Santa Clara is compliant with the Lanterman Act. Furthermore, the Zoning Ordinance is being updated concurrent with the Housing Element update to address the provision of emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing – housing types that are suitable for occupancy by persons with disabilities (see discussions on the provision of a variety of housing types earlier). Specifically, the Zoning Code Update incorporates the following provisions to be consistent with State law:
AB 2221 (2022): Adds front setbacks to the list of development standards that cannot preclude the development of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Added to ADUs, Section 18.60.030 of the Zoning Code Update.
SB 897 (2022): Increases the height limit to 18 feet for detached ADUs within ½ mile of transit or on lots with multifamily dwellings, and to 25 feet or the primary dwelling height for attached ADUs. Added to ADUs, Section 18.60.030 of the Zoning Code Update. SB 897 (2022): Clarifies that a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) can be within an attached garage; if a JADU does not have a separate bathroom, it needs to have both an interior connection to the main living unit and an exterior entry; also requires owner occupancy and deed restrictions for JADUs. Added to ADUs, Section 18.60.030 of the Zoning Code Update.
AB 682 (2022): Allows Density Bonuses to be extended to shared housing projects. Added to Density Bonuses, Chapter 18.64 of the Zoning Code Update. SB 290 (2021): Changes standard language regarding incentives to not include the physical environment. Added to Density Bonuses, Chapter 18.64 of the Zoning Code Update. Low Barrier Navigation Centers: Adds a definition, an enumerated use, and a parking standard for Low-Barrier Navigation Centers to the Zoning Code Update. Allowed by right in the same districts that emergency shelters are allowed, and in all mixed-use districts.
AB 2339 (2022): Changes where emergency shelters need to be zoned. In the proposed code update, Emergency Shelters are proposed to be allowed by right in the R-3 and R-4 Residential districts, the C-C and C-R Commercial districts, the MU-VHD Mixed Use district, and the LI Light Industrial district.
AB 2162 (2018): Added Supportive Housing as a by-right use in all multi-family and mixed-use zones.
Residential Care Facilities: Separated Residential Care Facilities from Community Care Facilities, which are non-residential in nature by adding a definition for Residential Care Facilities, and an enumerated use for residential care facilities with six or fewer residents, which are allowed by right in all residential districts, and for seven or more, which are allowed with a minor use permit, approved by the Director of Planning.
Definition of Family
A community’s Zoning Ordinance can potentially restrict access to housing for households failing to qualify as a “family” by the definition specified in the Zoning Ordinance. Even if the code provides a broad definition, deciding what constitutes a “family” should be avoided by jurisdictions to prevent confusion or give the impression of restrictiveness.
California court cases have ruled that a definition of “family” that: 1) limits the number of persons in a family; 2) specifies how members of the family are related (i.e., by blood, marriage or adoption, etc.), or 3) a group of not more than a certain number of unrelated persons as a single housekeeping unit, is invalid. Court rulings stated that defining a family does not serve any legitimate or useful objective or purpose recognized under the zoning and land planning powers of the jurisdiction, and therefore violates rights of privacy under the California Constitution.
The Santa Clara Zoning Ordinance defines a family as “an individual or group of persons living together as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling unit, including State or County licensed residence programs which comply with State law. Family shall not be construed to include a fraternity, sorority, club, or other group of persons occupying a hotel, boarding house, or similar institution.” This definition is not overly restrictive and does not constrain access to, or the development of housing.
Reasonable Accommodation
Both the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act direct local governments to make reasonable accommodations (i.e., modifications or exceptions) in their zoning laws and other land use regulations when such accommodations may be necessary to afford disabled persons an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. The City conducted an analysis of its Zoning Ordinance, permitting procedures, development standards, and building codes to identify potential constraints for housing for persons with disabilities. The City’s policies and regulations regarding housing for persons with disabilities are described below.
A request to retrofit an existing residence with accessibility equipment (i.e., a ramp, landing, lift, etc.) is typically approved “over the counter”, if the proposal does not negatively impact the neighborhood or surrounding properties. When more review is required, the request is reviewed through the City’s Development Review process. However, at times it may be reasonable to accommodate requests from persons with disabilities to waive specific standards or procedures of the Zoning Ordinance to ensure that homes are accessible to persons with disabilities. In conjunction with the adoption of the 2015-2023 Housing Element, the City adopted a reasonable accommodations ordinance. The Ordinance amendment was approved by the City Council on December 9, 2014.
Building Codes and Enforcement
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The City enforces Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations that regulates the access and adaptability of buildings to accommodate persons with disabilities. Government Code Section 12955.1 requires that 10 percent of the total dwelling units in multi-family buildings without elevators, consisting of three or more rental units or four or more condominium units, are subject to the following building standards for persons with disabilities:
x The primary entry to the dwelling unit shall be on an accessible route unless exempted by site impracticality tests.
x At least one powder room or bathroom shall be located on the primary entry level served by an accessible route.
x All rooms or spaces located on the primary entry level shall be served by an accessible route. Rooms and spaces located on the primary entry level and subject to this chapter may include but are not limited to kitchens, powder rooms, bathrooms, living rooms, bedrooms, or hallways.
x Common use areas shall be accessible.
x If common tenant parking is provided, accessible parking is required.
Compliance with Building Codes and State accessibility laws and regulations (California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24) may increase the cost of housing production and impact the viability of rehabilitating older properties. These regulations are minimum Statewide standards to ensure safety and accessibility and do not significantly contribute to governmental constraints regarding housing for persons with disabilities. In addition, the City does not impose supplemental local requirements with respect to accessibility. Compliance with provisions of the Code of Regulations, California Building Standards Code, and federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is assessed and enforced by the Building Division of the Community Development Department as a part of the building permit submittal process.
Planning and Development Fees
The City and other agencies assess a number of fees that affect the development and cost of housing. Utility service connection fees; upgrade of public curb, gutter, and sidewalk (and sewer lateral(s) if necessary); permit fees; and dedication requirements are similar or lower compared to those in other communities in Santa Clara County and the Bay Area. In some cases, fees for street trees, drainage, and traffic mitigation are also collected. Table 13.5-5 provides a breakdown of planning, engineering, and other fees.
Table 13.5-5: Planning and Development Fees
Application Fee
Planning Fees
Architectural Review $813-$32,529
Development Agreement $10,844-$32,529
Environmental Impact Report $32,529
Table 13.5-5: Planning and Development Fees
Application Fee
General Plan Amendment $2,710-$37,950
Initial Study/ Negative Declaration $21,686
Lot Line Adjustment $5,422
Mills Act Application $7,694
Rezoning $8,338-$65,058
Tentative Parcel Map $16,264 - $21,686
Tentative Subdivision Map $5,422-$21,686
Use Permit $5,725-$13,251
Variance $3,187-$9,473
Vesting Tentative Parcel Map $3,650-$4,950
Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map $6,060-$8,970
Zoning Administrator Action $463
Zoning Code Text Amendment $24,397
Development Fees
Sanitary Sewer Outlet Charge $441.07 per unit; $1,658.38 per lot; $7,510.26 per acre Sanitary Sewer Connection Fee $1,140 per unit
Sanitary Sewer Conveyance Fee $4,218 per unit
Street Improvements $105.51 per foot
Sidewalk Improvements $15.35per foot
Street Curb Improvements $38.49 per foot
Electric Varies
Storm Drain $7,510.26 per acre
Storm Drain Improvements $38.37 per foot
Recreation Tax $15 for first bedroom; $5 for each additional School Impact Fee $4.08 per sq. ft.
Traffic Impact Fee SF: $1,274.11 per unit MF: $566.27 per unit Park Impact Fee SF: $38,068 - $45,320
MF: $30,659 - $36,500
Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022
Table 13.5-6 compares the planning and development fees of Santa Clara and several other South Bay cities. Generally, Sunnyvale charges the lowest fees in the area while Campbell’s fees skew higher. The City of Santa Clara’s fees are moderate for the region.
Table 13.5-6: Regional Comparison of Planning and Development Total Fees (includes entitlement, building permits, and impact fees) Per Unit Jurisdiction Single Family Small Multi-Family Large Multi-Family Campbell $72,556 $20,599 $18,541
Cupertino $136,596 $77,770 $73,959
Gilroy $69,219 $40,195 $39,135
Los Altos Hills $146,631 N/A N/A
Los Gatos $32,458 $5,764 $3,269
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Table 13.5-6: Regional Comparison of Planning and Development Total Fees (includes entitlement, building permits, and impact fees) Per Unit Jurisdiction Single Family Small Multi-Family Large Multi-Family Milpitas $77,198 $74,326 $59,740
Monte Sereno $33,445 $4,815 $4,156
Morgan Hill $55,903 $41,374 $36,396
Mountain View $90,423 $69,497 $82,591
San Jose $9,919 $23,410 $23,410
Santa Clara $72,034 $64,980 $62,084
Saratoga $64,272 $17,063 $15,391
Sunnyvale $133,389 $126,673 $98,292
Unincorporated County $25,166 N/A N/A
Source(s): Century Urban Report
Table 13.5-6 provides the actual development fees for recent development projects in Santa Clara.
The total fees are moderate and represent only a small portion of total development costs. Because application and building fees are relatively reasonable, they are not considered a significant constraint to the construction of market-rate or affordable housing. The Park Impact Fee Ordinance was adopted in 2014.
On- and Off-Site Improvement Requirements
On- and off- site improvements, including public streets, curbing, sidewalks, streetlights, water, sewer, and drainage requirements, have an impact on the cost of residential development.
Improvement requirements for new developments are regulated under the Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 17.05 of the City Code). Off-site improvement requirements are less costly in a fully developed community since infrastructure needed to serve infill development is already in place. However, the financial burden of improvements as the City’s infrastructure ages is a concern. To assist private developers and public projects in the development process, the City has published the Standard Details document which outlines construction standards for the most common improvement requirements, such as sidewalks, storm drains, and sewer connections.
This publication is updated periodically and available on the City’s website. The standards are as follows:
x Dedication of streets, alleys and other public rights-of-way or easements may be a condition of approval for a tentative, or parcel map. These requirements may be easements that are needed for streets, alleys, access, drainage, public greenways, scenic easements, public utilities, and other public purposes. In addition, these easements or dedications may include requirements for improvements.
x Required on-site street improvements can include construction of curbs, sidewalks, driveway approaches, and transitions.
x Storm drain systems must be designed to collect and convey storm water, avoid damage to adjacent properties, and support the ultimate development of the watershed. Off-site storm drain improvements may also be required to satisfy this requirement. x Projects must connect to sewer, water, gas, and electric lines. x Development located in the Utility Underground District, as designated in the current General Plan, is required to underground utility lines (or pay an in-lieu fee).
The City’s Project Clearance Committee (a development review committee made up of representatives from different departments in the City) reviews new development applications and determines, pursuant to each City department, required infrastructure improvements and conditions of approval.
Local Processing and Permit Procedures
Development review can affect housing costs. Timelines for permit processing are estimated for various permit and approval types in Table 13.5-6 and Table 13.5-7. There are no constraints to affordable housing or multi-family housing over and above requirements for single-family and market rate units. Moreover, permit processing in Santa Clara is consistent with, if not faster and more effective than, permitting in comparable nearby cities. Project processing, from initial submittal through discretionary review and building permit approval, averages six months for most residential developments.
Table 13.5-7: Planning and Permit Procedures
Type of Approval/ Permit Processing Time Approval Body
Ministerial Review 0 to 2 weeks Staff
Conditional Use Permit 1 and ½ to 4 months Planning Commission Zone Change 4 to 9 months City Council
General Plan Amendments 4 to 9 months City Council
Site Plan Review 2 to 6 weeks Staff
Architectural/ Design Review 3 to 12 weeks Director of Community Development
Tentative Map (fewer than 5
parcels)
3 to 6 months City Council
Tentative Map (more than 5
parcels)
3 to 6 months City Council
Initial Environmental Study 3 to 6 months Approval Body Environmental Impact Report 12 to 18 months Approval Body Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022
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The following review and hearing bodies would typically be involved in the approval process for a new housing or mixed use development project:
x Project Clearance Committee (PCC): The development review committee made up of representatives from different departments in the City typically including Planning, Public Works (Engineering and Traffic), Utilities (Water, Sewer, and Electric), Police, Fire, and the Building Division.
x Director of Community Development: The Director of Community Development or designee hears projects subject to the Architectural Review process. x Historical Landmarks Commission (HLC): An appointed commission of members of the public who review proposals and make recommendations related to structures on the local, State, or national register of historic places, as well as applications for Mills Act contracts.
x Planning Commission (PC): An appointed commission of members of the public who review development applications for consistency with the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance of the City of Santa Clara and are the deciding body for variances and Conditional Use Permits.
x City Council (CC): A body of seven elected individuals who act as the governing body for the City of Santa Clara.
Architectural Review Process
Architectural review in Santa Clara is intended to ensure the implementation of Zoning Ordinance standards and General Plan policies. Architectural review is typically required for most residential projects, including multi-family developments, as well as single-family attached developments and developments taller than one story. This process does not provide any additional burden for affordable housing projects and therefore are not considered a constraint to development. This process is codified in Chapter 18.76 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, which was revised in 2020 to create a streamlined process by replacing a committee structure as the approval body for Architectural Review applications with the Director of Community Development.
Under this process, an applicant submits plans and drawings for any sign, building, structure, or alteration of the exterior of a structure in a form and detail prescribed by the Director of Community Development. The Community Development Director or designee limits decisions on multifamily projects to objective standards in conformance with the State of California’s Housing Accountability Act. The following considerations are used by the Director of Community Development in rendering decisions on all Architectural Review applications, which also include commercial and industrial development proposals.
x Off-street parking areas, screening strips and other facilities and improvements must meet the Zoning Ordinance and General Plan intent. Any applicable state legislation that waives or reduces parking standards are applied.
x Design and location of the proposed development and its relation to neighboring developments and traffic will not impair the desirability of the neighborhood, will not create traffic congestion or hazard, and will not be detrimental to harmonious development. For multifamily residential projects, ensuring the application of objective development standards will be used to determine if the development meets this standard. x Approval will not adversely impact the health, comfort or general welfare of persons residing or working in the neighborhood. For multifamily residential projects, ensuring the application of objective development standards will be used to determine if the development meets this standard.
x The Director of Community Development may require the applicant to modify buildings, parking areas, landscaping, signs, and other facilities and improvements to meet Zoning Ordinance and General Plan requirements.
x The granting of any architectural approval is an administrative function; therefore, the action is final and conclusive, except in the event of an appeal. x In the event the applicant or others affected are not satisfied with the decision of the Director, they may appeal the decision to the City Council. In the case of permits for single-family homes, the affected parties first appeal is to the Planning Commission, and if still not satisfied, the affected party may appeal to City Council. x Any architectural review approval granted shall be automatically revoked and terminated if not used within two years of original grant or within the period of any authorized extensions.
Since the City Council adopted the streamlined Architectural Review process in 2020, no Architectural Review applications for multi-family housing have been denied.
A typical residential development project in a standard zoning district would be required to obtain approval through the Development Review Hearing process, heard by the Director of Planning. Such a project would typically be subdivided, requiring a Tentative Map as well. Prior to obtaining these entitlements, projects go through the process of review by the project planner, and by the Project Clearance Committee to work out details and conditions from each City department. The associated environmental review per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) would also be completed during this process. The time it takes to complete this process varies per project. However, from initial submittal to approval, the process typically takes four to six months, or four to 18 months if an EIR is required.
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SB 35 Streamlining
In accordance with Government Code section 65913.4 (SB 35 (2017)), applications for multi-family residential development that include a minimum of 50 percent lower income units may be eligible for a streamlined, ministerial approval process if they meet objective standards as outlined in the Government Code. By March 2023, the City will create an SB 35 checklist and written procedures for processing SB 35 applications.
Planned Development
Many residential development projects in the City are processed via the Planned Development (PD) process to integrate uses, utilize imaginative planning and design concepts, subdivide land in a manner that results in units not having required frontage on a dedicated public street, or to create a community ownership project. Through the PD process, the number of units permitted is governed by the General Plan.
A development plan is required to process a PD. The plan must be designed to provide an environment of a stable and desirable character, and comply with the General plan land use designation, and justify the mixture of normally separated uses and exceptions to normal regulations (such as on-site parking, landscaping, building lot coverage, height limits, setback requirements, required distances, and buffering between residential and commercial components). An application for a planned development zoning must accompany the development plan. Construction of the project must begin within two years of the City Council approval. The time to process a PD is estimated between six and 12 months.
All new large-scale development projects of at least 25 contiguous acres where a mixture of residential with commercial, office, research and development and/or public uses is proposed are required to be rezoned to the Planned Development-Master Community (PD-MC) zoning district.
An application for rezoning to the PD-MC district is submitted as a separate application from the site development application and must include a master community plan that, if approved by the City Council, will become a part of the zoning map of the City of Santa Clara. The master community plan must conform to the City’s General Plan and overall residential density must also conform to the City’s General Plan, though individual housing types could be greater or less than the average.
An application for development within a PD-MC district must include a development area plan, which may be submitted any time subsequent to submittal of the PD-MC district application. A development area plan must be a minimum of 20 percent of the total acreage of the project or 10 acres, whichever is less. If the development area includes property designated for a public use or is proposed for use as affordable housing, then no minimum acreage shall apply. The Director of Planning and Inspection also has the authority to waive the minimum acreage requirement under exceptional circumstances.
Consideration of development area plans will include notification to surrounding property owners and neighbors in the same fashion as the original master community plan hearings. The Planning Commission is responsible for considering the development area plan application concurrent with or after its consideration of the master community plan application. In general, the time for the processing and review of PD-MC applications averages 12-18 months. This is an appropriate timeframe given the scale of theses types of projects, which usually require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Construction in each development area must begin within two years of final development area plan approval by the City Council. The Planning Commission may also grant extensions of up to two years (per extension).
Developments in the PD-MC district are not required to undergo the Architectural Review process. However, most residential development activities in the City do not require the processing of a PD-MC, just a Planned Development (PD) permit.
In the neighboring City of Cupertino, multi-family planned development projects take approximately four months to process, assuming no Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) would be required. However, if an EIR is required, the timeframe can be extended significantly. In Mountain View, another neighboring jurisdiction, the timeframe to process and review a largescale development is approximately six to 12 months. Similarly, in Santa Clara, the timing for the processing and review of a PD or PD-MC application is largely dependent on the environmental clearance requirements.
The Zoning Ordinance update should reduce the number of projects that have historically relied on the PD process by including new high-density residential and mixed-use zoning districts that conform to the General Plan, and new provisions that streamline the permitting process for projects that meet new objective development standards.
Zoning Transparency
Per AB 1483 (2019), for purposes of zoning and fee transparency, the City of Santa Clara provides the following information online:
The Zoning Ordinance is available on the City’s website at:
https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/SantaClara/#!/SantaClara18/SantaClara18.html Zoning designations for every parcel with the City of Santa Clara is available at:
https://map.santaclaraca.gov/public/index.html?viewer=regional The City’s Planning Fee schedule is available at:
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/56997/637291919770930000
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Building Codes and Enforcement
Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, also referred to as the California Building Standards Code (CBSC), governs the design and construction of buildings, facilities, and associated equipment throughout California.
The City of Santa Clara adopted the current 2019 Building Standards Code, with amendments, in November of 2018, and those standards have been in effect since January 1, 2020.
On October 18, 2022 the City Council adopted the 2022 CBSC, with local amendments, to be effective January 1, 2023. The local amendments, which are intended to address building safety concerns of relevance to the City of Santa Clara, include the following elements:
x 2022 California Building Code, Chapter 3 and Chapter 9: Additional automatic fire sprinkler requirements for Group R3 occupancies.
x 2022 California Building Code, Chapter 10: Additional requirements for safe stairway configuration and the routing of emergency exit paths to facilitate emergency egress out of multi-story buildings.
x 2022 California Building Code, Chapter 19: Additional requirements for Structural Plain Concrete in Seismic Design Category C, D, E, or F.
These amendments were found to be prudent and necessary based upon the City’s climatic, topographical, and geological conditions and are intended to promote safety for future residents in the context of Santa Clara’s urban environment, particularly as the City is increasingly granting land use entitlements for higher density Type III, and in some cases, Type I construction, including the use of towers located above podiums.
The City adopted its first “Reach Code” (optional local energy code amendments that exceed or enhance State cod standards) in November 2021, following a long public process. The 2021 Reach Code made local amendments to the 2019 version of the CBSC; specifically, the California Energy Code and the California Green Building Standards Code. The Reach Code mandates the use of electricity as a power source in new construction, limits installation of natural gas plumbing and meters, and increases requirements on new construction to install electric vehicle infrastructure.
Non-substantive changes to the 2021 Reach Code were adopted on October 18, 2022 to reflect the 2022 update of the CBSC (“2022 Reach Code”).
Existing single-family, duplex, and triplex units are inspected only when an owner seeks a permit for additional construction or when complaints are received. Certain types of major additions require the applicant to bring the building or portion thereof up to current codes. Site improvement standards for residential development in the City, with the exception of minimum parking requirements, are not more restrictive than those in surrounding jurisdictions. Parking
ratios for newer multi-family districts, including the Transit Neighborhood and the Patrick Henry Drive districts, are lower than for comparable zoning designations of neighboring cities.
