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Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes March 25, 2010 Agenda No. 1 D-03 Page 13 oj20 Motion to Forward to the City Council a Recommendation to Support Alternative 2 and Alternative 4, same as in June 2007 Fitzsimons/Collier: 7 Aye, 0 No -Approved Item 7: Public Hearing a). Housing Element: The project is an update of the San Leandro Housing Element. The planning period for the proposed Housing Element Update is January 1, 2007 through June 30, 2014, although the focus is on the years 2010-2014. The Planning Commission will review the Public Review of the Housing Element Update and the associated Negative Declaration and make a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will review the Public Review Draft of the Housing Element, the Negative Declaration; the comments by the Planning Commission and any public testimony at a hearing on April 5, 2010. Secretary Livermore introduced the item, after which Senior Planner Philip Millenbah explained that the Commissioners would be reviewing the Draft Housing Element and making a recommendation for the City Council to consider at its April 5 meeting. The public comment period on the update and the associated Negative Declaration closed on March 24. No comments were made on the Negative Declaration, but Urban Habitat submitted a letter earlier today. He then introduced Barry Miller, principal author of the Housing Element, to speak on behalf of the Update, noting that Mr. Miller has attended virtually all related City meetings, outreach sessions and public hearings. Barry Miller, who came before the Planning Commission at the beginning of the Housing Element Update process and midway through, said we are now close to the end of the process by seeking City Council's approval of adopting it. By way of background, he reported that a Housing Element has been required as a part of the San Leandro General Plan since 1967. It focuses on affordable housing, i.e., the housing needs of City residents, with special emphasis on the needs of low- and moderate-income people. The Housing Element is the only part of the General Plan subject to State review; it is submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). It is up to HCD to review and certify the Housing Element; certain State funds and grant monies are contingent on having a certified Housing Element. Another Housing Element feature that sets it apart from other parts of the General Plan is the requirement for measurable objectives, which help quantify progress in implementing Housing Element actions and allocate City resources to housing programs. The Housing Element is also subject to five-year updates; again, it is the only element of the General Plan that the law requires a specific update cycle. The Housing Element Update now proposed covers the years 2010-2014, although the update process began in 2007. In terms of the content of the Housing Element Update, Mr. Miller said that State law mandates six essential components: • Evaluation of last Housing Element -looks at progress made on each action and each policy included in the previous Housing Element Update.