4A Public Hearing 2014 1006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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File Number: 14-410 hearing, and public input is being solicited. Tonight’s presentation will focus on Chapter 6 of the Housing Element as it is the most critical section. Chapter 6 outlines the goals, objectives, policies, and action programs for the next eight years. Chapters 1 - 5 primarily provide background information and data, while Chapter 7 serves as an executive and implementation summary. Housing Element Overview The Housing Element Update is part of a 2½ year effort to update San Leandro’s General Plan. Due to statutory requirements, the Housing Element is the first element to be updated and is being adopted separately from the rest of the General Plan. Other parts of the General Plan are anticipated to be brought to the City Council in 2016, following extensive community input. Housing is one of the seven mandated elements of the general plan in California. The Housing Element contains each city’s policies for new housing development, affordable housing, housing for people with special needs, housing conservation, and other housing-related issues. The content and organization of the element are defined by the California Government Code, and the Housing Element itself must be certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The Housing Element must include: (1) An evaluation of implementation progress of the previous Element; (2) A housing needs assessment; (3) A housing sites inventory; (4) An assessment of housing constraints; and (5) Goals, objectives, policies, and actions indicating the specific steps the City will take following Housing Element adoption. The key factor in determining if a Housing Element is compliant is the City’s ability to provide its “fair share” of the region’s housing needs over the next eight years. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) has determined that San Leandro’s “fair share” is 2,287 units, including 774 that are affordable to low and very low income households. Cities are not required to construct the units. Rather, they must show that they have appropriately zoned land, development regulations, and programs to facilitate the construction of this quantity of housing by the private and non-profit sectors in the next eight years. San Leandro last adopted a Housing Element in April 2010, which covered the period of 2007-2014. The State HCD certified the Housing Element in 2011. State certification is important to ensure legal adequacy of the City’s General Plan. It also improves the City’s eligibility for a variety of grants and external funding sources. Streamlining and the 2015-2023 Housing Element To expedite review and processing of Housing Elements, HCD has established “stream-lining” provisions for the 2015-2023 Housing Element Update. These provisions recognize that much of the information in the Housing Element has not changed since the last Element was adopted. The streamlined state review only evaluates those parts of the Element that have been added or modified to comply with current housing law. Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 9/30/2014