Airport Noise and Use Limitations
The most significant governmental constraint in the City is the State-required airport noise and Airport Land Use Commission regulations that prohibit and limit new housing near the San José International Airport within noise and safety zones. The San José Norman Y. Mineta International Airport is located to the east of, and adjacent to, the City. Noise generated by aircraft using the Airport has a noticeable effect on Santa Clara residents in the area north of the U.S. 101. Proposed housing in these areas is potentially required to have noise limiting construction methods including specially designed windows, walls, and insulation. These additional construction requirements often burden the developer and limit new construction near the airport.
Environmental and Infrastructure Constraints
The parcels identified as housing resources in the 6th cycle Housing Element are largely located in areas with adopted Specific Plans, and those Specific Plans include infrastructure plans that document existing infrastructure and any needed infrastructure improvements to support buildout of those plans, and a strategy for funding those improvements. Further, each specific plan amendment to the General Plan has conducted and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and the Housing Element itself, upon adoption, will be CEQA compliant.
Water Supply
The City of Santa Clara receives its potable water supply from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), and groundwater from City-owned wells. In the City’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), the City has confirmed that it is able to meet water demands under all potential hydrologic conditions, as demonstrated by the Drought Risk Assessment required by the State’s Water Code.
The 2020 UWMP must demonstrate that the water supplier has sufficient entitlements and infrastructure to meet future water demands in their service area. Future water demands are determined using population growth estimates from the relevant general plan. Water supply is not an identified constraint on housing production. This has been verified in the Environmental Impact Reports for the Specific Plan areas and other housing development projects that comprise the housing units identified in this Housing Element. The UWMP is updated every five years.
The City’s Water and Sewer Department has specific procedures to grant priority water and sewer service to developments with units affordable to lower-income households. (Gov. Code, § 65589.7.) If this provision is not a part of the City’s regulatory framework, the City commits to adopting it within the next calendar year.
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The SCVWDs 2020 UWMP has also indicated that it will be able to provide all water demands for Santa Clara County (including the City of Santa Clara) through 2045.
Wastewater
Wastewater is collected by sewer systems in the cities of Santa Clara and San José and conveyed by pipeline to the San José - Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF). If existing water treatment facilities would be insufficient to service the increased population anticipated by a general plan, the UWMP must identify new or expanded water treatment facilities to meet the additional need. If a development project is compliant with its general plan, that project’s impact to water treatment facilities would be captured and planned for in the corresponding UWMP. If a development project is not compliant with its general plan designation, it will require evaluation to determine if it independently triggers a need for new or expanded facilities. The Housing Element is compliant with the City’s General Plan, as amended. As such, the project’s water demand is consistent with City of Santa Clara’s 2020 UWMP population growth projection.
Therefore, the Housing Element’s impact to water treatment facilities is captured in the City of Santa Clara’s 2020 UWMP, and the identified housing resources in the Housing Element do not trigger a need for additional water treatment facilities. This impact would be less than significant, and no mitigation would be required.
Energy
The City of Santa Clara owns and operates the municipal electric utility, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), which services over 57,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the City of Santa Clara. It owns, operates, and participates in more than 590 megawatts of electric generating resources supplemented by purchase agreements for 261 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity.
In an average year, approximately 45 percent of SVP-owned generating capacity comes from renewable energy sources—either geothermal, hydroelectric, or wind. Residential electricity demand is low compared with the energy needs of data centers and other high-tech firms that are located in Santa Clara.
In 2022, the City updated the Santa Clara Climate Action Plan to establish GHG emissions reduction measures that the City will implement to achieve the State-recommended GHG emissions reductions which include a near term reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (SB32). The Climate Action Plan’s primary goals include a transition to clean renewable energy, diversion of waste, and promoting energy efficiency, water conservation, and climate resiliency.
Street System
Vehicular circulation in the City includes a wide network of surface streets. With the influx of workers into the job-rich City during the day, commute patterns are northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening. Existing and perceived future traffic delays are a major concern
of Santa Clara residents, as expressed by during community outreach activities. Since most of the City streets are fully improved with limited opportunity for widening, alternative travel modes, such as public transit, bicycling, and walking, offer opportunities to address traffic constraints.
The parcels identified as housing resources in the 6th cycle Housing Element are located in areas with adopted Specific Plans which identify and accommodate infrastructure needs and requirements. Any mitigation required is identified in each specific plan’s EIR.
Seismic, Geologic, and Soil Hazards
The San Francisco Bay Area is a seismically active region with numerous active faults. No active faults run through the City, although several are present in the surrounding region. Geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies foresee a 62 percent probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake in the San Francisco Bay region before 2032. Seismic, Geologic, and Soils Hazards are more specifically addressed in each specific plan’s EIR.
Flooding
The principal surface water drainages in the City are the San Tomas Aquino Creek, Saratoga Creek, and Calabazas Creek, which all originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains and drain northward across the urbanized Santa Clara Valley floor before discharging into the San Francisco Bay. All of these creeks have been channelized and substantially modified to reduce flood hazards in the City. The City’s storm drain system is managed by the City of Santa Clara Public Works Department and consists of curb inlets that collect and channel surface water into a series of pipelines beneath City public rights-of-way. Stormwater is conveyed through these underground pipelines to the channelized creeks within the City, which then flow into the San Francisco Bay. During severe storms, flooding can occur in localized areas along streams running through the City.
Flood zone mapping by the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) indicates that approximately ten percent of the City is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
None of the areas identified on the sites inventory/where housing development is approved/proposed are located in a SFHA.
Non-Governmental Constraints
Locally and regionally, there are several constraints that hinder the City’s ability to accommodate the community’s housing needs. The high cost of land, rising development costs, and neighborhood opposition make it expensive for developers to build affordable housing. These constraints may result in housing that is not affordable to low and moderate income households or may render residential construction economically infeasible for developers. While local government has little influence on larger market factors such as interest rates, its policies and
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regulations can act as constraints that affect both the amount of residential development that takes place and the affordability of housing.
Land Availability
In 2022, fewer than five acres of vacant parcels (including right-of-way properties) are zoned for residential or mixed use development throughout the City, including in the three focus areas for future development (El Camino Real, Lawrence Station, and Tasman East). Of those sites identified as appropriate for new housing, some are too small to accommodate higher density development unless combined with adjacent parcels. The City revised its General Plan designations in 2010, which were supplemented through the Specific Plan process, to encourage high-quality infill redevelopment that includes higher-density housing in addition to commercial businesses in some locations. According to the City of Santa Clara website, there are currently 64 development projects pending, approved, under construction or completed, with most projects clustered around El Camino Real, Lawrence Station, and Tasman East.
Community Resistance
Historically there has been community opposition to higher density residential infill development proposed along major transportation corridors, particularly when that development is located directly adjacent to long-established single-family neighborhoods. The relatively shallow depth of many of these properties can make the transition between existing low density single-family homes and proposed higher density residential challenging. Several substantial medium-and high-density developments have, however, been approved in spite of such opposition. Over the past 20 years, affordability for lower and moderate income households has not been the primary concern for community opposition to residential development. Instead, community resistance has been based on density, traffic impacts, and parking.
Approximately 247 acres of vacant and underutilized land has been approved, through adoption of Specific Plans, for new higher-density residential or mixed use redevelopment in three focus areas: Lawrence Station, Tasman East, and Patrick Henry Drive. Directing higher density housing to commercial areas, with convenient access to transportation and retail services, and separation from lower-density existing neighborhoods may reduce community opposition. City regulations that require appropriate transitions between uses and densities, and adequate parking, could reduce some o community opposition to the approval of new housing.
In addition, the enactment of AB 2011 in 2022 mandates ministerial approval along commercial corridors of most residential projects that meet the minimum density requirements of that bill.
Such projects must provide an affordability component to qualify, such as 15% low-income units, but this affordability percentage is already mandated by the City’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, and so all projects with at least 10 units will meet the affordability requirement of AB 2011. Given that the City will no longer have the discretion to deny such projects, community resistance will not be able to stop such projects from going forward along commercial corridors.
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National Construction Costs
Market constraints substantially influence the cost of housing and pose a challenge to providing housing affordable for all income levels. Land prices are typically the most significant component of the cost. The cost of land has increased rapidly over the past decade. Construction costs and fluctuating interest rates are also major contributors to the increasing cost of housing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Construction costs vary widely according to the type of development, with multi-family housing generally less expensive to construct than single-family homes. However, wide variation within each construction type exists depending on the size of the unit and the number and quality of amenities provided. Construction costs can be broken down into two primary categories:
materials and labor. A major component of the cost of housing is the cost of building materials, such as wood and wood-based products, cement, asphalt, roofing materials, and pipe. The availability and demand for such materials affect prices for these goods. An indicator of construction costs is Building Valuation Data compiled by the International Code Council (ICC).
The unit costs compiled by the ICC include structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work, in addition to interior finish and normal site preparation. The data is national and does not consider regional differences and does not include the price of the land upon which the building is built. The national average for development costs per square foot for apartments and singlefamily homes in the first quarter of 2022 are $150-$500 per square foot depending on size and type, with an average of approximately $200 per square foot.
For multi-family apartment buildings, the type of parking is a key variable in the overall cost of construction. For lower density buildings (2-4 story wood-frame buildings), in which surface parking is provided, construction costs are in the $175 per square foot range. For projects that include structured parking, the garage construction costs add about $20,000 per parking stall to the $175 per square foot for the units. Site-specific constraints, such as flood hazards, could add additional costs if mitigations are required. Again, depending on the size and type of construction the national average is $35,000 to $65,000 per unit.
These costs also exclude the cost of land and soft costs, such as entitlements and financing.
Reduction in amenities and the quality of building materials (above a minimum acceptability for health, safety, and adequate performance) could lower costs and associated sales prices or rents.
In addition, prefabricated factory-built housing may provide for lower priced housing by reducing construction and labor costs. Another factor related to construction costs is development density. As the number of units increases, overall costs generally decrease due to economies of scale. The City’s ability to mitigate high construction costs is limited without direct subsidies.
Fee Analysis
Below is a fee analysis for two single family and two multifamily scenarios that illustrate the approximate fees for the hypothetical projects. Some fees are project specific and will be calculated based on the project type, location, and narrative.
Table 13.5-8: Fee Analysis Scenarios
Single-Family
A new home on an empty lot in an existing
neighborhood; no significant grading or other
complicating factors
Multi-Family
A new multi-family project on an empty lot in an
existing neighborhood; no significant grading or
other complicating factors
Scenarios
Single-Family
Small: 2,600 residential sq ft
Large: 5,000 residential sq ft
*Assuming no parking
Multi-Family
Small: 10,000 residential sq ft + 3,750 parking sq ft;
10 units
Large: 93,750 residential sq ft + 40,000 parking sq
ft; 100 units
Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
PLANNING ENTITLEMENT FEES
Pre-Application
- Single Family
- Planning Review
- Project Clearance Committee Review
$476 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$3,179 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$5,442 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Architectural Review
- Over the Counter
- Single Family (that require a Development
Review Hearing)
- New development – Non-SFR
- Design Consultant Review
No Charge
$893 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$32,529 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Deposit of Consultant Estimated Costs + Citywide
Overhead + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Stormwater Management Plan Review $813
BUILDING PERMIT FEES
Single-Family/Duplex/ADU Residential Scaled Permit Fee
Plan Check
Project Size
1 to 250 sq. ft. $656.55 +Technology Fee (3.37%)
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Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
251 to 1,000 sq. ft.
- First 250 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
1,001 to 3,000 sq. ft.
- First 1,000 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
3,001 to +
- First 3,000 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
$656.55 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$262.62 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$2,626.23 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$131.31 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$5,252.45 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$65.66 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Inspection
Project Size
1 to 250 sq. ft.
251 to 1,000 sq. ft.
- First 250 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
1,001 to 3,000 sq. ft.
- First 1,000 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
3,001 to +
- First 3,000 sq. ft.
- Each additional 100 sq. ft. or fraction thereof
$737.10
$737.10
$226.05
$2,432.42
$191.64
$6,265.31
$95.82
Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
Commercial/Multi-Family/Industrial Scaled Permit Fee
Plan Check
Project Valuation
$1 to $1,000
$1,001 to $10,000
- First $1,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$10,001 to $75,000
- First $10,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$75,001 to $150,000
- First $75,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$150,001 to $750,000
- First $150,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$750,001 to $3,000,000
- First $750,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$3,000,001 to $10,000,000
- First $3,000,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$10,000,001 to +
- First $10,000,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$109.42 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$109.42 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$18.23 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$273.56 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$15.99 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1,313.12 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$20.34 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$2,845.07 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$7.10 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$7,112.69 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$5.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$18,383.57 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$2.93 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$38,955.65 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1.46 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Inspection Permit
$1 to $1,000
$1,001 to $10,000
- First $1,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$10,001 to $75,000
- First $10,000
$92.13 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$92.13 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$38.90 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$441.47 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
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Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$75,001 to $150,000
- First $75,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$150,001 to $750,000
- First $150,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$750,001 to $3,000,000
- First $750,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$3,000,001 to $10,000,000
- First $3,000,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$10,000,001 to +
- First $10,000,000
- Each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
$18.15 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1,621.60 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$23.10 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$3,353.80 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$10.07 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$9,397.97 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$4.01 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$18,427.40 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$3.72 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$44,502.16 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1.85 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Technology Fee 3.37% of Building Permit Fee, Electrical Permit Fee, Plumbing Permit Fee, Mechanical Permit Fee,
and Plan Check & Sign Fee
Building Conformance Fee Valuation x $0.00032
Plan Review Fees
Plan Review Fee (including building, mechanical,
electrical & plumbing)
75% of building permit fee
Title 24 Energy Conservation Plan Review 20% of building permit fee 3-B Electrical Permit Fees
Minimum Permit Fee
Permit Issuance
$209 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$87 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
System Fee Schedule
New Buildings or Alterations
- Residential (per sq ft.) $0.22/sq ft. + Technology Fee (3.37%) $0.08/sq ft + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
- New Garages, Carports and Accessory
Buildings (per sq ft.)
3-C Mechanical Permit – New Buildings
Residential $0.08/sq ft. + Technology Fee (3.37%)
3-C Plumbing Permit – New Buildings
Residential $0.08/sq ft. + Technology Fee (3.37%)
3-G Grading Plan Review Fees
50 cubic yards or less
51 to 100 cubic yards
101 to 1,000 cubic yards
1,001 to 10,000 cubic yards
10,001 to 100,000 cubic yards – base
Each additional 10,000 cubic yards
100,001 to 200,000 cubic yards – base
Each additional 10,000 cubic yards
200,001 cubic yards or more – base
Each additional 10,000 cubic yards
No Fee
$329.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$875.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1,312.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$2,188.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$97.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$3,063.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$219.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$5,252.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$110 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
3-H Grading Permit Fees
100 cubic yards or less
101 to 1,000 cubic yards – base
Each additional 100 cubic yards – base
1,001 to 10,000 cubic yards
Each additional 1,000 cubic yards
10,001 to 100,000 cubic yards – base
Each additional 10,000 cubic yards
100,001 cubic yards or more – base
Each additional 10,000 cubic yards
$441.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$441.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$73.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1,106.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$49.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$1,547.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$196.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$3,316.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
$98.00 + Technology Fee (3.37%)
Multi-Family Monitoring Fee $119/unit
AHA Affordable Housing Agreements – For Sale $3,771/agreement Affordable Housing Application Fee $50/application
AHA Affordable Housing Agreements – MF For
Rental
$5,113/agreement
AHA Affordable Housing Agreements –
Amendments
$1,990/agreement
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Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
Affordable Housing Fees
For Sale
- Residential
- Single Family Home
- Townhome
- Condominium
Rental Residential
Any tenure type
Fees shall be equal to the difference between the
unrestricted appraised market value (“Initial
Market Value”) of the unit and the Affordable
Sales Price of the unit, multiplied by the fractional
amount due. The Initial Market Value of the last
unit sold shall be the basis for calculating the inlieu fee $22.22/sq ft
Traffic Impact Fee
- Multi-family Residential
- Single-family Residential
$566.27/dwelling unit
$1,274.11/dwelling unit
School Fee $4.08/sq ft
Park Fee
- Multi-family Residential
- Single-family Residential
$30,659 - $36,500
$38,068 - $45,320
ELECTRIC UTILITY
Engineering Plan Check
Electric, per sheet
- 1st – 3rd check
- 4th and subsequent review
$292.48/sheet
$41.63/sheet
Time of Use Meter Installation – Residential $298.89/meter
FIRE/STATE MANDATED
Building Plans
- 30% of Building Department Fee
- Minimum: 3.5 hours
$756
Planning Application Review $865
Design Review/Consultation $216/hour
Miscellaneous Inspections/Plan Reviews $216/hour
Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis
Action/Activity Fee
PUBLIC WORKS
Sanitary Sewer Outlet (choose the greatest)
Residential – Single Family
- Per unit
- Per lot
- Per acre
Conveyance Fee
Condo & Planned Unit Development
- Per unit
- Per acre
Conveyance Fee
$441.07/unit
$1,658.38/lot
$7,510.26/acre
$4,218/dwelling unit
$441.07/unit
$7,510.26/acre
$4,218/dwelling unit
Recreation Tax (Bedroom) New Construction Permit
- First bedroom
- Each additional
$15
$5/bedroom
Project Clearance Committee Review:
- Preliminary application
- Architectural review
$861.44
$861.44
Cost Analysis for Development
- Minor (ADU, SFR, Up to 4 Residential Units)
- Major
$416.31
$1,011.95
Engineering Plan Review – Initial Review
- First three (3) reviews
- Fourth and subsequent review
$168/sheet
$34/sheet
WATER/SEWER
Wastewater Treatment Plant Capacity Fee Project Specific Engineering Plan Review Project Specific
Project Clearance Committee Review $601
Hard Costs
Hard costs for a hypothetical 2,600 square foot home are about $420 per square foot, while for a 5,000 square foot home they are about $525 per square. For a hypothetical small multi-family unit, the hard costs are $415 per square foot, and $425 per square foot for a large multi-family unit.
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Soft Costs
Soft costs are generally assumed to be around 30% of hard costs (plus 5% contingency). Generally, single family soft costs are $133 per square foot for small and $147 per square foot for large.
Multifamily soft costs range between $165 and $159 per square foot.
Land Costs
According to the California Building Industry Association, the cost of land represents a substantial portion of the total housing development cost but has little impact on the maintenance and improvement of existing stock. In many markets, up to 25 percent of housing costs are attributable to land costs. The average land costs in California are significantly higher than land costs in other states.
Land costs for single family homes are between $210,000 and $2,510,000. Land costs for apartments and condos range between $400,000 and $1,600,000. Due in large part to limited land availability in the City, residential land has not been widely available for sale. High costs will continue to present challenges for the production of affordable housing in the City.
Availability of Financing
The availability of financing affects a person’s ability to purchase or improve a home. The primary concern in a review of lending activity is to see whether home financing is generally available in the community. Financing new residential development can be a significant cost; however, residential financing for both single family and multiple family housing is generally available.
Developers of single-family projects often secure loans for land acquisition, installation of improvements, and construction. Land acquisition and development loan rates are typically the prime rate plus 0.5 to 2 percent, which is currently, in 2022, between 3.99 to 5.4 percent. Mortgage rates were low for previous years but are now increasing. Apartment loan rates are generally lower. Developers of affordable housing face significant challenges in securing financing. Due to the limited possible return from rents or sales prices of affordable units, many private lenders are unable to finance affordable projects due to the rate of return. Thus, affordable developers must rely on community lending divisions, nonprofit institutions, grants and special loans, and local assistance.
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Government Constraints ...................................................................................................................... 1 Environmental and Infrastructure Constraints ................................................................................ 23 Non-Governmental Constraints ........................................................................................................ 25 Table 13.5-1: 2010-2035 General Plan Land Use Designations (Residential) .................................... 2 Table 13.5-2: Residential Development Standards ............................................................................. 5 Table 13.5-3: Parking Standards .......................................................................................................... 7 Table 13.5-4: Permitted Housing Types Within Residential Zoning Classifications ....................... 8 Table 13.5-5: Planning and Development Fees ................................................................................. 14 Table 13.5-6: Regional Comparison of Planning and Development Total Fees (includes entitlement, building permits, and impact fees) Per Unit ............................................................... 15 Table 13.5-7: Planning and Permit Procedures................................................................................. 17 Table 13.5-8: Fee Analysis Scenarios ................................................................................................. 29 Table 13.5-9: Fee Analysis .................................................................................................................. 29
Chapter 13.6
Housing Resources
This section analyzes the resources available for the development, rehabilitation, and preservation of housing in Santa Clara. This includes an evaluation of the availability of land resources, the City’s ability to satisfy its share of the region’s future housing needs, the financial resources available to support the provision of affordable housing, and the administrative resources available to assist in implementing the City’s housing programs.
Availability of Sites for Housing
A critical component of the Housing Element is the identification of land suitable for residential development including vacant sites and sites having the potential for redevelopment. Santa Clara is a highly urbanized community that has very little vacant, uncommitted land for new development. The following discussion summarizes the residential growth potential in each of these areas and concludes with an assessment of how these sites can address the City’s share of regional housing needs.
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
California General Plan law requires that every city and county have properties appropriately zoned to accommodate their fair share of regional housing need. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) allocates a numeric regional housing goal to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). ABAG is then mandated to distribute the numerical goal among the cities and counties in the region. This share is known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The RHNA process’ goal is to ensure a fair distribution of new housing construction among cities and counties in the region so that every community may plan for a mix of housing types for all economic segments. The housing allocation targets are not building requirements; rather, they are planning goals for each community to accommodate through appropriate planning policies and land use regulations. Allocation targets are intended to ensure that adequate sites and zoning are made available to address anticipated housing demand during the Housing Element planning period.
The sixth cycle RHNA for the ABAG region covers an eight-year planning period (January 31, 2023 – January 31, 2031) and is divided into four income categories: very low, low, moderate, and above moderate. HCD determined that the projected housing need for the Bay Area region (including the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma) is 444,176 new housing units for this Housing Element planning
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period. As determined by ABAG, the City of Santa Clara’s allocation for the 2023-2031 planning period is 11,632 housing units, with the units distributed among the four income categories as shown in Table 13.6-1.
Table 13.6-1 City of Santa Clara RHNA 2023-2031
Income Group
Income Category
(% AMI)
RHNA
(Housing Units)
Percentage of
Total Housing
Units
Very Low <50% 2,872 25%
Low 50-80% 1,653 14%
Moderate 80-120% 1,981 17%
Above Moderate >120% 5,126 44%
Total 11,632 100%
Source(s): Final Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan: San Francisco Bay Area, 2023-2031, Updated March 2022.
Note(s):
1 AMI = Area Median Income
2 Pursuant to AB 2634, local jurisdictions are required to project the housing needs of extremely low-income households (0-30% AMI) and consider this income group a subset of the very low-income category. In estimating the number of extremely low-income households, a jurisdiction can use 50% of the very low-income allocation or apportion the very low-income figure based on Census data.
Progress Toward the RHNA
Since the RHNA uses June 30, 2022, as the baseline for growth projections for the 2023-2031 Housing Element planning period, jurisdictions may claim units approved and proposed that are anticipated to be complete (have a Certificate of Occupancy) after June 30, 2022.
Approved and proposed residential development projects credited toward the RHNA include a variety of affordable and market-rate projects in various stages of the development process. Most of these projects are concentrated within Specific Plan areas and along major thoroughfares, where residential development is expected to continue throughout the planning period. These projects are credited toward the RHNA based on the affordability and unit count of the development. Combined, a total of 11,946 units are expected to be completed within the planning period, as shown in Table 13.6-2.
Approved Projects
Approved residential development projects credited toward the 2023-2031 RHNA have been reviewed for compliance with applicable Codes and regulations and have received planning entitlement approval. These projects will proceed through the building permit application review, issuance, and construction process with anticipated completion and occupancy permits to be finalized on or after June 30, 2022.
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Pending or Proposed Projects
Seven projects in various stages of planning review are included as proposed projects. These sites are included although there is no certainty those units will be achieved because the proposals have not been approved, are currently under staff review, or are pending an application submittal. The identified realistic capacity for these sites is the total units included in the preliminary proposals. Since there is no guarantee that the projects will be approved or developed, in the case a proposed development falls through, the sites are still available to accommodate those identified units and may be able to count toward the lower-income RHNA depending on site density and size. Affordability for these projects is assumed based on the site’s location per Specific Plan requirements, the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance requirements, or a developer/affordable housing agreement. The status of the following projects is as of December 2022.
After credits, approved, and pending projects are considered, the City has a remaining RHNA of 4,Şşş units.
Table 13.6-2 Pending and Approved Projects
Site/Credit Type
AFFORDABILITY CATEGORIES
Project Status Affordability Very Low [30-50% AMI] Low [50-80% AMI] Moderate [80-120% AMI] Above
Moderate
[above 120% AMI] Total Units
RHNA 2023-2031 2,872 1,653 1,981 5,126 11,632 Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan (TE) TE 2233 Calle Del Mundo (St. Anton) - - 23 172 196 Under Construction per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2300 Calle De Luna (Related) - - 84 616 700 Under Construction per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 5123 Calle Del Sol (Ensemble) - Phase I & II - - 60 442 503 Approved/Under Construction 1 per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2200 Calle De Luna (Holland) - - 69 510 580 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2225 Calle de Luna & 2232 Calle del Mundo - - 44 326 371 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2263 Calle Del Mundo (Ensemble) - - 36 264 301 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2302/2310 Calle Del Mundo (Ensemble) - - 18 132 151 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2343 Calle Del Mundo (Summerhill) - - 41 305 347 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2354 Calle Del Mundo (Ensemble) - - 10 78 89 Approved per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 2101 Tasman Drive (Related) - - 114 836 950 Proposed per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI TE 5185 Lafayette (Ensemble) - - 32 238 271 Proposed per Sect. 17.40.115 of City Code: 12% affordable at 100% AMI subtotal TE project(s) - - 531 3,919 4,459 Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan (PHD) PHD Summerhill 15 15 15 255 300 Proposed per adopted SP: 15% affordable - 5/5/5 split at 50%/80%/120% AMI PHD Sares Regis 40 40 40 680 800 Pre-application 2 per adopted SP: 15% affordable - 5/5/5 split at 50%/80%/120% AMI PHD Walnut Hill 20 20 20 353 416 Pre-application 3 per adopted SP: 15% affordable - 5/5/5 split at 50%/80%/120% AMI subtotal PHD project(s) 75 75 75 1,288 1,516 - Lawrence Station Area Plan (LSAP) LSAP 3580 Rambla Pl (Summerhill) - 5 48 233 286 Under Construction per Affordable Housing Agreement LSAP 2961 Corvin Drive (Toll Brothers) - - 4 34 38 Under Construction per Affordable Housing AgreementLSAP 3305 Kifer Road (Toll Brothers) - - 5 40 45 Under Construction per Affordable Housing AgreementLSAP 3517 Ryder St (Westlake Urban) - - - 328 328 Approved Exempt, no affordability component subtotal LSAP project(s) - 5 57 635 697 - Freedom Circle Focus Area 3905 Freedom Circle Mixed-Use Project (Greystar) 54 54 54 914 1,075 Approved per Affordable Housing Agreement: 15% affordable - 5/5/5 split at 50%/80%/120% AMI subtotal FC project(s) 54 54 54 914 1,075 -
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Site/Credit Type
AFFORDABILITY CATEGORIES
Project Status Affordability
Very Low
[30-50% AMI]
Low
[50-80% AMI]
Moderate
[80-120% AMI]
Above
Moderate
[above 120% AMI] Total Units
Other Villa Bella Residential Project - 4 4 48 56 Under Construction per Inclusionary Ordinance: 15% affordable at 100% AMI3035 El Camino Real Residential Project - - 4 44 48 Under Construction per Affordable Housing Agreement: 10% affordable at or below 100% AMI + 0.8 fractional in-lieu fee/distribution of affordable units - averages to a maximum of 100 percent Area Median Income 3945 Stevens Creek Blvd - The Meridian - 59 - - 59 Under Construction per Developer Agreement: 100% affordable at 80% AMI 2330 Monroe Street Affordable Housing Project (Freebird) 32 32 - 1 65 Under Construction per Affordable Housing Agreement: 100% affordable (minus 1 managers unit) - 50/50 split at V LOW/LOW Agrihood Mixed-Use Development Project 109 54 18 180 361 Under Construction per Affordable Housing Agreement: 160 mixed-income apartments (10% affordable at 120% AMI (16 units)) and 165 affordable senior apartments (54 units at 30% AMI; 55 units at 50% AMI; 54 units at 60% AMI; 2 units at 120% AMI) Laguna Clara II (Equity) - - 9 174 183 Under Construction per Affordable Housing Agreement: 5% affordable at 100% AMI Gateway Crossings (Hunter/Storm) - Phase 1 - 37 36 652 725 Under Construction per Developer Agreement, Phase 1: 37 affordable units at 80% AMI + 36 affordable units at 100% AMI Clara Gardens - 3550 El Camino Real 120 - - - 120 Approved/Under Construction 4 per Affordable Housing Agreement: 100% affordable at 30-50% AMI 1530-1540 Pomeroy Avenue Residential Project 8 Approved no affordability component Related Santa Clara - Phase 1 - - 20 1,660 1,680 Approved per Development Area Plan: 20 affordable units (10% of 200) at 120% AMI [future phases, 50 affordable units at 120%] Gateway Crossings (Hunter/Storm) - Phase 2 840 Proposed per Developer Agreement͗ϰϮƵŶŝƚƐĂƚϴϬйĂŶĚϰϮĂƚϭϬϬйD/950 Monroe Street Mixed-Use Project - - 8 46 54 Proposed per Inclusionary Ordinance: 15% affordable at 100% AMI subtotal other project(s) 261 ϮϮϴ ϭϰϭ ϯ,ϱϲϵ 4,199
Total Pending and Approved Projects 3ϴϵ 3ϲϭ 8ϱϳ ϭϬ,ϯϯϵ 11,946 Remaining RHNA 2023-2031 2,48ϯ 1,ϮϵϮ 1,1Ϯϰ (ϱ,Ϯϭϯ) (314) Source(s): City of Santa Clara, June 2022. Note(s): All calculations were rounded down. There are likely discrepancies due to rounding down between the row and column totals. 1 Phase I building permit issued 4/18/22 for 311 units; the remaining 192 units are approved. 2 Application expected Dec 2022. 3 Application expected early 2023. 4 Building permit issued for interior work (8/4/22); building permit for exterior work pending corrections, for 43 units. The remaining 77 units are approved. ϰϮ ϰϮ ϳϱϲ
ϴ
Sites Inventory Methodology and Assumptions
Default Density Assumptions
The California Government Code states that if a local government has adopted density standards consistent with the population-based criteria set by State law (at least 30 units per acre for Santa Clara), HCD is obligated to accept sites with those density standards (30 units per acre or higher) as appropriate for accommodating the jurisdiction’s share of regional housing need for lowerincome households. Default density is considered by the State as sufficient to provide marketbased incentives for the development of housing for lower-income households.
The Santa Clara General Plan (adopted in 2010) identifies ten Focus Areas appropriate for higher density residential and mixed-use development. A detailed discussion of density assumptions and the affordability level of sites is included below.
Site Suitability and Lot Consolidation
Consistent with Housing Element law related to the suitability of small and large sites, the inventory of lower-income sites is limited to parcels between 0.5 and 10 acres in size. Due to the City’s historical parcelization pattern, the inclusion of small sites in the inventory is expected. To adhere to State law and HCD guidance, small sites (under 0.5 acres) are not used to meet the lower-income RHNA. There are 10 available sites included in the inventory with a parcel size under 0.5 acres. All of these are located in the Tasman East Specific Plan area and range between
0.458 and 0.482 acres. Parcels of similar size have been developed with residential within the last housing element cycle in the Tasman East Specific Plan area. While these sites have densities that are appropriate for lower-income RHNA sites and meet the default density standard, they are all credited toward the moderate- and above moderate-income categories. No sites in the inventory are larger than 10 acres. Although many of the parcels identified as sites are adjacent to one another, no lot consolidation is assumed.
Realistic Capacity and Suitability of Non-Vacant Sites
Housing Element law requires jurisdictions to demonstrate that the land inventory is adequate to accommodate that jurisdiction’s share of the region’s projected growth. Santa Clara has a remaining RHNA of 4,Şşş units to be achieved through the identification of sites. The City has various residential and mixed-use development opportunities on sites that are currently available, although all sites are non-vacant. All available sites are within Specific Plan areas. Each project shown in Table 13.6-3, demonstrates that the project’s actual density was developed higher than the minimum density allowed. Because each Specific Plan has its own distinct land
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use designations and affordability requirements, realistic capacity for available sites was calculated based on the average of percent above minimum density allowed per Specific Plan of existing and approved projects (see Table 13.6-3). Percent above the minimum density allowed was used to remain conservative, realistic, and to account for the wide range of Specific Plan densities allowed (from 20 du/ac in Lawrence Station to 350 du/ac maximum in Tasman East). In every case, claiming realistic capacity using the methodology and assumptions defined here yields total unit counts below the maximum density allowed.
Development Trends and Realistic Capacity
Current development trends in the Specific Plan areas show that a range of medium to high residential density is feasible, realistic, and appropriate to accommodate housing for all income levels. Since the City’s adoption of the Lawrence Station Area Plan and Tasman East Specific Plan, Santa Clara has seen an uptick in development and development interest. The following projects, shown in Table 13.6-3, show examples of high-density development coming in well above the minimum densities.
Table 13.6-3 High-Density Projects in Specific Plan Areas Project
Name Zoning
Density
Range
(du/ac) Acres
# of
Units
Actual
Density Status
Included
in 6th
Cycle
% above
allowed
minimum
density
Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan
TE 2233 Calle
Del Mundo (St.
Anton)
Transit
Neighborhood
100 to
350 1.22 196 160 Under
Construction Yes 160%
TE 2200 Calle
De Luna
(Holland)
Transit
Neighborhood
100 to
350 2.44 580 237 Approved Yes 237%
TE 2300 Calle
De Luna
(Related)
Transit
Neighborhood
100 to
350 5.02 700 139 Under
Construction Yes 139%
TE 2343 Calle
Del Mundo
(Summerhill)
Transit
Neighborhood
100 to
350 2.63 347 131 Approved Yes 131%
TE 2302/2310
Calle Del
Mundo
(Ensemble)
Transit
Neighborhood 60 to 350 0.77 151 196 Approved Yes 327%
Project
Name Zoning
Density
Range
(du/ac) Acres
# of
Units
Actual
Density Status
Included
in 6th
Cycle
% above
allowed
minimum
density
TE 2354 Calle
Del Mundo
(Ensemble)
Transit
Neighborhood 60 to 350 0.50 89 178 Approved Yes 297%
Lawrence Station Area Plan
2904 Corvin
Drive (Corvin
Supportive
Housing)
LSAP/Very
High Density
Residential
51 to 100 1.08 145 134
Building
Permit final
June 2022
No 263%
3560 Rambla Pl
(Summerhill)
LSAP/Very
High Density
Residential
51 to 100 2.49 251 100
Building
Permit final
Sept 2021
No 196%
3578 Rambla Pl
(Summerhill)
LSAP/Very
High Density
Residential
51 to 100 1.72 126 73
Building
Permit final
March 2022
No 143%
3517 Ryder St
(Westlake
Urban)
LSAP/Very
High Density
Residential
51 to 100 3.92 328 83 Approved Yes 163%
Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022.
Realistic Capacity Calculations
These sites show sufficient capacity to meet and exceed the identified housing need. A detailed listing of sites, consistent with State law, is included in the document Appendix B.
Consistent with HCD Guidelines, the following methodology for determining realistic capacity on each identified site must account for land use controls and site improvements. x Lower-density residential sites: realistic capacity for sites in land use designations that allow less than 30 units per acre is calculated at minimum density allowed. This includes the Medium Density Residential (20-36 du/ac) designation in the Lawrence Station Area Plan. The identified sites in these designations are non-vacant. Minimum density was used to calculate a more conservative realistic capacity.
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x Specific Plan sites: All sites are within adopted Specific Plan areas and have been vetted through City-led and community-focused planning processes. Specific Plan areas represent locations with opportunities for more intense development with limited impact on existing neighborhoods, per the City’s 2010-2035 General Plan. All available sites have been rezoned to reflect the uses and densities set forth in the respective Specific Plans.
These sites were selected for inclusion in this inventory due to their location, existing zoning that accommodate and incentivize higher densities, and potential for housing production.
All available sites are within Specific Plan areas. Each project shown in Table 13.6-3, demonstrates that the project’s actual density was developed higher than the minimum density allowed. Because each Specific Plan has its own distinct land use designations and affordability requirements, realistic capacity for available sites was calculated based on the average of percent above minimum density allowed per Specific Plan of existing and approved projects (see Table 13.6-3). Percent above the minimum density allowed was used to remain conservative, realistic, and to account for the wide range of Specific Plan densities allowed (from 20 du/ac in Lawrence Station to 350 du/ac maximum in Tasman East). In every case, claiming realistic capacity using the methodology and assumptions defined here yields total unit counts below the maximum density allowed.
The following averages were used to calculate realistic capacity, per Specific Plan area:
o Lawrence Station Area Plan: minimum densities x 191%
o Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan: minimum densities x 215% o ȱ
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¢ȱȱȱȱǯ
Densities Appropriate for Accommodating Lower-Income Housing The capacity of sites that allow development densities of at least 30 units per acre are credited toward the lower-income RHNA based on State law. The California Government Code states that if a local government has adopted density standards consistent with the population-based criteria set by State law (at least 30 units per acre for Santa Clara), HCD is obligated to accept sites with those density standards (30 units per acre or higher) as appropriate for accommodating the jurisdiction’s share of regional housing need for lower-income households. All available sites included in this inventory, except for three sites zoned Medium Density Residential (20-36 du/ac), have density standards of 30 units per acre or higher. Located within the Lawrence Station Area Plan, the three sites zoned Medium Density Residential (20 – 36 du/ac) are credited toward the moderate- and above-moderate income categories.
To create a more conservative and realistic estimate of affordability for Santa Clara, available sites that qualify for one hundred percent affordable units based on the allowed density are split
evenly between the very low-, low-, and moderate-income categories ŚŖ percent, řŖ percent, and řŖ percent, respectively.
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Table 13.6-4 Specific Plan Land Use Designations
Land Use Designation
Min./Max.
Density
Meets
Default
Density
Number of
Parcels
Included
in 6th
Cycle
Total
Acreage of
Available
Sites
Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan
Transit Neighborhood
(parcels less than 1 acre) 60 to 350 Yes 14 8.033
Transit Neighborhood
(parcels equal to or greater than 1 acre) 100 to 350 Yes 0 0 Tasman East Specific Plan Subtotal 14 8.033
Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan
Very High Density Residential 51 to 99 Yes 2 6.660
Village Residential 60 to 149 Yes 1 9.062
High Density Flex 60 to 149 Yes 4 9.568
Urban Village 100 to 149 Yes 5 12.986
Urban Center 120 to 250 Yes 1 3.821
Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan Subtotal 13 42.098
Lawrence Station Area Plan
Low Density Residential 8 to 19 No 0 0
Medium Density Residential 20 to 36 No 3 1.993
High Density Residential 37 to 50 Yes 0 0
Very High Density Residential 51 to 100 Yes 6 27.534
Lawrence Station Area Plan Subtotal 9 29.528
Source(s): Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, March 2022. Lawrence Station Area Plan, Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Nov. 2016. Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan, Nov. 2020.
Re-use of Sites
AB 1397 (2017) requires that specific parameters be placed on sites that were used in previous Housing Element planning cycles but did not develop and are identified in the current Housing Element to meet the lower-income RHNA. However, as noted in HCD guidance documents, due to updates in the prior planning period to the General Plan or other planning activities, such as the creation of a specific plan, some sites previously identified in the Housing Element may have been rezoned during intervening years to allow a higher density, thereby increasing the potential housing capacity of the site. Because the zoning characteristics of such a site have changed, that site can be considered a new site for the purposes of the housing element inventory.
All sites in this Housing Element are Specific Plan parcels, including some previously identified in the fifth cycle. Parcels identified in the fifth cycle subsequently rezoned to a higher density through their respective Specific Plan processes were not rezoned to accommodate a shortfall; rather, the rezoning was conducted to implement General Plan policy. Thus, no sites are subject to the reuse provisions of AB 1397 (2017).
No Net Loss Provision
Government Code Section 65863 stipulates that a jurisdiction must ensure that its Housing Element inventory can accommodate its share of the RHNA by income level throughout the 2023 to 2031 planning period. If a jurisdiction approves a housing project at a lower density or with fewer units by income category than identified in the Housing Element, it must quantify at the time of approval the remaining unmet housing need at each income level and determine whether there is sufficient capacity to meet that need. If not, the city must “identify and make available” additional adequate sites to accommodate the jurisdiction’s share of housing need by income level within 180 days of approving the reduced-density project. This provision is commonly referred to as the "no net loss” provision of Housing Element law.
Site Selection
The Housing Element sites inventory, in addition to the list of pending and approved projects, includes accessory dwelling unit (ADU) projections and vacant and underutilized sites within Specific Plan areas zoned for high-density residential and mixed-use development. These latter two categories have been used to demonstrate that the RHNA for the extremely low-, very low-, low- and moderate-income categories can be accommodated during the planning period. As the discussion below concludes, the sites have no identified constraints that would prevent development or reuse during the Housing Element period. Table 13.6-5 summarizes the sites inventory.
