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WORKING DRAFT FOR HCD REVIEW <br />INTRODUCTION 1-1 SAN LEANDRO HOUSING ELEMENT <br /> <br />1. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The purpose of the Housing Element is to ensure that a decent, safe affordable supply of housing is <br />provided for current and future San Leandro residents. The Element strives to conserve the city’s existing <br />housing stock while providing opportunities for new housing for a variety of income groups. <br /> <br />The Housing Element is part of the San Leandro General Plan. It is the only element of the General Plan <br />that is subject to review and certification by the State of California. Each city and county in the State is <br />required to submit their Housing Element to the Department of Housing and Community Development <br />(HCD). HCD evaluates the document based on specific criteria to determine whether it meets the <br />requirements that have been set by the State Legislature and the California Government Code. State <br />certification assists the City in qualifying for affordable housing funds. It also helps ensure the legal <br />adequacy of the General Plan and demonstrates that the City is doing its fair share to address regional <br />housing needs. <br /> <br />The Housing Element is also distinguished from the rest of the General Plan in that the Government Code <br />establishes a schedule for its update. The previous San Leandro Housing Element covered a period from <br />2007-2014. This element covers a period that begins on January 1, 2014 and ends on January 31, 2023. <br />Some of the action programs listed in the Element are already underway and will be continued. Others are <br />new and will require a commitment of staff time and resources. <br /> <br />The data and analysis requirements for the Housing Element are much more substantial than those for the <br />other elements of the General Plan. Thus, this document has been designed as a freestanding report. A <br />companion document, the Housing Element Summary, appears within the body of the General Plan <br />(Chapter 9). The Summary includes a condensed version of the data and analysis and repeats the full set <br />of goals, policies, and action programs. The Housing Element is fully consistent with the other elements <br />of the General Plan. <br /> <br />housing and the general plan vision <br /> <br />In 2002, the City of San Leandro adopted a new General Plan designed to guide growth and development. <br />The underlying strategy was to conserve San Leandro’s neighborhoods and industrial areas while <br />focusing new development around the Downtown BART station, in and around the Downtown area, and <br />along major commercial corridors such as East 14th Street and Washington Avenue. The 2002 General <br />Plan provided the basis for subsequent plans for Downtown and the East 14th Street South Area. These <br />plans were followed by zoning changes to incentivize the desired forms of development. <br /> <br />Both the 2003 and the 2010 Housing Elements helped implement the General Plan by calling for high <br />density multi-family and mixed use development in the locations shown on the General Plan Land Use