101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065-1064 • (650) 802-5550 • TDD (650) 802-5480 • Fax (650) 802-5564 Sample Housing Element Language to Support Child Care near Housing Jurisdictions are encouraged to include policy language as appropriate for their community.
1. Basic: identifying the linkage between housing and child care availability; and, if needed, ensuring alignment with state law in regard to Large Family Child Care Homes. • Support family housing that addresses residents’ needs for child care, youth services, recreation opportunities and access to transit.
• Ensure that zoning code and permitting practices are consistent with state law (2019) that prohibits use permits, business licenses, etc. for Large Family Child Care Homes. • Maintain the quality of life within neighborhoods by maintaining an adequate level of community facilities, such as child care centers and municipal services. • Facilitate and encourage the development of larger rental units appropriate for families with children, including the provision of supportive services such as family child care. • Support the provision of child care services, employment training, rental assistance, and other supportive services to enable households to be self-sufficient.
• Promote sustainable communities through locating housing near employment, transportation, child care and other community services.
2. Supportive: reducing barriers in zoning, permitting processes, fees, etc.; and promoting existing housing-related resources to Family Child Care Home Providers. • Encourage the siting and development of child care centers and family child care homes in all residential, mixed-use, and other zones where residences are permitted, for the convenience of families. • Encourage the establishment of child care centers in appropriate locations and consider modified zoning standards and review procedures and other incentives to facilitate their development. • Reduce permitting requirements or allow child care centers by right in some zones (and building types). • Allow child care facilities to serve as traffic mitigation measures. • Encourage the inclusion of space for child care in new housing developments, including affordable housing developments.
• Promote existing housing-related programs to Family Child Care Home providers, including but not limited to: fair housing counseling, housing rehabilitation loans, renovation/repair, first-time homebuyer and down payment assistance.
3. Proactive: engaging developers to build space for child care; providing land/financing. • Provide incentives for developers to provide child care facilities or services as part of new residential, commercial, and industrial developments, including but not limited to: density bonuses, increases in floor area ratios, parking reduction, community benefits credit, traffic impact fee exemption, expedited entitlements, or modifications to zoning regulations.
• Assess the demand for child care created by new housing developments. • Work proactively with all housing developers to incorporate, where feasible, child care that serves families of all incomes and children of all ages.
• Include child care facility space as a priority or required component in Request for Proposals (RFPs) for city land and Notices of Funding Available (NOFA) for affordable housing developments. • Support inclusion of specially designed and located housing units, in multi-family projects, for licensed Family Child Care Home providers. (Resource materials available) Sample language prepared in collaboration with Build Up California, https://buildupca.org Government Code Section 54957.5 SB 343
Agenda: 08/09/2022
SP Joint CC and PC Item # 1