Table 13.6-5 Sites to Meet the RHNA
Site/Credit Type
Affordability Category
Total
Capacity
Very
Low
[30-50%
AMI]
Low
[50-80%
AMI]
Moderate
[80-120%
AMI]
Above
Moderate
[above
120%
AMI]
RHNA 2,872 1,653 1,981 5,126 11,632
Pending and Approved Projects 3ϴϵ 3ϲϭ 8ϱϳ ϭϬ,ϯϯϵ 11,946 ADU Projection 102 102 102 34 340
Available Specific Plan Sites Ϯ,ϴϴϴ Ϯ,ϭϰϯ Ϯ,ϰϲϱ 3ϭϰ ϳ,8ϭϬ Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan Ϯϭϰ 1ϱϲ ϰϱϴ 2ϵϱ ϭ͕ϭϮϯ
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Site/Credit Type
Affordability Category
Total
Capacity
Very
Low
[30-50%
AMI]
Low
[50-80%
AMI]
Moderate
[80-120%
AMI]
Above
Moderate
[above
120%
AMI]
RHNA 2,872 1,653 1,981 5,126 11,632
Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan ϭ,ϴϮϵ ϭ,ϯϲϬ ϭ,ϯϲϬ - ϰ,ϱϰ9 Lawrence Station Area Plan 8ϰ5 ϲϮϳ ϲϰ7 ϭϵ 2,ϭϯϴ
Total 3,ϯϳϵ Ϯ,ϲϬϲ ϯ,ϰϮϰ ϭϬ,ϲϴϳ 22,09ϲ
Surplus ϭϴ% ϱϴ% ϳϯ% ϭϬϴ% ϳϯ%
Source(s): Final Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan: San Francisco Bay Area, 2023-2031, Updated March 2022. Technical Assistance for Local Planning, Housing – Using ADUs to Satisfy RHNA, Technical Memo, March 2022. Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, March 2022. Lawrence Station Area Plan, Neighborhood TransitOriented Development Plan, Nov. 2016. Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan, Nov. 2020.
Note(s): AMI = Area Median Income
ADU Projection
Since 2017, the State legislature has passed a series of laws that significantly increase the potential for the development of ADUs and Junior ADUs (JADUs) by removing development barriers, allowing ADUs through ministerial permits, and requiring jurisdictions to include programs in their housing element that incentivize ADU development. Interest in constructing ADUs is high in Santa Clara and continues to grow. In 2018, the City issued 21 ADU building permits. In 2019, the number increased to 51 annual building permits, with similar numbers in 2020 (45 ADU building permits) and 2021 (53 ADU building permits). This represents a 152 percent increase in ADU production in Santa Clara between 2018 and 2021. The City estimates that interest will continue to increase over the next few years, given the many single-family neighborhoods citywide that create capacity for additional ADUs. As of June 2022, 53 percent (or 16,103 parcels) of total parcels were zoned for single-family housing, totaling 2,504 acres. ADUs are permitted on single-family, multi-family, and mixed-use lots, including R1, R2, and R3 zone districts, which represent a significant number of lots in Santa Clara.
As an incentive to ADU production, the City does not charge a Planning fee for review/processing ADU requests. Also, State law allows jurisdictions to charge impact fees on ADUs over 750 square feet, but the City of Santa Clara does not. The City has also exempted ADUs/JADUs from providing parking (JADUs that convert a garage space/s are required to provide replacement parking for the primary dwelling).
The slight dip in ADU production in 2020 may be due to the COVD-19 pandemic and other events of 2020. In 2021, the City had the highest number of ADU building permits to date, which is likely more representative of ADU production moving forward based on ADU trends in Santa Clara,
new and pending favorable ADU legislation that created new incentives and streamlined processes to build ADUs, and the pent-up demand for additional housing in the Bay Area.
While it is impossible to predict with certainty the exact number of ADUs that will be developed during the planning period (2023-2031), the City conservatively estimates:
x An average of 43 ADUs per year will be constructed throughout the planning period. This reflects the average number of building permits issued for ADUs between 2018 and 2021.
Given the anticipated increase in ADUs over the near term, this is a conservative estimate. x A total of 340 ADUs can be predicted to be constructed during the planning period.
The affordability assumptions for ADU projections are based on ABAG’s ADU affordability analysis pre-certified by HCD1.
Available Specific Plan Sites
Plan Bay Area 2050 Growth Geographies
After nearly four years of technical analysis and deep engagement with Bay Area residents and partners, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and ABAG jointly adopted Plan Bay Area 2050 in October 2021. Plan Bay Area 2050 was developed in collaboration with Bay Area residents, partner agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Thirty-five strategies make up the heart of the plan to improve housing, the economy, transportation, and the environment across the Bay Area’s nine counties.
Throughout Plan Bay Area 2050, Growth Geographies are geographic areas used to guide where future growth in housing and jobs would be focused under the plan’s strategies over the next 30 years. These geographies are identified for growth either by local jurisdictions or because of their proximity to transit or access to opportunity.
All sites included in this Housing Element are considered Priority Development Areas (PDAs), defined as areas generally near existing job centers or frequent transit that are locally identified (i.e., identified by towns, cities, or counties) for housing and job growth. 2010-2035 General Plan Focus Areas, Focus Area Plans, and Related Planning Efforts
In 2010, the City of Santa Clara adopted its comprehensive 2010-2035 General Plan, which included identification of nine focus areas throughout the City, listed in Table 13.6-6. These areas were chosen for their potential to significantly define Santa Clara’s identity as a place in transition 1 ABAG estimates an affordability breakdown of ADUs as follows: 30% very low-income, 30% low-income, 30% moderate-income, and 10% above moderate-income. Technical Assistance for Local Planning, Housing – Using ADUs to Satisfy RHNA, Technical Memo, March 2022.
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from a suburb to a regional economic center. The opportunity to develop at a higher density near transit is central to this new identity.
A comprehensive plan, such as a specific plan is a required prerequisite for new residential development within a focus area. The purpose of these plans and the prerequisite requirements ensure that new neighborhoods are self-sufficient, with easy access to retail, services, and public amenities. Specific Plans also ensure that adequate public services and facilities are provided in tandem with new development. In 2014, the City initiated updates to the Housing and Land Use Elements that identify and require future development to be comprehensively planned through the preparation of Specific Plans within the Lawrence Station and Tasman East Focus Areas.
Of the nine focus areas identified in the 2010-2035 General Plan, four have resulted in Specific Plans, three of which have been adopted. The Freedom Circle Future Focus Area was added to the General Plan in June 2022, while preparation of this sixth cycle Housing Element was well underway. A specific plan has not been drafted or adopted for this future focus area, and therefore the future focus area, with the exception of the Greystar site that had its own approved General Plan Amendment and Rezoning to allow residential development, was not included in the sites inventory. However, properties within that planning area could become available during the planning period if a specific plan were adopted, helping to guard against the loss of affordable housing capacity.
Table 13.6-6 2010-2035 General Plan Focus Areas
2010-2035 General Plan
Focus Area
Related Planning Effort Status
Existing
Downtown Focus Area Santa Clara Downtown Precise
Plan
Draft, Nov. 2022
Santa Clara Station Focus Area None
Stevens Creek Boulevard Focus Area None
El Camino Real Focus Area El Camino Real Specific Plan Draft, May 2021 Lawrence Station Focus Area Lawrence Station Area Plan Adopted, Nov. 2016 Tasman East Focus Area Tasman East Focus Area Specific
Plan
Adopted, Nov. 2018;
Revised, Nov. 2020
Great America Parkway Focus Area Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan
Adopted, Mar. 2022
Freedom Circle Focus Area Freedom Circle Focus Area Plan Adopted, June 2022 Future
Central Expressway Focus Area None
De La Cruz Focus Area None
Source(s): City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan, Nov. 2010. Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, March 2022. Lawrence Station Area Plan, Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Nov. 2016. Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan, Nov. 2020.
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Mixed-Use Developments
Although opportunities for residential and mixed-use development exist throughout Santa Clara based on existing General Plan land use policy and implementing zoning, along major corridors such as along El Camino Real, the City has focused the sites inventory in areas where development of residential uses is most likely to occur within the Housing Element planning period. This is due to development standards allowing very high densities, developer interest in residential development within Specific Plan areas, site size and location (near transit, major corridors, and highways), and recent development trends in the immediate and surrounding areas. The inclusion of nonresidential uses within mixed-use developments complements a transit-oriented neighborhood and will not affect the potential capacity on site because all available sites have minimum density requirements.
Most parcels included in this sixth cycle sites inventory have zoning that allows nonresidential uses in the form of mixed-use developments. Only one land use designation/zone district allows stand-alone nonresidential development.2 This land use policy illustrates the City’s commitment to incentivizing mixed-use districts and higher-density, transit-oriented residential development that addresses many goals: meeting the region’s housing needs, encouraging housing near employment centers, increasing transit usage, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Specific Plans
A considerable portion of Santa Clara is designated for specific plan development. The City has three approved Specific Plans with a significant number of sites and residential development capacity remaining. Combined, the sites identified in the Lawrence Station, Tasman East, and Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan areas have enough capacity to satisfy the outstanding RHNA (i.e., the remaining RHNA after pending and proposed projects). The Specific Plan areas provide opportunities for development of market-rate and affordable housing. Development types authorized by the approved Specific Plans include multi-unit and mixed-use development. None of the listed Specific Plan areas have any site restrictions or governmental constraints that would impede development. Table 13.6-4 provides an overview of the City’s Specific Plan densities.
Further detail is provided in the following sections.
The Specific Plan sites have a high level of certainty to develop given that:
x Through the adoption and implementation of each City-initiated Specific Plan, all parcels within each area have been re-zoned to accommodate high density residential development.
x Specific parameters for densities, uses, development standards, and minimum affordability requirements have already been established. 2 Only one land use designation/zone district, in the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan area, allows stand-alone nonresidential development. See section “Specific Plan Sites” for additional detail.
x No recent, significant enhancements have been made to these sites. x Infrastructure is either in place, or planned for, in support of proposed land uses, addressing transportation, wet utilities, solid waste management, and energy services and systems. For both the Tasman East and Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plans, an infrastructure fee has been created to apportion costs between developers in the Plan Areas.
x Redevelopment of nonresidential uses into high density residential and mixed-use has already occurred, illustrating developer and property owner interest and the financial feasibility of site redevelopment.
x All land use designations within the Specific Plan areas have established minimum densities.
x No land use designation in the Tasman East Specific Plan or Lawrence Station Area Plan areas allows for stand-alone nonresidential uses.
x The City has financial resources available to support the development of affordable housing.
Affordability Requirements
x Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan. All development in the Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan area adheres to the affordable housing requirements referenced in Section
17.40.115 of the Santa Clara City Code. For-sale and rental affordable units shall be maintained as affordable housing for not less than 20 years applicable to for-sale units and 55 years applicable to rental units. Section 17.40.115 requires that 12% of total housing units be affordable.
x Patrick Henry Focus Area Specific Plan. In recognition of the conversion of employment uses to residential land, the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan calls for a deeper level of affordability than is required by the Citywide Affordable Housing ordinance. Affordable housing requirements for the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan are referenced in Section
17.40.116 of the Santa Clara City Code. Developments will provide 15 percent affordable units split equally between three affordability levels of 50 percent, 80 percent, and 120 percent of Area Median Income (AMI).
x Lawrence Station Area Plan. Projects must comply with the City’s inclusionary ordinance in the Lawrence Station Area Plan area. There are some projects already developed that did not require affordable units, because the Lawrence Station Area Plan was adopted before the City’s inclusionary ordinance.
x Citywide Affordable Housing Requirements. Effective February 2018, the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance (Title 17, Chapter 17.40 Citywide Affordable Housing
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Requirements) requires residential ownership and rental projects of ten (10) or more units to provide at least fifteen percent (15%) of the units at affordable housing costs for extremely low, very low, low and moderate income households, or some combination of those income categories. A developer shall select income categories for each of the affordable units such that the average income of purchasers will not exceed 100 percent of AMI.
x Affordability by Design. Additionally, affordability by design in Specific Plan areas is encouraged, with the development of smaller units targeted for those who desire a walkable, urban lifestyle.
x General Plan. The General Plan also outlines other Affordable Housing incentives including encouraging and supporting public and private efforts to provide affordable housing, density bonuses and other financial incentives for housing projects that include affordable and/or senior housing units, consistent with State law requirements.
FIGURE 13.6-1 SITES INVENTORY
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Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan
Adopted in November 2018, the Tasman East Specific Plan regulates the development of 46.1 acres of land located near the City’s northern boundary. Approved for the development of 4,500 units, full buildout of the area will likely occur by 2038. The Specific Plan area includes 34 parcels situated east of Lafayette Street, north of Tasman Drive, west of the Guadalupe River Trail, and south of the Santa Clara Tennis and Golf Club property. Each parcel of one acre or more in size is required to accommodate a minimum density of 100 dwelling units per acre. Each parcel of less than one acre in size is required to achieve a minimum density of 60 dwelling units per acre.
There are no density maximums for individual parcels.
Approximately half of the Tasman East Specific Plan’s parcels have either been re-developed or have projects with active applications or are already under construction. This area is transitioning from a mix of light industrial and business park uses to a high density residential neighborhood with a mix of uses at the ground floor.
Eleven projects within the Specific Plan area were counted toward the sixth cycle RHNA as approved, proposed, or under construction. Fifteen remaining parcels, on approximately 8 acres, have been identified as sites and remain to be re-developed. Not Viable sites were identified and excluded based on existing uses. Assuming realistic capacity, on a parcel-level, the Tasman East Focus Area Specific Plan sites identified in this Housing Element can accommodate a total of 913 units (see Table 13.6-5). Appendix B provides a detailed list of all sites, including assumed affordability.
FIGURE 13.6-2 TASMAN EAST LAND USE DIAGRAM
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FIGURE 13.6-3 TASMAN EAST SITES
Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan
In March 2022, the City Council approved the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan. The planning area encompasses approximately 73.59 acres bounded by Sunnyvale and Calabazas Creek to the west, the southern edge of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission right-of-way to the north, Great America Parkway to the east, and Mission College to the south. As one of the City’s first high-density residential neighborhoods, Patrick Henry Drive will add thousands of units to better balance the City’s jobs-housing ratio, a share of which will be income restricted to help meet regional and local affordability goals. Several regional destinations and amenities are nearby, including Levi’s Stadium, Great America Theme Park, and the Santa Clara Convention Center.
The VTA light rail station at Old Ironsides and Tasman Drive is just over one-half mile, or an approximately 10-minute walk, from the center of the Specific Plan area.
The Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan resulted from a collaborative planning effort involving the City, area property owners, and the Santa Clara community. The plan will create a 73.59-acre high-density, residential neighborhood located near regional destinations, including job-centers, transit, and other amenities. At buildout, the project will accommodate up to 12,000 new residential dwelling units and 310,000 square feet of nonresidential uses, including 200,000 square feet of new neighborhood-serving retail and public facilities, such as libraries and community spaces. New and improved pedestrian and bicycle connections, trails, and parks will link neighborhoods and enhance connections to nearby amenities and recreation destinations. Careful planning will ensure adequate infrastructure and services to support the proposed new development. Targeted residential densities range from a minimum of 51 dwelling units per acre to a maximum of 250 units per acre. These densities will help meet the demand for housing that addresses job and retail growth in the City and region.
Three projects within the Specific Plan area were counted toward the sixth cycle RHNA as approved, proposed, or under construction. Thirteen remaining parcels, on approximately 42 acres, have been identified as sites and remain to be re-developed. Not Viable sites were identified and excluded based on existing uses. Assuming realistic capacity, on a parcel-level, the Patrick Henry Drive Focus Area Specific Plan sites identified in this Housing Element can accommodate a total of 6,139 units (see Table 13.6-5). Appendix B provides a detailed list of all sites, including assumed affordability.
High Density Flex
Only one land use designation in the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan area allows for standalone nonresidential uses: High Density Flex. Six parcels are zoned High Density Flex, two of which were excluded because they are small sites and publicly owned utility parcels, owned by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the City of Santa Clara. APNs 104- 04-130 and 104-04-072, respectively.
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In the event that any of the four High Density Flex sites (totaling 9.6 total acres) develop with nonresidential uses only, the City will quantify at the time of approval the remaining unmet housing need at each income level and per law, identify and make available adequate sites to accommodate the RHNA by income level within 180 days of approving any such reduced-density project.
FIGURE 13.6-4 PATRICK HENRY LAND USE DIAGRAM
FIGURE 13.6-5 PATRICK HENRY SITES
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Lawrence Station Area Plan
The Santa Clara Lawrence Station Area Plan Area is located northeast of the Lawrence Caltrain Station, bounded by Central Expressway to the north, Kifer Road to the South, Lawrence Expressway to the west, and Calabazas Creek to the east, encompassing approximately 72 acres (65 acres of developable land area excluding existing public right-of-way). Adopted in 2016, the Lawrence Station Area Plan is largely developed and was originally approved for the development of 3,500 units. Residential uses have replaced the areas original uses: one- and twostory buildings, generally occupied by light industrial (including manufacturing and warehousing uses), office, and various other commercial uses.
Four projects within the Specific Plan area were counted toward the sixth cycle RHNA as approved, proposed, or under construction. Nine remaining parcels, on approximately 30 acres, have been identified as sites and remain to be re-developed. Not Viable sites were identified and excluded based on existing uses. Assuming realistic capacity, on a parcel-level, the Lawrence Station Area Plan sites identified in this Housing Element can accommodate a total of 9,808 units (see Table 13.6-5). Appendix B provides a detailed list of all sites, including assumed affordability.
FIGURE 13.6-6 LAWRENCE STATION LAND USE DIAGRAM
FIGURE 13.6-7 LAWRENCE STATION SITES
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Availability of Sites for Housing ......................................................................................................... 1 Sites Inventory Methodology and Assumptions ............................................................................... 7 Site Selection ....................................................................................................................................... 13 List of Tables
Table 13.6-1 City of Santa Clara RHNA 2023-2031 ............................................................................ 2 Table 13.6-2 Pending and Approved Projects .................................................................................... 5 Table 13.6-3 High-Density Projects in Specific Plan Areas ................................................................ 8 Table 13.6-4 Specific Plan Land Use Designations ........................................................................... 12 Table 13.6-5 Sites to Meet the RHNA ................................................................................................ 13 Table 13.6-6 2010-2035 General Plan Focus Areas............................................................................ 16 List of Figures
FIGURE 13.6-1 Sites Inventory .......................................................................................................... 21 FIGURE 13.6-2 Tasman East Land Use Diagram ............................................................................. 23 FIGURE 13.6-3 Tasman East Sites ..................................................................................................... 24 FIGURE 13.6-4 Patrick Henry Land Use Diagram ........................................................................... 26 FIGURE 13.6-5 Patrick Henry Sites ................................................................................................... 27 FIGURE 13.6-6 Lawrence Station Land Use Diagram ..................................................................... 28 FIGURE 13.6-7 Lawrence Station Sites.............................................................................................. 29
Chapter 13.7 Housing Element Program Accomplishments This chapter analyzes program performance for the City of Santa Clara’s 2015-2023 Housing Element programs. State law (California Government Code Section 65588[a]) requires each jurisdiction to review its Housing Element as frequently as appropriate and evaluate:
x The appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives, and policies in contributing to the attainment of the state housing goals x The effectiveness of the Housing Element in attainment of the community’s housing goals and objectives x Progress in implementation of the Housing Element This evaluation provides critical information on the extent to which programs have achieved stated objectives and whether these programs continue to be relevant to addressing current and future housing needs in Santa Clara. The evaluation provides the basis for recommended modifications to policies and programs and the establishment of new housing objectives. The Department of Housing and Community Development determined that the Santa Clara 2015-2023 Housing Element was in full compliance with State law.
Following adoption in 2015, the City was tasked with following through on the commitments made in the housing programs. The City has analyzed the effectiveness of the 5th cycle Housing Plan actions, policies, and goals and has used this evaluation to inform the revised Housing Plan for the 6th cycle. While the fair housing analysis conducted in Chapter 3 relied upon contemporary data, the retroactive analysis of past program accomplishments depended on data points collected during program actions that, in some cases, did not align directly with the data points collected during the fair housing analysis conducted for the 6th cycle.
Specific attention was given in the evaluation of the cumulative effectiveness of past goals, policies, and related actions in meeting the housing needs of special populations. In cases where data was not available, institutional knowledge and staff interviews were used to provide context for the program evaluation. Generally, the effectiveness of the action was evaluated in terms of the:
x number of individuals served
x cost of the program/action based on the benefit to the individual served x availability of funding and resources x efficiency and effectiveness of the program partners and service providers
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x the ability to satisfy expressed AFFH requirements in the next cycle.
Overall, the programs that targeted households showed that services were provided to a number of special needs households such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, female-headed households, and persons experiencing homelessness. Indirectly, the jurisdiction made efforts to increase affordability via policies supporting varied types and tenures and increase the affordable housing stock that generally improved the availability of housing that variably resulted in serving special needs households. Although no specific data points exist for some of the 5th cycle programs, it is expected that the populations served under many of the direct service actions align with those programs that did collect data, as shown in the matrix below. Overcrowded households were not identified in the 5th cycle as a targeted demographic for specific action, nor was farmworker housing as there are no active farms in the City of Santa Clara and no Agricultural Land Use Designations beyond the allowed use of community or urban gardens. However, during community engagement, an effort was made to identify farmworker populations that could be commuting to other jurisdictions or retired farmworkers that would be eligible for farmworker housing. Anecdotally and statistically, we know that overcrowding is increasing due to affordability pressures on all households and the most vulnerable special needs populations will require additional attention beyond tenant protections. Therefore, many of the new program goals, policies, and actions are informed not only by the 5th cycle evaluation but the fair housing assessment and community input collected during the authoring of the Housing Element. Further, the City participated in a regional Assessment of Fair Housing process led by Santa Clara County -during the development of this document and facilitated a local homelessness taskforce and outreach process in 2022. Analyzing the cumulative effectiveness of the 5th cycle Housing Plan actions, policies, and goals in conjunction with the additional analyses conducted in this document along with community engagement, has provided clarity and focus on the development of the 6th cycle Housing Plan.
