4A Public Hearing 2014 1006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014 Page 2 of 11  Low income 270  Moderate income 352  Above moderate income 1,161 So far, San Leandro has commitments for 278 units, including 200 at the BRIDGE housing project near BART, 66 on Washington Avenue and 12 on Aurora Drive in West San Leandro. The Working Draft incorporates updated data, public input, feedback generated during Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustments and City Council work sessions as well as meetings with neighborhood groups, the Human Services Commission, the Rent Review Board, and a stakeholder roundtable. Mr. Miller noted that about 75 people attended the community meeting on July 30, 2014, with a good, meaningful discussion about some of the issues a nd challenges. In addition to revising existing programs, approximately one dozen programs have been added to the updated Housing Element in response to input and project analysis, Mr. Miller said. Summarizing the contents of the Housing Element, he said that an evaluation of the current Housing Element, which follows the introduction, goes through it policy by policy and action by action, chronicling how the City fared in carrying out its programs. It fell short of its commitment, which Mr. Miller attributed to the poor economy, financial challenges with the loss of redevelopment and declining state and federal funds. Among highlights from Chapter 3, which is devoted to needs assessment, Mr. Miller highlighted:  The growing household size in San Leandro, which increased from 2.57 in 2000 to 2.83 in 2014  A more diverse and multi-lingual population, with 48% of residents speaking a language other than English at home  Fewer seniors in the population, but the number of residents in the 55-64 average age increased, so the over-65 group will grow and fuel a need for more senior housing  Roughly 16% of San Leandro households live below the poverty line, with incomes under $25,000 annually, and about 10% of the population indicating one or more disabilities on their census forms  Housing costs are escalating, with housing prices rising 40% over the last two years and rents increasing 40% over the last six years  Job growth is expected to continue putting pressure on the housing market, with the recent arrival of the Kaiser medical facility, plans for OSIsoft and other employers coming to the City Mr. Miller explained that Chapter 4 covers all of sites that have been identified as offering potential opportunities for housing construction, which have a combined capacity for 2,347 housing units, which exceeds the 2015-2023 RHNA requirement but is lower than in the current Housing Element because some of the sites previously identified are now committed to commercial uses – including the San Leandro Downtown Technology Campus near BART, the Village Marketplace at East 14th Street at Juana Avenue, and the AutoZone site at 14850 East 14th Street. Most of the potential housing in the site inventory properties would be high-density units around the downtown BART station and, to a lesser extent, the Bay Fair Station; most of the medium-density opportunities are located on East 14th Street, particularly between downtown and Bayfair, and on Washington Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. Chapter 5 is devoted to analysis of constraints. Among the potential obstacles to new housing construction over the next eight years, Mr. Miller cited: