Presenting our Affordable Housing Month 2023 theme:

✧ Housing = Community and Belonging ✧

✧ We’re looking for Program Partners ✧ 

We are seeking Program Partner event proposals for Affordable Housing Month! We invite you to submit a program partner event proposal for this well-attended month-long series of events, many of which are created by you, our program partners!

To submit an event proposal, please fill out our event proposal form by 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at noon. 

How do I Participate?

While HLC can offer support on aspects of your event’s implementation, your organization will be primarily responsible for your concept and its logistics. The goal is to showcase and promote your organization's mission to your both audience and the event attendees and sponsors while adding value, creativity, and substance to our series of events. HLC can assist with things like technical support, media, outreach, and timing. 

Event proposal form.

If you have any questions, contact Fernanda and fdevelasco@hlcsmc.org. 

✧Sponsor Affordable Housing Month✧

Last year, our sponsors helped us engage hundreds of new and returning supporters. Join us this year to commemorate our affordable housing partners’ achievements, learn about new challenges, and mobilize in response to our region’s housing shortage.

(View Paper copy form)

Housing Elements Review

The January 31, 2023 deadline for housing element certification came and went. Only one city in San Mateo County, Redwood City, received approval from the state department of Housing and Community Development. HCD deemed Redwood City to be “in substantial compliance” on January 19. Coincidentally, Redwood City is also the only city that the Housing Leadership Council has recommended for certification. 

Redwood City’s housing element merits certification because the city makes concrete commitments to implement a number of pro-housing and pro-tenant policies. Some of the most significant policies include commitments to: 

• Upzone downtown area by an extra 20 du/ac throughout, bringing densities from 20-60 du/ac to 40-80 du/ac (Program H1-6)
• Promote missing middle housing by reducing minimum lot size, minimum lot width, and minimum lot frontage requirements and cutting parking requirements in half for multi-family housing  in its R-2 R-3, R-4, and R-5 zones (Program H4-3)
• Completely eliminate a unit cap in the Downtown Precise Plan (Program H1-7) and make urgent amendments to the Affordable Housing Ordinance by June 2023 (Program H2-4)
• Dedicate city-owned land to affordable homes (Program H1-9) and expedite approval of 100% affordable housing developments (Program H4-6)

Redwood City’s housing element is by no means perfect, but if other jurisdictions followed RWC’s example, they would be much more likely to receive certification from HCD. HLC hopes more housing elements will make strong policy commitments so we can support them to HCD for certification wholeheartedly.

Theoretically, every other city in San Mateo County is now out of compliance with state housing element law and two cities have already been sued: Daly City by Californians for Homeownership and Burlingame by YIMBY Law. 

To HLC’s knowledge, Daly city has yet to release a housing element draft or even hold a public hearing. Burlingame released a draft of its housing element for public review on December 28th but has not yet submitted a draft for review by the state. Both cities are being sued for falling so far behind deadline that they cannot legally adopt their housing elements, meaning they are automatically presumed to be in violation of state housing law. 

Several cities in San Mateo county have opted to adopt their housing elements before receiving approval from the state. Some of these cities will face legal challenges; others may not be sued, but they must make changes and update their plans with real commitments to receive approval from HCD. The Housing Leadership Council will continue to support cities as they work to plan for housing. 

Lastly, HLC recently sent a comment letter with 300 signatures for our county housing element campaign. Thank you for supporting our petition! If you missed a chance to sign on, it’s not too late–we’ll likely resend a letter with more signatures in late spring. 

Policy Updates

Peninsula Health Care District -
Peninsula Wellness Community, Burlingame

Our partners at MidPen Housing will be co-hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, February 22 from 7 - 8 pm at the Burlingame Community Center regarding the Peninsula Health Care District’s proposal to construct 377 senior homes. Of these homes, 152 will be standalone affordable; with an additional 23 set aside to be below-market-rate homes by the private developer.

If you have any questions, please direct them to kchan@hlcsmc.org.

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