Following the evaluation table, the quantified objective performance is summarized. For the next cycle, 2023-2031 the Actions have been reprioritized and will be reordered based on the updated goals, policies, and the integration of HCD’s new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing requirements.
5th Cycle Housing Plan
Table 13.7-1: Goals and Policies
Goal A: Create and maintain high-quality, livable, and unique residential neighborhoods and preserve established single-family neighborhoods.
Policy A-1 Maintain and improve the quality of residential neighborhoods, eliminate housing deficiencies and prevent future blight through the encouragement of ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation and conservation of existing housing stock. Policy A-2 Provide code enforcement support for residential neighborhoods in conformance with City Code and Zoning Ordinance regulations.
Policy A-3 Promote compatibility between neighborhoods while respecting differences in neighborhood character.
Policy A-4 Promote consensus with City Design Guidelines.
Goal B: Manage growth in the City by designating suitable vacant or underutilized sites for new residential development and ensuring compatibility with community goals and existing neighborhoods.
Policy B-1 Disperse affordable housing units throughout the City to avoid a concentration in any one neighborhood. Policy B-2 Encourage the building of higher density housing on appropriate vacant or underutilized sites. Policy B-3 Encourage the annual construction of the number of housing units necessary to meet the City’s regional housing needs determination through housing finance and reducing development constraints. Policy B-4 Promote compatibility between neighborhoods while respecting differences in neighborhood character. Policy B-5 Work towards the mitigation of jobs/housing ratio impacts created by developments with significant employment.
Policy B-6 Encourage higher density residential development in transit-oriented and mixed-use areas where appropriate.
Policy B-7 Encourage a mix of unit types and sizes in new housing development.
Goal C Provide housing within the community for persons of all economic levels, regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, or mental or physical disability.
Policy C-1 Construct and preserve affordable housing for lower and moderate-income households through the use of public subsidies, regulatory incentives and flexible development standards. Policy C-2 Participate in local, regional, State and federal programs that support affordable, transitional, supportive and permanent housing.
Policy C-3 Create opportunities for affordable housing and housing to support special needs populations and extremely low-income households.
Policy C-4 Ensure equitable housing opportunities for all residents.
Goal D Provide an adequate variety of individual choices of housing tenure, type and location, including higher density where possible, especially for low and moderate income and special needs households.
Policy D-1 Promote a variety of housing types, indifferent locations to maintain social and economic diversity in the City. Policy D-2 Participate in programs that provide support services to residents in need. Policy D-3 Increase public outreach efforts to inform residents and potential developers of available City housing programs.
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Table 13.7-1: Goals and Policies Policy D-4 Encourage early participation from residents and other stakeholders in development of long-range plans and review of new development proposals. Policy D-5 Ensure compliance with all State and federal regulations relating to housing opportunities and the prevention of discrimination.
Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Action 1 Neighborhood Conservation Improvement
Program (NCIP). Assist approximately 424 homeowners with rehabilitation assistance, including approximately 160 extremely low-income households (ELI). Continue to conduct inspections of homes on a request and complaint basis, providing referrals to
the NCIP and assistance where possible to correct identified issues and problems.
Policy A-1
2022: The City increased funding for smaller grant funded projects that address accessibility and minor repairs. 2018-21: The Housing and Community Services division increased funding for this program (approximately $1 million annually) to assist more low-income and senior homeowners to improve the habitability, use and occupancy of owneroccupied housing. 2017: A NCIP Procedure Manual was updated and approved by the Loan Committee. 2015-16: An NCIP Procedural Manual is annually updated and approved by the Loan Committee.
Since 2014, the program has assisted over 121 low-income households of which 53 were seniors, and 37 were female headed households, and 11 were disabled.
Continue to offer these services, every two years the City could conduct proactive outreach to lowincome homeowners who are elderly, have disabilities, or have large households. Renumbered and Renamed to Action 4: Maintenance of Housing Stock Action 2 Preservation of Assisted Rental Housing.
Continue to assist property owners of assisted housing by providing funding to make periodic improvements to the property, if available. Such assistance helps the project maintain its affordability.
Since 2014 the city has assisted with the preservation of Riverwood Place (146 units) by restructuring an existing City loan to allow for improvements and to extend affordability by 18 years. The City also helped preserve the 42-unit Westwood Both projects serve lower income families
Continue to explore ways to preserve housing that serves a variety of groups pending
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Continue to monitor at risk project by maintaining contact with the property owner annually regarding long term plans for the project. Establish contact with public and nonprofit agencies interested in purchasing and/or managing units at risk. As necessary and feasible, the City will provide financial and technical assistance to these organizations. Provide tenant education on Section 8 rental subsidies and other available assistance through City and County agencies as well as nonprofit organizations. Notify tenants at least one year in advance of potential conversion to market rate housing. Provide information regarding tenant rights and conversion procedures.
Policy B-1, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C3, Policy D-1 Ambassador complex by restructuring our existing loan to allow for rehabilitation and to extend affordability by 27 years. available CDBG and PHLA capital funding, housing vouchers, funding for supportive services, and the interest of property owners to collaborate. Renumbered to Action 5 Action 3 Acquisition of Multi-Family Housing.
Annually explore funding sources available at the regional, State, and federal levels to support acquisition/rehabilitation opportunities. Work with nonprofit entities to acquire and rehabilitate existing multifamily structures to be maintained as affordable rental housing. Seek opportunities to identify and purchase deteriorated residential properties during depressed rental Multi-Family Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation Status: 2018-21: The City seeks opportunities to occupy deteriorated properties that, during times of depressed rental markets, cannot raise sufficient capital to rehabilitate. This is an active City program; however, market conditions have not provided compelling opportunities. In the meantime, the Housing and Community Services Division has launched a multi-family energy focused rehabilitation incentive for affordable The City is not well positioned to regularly compete for land on the open market.
Continue to coordinate with affordable housing developers and to explore and prioritize sites for possible funding assistance from the City.
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation markets, rehabilitate units, and convert from market rate to affordable levels. Policy B-1, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C3, Policy D-1 projects in Santa Clara, with three projects currently in the pipeline. 2019-20: The City of Santa Clara has worked with Riverwood Place Associates, L.P. (MidPen Housing Corporation) to extend the affordable housing requirements for 148 rental units within the project located at 5090 Lick Mill Boulevard. MidPen approached the City of Santa Clara with a proposal to fund a solar panel installation as solar provides a great opportunity for long-term sustainability and cost savings. The estimated capital cost was estimated to be around $680,000. MidPen Housing also proposed, as part of the financing strategy, to modify the terms of the City’s existing Promissory Note. Whereas the original Promissory Note entitled the City to 75% of residual cash flow receipts, the proposed modification would entail a conventional 50/50 split of residual receipts between the City and MidPen. In exchange for the requested modification, the City requested to increase the interest rate to 2% from the original 0% and to extend the affordability covenants maturity date from March 14, 2056 to March 14, 2074, thereby preserving 148 studio apartments serving special needs adults for an additional 18 years. 2015-17: The City seeks opportunities to occupy deteriorated properties that, during times of depressed rental markets, cannot raise sufficient capital to rehabilitate. This is an active City program. These units are then converted to affordable units.
Renumbered to Action 6
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Action 4 Code Enforcement Program -
Continue the multi-family residential housing inspection and educational programs. Aggressively respond to violations of housing codes. Provide special attention to maintaining the stability of residential neighborhoods through development and enforcement of minimum standards of allowed use of the City’s streets, as well as maintenance of front and other yard areas visible from the public right-of-way. Policy A-1, Policy A-2, Policy A-3, Policy A-4
City has three full time code enforcement technicians and one building inspector dedicated to code enforcement. Program has been successful in removing blight and substandard housing.
On-going Continue with
modification to expand Inspection and Code Enforcement Program to include proactive Multifamily Residential Housing inspections and educational programs in a regular cycle, which is beyond the current program that solely responds to code enforcement complaints Renumbered to Action 7 Action 5 Neighborhood University Relations
Program. Improve the maintenance of studentoccupied homes and behavior of the occupants to minimize impacts on the Improve Relationship between Santa Clara University Students and other city residents in neighborhoods adjacent to SCU 2015-17 Status:
The Planning Division and Police Department continue cooperation and giving attention to this On-going; SCU now requires freshman and sophomore
Continue, as is Renumbered to Action 8
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation neighborhood surrounding Santa Clara University (SCU). Enhance code enforcement and special Police patrols to address the problems in the area. Continue to hold meetings three times per year with student tenants, landlords, SCU, residents and the City to allow opportunities for stakeholders to discuss neighborhood issues and concerns. Continue to work with neighbors (residents, businesses, and institutions such as Santa Clara University) to ensure that development is compatible with existing neighborhoods and that neighbors are satisfied with the design, density, and parking requirements of projects. Policy A-1, Policy A-2, Policy A-3, Policy A-4 area. Meetings of all parties involved occur at least monthly. students to live on campus, with some exceptions
Action 6 Zoning Ordinance.
Complete the comprehensive update to the Zoning Ordinance by mid-2016. Continue to monitor the Zoning Ordinance for any potential constraints to the development of housing, particularly housing for persons with special needs (including those with developmental disabilities) and amend the Zoning Ordinance as necessary. Policy A-3, Policy A-4, Policy B-2, Policy C1, Policy C-2, Policy C-3, Policy C-4, Policy D-1, Policy D-5 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update 2015-22 Status: The City is continuing to work on the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update, including the creation of more flexible mixed-use zoning districts that will be applied in the City's Focus Areas, including El Camino, Tasman East and Freedom Circle/Patrick Henry Drive.
The City has updated the zoning ordinance as the Specific Plans have been adopted. The City is currently updated the Zoning Ordinance Continue, as is Renumbered to Action 9
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation with an anticipated completion in 1Q2023.
Action 7 Adequate Sites Inventory.
Maintain an inventory of housing sites appropriate for a range of income levels and housing types, including supportive housing for persons with disabilities and developmental disabilities.
Provide information and technical assistance on Federal and State funding sources or referrals to appropriate agencies. Disperse and monitor the location of affordable units in various areas of the City. Review housing sites inventory at time of development proposal to determine consistency with proposed density and assumed density in Housing Element. Maintain a zero net loss of units identified in the opportunity sites inventory of this Housing Element. If the assumed density is not entitled, a finding must be made that the displaced units can be redistributed to other opportunity sites.
Encourage developments that are transitbased or in close proximity to transit when determining City affordable housing funding decision priorities.
Identify Housing Sites (including TOD and Mixed Use) in General Plan. Status: Sites were identified in the General Plan and new housing has been approved and built-in areas designated for mixed use, including El Camino Real. The underutilized sites inventory is used during consultations with prospective developers.
On-going; Lawrence Station, Tasman East and Patrick Henry Drive specific plans approved Continue, with modification Renumbered to Action 10
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Encourage Mixed Use development where appropriate to provide increased opportunities for housing development. Notify owners of mixed use designated sites through an outreach/marketing program. Policy B-1, Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy B5, Policy B-6, Policy B-7, Policy C-1, Policy C-3, Policy D-1, Policy D-3, Policy D-4 Action 8 Lot Consolidation.
Provide technical assistance regarding the lot consolidation process to interested parties. Provide the sites inventory to interested developers and assist in identifying sites with lot consolidation potential. Process lot consolidation applications concurrently with other applications for development. Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy C-1, Policy D1 Consolidate lots for development 2015-17 Status: The City has been processing parcel maps and lot mergers to create larger, more easily developable sites, primarily occurring in the El Camino Real PDA.
This process has been successful when applied strategically Discontinue
Action 9 Impact Fees.
Assess if impact fees are constraining development or providing a competitive edge for the City. If City fees deviate significantly from those charged by comparable communities, take actions to adjust fees as appropriate. Policy B-2, Policy B-3, B-5, B-6, B-7, Policy C-3, Policy D-1 Explore Residential and Commercial Nexus Studies Status: 2017: The City completed both a residential and non-residential nexus study and has adopted residential and non-residential impact fees. 2016: The City has commissioned both a residential and non-residential nexus study and is currently doing outreach with stakeholders and
the wider community.
The nexus studies have informed the Zoning Ordinance update Continue Renumbered to Action 11
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation 2015: Studies have been required as part of environmental review of new employmentrelated developments, but conditioning and funding have only been accomplished where there were negotiations for a related Development Agreement.
Action 10 Provision of a Variety of Housing Types.
Promote the construction of accessory units to increase the type and size of the City’s housing stock, with an objective of 25 units per year or 200 units over eight years. As part of the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update (to be completed by mid-2016), reconsider, and revise if appropriate, requirements for accessory units. Conduct an ongoing promotional program, including mailings to owners of single-family properties with adequate size for accessory living units. Support development of low-income housing alternatives, such as single-room occupancy (SRO) units, senior housing, family housing, housing for persons with disabilities (including developmental disabilities) etc. Encourage affordable, compatible one- and two-story additions for upgrading singlefamily homes.
Fund Alternative Affordable Housing Types 2017-21 Status: The City is partnering with the County’s Office of Supportive Housing to increase the supply of housing that is affordable and available to extremely low income and/or special needs households in the City through the use of funds from the 2016 Measure An Affordable Housing Bond. There are four active projects in the pipeline that total over 400 units. 165 of those units are for seniors, 134 of those units are setaside for formerly homeless households, 15 units are set-aside for individuals who are disabled or
have development disabilities, and 13 units are homeownership units.
Encourage One- and Two-Story Additions 2015-21
Status: Almost 100% of proposed additions are approved, subject to Architectural Review, were consistent with zoning district standards. Modifications are typically approved for reduced rear yard for single story additions.
Expand very low and extremely low-income units by following types of developments 2015-17 Status: SRO units, Senior Housing, Family Housing, etc. Support can be in the form of City This program has been successful in increasing housing types Continue, as is Renumbered to Action 1
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Provide increased flexibility for houses built prior to the current zoning requirements. Continue to require the Residential Green Checklist as part of the permit submittals for residential construction. Policy A-3, Policy B-1, Policy B-3, Policy C1, Policy C-3, Policy C-4, Policy D-1, Policy D-3
funds to variances based on SROs unique characteristics. 2015-16 Status: Although not designed as MixedUse developments, residential units have been approved/constructed in areas designated Community Mixed Use. These projects will help to bolster the viability of mixed-use projects along the El Camino.
Accessory Dwelling Units: The City now produces on the order of 50 ADUs/year, doubling the 2014 estimate.
Action 11 Inclusionary Housing Policy.
Continue to implement the Inclusionary Housing BMP and BMR programs. Annually monitor the effectiveness of the Inclusionary Housing Policy in expanding the housing supply and diversity in the community. Policy B-1, Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy B7, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C-3, Policy C-4, Policy D-1
Inclusionary Housing requirement 2015-21 Status: The City's has adopted an Affordable Housing Ordinance, which has increased the inclusionary requirement 15% on site provision for for-sale and rental project with 10 units or more (compared to the previous requirement of 10% for only for-sale projects with 10 or more units). RDA subsidies for inclusionary housing were eliminated under the BMP Program in 1997.
This policy has been applied successfully to housing development projects and has produced low- and moderateincome housing.
Continue, with modification Renumbered and renamed to Action 2: Affordable Housing Ordinance Action 12 Affordable Housing Incentives.
Encourage and assist in efforts to combine public and private funds in joint housing ventures.
Develop Incentives for Affordable and Senior Housing Projects 2015-21 Status: The Zoning Code has been updated to reflect the current State density bonus provisions.
On-going Continue, as is
Renumbered and renamed to Action 3:
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation As appropriate, support and/or partner with housing developers in the application for affordable housing funding, such as providing technical data, assistance in identifying available and appropriate sites, expediting review and processing of affordable housing, and providing local match as funding is available. Annually explore funding available at the regional, state, and federal levels for affordable housing development and programs. Continue to work with the Housing Authority of Santa Clara County to expand the Authority’s ability to create low- and moderate-income housing. Participate with other local jurisdictions to provide affordable housing. Collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions to pursue funding opportunities for affordable housing programs. CDBG and HOME funds will continue to be used in conjunction with other cities’ funds to construct shelters and to provide housing services.
Continue to provide density bonuses or equivalent financial incentives for housing projects which include affordable and/or senior housing units, consistent with State law requirements.
Affordable Housing Incentives and Facilitation
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Encourage housing developers to use the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance and the Planned Development Zone District, which allow for flexibility in the zoning regulations. Continue to pursue opportunities to acquire and rehabilitate existing multifamily structures to be maintained as affordable rental housing. Encourage the provision of specialized housing to meet the needs of those with disabilities (including developmental disabilities); or for group care, emergency housing and foster homes, where appropriate. Identify situations of overcrowding and educate families of local housing programs. Incentivize nonprofit developers to develop units for very low and extremely low households by identifying appropriate housing sites or rehabilitation projects and matching developers with funding sources. Continue to require the Residential Green Checklist as part of the permit submittals for residential construction. Consider, in 2015-2016, other feasible incentives to foster affordable housing development in the City. These may include fee deferral, reduction, or waivers.
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Policy B-1, Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy B7, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C-3, Policy C-4, Policy D-1 Action 13 Housing Mitigation Fee.
Continue to require housing impact studies as part of project- related environmental reviews for new developments or businesses that generate a high number of jobs. Continue to require Housing Impact Studies through development agreements with new projects, to address the impact on the affordable housing supply. Consider, in 2015-2016, establishing an affordable housing mitigation fee for office and industrial developments that propose a significant square footage of area where persons are to be employed.
Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy C-1, Policy D1
Requirement of Housing Impact Fee Studies for the largest projects; Development of a Housing Impact Fee Program Status: 2017-21: The City has adopted an Affordable Housing Ordinance, consisting of inclusionary onsite requirement for residential projects, impact fees for residential projects with 9 or fewer units, for fractional units and for nonresidential development. These requirements became effective on February 22, 2018. 2015-16: The City is currently in the process of outreach with the community and stakeholder to determine appropriate Affordable Housing impact fees, residential and non-residential.
On-going Discontinue
Action 14 Affordable Housing Funding.
Identify a steady source of affordable housing funds. Pursue funding available from State, federal, and regional housing programs. Policy B-1, Policy B-2, Policy B-3, Policy B7, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C-3, Policy C-4, Policy D-1
In 2022 the City joined the Santa Clara County PHLA Housing Consortium and will be allocating 2019 and 2020 funding in 2023.2017-21: The City has adopted an Affordable Housing Ordinance, which includes a commercial linkage fee. The ordinance became effective on February 22, 2018, and since fall of 2021 has generated $5.6 million since to address affordable housing needs in Santa Clara. 2015-16: The City is currently participating in the drafting of a multi-city nexus study for the On-going Continue to plan
and allocate PHLA funding and to look for additional ongoing funding sources. Renumbered to Action 12
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation creation of both residential and commercial housing impact fees.
Action 15 Economic Displacement.
Evaluate programs and policies and provide recommendations to City Council within one years of Housing Element adoption. As necessary and appropriate, adopt programs and policies to address displacement within two years of Housing Element adoption. Monitor programs and policies bi-annually for effectiveness. Policy B-4, Policy B-5, Policy C-1 The City continues to provide Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) in the form of deposits and rental subsidies for up to 12 months, along with case management services, to families with children experiencing homelessness, those fleeing domestic violence, or families with children that are at risk of homelessness.
Community Ownership Conversion Tenant Protections 2018-21 Status: In the case of condominium conversions, landlords are required to provide tenant protections, including advance notice requirements, right of first refusal, and relocation assistance 2019-20 - On March 24, 2020, the Santa Clara City Council approved Ordinances 2014 and 2015, establishing a temporary eviction moratorium in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The moratorium went into effect immediately, March 24, and the Council subsequently extended the moratorium through August 31, 2020, at which time AB 3088 established a statewide prohibition on residential evictions. Provide Relocation Assistance to Residents Displaced by Redevelopment 2015-17: With the closure of the RDA, the City is exploring funding The eviction moratorium has since expired, and state and pandemic related local rental assistance programs have ended. Additional programs may be needed to respond to displacement pressures.
Continue to provide TBRA and explore additional programs that respond to and prevent homelessness and displacement. Allocate the City’s HOME ARP funding in 2023. Renumbered and renamed to Action 13: Residential Displacement
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation streams, including housing linkage fees, for relocation assistance. The City actively encourages developers to provide advance notice and relocation assistance for displaced tenants.
Action 16 Shared Housing.
