C H A P T E R 4 : R E Q U I R E D E L E M E N T S
|
101
4
Analysis of Assisted Housing At-risk of Converting to Market Rate Uses
Requirement Description:
The element must include a project inventory of
assisted housing
that could be converted to market rate rents because of
expiration of affordability restrictions in mortgage and/or rental subsidy contracts (
Government Code Section 65583(a)(9)
).
Thousands of publicly assisted housing units in California are eligible to change from low-income to market-rate housing during
the next decade due to the termination of various government subsidy programs and/or restrictions on rental rates. These units,
known as at-risk units, are a valuable source of affordable housing for families statewide and as a result, the housing element
must include a detailed analysis and proactive policies and programs to preserve these at-risk units.
The at-risk analysis must
prepare an inventory of all units at-risk of conversion within 10 years of the beginning of the housing element planning period,
assess the conversion risk, estimate and analyze the costs of replacement versus preservation for units at-risk in the current five-
year planning period, identify entities qualified to preserve at-risk units, and specify financing and subsidy resources.
Quantified Objectives
Requirement Description:
Quantified objectives
must establish the maximum number of housing units by income category that can be constructed,
rehabilitated, and conserved over a five-year time period (
Gov. Code §65583(b)
).
Housing Programs
Requirement Description:
Local governments have the responsibility to adopt a program that implements the policies, goals and objectives of the
housing element through their vested powers, particularly over land use and development controls, regulatory concessions and
incentives, and the utilization of financial resources.
SB 375
amended sections of housing law to include specific requirements,
including timelines and consequences, referenced in these guidelines and described
here
.
Programs are the specific action steps the locality will take to implement its policies and achieve its goals and objectives.
Programs must include a specific time frame for implementation to have a beneficial impact toward
the goals and objectives
during the planning period. Programs must also identify the agencies or officials responsible for implementation. Effective
program descriptions also include immediate, short-term and long-term action steps, proposed measurable outcomes, objectives
or performance measures, and specific funding sources, where appropriate (
Gov. Code §65583(c)
).
All housing elements must include programs to address the following six areas:
Adequate Sites:
The sites inventory must demonstrate adequate site capacity with appropriate zoning to accommodate the
regional housing need for all income groups. Where the analysis of a local government’s sites inventory
does not demonstrate
sufficient suitable and appropriately zoned sites to accommodate the regional housing need by income level, the element
must include a program to make sites available during the planning period with appropriate zoning and development
standards including meeting specific statutory requirements such as permitting residential development without discretionary
C H A P T E R 4 : R E Q U I R E D E L E M E N T S
|
102
4
action and providing sites zoned for owner occupied and
rental multifamily residential uses by right. In addition, sites
shall be identified as needed to facilitate and encourage the
development of a variety of types of housing for all income
levels, including
multifamily rental housing, factory-built
housing, mobile homes, housing for agricultural employees,
emergency shelters, and transitional and supportive housing. In
coordination with other general plan elements, aligning siting
of adequate sites with goals can help communities improve
outcomes, such as promoting
infill
development
to address
affordability,
climate change
, and
community health
issues.
Assist in the development of adequate housing to meet
the Needs of Extremely Low-, Low- and Moderate-income
Households:
Having assessed and identified the housing
needs of extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-
income households, including
special needs households,
localities must employ a sufficient number of strategies to
assist in developing adequate housing to meet those needs.
To address this requirement, localities can utilize a variety
of methods such as proactive outreach with the development
community, assisting with funding and land acquisition,
streamlining entitlement processes and providing concessions
and incentives for development. Jurisdictions may also prioritize funding for certain income levels and special needs and focus
efforts in priority growth areas.
Address and Remove Governmental Constraints:
For each policy, procedure or requirement
identified as a governmental
constraint, the element must include programs to address and remove or mitigate the constraint.
Conserve and Improve the Condition of the Existing Affordable Housing Stock:
The existing affordable housing stock is
a valuable resource and the element must include programs to conserve and improve the existing affordable housing stock.
Improvement includes physical activities that improve the housing stock such as rehabilitation. Conservation includes both
Beneficial Impact:
Programs must have a schedule of actions, each with a timeline, to have a beneficial impact on the goals
and objectives of the housing element within the planning period. The purpose of the clarification is to ensure program
effectiveness in addressing housing needs in the planning period to better assist in meeting the housing objectives, including
the objectives of SB 375. Programs must include
a definitive date or deadline, or benchmarks for implementation early enough
in the planning period to realize “beneficial impacts” and successful program implementation within the planning period.
Infill development and circulation improvements can create
lively communities for all
Image by Urban Advantage, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network