, and extending the term through December 31, 2027– Community
Development Department (Lina Velasco 510-620-
6841/Jesus Morales 510-620-6649). This item was
continued from the June 16, and June 23, 2026,
meetings.
AGENDA
REPORT
July 7, 2026
DISCUSSION:
In 2022, Just Cities, LLC was a subcontractor to Lisa Wise Consulting, lead consultant, for the 6th Cycle Housing Element update. Specifically, Just Cities, LLC (Just Cities) prepared the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) appendix, with an accompanied list of specific Meaningful Actions included in the Housing Element. The AFFH analysis was a new State requirement for Housing Element Updates beginning in 2021. Just Cities, LLC supported the City in its first ever State required assessment of fair housing issues, contributing factors, and the development of meaningful actions to affirmatively further fair housing.
Given their role in the development of the 6th Cycle Housing Element update and AFFH appendix, Just Cities was well positioned to continue this previous work with the development of the Housing Equity Roadmap (HER). Just Cities has been working with the City in the development of the HER over these past two years.
The HER continues the AFFH work by examining and proposing concrete implementation and policy assessment plans for key policies that will address housing issues within Richmond. Specifically, their work will support the city in implementing certain programs identified in the Housing Element Goal 6: Promote fair housing access and opportunities for all persons. The HER will serve as the implementation plan for new policies, programs, or investments that can be realized in short, mid- and long-term actions to ensure Richmond residents have affordable, stable, and dignified housing. The HER will address issues of racial segregation, fair housing, land use compatibility, housing production, housing habitability, equitable development, and include community feedback.
The second contract amendment will allow Just Cities, LLC to complete the HER and assist in the implementation of some of the goals and objectives laid out in the HER.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The proposed contract amendment to complete the HER supports the implementation of programs identified in City’s adopted Housing Element (2023-2031), specifically the Meaningful Actions in Appendix F: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The approval of second contract amendment with Just Cities, LLC is not a "project" as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 because it involves consulting services to complete and assist in the implementation of the Housing Equity Road Map and does not commit the City to any specific course of action that may result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Any future actions resulting from the Housing Equity Road Map that may constitute a project under CEQA will be evaluated for CEQA compliance at the appropriate time. In the alternative, the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA
July 7, 2026
Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that approval of the contract amendment will not have a significant effect on the environment.
CONCLUSION:
Community Development staff recommend that the City Council approve a Contract Amendment No. 2 with Just Cities, LLC to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $49,999 for the completion and implementation assistance for the Housing Equity Roadmap for a term extending through December 31, 2027.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Amendment No. 2
Attachment 2 – Original Contract and Amendment No. 1