Continue to support programs designed to create shared housing arrangements for seniors, families, and persons with disabilities (including developmental disabilities). Annually evaluate the need for shared housing services as part of the CDBG annual plan process. Policy B-1, Policy C-2, Policy C-3, Policy C4, Policy D-1, Policy D-2 Support Shared Living Facilities & Operations 2015-21 Status: The City encourages shared housing arrangements and group living arrangements for special populations who are very low income. In 2018 there was one official shared housing program for seniors in Santa Clara County and it was operated by Catholic Charities. This program ended because it was not sustainable, as it had too few landlords, too many renters, and it required a lot of staff facilitation. Some Seniors have indicated to City staff that they would prefer a 1 bedroom with support services for privacy and safety reasons.
Home sharing can work well for group homes, but less so for the elderly residents.
Continue to support the creation of new shared housing for persons with developmental disabilities. Explore service enhanced senior housing with rents capped at 30% of income versus based on AMI. Explore a new position to help seniors navigate the housing market and to access subsidized housing. Renumbered to Action 18 Action 17 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Continue to participate in and promote the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Promote Section 8 Housing Program 2015 Status: Currently, the Housing Authority has 659 certificates/vouchers under contract within the City, 269 of which are elderly.
On-going Continue, as is
Renumbered to Action 14
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Encourage apartment owners to list properties with the Housing Authority for individual Housing Choice Vouchers. Policy B-1, Policy C-1, Policy C-2, Policy C3, Policy D-1 Action 18 Homeownership for First-Time Buyers.
Continue to collaborate with NHSSV to implement the BMP program and provide assistance to approximately 10 to 15 lower, moderate-, and middle-income households during the 2015-2023 Housing Element planning period. Promote homeownership, particularly for first time buyers, through single-family, townhouse and condominium construction as well as conversion of rental to condominium ownership, where appropriate. Encourage program participation among moderate income households, as well as low-income households, while interest rates are low. Continue to promote homebuyer assistance programs through the Housing Trust Silicon Valley and the County of Santa Clara. Include links to these housing resources on City website by 2015. Policy B-1, Policy C-2, Policy D-1 Support and Fund First-Time Homebuyers (FTHB) 2015 Status: The Santa Clara’s BMP (Below Market Purchase) program produced 4 first time homebuyers this year. They were all moderate income. There are 106 BMP owners in the current program since 2007 through October 28, 2022.
The current BMP program does not require BMP homes to stay affordable for more than five years. Policy changes could require resale to income qualified buyers and create more Continue, with modification to require longer affordability terms on BMP homes. Renumbered to Action 15
Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation opportunities.
Action 19 Fair Housing Program.
Continue to refer tenant-landlord complaints to an agency offering meditation. Provide referral services and promotional support to link those experiencing discrimination in housing with public or private groups who handle complaints against discrimination. Seek state and federal enforcement of fair housing laws and continue to cooperate with local agencies investigating claims of discrimination in lending practices and predatory lending. Provide outreach and education materials about fair housing services, nonprofit partners (e.g., Project Sentinel). Continue to hold open house events and meetings to distribute fair housing information and resources to tenants and homeowners in need of assistance. Refer disputes between property owners to the County Human Relations Commission’s Dispute Officer. Policy B-1, Policy C-2, Policy D-1 Contract with Non-Profit Agency for Mediation Services 2015 Status: Annual service contract with Project Sentinel to provide tenant-landlord dispute resolution service on city-wide basis Provide Referral Services and Support for Discrimination Concerns 2015 Status: Provision of fair housing services by the City is essential to meet federal and State requirements to affirmatively further fair housing. Housing projects funded by federal HOME funds must develop and implement an affirmative marketing plan.
This has been an important resource that will continue to expand in outreach Continue, with modification Renumbered to Action 16
Action 20 Homeless Services.
Assist in funding locally administered programs that provide shelter, food and clothing for those with transitional and supportive housing needs.
The City has invested several hundred units of permanent supportive housing and/or ELI/VLI housing for families, individuals, and seniors.
The City has invested in a variety of
Continue to fund services and complete the City’s local
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Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives
Action Program Title & Objective Achievements/Results Evaluation Recommendation Continue to support housing for at-risk youth. Policy B-1, Policy C-2, Policy D-1 The City has also invested in public services through its CDBG and HOME programs including Tenant Based Rental Assistance, the regional Homelessness Prevention System, case management services for permanent supportive housing, assistance for survivors of domestic violence, and more. In 2022 the City conducted a six-month Homelessness Task Force and outreach process and published a draft strategic framework. services and is in the process of writing a local strategic plan to expand its efforts. homelessness response plan and begin implementing new programs that respond to the identified gaps.
Renumbered to Action 17
Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022
Quantified Objectives Table 13.7-2 summarizes Santa Clara’s quantified objectives for the 2015-2023 Housing Element planning period and the progress the City has made, including progress meeting the City’s fifth cycle RHNA. Table 13.7-3: Summary of 2015-2023 Housing Element Quantified Objectives (through 2021 APR) Source(s): City of Santa Clara, 2022 Objectives
Affordability Breakdown
Totals
Extremely
Low Very Low Low Moderate
Above
Moderate
Building Permit Objectives (RHNA) Goal - 1,050 695 755 1,593 4,093 Progress - 289 246 125 4,606 5,266 Single-Family Rehabilitation Objective Goal 424 (160 ELI) - - 424 Progress 121 (24 ELI) - - 121 At-Risk Housing Units to Preserve Goal - - - - - - Progress - - - - - -
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5th Cycle Housing Plan ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Quantified Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................................................21 List of Tables Table 13.7-1: Goals and Policies ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Table 13.7-2: Actions and Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Table 13.7-3: Summary of 2015-2023 Housing Element Quantified Objectives (through 2021 APR) .........................................................21 A
Page A-1
Appendix A
Outreach
Summary
As part of the Housing Element update draft a Public Engagement Plan (PEP) was developed by City staff to provide the community public participation opportunities during the development of the Housing Element under Gov. Code Section 65583 (c)(9). Additionally, the City set up a housing element webpage:
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planningdivision/general-plan/housing-element-update; that provided continual updates as work on the 6th Cycle Housing Element progressed. The list-serv generated by this effort has 1,500 subscribers (as of January 3, 2023) that are notified when the page updates and notifications are posted regarding the Housing Element.
During the development of the PEP stakeholders were identified and interviewed, surveys were conducted in multiple languages, and comment on the draft element was received; all informing the final iteration of the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
Stakeholder interviews were conducted to help build a framework for the 6th Cycle Housing Element. The interview questionnaire and summary are included in Appendix A-1: Stakeholder Interview Summary.
The stakeholders that were interviewed are a subset of interested parties that were contacted from a list of community members and organizations listed in Appendix A-2: Stakeholder List.
Shortly after the interviews were conducted, the City conducted an on-line survey to gather information about how residents were experiencing housing. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese (Mandarin). There were well over 1,500 responses which are summarized in Appendix A-3: Community Survey Summary. The survey results were incorporated into the formulation of the 6th Cycle Housing Plan Goals, Policies, and Actions. Although, there was some demographic variance in the results of the survey, they were not statistically significant. Nonetheless, where there were apparent variances or interesting results, those were provided in the summary sections as additional result tables. Finally, feedback collected provided support for the Housing Plan actions focused on diverse outreach and engagement and services to protected classes.
Appendix A-4: Regional Santa Clara County AFFH Related Outreach and Appendix A-5: Housing Element Specific Outreach provide numerous instances of regional and local outreach activities that the City conducted or participated in. As stated in the introduction to this 6th Cycle Housing Element, outreach consisted of:
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x Community Meetings
x Stakeholders Meetings, Questionnaires, and Interviews x Digital Surveys: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simple) x Community Events
x Community Pop-ups
x Tenant Listening Sessions
x Homelessness Taskforce Meetings
x Planning Commission and City Council Meetings
At a high level, the community engagement was utilized to balance and align community input with State Housing Law requirements. With, consistent themes of affordability, housing type and tenure, housing choice, tenant protections, and homelessness the outreach process informed the Housing Plan actions, polices, and actions, and confirmed or highlighted trends identified by the demographic analysis.
Specifically outreach informed the creation of new efforts in the Housing Element as follows:
x Respondents to outreach and commentors were concerned that the designated levels of affordability in the city’s existing inclusionary ordinance are increasingly not affordable for many residents. The Housing Element includes a planned effort to update the inclusionary ordinance to increase a greater number of units in the deeper affordability categories and to redefine the City’s moderate affordability category to reflect a lower income range. Also proposed is including in the City’s Notice of Funding Availability specifications criteria that would prioritize City funding of Extremely Low Income and Very Low Income units.
x Consistent feedback was received through all outlets and demographics of respondents highlighting the need to better address homelessness. The City’s newly created Homelessness Task Force comprised of service providers, advocates, and individuals with lived experience of being unhoused have provided recommendations that are being pursued through the creation of a Homelessness Response Plan with implementation actions that will be adopted in early 2023. x Commentors provided feedback on the need for more displacement prevention. The Housing Plan includes the City Council’s future consideration of new policies and programs that would require no net loss of income restricted units during construction or rehabilitation of existing housing; replacement of existing affordable housing units at the same or lower affordability levels; landlord and City notification and information for tenants affected by efforts that would cause relocation; require developers to provide relocation benefits beyond State requirements.
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x Residents of affordable and special needs housing shared at listening sessions that they have been particularly affected by heat waves and wildfire smoke. As part of the City’s CDBG program, the City will promote a Notice of Funding Availability process for installation of HVAC improvements for sensitive populations.
The City of Santa Clara asked for the public’s comments on the Housing Element Draft via its website, list-serv, social media, printed/mailed newsletter (Inside Santa Clara), e-newsletter (City Hall News) and public meetings. The comments were collected via Konveio, a public comment platform for document review and via email. The public comments received on-line and via formal comment letter are included in Appendix A-6: Public Review Draft Comments, Figures 1-9. Following the public comment period on the Housing Element Update, commenters and stakeholders were invited to a stakeholder meeting to discuss the potential Housing Plan goals, policies, and actions that could address their questions and concerns.
Additionally, the City continued to engage in community outreach during the 90-day review period of the Housing Element Draft by HCD. The input collected during this period is subsumed in the housing element specific outreach mentioned above in Appendix A-5. Public and comment and formal letters continued to be addressed after the City receive comments on the Housing Element Draft.
Notably, the section on Housing Resources, was significantly revised based on formal comments regarding the City’s process for site selection.
Appendix A-1 Stakeholder Interview Summary
Six interviews were held via telephone, zoom, and/or email with internal and external community stakeholders between May and June 2022.
FIGURE 1: INTERVIEWS AND SCHEDULE
Santa Clara Unified School District May 9, 2022
Santa Clara Schools Foundation May 13, 2022
Santa Clara Senior Center May 13, 2022
PARS Equality Center May 18, 2021
Momentum for Health May 31, 2022
Calabazas Community Apartments, Adobe Services June 8, 2022
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STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & KEY FINDINGS
1. What are the strengths and assets that make Santa Clara a great place to live? City of Santa Clara provides its residents with a safe, diverse, community driven environment. The public facilities and parks are a utilized asset in the community. x Weather
x Diverse population (ethnically,
economically, age)
x Safe
x Great public facilities, parks,
libraries, recreation facilities
x Great location, easily accessible to
other areas in the Bay Area
x Good transport
x Venues, entertainment options
x Small town, University/Community
College town makes it a great
location to live
x High quality schools
x Family and community oriented
x Supports its residents
2. What are the most critical challenges related to residential development in Santa Clara? Due to the high cost of living and housing shortages, some residents are unable to afford rent or to buy homes.
A shortage of affordable and low-income housing could push residents out of the city. x Cost of housing
x County code prohibits acquiring
homes and buildings
x Shortage of affordable and lowincome housing
x The personal home buying process is
difficult due to affordability and cash
offers
x Unable to place underhoused and
unhoused community in shelters or
affordable housing
x Lack of land for new developments
x Lack of housing and securing of
more housing
x Difficulty welcoming others, NIMBY
x Congestion in existing developed
areas
x High cost of rent and living will push
residents out of the area
x Wait list for housing vouchers,
Section 8 lottery
x Cost of construction
x Lacks character and a downtown
x Housing department is outsourcing
housing assistance as well as creating
barriers
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3. What are your priorities for housing development in Santa Clara? The priorities for the City of Santa Clara should be to provide affordable housing to the locals. Establishing creative housing programs is also a priority. Tackling homelessness should also be a priority. x Financial assistance and programs
for organizations to buy buildings for
services such as mental illness
facilities, homeless shelters
x Increase amount and accessibility of
affordable housing
x Partnerships with organizations to
allow for creativity
x Affordable housing for families who
work in Santa Clara and send their
children to public schools
x More affordable housing
x Subsidized housing options
x Facilities for people coming off the
streets
4. What is your definition of affordable housing and who does it serve? The key responses include: prioritizing the service industry, seniors, police officers, teachers, and locals.
Residents should not have to pay more than 50% of their income for housing. x Subsidized housing, based on income
listed on tax returns
x Affordable housing and care for
individuals with serious mental
illnesses
x Serves people who are service
workers/blue collar as well as the
entire community
x Allows for a community to develop
in a city
x Housing that is affordable for
families to live in the city where they
work
x Two working adults can afford rent
without sacrificing food or a savings
x For teachers, seniors, police, only one
senior housing development in the
area
5. Are there housing projects (or general development trends) in other cities that are examples of what you would like to see in Santa Clara?
Below are examples of cities with housing projects or development trends suggested by the stakeholders.
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x 41 South 11th Street house for housing
and maintaining housing for groups
of people
x Orange County Health Improvement
Plan is a nonprofit that works with
the county to train employees to
operate housing buildings
x Short term rental assistance (TBRA)
x Charities Housing in Cupertino
x The Veranda Senior Housing
x Apartments/Condominiums with
more than two bedrooms and in
large buildings
x Multigenerational housing
developments, co-ops:
https://www.cotaticohousing.org/
x San Jose, community engagement
x Permanent supportive housing
facility by PATH in San Jose: Villas
on the Park
6. How do you see Santa Clara changing over the next 8-10 years? What role does housing play in these changes?
Providing children, elderly, and lower income residents with affordable housing options is critical to maintaining a sense of community in the City of Santa Clara. Creative and innovative housing approaches may pose challenges with locals.
x Shortage of professionals
x Something should be done about
affordable housing
x Less people will want to live in the
area if there are tents on the street
x Less taxes otherwise businesses
won’t thrive
x Give locals a reason to stay
x Expanding housing in a creative way
could make people uncomfortable
x If housing doesn’t change Santa
Clara will not grow in a diverse way
and live up to its potential
x Digitization of application processes
for affordable housing
x Reduced waiting and processing time
to meet demand
x Increased value in the area due to
new Google development
x Crime should be addressed for safety
x Equitable quality of school districts
x Multi-bedroom units are needed for
families to stay
x Increase in city policies and funding
toward creating affordable housing
for those in need
x Prioritize seniors and low income
7. Are there neighborhoods in the city that lack access to opportunities for healthy food, green space, transit, quality jobs and education?
Overall, the city provides access to opportunities for the residents of the City of Santa Clara. Some neighborhoods in the city could improve on access to food and transportation.
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x Stakeholder is unfamiliar with the
area or does not live in the city
x City provides access to opportunities
x Bicycle lane improvements
x Suburban neighborhoods lack
walkability
x Transportation is infrequent and
does not include enough routes
x Some neighborhoods (such as
Lafayette) lacks access to nearby
grocery stores
8. Can you share any thoughts or stories about housing discrimination and/or housing segregation in Santa Clara?
Overall, there is a stigma around low-income and affordable housing, particularly with landlords. x Generally, not too prevalent in the
city
x Discrimination and stigma from
landlords regarding Section 8/lowincome applicants
x Difficulties finding landlords willing
to work with participants
x Limited supply of housing in the city
x Outdated stereotypes and stigmas
about people with housing vouchers
x Upper class residents are less
interested in providing the
community with affordable or lowincome housing developments x Low-income housing lumped into
one building
x Lower income apartments are located
near title I schools and districts
x Families in low-income, onebedroom apartments out of necessity
9. How can the City, in partnership with stakeholder groups, help to ensure inclusive and equitable fair housing outreach that includes all segments of the community? Partnering with stakeholder groups is important to the community, however inclusive and equitable outreach are key. Residents would like the city to provide outreach to residents in multiple languages and with clearer guidelines to ensure fair housing.
x Understand the residents’ needs
x Acknowledge subgroups other than
those defined by race or ethnicity
that need housing
x Ensure more affordable housing is
implemented
x Prioritize teachers, law enforcement,
nonprofit workers who want to stay
in the city
x Regular outreach meetings to share
community needs with the city
x Prioritize building multi bedroom
housing
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x Provide information about housing
in multiple languages
x Provide clear guideline for who
qualifies for housing programs
x City’s emailing list does not reach all
groups
x Not realistic to buy a house in the
city of Santa Clara
10. Are there residential blocks or neighborhoods in the city that lack access to quality education and daycare, open space and parks, libraries, shopping, grocery stores, transit service, clean air, and/or other opportunities?
Below are examples of residential blocks or neighborhoods in the city that stakeholders suggest lack access to quality education and daycare, open space and parks, libraries, shopping, grocery stores, transit service, clean air, and/or other opportunities:
x Residential blocks exist in
unincorporated areas with the east
and south of the city - going towards
the foothills (White Rd) and south of
the City (Monterrey, Bernal Rd).
These areas need more
transportation.
x The state is investing resources in
BART and the light rail, but they are
not reaching those areas. There is a
need for more community health
clinics, subsidies for day cares
throughout the city.
x The northwest of the city will lack an
elementary school once all the units
are constructed
x Some neighborhoods are further
away from public amenities (such as
libraries)
x Clean air is a problem in areas like
Lawrence, Montague, Santa Moss,
and El Camino
x Lafayette and Clyde is a very
industrial block with factories and
chemical release
x Noise pollution from the nearby San
Jose airport, Levi’s stadium, and
major roads
x Not everybody has AC filters
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11. Are there any other specific stakeholders we should be talking with? Below is a list of suggested stakeholders to speak with:
o Teresa O’Neill – former city council member
o First community housing (https://www.firstcommunityhousing.org/), 21 major projects in Santa Clara County - experts in housing regulations and they understand the basic needs. o African American Cultural Center
o Donald, Executive Director of Pacific Clinics (Previously UpLift Family services) – he works with families, youth and can give a different perspective on other populations o Community Solutions
o Religious centers such as churches
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Appendix A-2: Stakeholder List
The stakeholder list initially identified potential organizations and individuals that could be interviewed and potentially participate in a stakeholder workshop(s). The organizations and individuals were contacted by e-mail and direct phone calls to participate in a formal interview.
