REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Joint City Council and Planning Commission Study Session on the Housing Element Update
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
State law requires that local jurisdictions, such as Santa Clara, maintain a General Plan with a Housing Element that is periodically approved and annually reviewed by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). For Bay Area towns, cities, and counties, the next Housing Element, covering the years 2023-2031, must be approved by HCD by January 2023 or be considered out of compliance and subject to penalties. The State assigns a specific amount of new housing development for each jurisdiction to address in the Housing Element, identified as the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The City’s RHNA for 2023-2031 is 11,632 units with more than half of these units distributed into three categories of designated affordability and the remainder market rate. Santa Clara, with help from the City’s planning consultant, MIG, Inc., is currently preparing a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan Housing Element to fulfill the State requirements.
The Housing Element has several required components, including an available sites inventory and sections that address: policies and strategies to promote housing development; Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements; and community outreach. These elements collectively must identify sites planned for new housing and support pro-housing policies and strategies to demonstrate that Santa Clara can potentially achieve the development of the City’s RHNA by the end of the 6th Housing Element Cycle in January 2031.
Public participation in the update process is a critical component of achieving a Housing Element that reflects the values and preferences of the community and will be approved by the State. In addition to targeted outreach to numerous housing stakeholder groups through questionnaires and follow-up interviews, the City distributed a community survey that was open from May 16, 2022 through July 8, 2022. The community survey, which was available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese, was distributed at pop-up events at the Central Park and Northside libraries in June, via article in the June City Hall News, multiple GovDelivery bulletins, and by email. As of July 1, 2022, the City has received approximately 1,600 survey responses.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study session is to provide and review:
a) A summary of feedback from housing stakeholders
b) A summary of community survey results
c) An updated Housing Element Update schedule
d) City Council input on the Housing Element process
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organization or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this status report. On January 25, 2022, the City Council approved a consultant agreement with MIG, Inc. to update the City’s Housing Element and accepted $499,150 in reimbursable grant funding from the State’s Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant program. Of this grant funding, $199,968 will be used to fund MIG’s work and the remaining $299,182 will be used to fund City staff expenses. All grant funds must be expended on or before December 31, 2023.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Note and file the report on the Housing Element Update.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director, Community Development
Approved by: Rajeev Batra, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. GovDelivery Bulletin for Community Survey