Company/Organization
Groups Served / Sector Elderly/ Seniors Persons Experiencing Homelessness Families (large families, female headed families) Persons with disabilities Persons with developmental disabilities Lower income households Farmworkers Spanish speaking residents Affordable Developer Market Rate Developer Santa Clara Housing Authority x x
City of Santa Clara Youth Commission Safe Place
City of Santa Clara Senior Advisory Commission x
Santa Clara Senior Center x
Heart of the Valley: Services for Seniors x
Santa Clara Lions Club
Santa Clara Libraries x x
West Valley-Mission Community College
Santa Clara University x x x x
Mission College Santa Clara
x x x
Santa Clara Historical Society
Santa Clara Unified School District
Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends
Santa Clara Youth Soccer League
Santa Clara Lions Youth Football & Cheer
Santa Clara Westside Little League
Briarwood El Camino Little League
Santa Clara Swim Club
Sierra Club Loma Prieta
Asian American Center of Santa Clara County x x
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Company/Organization
Groups Served / Sector Elderly/ Seniors Persons Experiencing Homelessness Families (large families, female headed families) Persons with disabilities Persons with developmental disabilities Lower income households Farmworkers Spanish speaking residents Affordable Developer Market Rate Developer San Jose Japanese American Citizens League
Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley
x
CAIR California San Francisco Bay Area
PARS Equity Center
x
Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley x x x x
Santa Clara Women’s League x
Elk’s Lodge #2347
Rotary Club of Santa Clara
Santa Clara Kiwanis Club x x x x x x
Sacred Heart Community Service x x x x
Project Sentinel x x x x x x x
Bill Wilson Center x
SV@Home
x
Abode Services x x
Salvation Army (San Jose) x x x x x x
Homelessness Task Force
x
Planning Commission
Santa Clara Unified School District (McKinney
Vento homelessness prevention)
x x
City of Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County x x x x x x
Momentum for Health
x x
Roots Community Health Center x x x x x x
American Legion Santa Clara Post 419 (Veterans
Services)
x x
Working Partnerships USA
x x x
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Appendix A-3: Community Survey Summary
FIGURE 1: HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA? (QUESTION 1; N=1,585)
FIGURE 2: HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA? (QUESTION 1; UNDER 18 – 44 YEARS OLD; N=471)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Less
than 1
year
1 to 4
years
5 to 9
years
10 to 19
years
20 years
or more
I do not
live in
Santa
Clara
Prefer
not to
answer
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Less than 1
year
1 to 4 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 19
years
20 years or
more
18 and Under (n=4) 18-24 (n=10)
25-34 (n=192) 35-44 (n=265)
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FIGURE 3: HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA? (QUESTION 1; UNDER 45 YEARS OLD – 65 AND ABOVE; N=842)
FIGURE 4: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT HOUSING SITUATION? (QUESTION 2; N=1,651) 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Less than 1
year
1 to 4 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 19 years 20 years or
more 45-54 (n=238) 55-64 (n=261) 65 + (n=343)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
I own my
home
I rent my
home
I live with
friends/family
and do not
pay rent
I am
unhoused
I prefer not to
answer
Chinese (n=31) English (n=1,585)
Spanish (n=29) Vietnamese (n=6)
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FIGURE 5: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT HOUSING SITUATION BY AGE GROUPING? (QUESTION 2; UNDER 18 – 44 YEARS OLD; N=471)
FIGURE 6: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT HOUSING SITUATION BY AGE GROUPING? (QUESTION 2; UNDER 45 YEARS OLD – 65 AND ABOVE; N=1,651)
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
I own my
home
I rent my
home
I live with
friends/family
and do not
pay rent
I am
unhoused
I prefer not to
answer
18 and Under (n=4) 18-24 (n=10) 25-34 (n=192) 35-44 (n=265) 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
I own my home I rent my home I live with
friends/family
and do not pay
rent
I am unhoused I prefer not to
answer
45-44 (n=238) 55-64 (n=261) 65 + (n=343)
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FIGURE 7: DO YOU WORK AND/OR ATTEND SCHOOL IN SANTA CLARA, AND HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND TRAVELING AND BY WHICH MODE OF TRANSIT? (QUESTION 3; N=722)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0-15 Minutes 16-30
Minutes
31-45
Minutes
46-60
Minutes
61+ Minutes
I Attend School in Santa Clara I work In Santa Clara
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
Personal
Vehicle
Car Pool Van Pool Rideshare Public
Transit
Walk Bike
I Attend School in Santa Clara I work In Santa Clara
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FIGURE 8: WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING DO YOU THINK SANTA CLARA NEEDS MORE OF (PICK YOUR TOP 3 – ENGLISH SURVEY RESULTS)? (QUESTION 4; N=1,474) FIGURE 9: WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING DO YOU THINK SANTA CLARA NEEDS MORE OF (PICK YOUR TOP 3 – ENGLISH SURVEY RESULTS BY AGE GROUPINGS)? (QUESTION 4)
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Single Family Homes Senior Housing Townhomes
0 2
4 6
8 Apartments with 5
or more units
Interim/Transitional
housing
Single-Family Homes
18 -24 (n=28)
0 1
2 3
4 Permanent
Supportive Housing
Special Needs
Housing
Apartments with 4
Units of Less
18 and Under (n=8)
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
Single Family
Homes
Townhomes Apartments with 5
or more units
25-34 (n=441)
0 50
100
150
Single Family
Homes
Townhomes Apartments with 5
or more units
34-44 (n=585)
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0 20
40 60
80 100
120
Single Family
Homes
Senior Housing Townhomes
45-54 (n=539)
0 50
100
150
Senior Housing Single-Family Homes Interim/Transitional Housing
55-65 (n=572)
0 50
100
150
200
Senior Housing Single-Family Homes Interim/Transitional Housing
65 + (n=740)
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FIGURE 10: WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING DO YOU THINK SANTA CLARA NEEDS MORE OF (PICK YOUR TOP 3 – ALL LANGUAGES SURVEY RESULTS)? (QUESTION 4; N=1,538) FIGURE 11: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (ENGLISH SURVEY RESULTS): (RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; N=1,452)
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
Chinese (n=31) English (n=1,474) Spanish (n=27) Vietnamese (n=6) 0 100
200
300
400
500
600
Seniors Single Parents Families
Top 3 #1 Rankings
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FIGURE 12: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (SPANISH SURVEY RESULTS): (RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; N=29)
FIGURE 13: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (CHINESE SURVEY RESULTS): (RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; N=31)
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 Seniors Single Parents College
Students
Persons with
Disabilities
Top 3 #1 Rankings
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 Seniors Families Persons with
Disabilities
Top 3 #1 Rankings
A
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FIGURE 14: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (VIETNAMESE SURVEY RESULTS):
(RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; N=6)
FIGURE 15: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (ENGLISH SURVEY RESULTS): (RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; BY AGE GROUPINGS 18 AND UNDER 44 YEARS OLD; N=784)
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 2.5
Persons with
Disabilities
Seniors Veterans
Top 3 #1 Rankings
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
# 1 Choices by Age Groupings
18 and Under 18-24 25-34 35-44
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FIGURE 16: MORE HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR (ENGLISH SURVEY RESULTS): (RANK YOUR TOP 3) (QUESTION 5; BY AGE GROUPINGS 45 TO 65 AND ABOVE; N=784) FIGURE 17: PLEASE TELL US HOW IMPORTANT THE FOLLOWING HOUSING ISSUES ARE TO YOU (0 IS UNIMPORTANT, 10 IS VERY IMPORTANT) (QUESTION 6-12) Average Answers for questions 6-12
6. Ensure that children who grow up in Santa Clara can afford to live in Santa Clara: 8 (N=1,427)
7. Provide opportunities for people who work in Santa Clara to live in Santa Clara: 8 (N=1,433)
8. Provide more options for older residents to downsize and stay in the community: 7 (N=1,410)
9. Streamline the process for new housing construction: 6 (N=1,407)
10. Provide shelters and transitional housing for homeless families and individuals, along with services that help move people into permanent housing: 6 (N=1,415)
11. Support programs to help homeowners at risk of mortgage default to keep their homes: 6 (N=1,401)
12. Establish housing near public transit: 7 (N=1,416)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
# 1 Choices by Age Groupings
45-54 55-64 65 +
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FIGURE 18: PLEASE TELL US HOW IMPORTANT THE FOLLOWING PLANNING ISSUES ARE TO YOU (0 IS UNIMPORTANT, 10 IS VERY IMPORTANT) (QUESTION 13-15) Average Answers for questions 13-17
13. Environmental risks (e.g., wetlands, air quality, flood, etc.): 8 (N=1,287)
14. Potential traffic and congestion: 8 (N=1,393)
15. Preserving community character: 7 (N=1,386)
FIGURE 19: ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ISSUES RELATED TO PLANNING FOR HOUSING IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA? (QUESTION 16; N=833)
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FIGURE 20: ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ISSUES RELATED TO PLANNING FOR HOUSING IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA? (QUESTION 16; SPANISH SURVEY; N=22) FIGURE 21: ARE THERE ANY NEIGHBORHOODS IN SANTA CLARA THAT ARE
LACKING GOOD ACCESS TO AMENITIES LIKE PARKS, LIBRARIES, GROCERY STORES, SCHOOLS, BIKE LANES, ETC.? (QUESTION 17; N=645) A
Page A-25
FIGURE 22: ARE THERE ANY NEIGHBORHOODS IN SANTA CLARA THAT ARE
LACKING GOOD ACCESS TO AMENITIES LIKE PARKS, LIBRARIES, GROCERY STORES, SCHOOLS, BIKE LANES, ETC.? (QUESTION 17; CHINESE SURVEY; N=10) FIGURE 23: HOW OLD ARE YOU? (QUESTION 18; N=1,390)
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Prefer
not to
answer
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FIGURE 24: WHAT IS YOUR GENDER? (QUESTION 19; N=1,390)
FIGURE 25: HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY YOUR RACE AND ETHNICITY? (QUESTION 20; N=1,390)
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Female Male Non-binary Prefer not to
answer
Other
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
White or
Caucasian
Black or
African
American
Hispanic
or Latino
Asian or
Asian
American
American
Indian or
Alaska
Native
Native
Hawaiian
or other
Pacific
Islander
Another
Race
Prefer not
to answer
A
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FIGURE 26: WHAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME (QUESTION 21; N=1,390)
Appendix A-4 Regional Santa Clara County AFFH Related Outreach In 2019 Santa Clara County and Cities formed a consortium and hired a consultant to develop a regional Assessment of Fair Housing to meet both HUD and HCD requirements. The consortium hired the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights to conduct broad outreach, analysis, and to draft plans. The following is a summary of the interviews and meetings that were held throughout Santa Clara County as part of this early process. These meetings provided important regional context for the AFFH analysis in the Housing Element. The table below lists the meetings by category and the dates on which the meetings were held.
FIGURE 1: REGIONAL SANTA CLARA COUNTY AFFH RELATED OUTREACH (FUNDED
IN PART BY CITY OF SANTA CLARA)
Regional Assessment of Fair Housing Meetings
Meetings Date
Public Community Meetings
San José Evening Community Meeting November 13, 2019
City of Santa Clara Community Meeting November 14, 2019 San José Daytime Community Meeting November 16, 2019
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Under
$15,000
Between
$15,000
and
$29,999
Between
$30,000
and
$49,999
Between
$50,000
and
$74,999
Between
$75,000
amd
$99,999
Between
$100,000
and
$150,000
Over
$150,000
Prefer not
to answer
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Urban County Community Meeting December 11, 2019
Cupertino Meeting (group with other
cities/areas) December 19, 2019
Central County January 14, 2020
South County January 15, 2020
Focus Groups
Formerly Incarcerated Individuals December 12, 2019
Homeless Individuals and Families December 12, 2019
Non-Profit Affordable Housing
Developers December 13, 2019
Women December 13, 2019
Seniors January 13, 2020
Central County January 13, 2020
Health Trust for HIV/AIDS January 14, 2020
Vietnamese Community January 15, 2020
South County January 15, 2020
Filipino Community January 26, 2020
Schools/Educators January 27, 2020
Seniors January 29, 2020
Hispanic Community January 29, 2020
Stakeholder Meetings
Project Sentinel October 1, 2019
San José NAACP October 1, 2019
Asian Law Alliance October 2, 2019
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley October 2, 2019
Latinos United for a New America October 21, 2019
California Apartment Association October 21, 2019
The Silicon Valley Organization October 21, 2019
Catalyze SV October 21, 2019
Santa Clara County Housing Authority October 21, 2019
International Children Assistance
Network October 21, 2019
Bay Area Legal Aid October 22, 2019
Housing Trust Silicon Valley October 22, 2019
Gilroy Compassion Center October 22, 2019
City of Gilroy October 22, 2019
Senior Adults Legal Assistance October 22, 2019
Day Worker Center of Mountain View October 22, 2019
Santa Clara County Association of
Realtors October 23, 2019
City of Santa Clara October 23, 2019
City of Sunnyvale October 23, 2019
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Silicon Valley at Home October 23, 2019
Bay Area Homeowners Network October 23, 2019
Sunnyvale Community Services November 12, 2019
SOMOS Mayfair November 14, 2019
Amigos de Guadalupe November 15, 2019
West Valley Community Services November 15, 2019
Habitat for Humanity December 10, 2019
Working Partnerships USA December 11, 2019
Because of the breadth of these efforts and the diverse views of the individuals and organizations consulted, it is difficult to distill the information that these meetings yielded down to a few key themes. This summary attempts to, first, identify the range of topics that the meetings addressed and, second, to identify either consensus around those topics or the primary alternative views expressed.
Key topics addressed in the community engagement process included:
x Unlawful housing discrimination, including but not limited to racial discrimination, failures to provide reasonable accommodations, source of income discrimination, patterns and trends in housing discrimination, and barriers to effective enforcement. x Demographic and housing data, including but not limited to how community members interpret data provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and sources of local data.
x Zoning and land use laws, including but not limited to their impact on affordable housing development and how they interact with community opposition to affordable housing in certain areas.
x Funding and regulatory programs to create affordable housing, including but not limited to how effective they are at producing units, the income levels they reach, and the bedroom distribution of units produced.
x Supportive services programs for persons with disabilities and unhoused residents, including but not limited to how those programs are coordinated with housing programs. x The connection between access to opportunity and patterns of segregation, including but not limited to with respect to education, employment, transportation, and environmental health.
x Tenant protections and access to legal services, including but not limited to rent stabilization, just cause eviction protections, and funding for tenant representation in eviction cases.
Housing Discrimination
Consistent with national and statewide trends, participants in the community engagement process reported that disability status is the most common alleged basis of discrimination in
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complaints submitted to service providers, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and HUD. Among disability discrimination complaints, complaints regarding alleged denials of reasonable accommodation requests are the most common. The fact that disability status is the most frequently complained of type of discrimination does not necessarily mean that it is the most common type of discrimination occurring in the community. Because of the nature of the reasonable accommodation process, it may be more apparent to individuals with disabilities that they have been subjected to discrimination. By contrast, fair housing testing may be necessary to uncover national origin and race discrimination, in particular. Testing conducted by stakeholders confirmed that these types of discrimination remain common. Complaints of source of income discrimination also remain common despite the State’s relatively recently enacted prohibition on such discrimination against household with Housing Choice Vouchers suggesting either or both inadequate awareness of the new law and/or inadequate enforcement of it.
Demographic and Housing Data
There was broad consensus that housing costs in Santa Clara County are extremely high and have rapidly become more expensive over time. These changes have not affected all communities equally and Hispanic or Latino, Black, and Vietnamese populations, which tend to have lower income levels, being particularly vulnerable to displacement. In light of income disparities among Asian American and Pacific Islander ancestry groups, participants in the community engagement process emphasized the importance of disaggregated data, which tends to show lower income levels among Vietnamese households but also relatively high rates of homeownership.
Zoning and Land Use
Concern about the extent to which zoning and land use laws play a role in fair housing issues varies significantly depending on one’s location within Santa Clara County. Additionally, because zoning and land use laws often have consequences across city boundaries, the greatest concerns that community members and stakeholders articulated tended to pertain to different jurisdictions than those where participants lived, provided services, or engaged in advocacy. In particular, many involved in the community engagement process noted concerns about exclusionary zoning in the West Valley. Developer stakeholders, both of affordable and of market rate housing, also noted that long approval timelines were often as significant of a barrier to their efforts as were underlying regulations. They noted understaffing of planning departments as a principal driver of those delays.
Affordable Housing Programs
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There was generally consensus around the need to provide more financial support for affordable housing across jurisdictions in Santa Clara County though there were some differences of opinion about how, if at all, to use regulatory tools like inclusionary housing to produce affordable housing. The details of input about affordable housing funding programs varied in relation to the different landscapes of existing programs in each municipality. Some stakeholders noted the high bar to passage for bond issues, including affordable housing bond issues, reflecting that, while the passage of Measure A was a big step forward for Santa Clara County, a similar bond issue in the City of San José had failed despite a large majority of support. Inclusionary housing was a frequent topic of discussion but not a point on which there was consensus. Most participants who discussed inclusionary housing voiced support for the adoption of requirements in more jurisdictions, deeper affordability targeting, and higher set aside requirements. Some participants opposed these types of changes on the basis of stated concerns about deterring new development.
Supportive Services
Participants in the community engagement process noted geographic unevenness in the availability of supportive services for persons with disabilities and unhoused populations, with communities in South County having less access than in North County. There was also criticism of the overall level of services that are available and concern that there were more adequate services available for chronically unhoused individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders but that other vulnerable populations, including disproportionately Hispanic or Latino unhoused families, domestic violence survivors, and medically fragile individuals, have less access to services. For formerly unhoused individuals living in permanent supportive housing, some expressed concern about whether persons with disabilities have true provider choice.
Access to Opportunity
Many stakeholders and residents expressed concern about public transportation in Santa Clara County. Issues raised include the overall level of service, the lack of service in some areas with high performing school in the West Valley, the lack of service in South County, and high fares on CalTrain. Bus riders mentioned long headways on some bus routes as a problem. Participants reflected on the expansion of BART service into Santa Clara County as both an opportunity and an occurrence that could lead to more displacement. With regard to environmental health, the most significant concerns articulated in the community engagement process related to issues in East and North San José. The connection between patterns of segregation and access to proficient
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schools was clear in the data analysis conducted for the Assessment of Fair Housing but was not heavily emphasized by participants in the community engagement process.
Tenant Protections
Tenant protections were a frequent topic of discussion albeit one that sharply divided opinion among participants in the community engagement process. Many participants urged robust tenant protections including rent stabilization with as few exemptions as are allowed by state law, just cause eviction protections, constraints on Ellis Act conversions, and requirements that landlords pay relocation expenses for displaced tenants. Other participants, particularly trade associations representing landlords, strongly opposed most or all of these policies. Small “mom and pop” landlords were particularly likely to express opposition to just cause eviction protections and stated more strenuous objections to that policy than they did to rent stabilization.
Legal services providers noted that they did not have the resources or capacity to meet the total need for tenant representation in eviction cases absent additional funding. It is important to note that this input was gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there was no opportunity to get input on the various government interventions to prevent evictions during the pandemic.
Appendix A-5 Housing Element Specific Outreach
FIGURE 1: HOUSING ELEMENT SPECIFIC OUTREACH
Housing Element Specific Outreach
Meeting/Activity Date Meeting Type
1 Stakeholders Meeting re: Affordable Housing
Ordinance Potential Amendments March 12, 2021 Zoom
2 City Council Study Session April 6, 2021 Zoom
3 Let’s Talk Housing Community Meeting August 30, 2021 Zoom 25 attendees from Santa Clara
4 Planning Commission Study Session September 22, 2021
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Page A-33
5 City Council Study Session on Homelessness November 9, 2021 6 Joint City Council/Planning Commission Study
Session 1 April 19, 2022
7 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #1 April 28, 2022
8 Stakeholder Listening Session: Development
Constraints Panel May 5, 2022 Zoom
9 Community Survey (English, Spanish, Chinese,
Vietnamese) May - July 8, 2022 1,651 responses
10 Health and Wellness Fair May 20, 2022 • 400 attendees, 50-60 people stopped by booth
11 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #2 May 26, 2022 Zoom
12 June 2022 City Hall News (monthly e-newsletter) June 2022 13 Library Pop-Up Meetings (Central and Northside) June 14th and 17th, 2022
In Person
14 Inside Santa Clara (summer 2022 edition) June 18-22, 2022 Mailed to over 58,000 residents and businesses
15 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #3 June 23, 2022
16 Joint City Council/Planning Commission Study
Session 2 July 12, 2022
17 Housing Choices – Interview with Kalisha
Webster July 22, 2022
18 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #4 July 28, 2022
19 Community Meeting August 1, 2022 Zoom
20 Community Meeting Forum on Homelessness August 9, 2022 Zoom 21 Life Services Alternatives (LSA) – Residential Care
Home visit and interview with Dana Hooper and
residents
August 12, 2022 In Person
22 Meeting with regional Equity Advisory Group August 23, 2022 Zoom
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23 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #5 August 25, 2022
24 40th Anniversary Art & Wine Festival September 17-18, 2022 In Person 25 Meeting with Riverwood Grove residents (family
housing) September 19, 2022 In Person
26 Meeting with Bill Wilson Peacock Commons
residents (Transition Age Youth) September 20, 2022 In Person 27 Meeting with Liberty Tower residents (Seniors) September 22, 2022 In Person 28 Homelessness Taskforce Meeting #6 October 27, 2022
29 Housing Stakeholders Workshop November 17, 2022 Zoom Summaries from Select Meetings/Activities
1. March 12, 2021. Stakeholders meeting (Zoom). Approximately 30 individuals representing numerous development companies and related interests participated in a discussion regarding potential amendments to City’s Affordable Housing Ordinance. Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS), the City’s consultant, presented at the beginning of the meeting and shared the housing prototypes being analyzed for feasibility with the current Affordable Housing Ordinance and potential changes that would increase the number or depth of affordability the City could consider. A summary of stakeholder comments is available on the Housing Element Update page.
3. August 30, 2021. Let’s Talk Housing Community Meeting (Zoom). A series of countywide meetings about the Housing Element update were held from August to September 2021. Each meeting offered Spanish-language interpretation and provided community members with an introduction the Housing Element update, why it matters, information on the Let’s Talk Housing outreach effort and countywide trends. Breakout room discussions with individual cities and towns followed. In total 832 registered for the series. Of those who registered for the series, the majority identified as White and over half were 50 years or older. Over sixty percent lived over 21 years within the county, and over half were homeowners.
Santa Clara was part of the August 30th, 2021 introductory meeting, along with Milpitas, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale. This meeting offered Vietnamese interpretation in addition to Spanish, courtesy of the City of Milpitas, and outreach for the meeting was conducted in the three languages. Twenty-five people who registered for the August 30th meeting identified as joining from Santa Clara. Of the Santa Clara participants, all indicated being homeowners and living in single family homes. In the breakout session, participants expressed that they valued living in Santa Clara due to its tight knit community, its rich history, ample job opportunities, and its mix of older and newer neighborhoods. However, participants pointed out older housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable and the general lack of moderate and A
Page A-35
affordable housing. Older adults, especially those who are moderate or low income, struggle to find housing and many adult children can’t live close to their aging parents. Among ideas to address these needs were: transit-oriented development, increasing allowable densities, and developing an affordable housing program for seniors. Among programs or policies that are already working well, participants shared that specific plans have been an effective tool for development and the El Camino Real Specific Plan in particular is a good example of extensive and comprehensive community outreach.
8. May 5, 2022. Stakeholder Listening Session: Development Constraints (Zoom). The presentation and summary from this meeting is available on the Santa Clara County Planning Collaborative page and on the Housing Element Update page.
14. June 18-22, 2022. Inside Santa Clara (summer 2022 edition). Full page article on the Housing Element Update. Printed newsletter sent to over 58,000 residents and businesses.
19. August 1, 2022. Community Meeting (Zoom). Community meeting with a presentation on the Housing Plan of the draft Housing Element Update; comments were made regarding tenant protections, housing for persons with disabilities, and increased housing type and tenure. There twelve (12) members of the community that attended representing individuals and advocacy organizations.
22. August 23, 2022. Regional Equity Advisory Group (EAG) Meeting (Zoom). Provided City with general feedback on how to improve engagement with stakeholders and community members. Suggested more direct outreach and importance of going to specific locations to reach targeted populations. Specific comments about locating housing in high/highest opportunity areas of the City and that ELI households experience the highest rates of housing cost burden, making them at the highest risk of homelessness or displacement.
24. September 17-18, 2022. 40th Annual Art & Wine Festival (In-person). 152 attendees participated in a dot exercise to identify what they felt were the biggest challenges/greatest needs facing the City of Santa Clara.
Participants were provided different colored dots if they identified as a City of Santa Clara homeowner (111), City of Santa Clara renter (24), if they work (but don’t live) in the City of Santa Clara (4), or if they don’t live or work in the City of Santa Clara (13). From a list of 13 biggest challenges/greatest needs, the most votes were placed on 1. Addressing homelessness: programs, temporary housing/permanent supportive housing; 2. Housing that is affordable to low/minimum was earners (e.g., service/retail workers); 3. Providing more homeownership opportunities; and 4. Stabilizing rents (limit large rent increases and large deposit requirements).
Although Santa Clara homeowners and renters identified the same top four biggest challenges/greatest needs, the order was different. For homeowners addressing homelessness received the most votes and stabilizing rents received the fourth most votes. For renters stabilizing rents received the most votes and addressing homelessness received the fourth most votes.
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Homeowners: 1. Addressing homelessness; 2. Housing that is affordable to low/minimum wage earners; 3. Providing more homeownership opportunities; 4. Stabilizing rents Renters: 1. Stabilizing rents; 2. Housing that is affordable to low/minimum wage earners; 3.
Providing more homeownership opportunities; 4. Addressing homelessness. 24, 25, 26. September 19, 2022. Riverwood Grove (family housing) Residents Meeting (In-person with 16 adults, 5 children); September 20, 2022. Bill Wilson Peacock Commons (transition age youth) Residents Meeting (In-person with 10 adults, 5 children); September 22, 2022. Liberty Tower (senior housing) Residents Meeting (In-person with 8 adults, 2 staff). Residents of the three housing developments were asked a series of questions, including about their personal experiences/challenges finding and living in affordable/supportive housing, and what they would like to see in terms of priorities for making their housing experience better. In addition to noting specific resources needs and concerns about traffic and safety, residents consistently noted the challenges of barriers to entry (affordability and wait/availability of units).
27. November 17, 2022. Stakeholders Workshop (Zoom). Zoom meeting that reviewed the Housing Element development process using a Mural Board. The meeting was primarily attended by housing and human service providers and advocacy organizations. Attendees mentioned the need for more emergency rental assistance, that state relocation assistance is inadequate, that ELI seniors in income restricted housing are increasingly rent burdened and at risk of homelessness, that seniors need in-person housing navigation assistance that homelessness prevention is less costly than crisis response, that city and county government should work on providing holistic housing services, the need for more social workers and case managers to help clients navigate programs, the need to financially support service providers so they can retain staff, the need to bring air conditioning and filters into affordable housing in response to heat and wildfire smoke climate change, and the need to proactively reach out to Latino/a, Vietnamese, and Filipino/a populations who are disproportionately in need of affordable housing.
Appendix A-6 Public Review Draft Comments
The City of Santa Clara asked for the public’s comments on the Housing Element Update. The document to post public comments can be found here: https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/city-santa-clara-housingelement-update?cid=87#page=18. Below is a summary of the received comments.
FIGURE 1: HOUSING ELEMENT DRAFT PUBLIC COMMENTS
A
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Date Name Comment
Comment
Page Sentiment Comment link Response
7/1/2022
Katherine
Lanning
I love Santa Clara and
would love to volunteer
my time helping others
in this beautiful city 18 Positive
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=87#page=18 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
The Housing Element
isn't the place where the
city talks about
"exploring changes." The
Housing Element is
where the city talks
about the result of the
explorations that have
already happened, and
explains what the
changes are and when
exactly they will be
accomplished.
What changes will you
make, and when will
they be made? 22 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=98#page=22 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
These exceedingly weak
explorations do nothing
to achieve B-1 (look for
sites for affordable
housing), B-2 (encourage
high density housing),or
B-3 (look for funding for
affordable housing).
They don't do anything
for the C goals either,
which are about housing
for people with special
circumstances (disability,
female-headed, large
family).
My suggestion is that
you write objectives that
would actually achieve
your goals, and give time
deadlines for them. 22 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=99#page=22
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7/12/2022 Jennifer
Where is Action #4? I
see responsible agency
and objectives, but no
Action listed or Funding
Source. 24 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=90#page=24 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
How will you improve
the maintenance of
student housing, and
when? 26 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=100#page=26 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson When? 26 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=101#page=26 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson When? 26 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=102#page=26 7/29/2022 Nick Leung
Yes, I would really like to
see more upzoning/high
density development
while being conscious of
existing transportation,
or improving/adding
more transportation to
support new
developments such that
they reduce reliance on
cars. 27 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=91#page=27 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson How? 28 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=103#page=28 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson How? 28 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=104#page=28 A
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7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
What is the action here?
I don't see any action. 33 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=105#page=33 7/29/2022 Nick Leung
If El Camino becomes
densified, I'd like to see
dedicated BRT. 77 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=92#page=77 7/29/2022 Nick Leung
We should lower the
requirements for
parking. Parking is poor
land use (especially
surface parking) which
encourages more cars,
which is bad for traffic
and many reasons. In
this area, so much land
is already dedicated to
cars (4+4 lane
expressways, highways,
garages, driveways,
parking, etc.). We can
increase the
transportation
connectivity and serve
lower income residents
better by lessening the
emphasis on car-driven
development. 117 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=93#page=117 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
How can you say with a
straight face that
development standards
aren't a constraint on
building, when you
require two parking
spaces for a studio
apartment? You're
requiring more space for
the cars than for the
people. 118 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=96#page=118 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
An SRO is not employee
housing; it's rooms with
or without kitchens that
are rented separately.
Why is the title SRO
Housing, when the text
doesn't talk about SRO
housing?
The Housing Element 120 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=97#page=120
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needs to explain how
Santa Clara allows Single
Room Occupancy
housing.
7/29/2022 Nick Leung
I think this is
unfortunate, but it's
obvious that this
community opposition
to densification has
created disastrous
effects for housing
affordability for
everyone.
We can fight a lot of this
community resistance
with transit oriented and
mixed use development,
though I expect the
community will find
other ways to oppose it.
We should still try. 132 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=94#page=132 7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
(Page 13.5-23) The
Housing Element says
that it will do a fee
analysis of the four
prototypical buildings.
And then, it just doesn't.
I'd like to know how
much the 100 unit
building would pay in
fees, and I assumed
that's what the analysis
was going to give me,
but it doesn't. Elsewhere
in the document (p 13.5-
13) it says that a large
multifamily project pays
$2156 per unit, but that
doesn't look accurate,
with all those big permit
fees.
The document needs to
tell us what the fees are
for these typical
buildings. 134 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=95#page=134 A
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7/30/2022
Anne
Paulson
Sares Regis, 800
units???? Sares Regis is a
building company, not
an address or an
identifier for a project.
What project is this? 145 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=106#page=145 7/31/2022
Anne
Paulson Typo 149 Positive
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=107#page=149 7/31/2022
Anne
Paulson
This has to be 34
REMAINING parcels.
Otherwise the numbers
don't add up: half the
parcels are already built,
11 are approved or
proposed, the remaining
17 are listed for below
market housing in the
table below. 158 Negative
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=108#page=158 7/31/2022
Anne
Paulson
"Full buildout of the area
will likely occur by
2038." So the capacity
listed in 13.6-7 should be
discounted by 50%, since
since buildout will occur
throughout the Sixth and
Seventh RHNA cycles. 158 Neutral
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=109#page=158 7/1/2022
Katherine
Lanning
I have great experience
in developing business
and marketing 173 Positive
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=89#page=173 7/1/2022
Katherine
Lanning
I would love to volunteer
my time to make this
city a beautiful one with
parks, museums and
individual gardens 189 Positive
https://santaclaraca.konveio.com/citysanta-clara-housing-elementupdate?cid=88#page=189
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A42
8/16/2022
Dana
Hooper
Thanks for taking the
time to visit the LSA
Cypress home. Cypress is
a licensed residential
care home.
As I mentioned I had a
chance to review
chapter 13.2 Housing
Plan and have some
comments I’d like to
share.
My general comment is
that otherwise eligible
individuals should not be
excluded because they
choose to or are already
living in a licensed
residential care home.
These individuals need
the support just as much
as there counterpart.
Here are some
additional comments to
specific section in the
Housing Plan.
Action 1: The 4th
objective – Support lowincome housing
alternatives such as
housing for persons with
disabilities should be
expanded specifically to
include licensed
residential care homes.
Action 3: Affordable
Housing Incentives and
Facilitation. The
construction of
affordable housing
should also include
residential care homes
as a type of facility and
funding to at least the
same level per person as
multiunit projects.
Action 4: Maintenance
of Housing Stock should
include residential care
homes in the definition
of who is qualified to
receive maintenance. n/a n/a
A
Page A-43
Appendix A-7 Formal Comment Letters
FIGURE 1: HOUSING ELEMENT DRAFT – PUBLIC FORMAL LETTER COMMENTS Date Organization From Comment(s)
7/27/2022 TransForm Kendra Ma, Housing
Policy Analyst
1. Santa Clara needs to expand on its successful programs and initiate new ones, including: 1) Planning for growth in walkable areas near transit, 2) Reducing the amount of parking mandated for housing and providing incentives and programs to drive less (Transportation Demand Management), 3) Developing sufficient programs to meet affordable home targets of RHNA
2. Action 9 - revising zoning standards and potentially reducing/eliminating parking: lacks commitment to specific changes, such as what parking strategies the city will pursue. TransForm's recommendations:
a) Fund a dedicated study of parking reforms
b) Require unbundled parking for developments in "Transit Neighborhoods" c) Expand the Transportation Demand Management program
3. TransForm applauds policy C-1: cost-effective complement to strategies focused on housing production
7/1/2022 SV@Home Matthew Reed,
Policy Director
1. Concern over the lack of understanding and attention to the broader Housing Element requirements under Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) in this Housing Element Update process. Santa Clara should consider the work and policy efforts conducted in Palo Alto to build upon and further the community's anti-displacement goals by addressing housing instability.
See letter for specific recommendations.
7/15/2022 Housing
Choices
-The City of Santa Clara needs to adopt more programs and policies related to affordable housing with coordinated services for persons living with developmental disabilities, examples include:
a) Integration in typical affordable housing
b) Coordination of housing with onsite supportive services c) A mix of unit sizes
d) Location near public transit
c) Deeply affordable housing
-Population of adults living with developmental disabilities continues to increase in Santa Clara while beds available in licensed facilities are decreasing -Policy/Programming recommendations include:
1. Produce more extremely low-income housing
2. Establish and monitor a quantitative goal
3. Target city-owned land to dedicate to affordable housing
4. Local density bonus
5. Extremely low-income ADUs
6. Reduce parking requirements
7. Affirmative marketing of physically accessible units
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A44
8/8/2022 SV@Home Matthew Reed,
Policy Director
-The City of Santa Clara’s Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element falls short of the statutory requirement at multiple levels, from its failure to elicit and reflect community input, to its deficient analysis of needs, to its absence of concrete programs with implementation details and timelines
-The sites inventory falls significantly short of the AFFH requirements for this process
-6th Cycle Housing Element Update is a unique process to fully assess the breadth of housing needs in Santa Clara and identify new tools to address housing constraints and needs
-Opportunity to engage with the full community across incomes -SV@Home does not find that the Draft Housing Element Update shows evidence of the significant public engagement and community participation required to be compliant with guidance provided by the state -Lack of sufficient outreach and notification to public/community -The Housing Element does not a) provide a summary of public comments and b) explain how the comments were considered and incorporated, including comments that were not incorporated.
-The Housing Needs Assessment does not incorporate local knowledge or analysis.
-SV@Home recommends that the City of Santa Clara conduct additional outreach and analysis of the housing needs data in the draft with the goal of better understanding the housing needs of the city as they are experienced by residents of the city
-SV@Home recommends that the assessment of the 5th Cycle Policies and Programs be incorporated into the more comprehensive assessment of housing needs, including concrete opportunities for public engagement around the lessons learned from these prior efforts.
-Lack of connection between needs and solutions in the draft -SV@Home believes the lack of detail in the policies and programs included in the draft will not prove to be compliant.
-SV@Home believes there is a general failure to substantively address housing instability and displacement experienced by protected classes under AFFH in Santa Clara.
-SV@Home recommends that the City of Santa Clara confirm and remove any sites from the inventory that received building permits prior to June 30, 2022, whether listed as “Under Construction” or “Approved”.
8/16/2022 Life Services
Alternatives
Dana Hooper,
Executive Director
General Comment: Otherwise eligible individuals should not be excluded because they choose to or are already living in a licensed residential care home. These individuals need the support just as much as there counterpart.
Action 1: The 4th objective – Support low-income housing alternatives such as housing for persons with
disabilities should be expanded specifically to include licensed residential care homes.
Action 3: Affordable Housing Incentives and Facilitation. The construction of affordable housing should
also include residential care homes as a type of facility and funding to at least the same level per person
as multiunit projects.
Action 4: Maintenance of Housing Stock should include residential care homes in the definition of who is
qualified to receive maintenance.
A
Page A-45
8/1/2022 Anne Paulson -The Local Processing Explanation Is Confusing and Lacks Necessary Information
-Recommendations:
• For each typical type of building (ADU, single family house, 10 unit multifamily, 100 unit multifamily, big project that requires rezoning), list each step the applicant must go through, in order, with the time it takes, the number of public meetings it requires, the approval body or bodies, and how much it costs
• Make the fees table comprehensible
'-Lack of clarity in the Local Processing Explanation Is Confusing and Lacks Necessary Information
-Recommendations:
• Be more specific about the stage of approval each project is in. • Discount pipeline project and site inventory capacity for the probability that the project doesn’t get built'
-What the Housing Element needs to do is
explain how this capacity is going to be used to build the RHNA in the next eight years. The document needs to be far more clear and explicit about the entire process—the steps, how long the process takes, how much the fees are, what the project mortality is—and where each listed project is along the way - Santa Clara is nowhere close to building below market units at a rate that would satisfy its Sixth Cycle below market RHNA. So it would make sense for the Housing Element to include programs, with deadlines and milestones, to build more affordable housing.
- The City Needs to Commit to Actual Measurable Actions and Deadlines -To further encourage all-affordable projects, the city should also • make all-affordable housing projects buildable by right, with ministerial approval
• remove parking minimums for all-affordable projects
• reduce fees for all-affordable projects
If the city cannot take these actions now for whatever reason, it should identify the reason and commit to taking the action by a certain date within the planning period.
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A46
FIGURE 2: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: TRANSFORM
A
Page A-47
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A48
A
Page A-49
FIGURE 3: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: SILICON VALLEY AT HOME
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A50
A
Page A-51
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A52
A
Page A-53
FIGURE 4: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: HOUSING CHOICES
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A54
A
Page A-55
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A56
A
Page A-57
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A58
A
Page A-59
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A60
A
Page A-61
FIGURE 5: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: SILICON VALLEY AT HOME
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A62
A
Page A-63
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A64
A
Page A-65
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A66
A
Page A-67
FIGURE 6: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: LIFE SERVICES ALTERNATIVES
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A68
FIGURE 7: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: ANNE PAULSON
A
Page A-69
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A70
A
Page A-71
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A72
A
Page A-73
FIGURE 7: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: PARTNERSHIP FOR THE BAY’S FUTURE
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A74
A
Page A-75
FIGURE 8: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: CARPENTER’S UNION 405
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A76
A
Page A-77
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A78
A
Page A-79
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A80
FIGURE 9: FORMAL COMMENT LETTER: HOUSING ACTION COALITION A
Page A-81
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A82
A
Page A-83
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A84
A
Page A-85
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A86
A
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SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
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A
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SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A90
A
Page A-91
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A92
A
Page A-93
SANTA CLARA
HOUSING ELEMENT
Page A94
APPENDIX B: Santa Clara Housing Element 2023Ͳ2031 Available Sites Inventory last updated 1Ͳ20Ͳ23
APN Site Address Site Status SP Name
General Plan
Designation
ZoningDesignation SP Land Designation
MinDensity
MaxDensity Acreage Realistic Capacity Assumption_Details TotalCapacity VLOW LOW MODERATE ABOVEMOD Affordability Split Affordability Split_Details Existing Use_Category 216Ͳ33Ͳ036 3051 Corvin Drive Available LSAP (Nov 2016) MDRE LSAP Medium Density Residential 20 36 0.603888 (min density * acreage)
does not meet default density 12 0 0 6 6 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 does not meet default density
cannot claim for lower income commercial
216Ͳ33Ͳ022 3031 Corvin Drive Available LSAP (Nov 2016) MDRE LSAP Medium Density Residential 20 36 0.609543 (min density * acreage)
does not meet default density 12 0 0 6 6 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 does not meet default density
cannot claim for lower income commercial
216Ͳ33Ͳ037 3071 Corvin Drive Available LSAP (Nov 2016) MDRE LSAP Medium Density Residential 20 36 0.780375 (min density * acreage)
does not meet default density 15 0 0 8 7 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 does not meet default density
cannot claim for lower income commercial
216Ͳ34Ͳ083 3350 Central Expressway Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP High Density Residential 37 50 1.677414 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 118 48 35 35 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 216Ͳ33Ͳ035 3323 Kifer Road Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP Very High Density Residential 51 100 0.531195 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 51 21 15 15 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 216Ͳ60Ͳ045 3450 Copper Place Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP Very High Density Residential 51 100 3.139213 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 305 123 91 91 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 216Ͳ34Ͳ084 3410 Central Expressway Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP Very High Density Residential 51 100 4.542125 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 442 178 132 132 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 216Ͳ34Ͳ085 3420 Central Expressway Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP Very High Density Residential 51 100 5.330071 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 519 209 155 155 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 216Ͳ34Ͳ083 3350 Central Expressway Available LSAP (Nov 2016) VHDR LSAP Very High Density Residential 51 100 6.81741 ((min density * 191%) * acreage) 664 266 199 199 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ122 4598 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) VHDR VHDR Very High Density Residential 51 99 2.864726 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 204 82 61 61 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 104Ͳ04Ͳ131 3105 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) VHDR VHDR Very High Density Residential 51 99 3.795996 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 270 108 81 81 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 104Ͳ04Ͳ138 4699 Old Ironsides Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDF HDF High Density Flex 60 149 1.734805 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 186 76 55 55 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ139 4677 Old Ironsides Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDF HDF High Density Flex 60 149 2.531554 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 271 109 81 81 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ141 4633 Old Ironsides Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDF HDF High Density Flex 60 149 2.60243 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 279 113 83 83 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ140 4655 Old Ironsides Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDF HDF High Density Flex 60 149 2.699689 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 289 117 86 86 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ53Ͳ016 4701 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) VR VR Village Residential 60 149 9.062373 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 972 390 291 291 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 104Ͳ04Ͳ089 3200 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDR UV Urban Village 100 149 1.285564 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 137 55 41 41 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ095 2900 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDR UV Urban Village 100 149 1.983616 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 212 86 63 63 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 civic_institutional 104Ͳ04Ͳ094 2950 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDR UV Urban Village 100 149 2.517905 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 270 108 81 81 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 104Ͳ04Ͳ128 3100 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDR UV Urban Village 100 149 2.519292 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 270 108 81 81 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ124 3200 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) HDR UV Urban Village 100 149 4.679705 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 502 202 150 150 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial 104Ͳ04Ͳ136 3055 Patrick Henry Drive Available PHD (Mar 2022) UC UC Urban Center 120 250 3.821098 ((max density * 72%) * acreage) 687 275 206 206 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ003 2346 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.458668 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ004 2338 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.458805 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ007 2301 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.459185 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ008 2309 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.459186 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ005 2330 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.459186 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ006 2322 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.459186 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ009 2317 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.460984 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 59 0 0 30 29 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ010 2325 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.472659 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 60 0 0 30 30 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ025 2272 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.481745 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 62 0 0 31 31 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ026 2262 Calle Del Mundo Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.482545 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 62 0 0 31 31 0 / 0 / 50 / 50 small siteͲcannot claim for lower income industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ001 5191 Lafayette Street Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.512947 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 66 28 19 19 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ021 2271 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.929071 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 119 49 35 35 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ023 2281 Calle De Luna Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 60 350 0.939815 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 121 49 36 36 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 industrial 097Ͳ46Ͳ030 2203 Tasman Drive Available TE (Nov 2020) TN TN Transit Neighborhood 100 350 1.026134 ((min density * 215%) * acreage) 220 88 66 66 0 40 / 30 / 30 / 0 commercial TOTALS 7810 2888 2143 2465 314