Housing Elements Review 

We’re adding the finishing touches to our public comment for Brisbane’s housing element, which is due TODAY, 9/9. This housing element was a doozy, in large part because it relies heavily on the Brisbane Baylands–a project first proposed in 2005 that still has not broken ground. We hope the city makes strong commitments to expedite the Baylands and bring new homes online within the planning period. 

Public comments on Brisbane are due today, 9/9, while comments are due for Hillsborough on 9/19 and for San Carlos on 9/30. We’re expecting new housing elements any day now from Millbrae, Burlingame, and other cities. 

Activists that want to get involved in their city’s housing elements have many tools at their disposal. We’ve shared some advocacy tools in the past; today, we want to share a few technical tools that have helped us analyze housing elements. Without further ado, some of our favorite resources for analyzing housing elements:

• HCD’s Annual Progress Report Dashboard: This dashboard has a wide range of data on housing production from 2014 onward for every city and county in California. The data covers affordability, location, permitting time and process, and a number of other factors that help us identify actions a city can take to improve housing production.
• HCD’s Housing Element Webpage: Most of this page isn’t that interesting, but the “Background” tab and the “Housing Elements Open Data Tools” both offer a host of useful resources. 
• ABAG’s Consequences of Violating State Housing Law Flier: As a representative of Bay Area governments, ABAG writes convincingly about the risks cities face by ignoring housing element law. The flier lists a number of compelling penalties, from loss of permitting authority to financial penalties to court receivership of zoning. A second page details a dozen court cases upholding current state housing laws. 

These are more technical tools which we use to help us hold cities accountable and help them plan for affordable homes. Even if you don’t intend to comment on a housing element, HCD and ABAG have created resources that help us learn about the communities we are a part of. 

✧Join No on V - Protect Teacher Housing canvassing this weekend!✧

What’s this all about?  This November, Menlo Park neighbors will vote on a local ballot measure designed to stop the Ravenswood City School District from creating affordable homes for teachers and staff at its Flood School site. The measure would also block future homes from being created for your neighbors throughout Menlo Park. YOU can stop this! Learn more about the measure here.

Contact No on V campaign manager, Alex Dersch, to learn more.

✧Will you go to Yimby Prom with me?✧

Join State Senators, Mayors, Assembly members, City Attorneys, Housing advocates and more! Make sure to get your tickets and join us in San Francisco on October 13 to hear from speakers, meet fellow pro-housing advocates, and celebrate all the great housing advocacy done this year.

✧HIP Housing Calendar Contest✧

HIP Housing’s Calendar Contest is back! HIP Housing is a non-profit affordable housing organization in San Mateo County. Each year, they host a Calendar Contest for children in kindergarten through 5th grade. You can find our prize information and entry form on their 2023 calendar contest page. Submit your drawings by Friday, September 23rd!

✧2022 One Day Homeless Count is out!✧

The 2022 One Day Homeless Count Full report is now live on the One Day Count website: https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/2022-one-day-homeless-count

✧Working Together to End Homelessness summit✧

San Mateo County is hosting their Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness Summit on October 28, 2022! Learn more at: Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness Summit Registration, Fri, Oct 28, 2022 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrit

HLC Updates! 

✧“What is Affordable Housing?” eBook is out now!✧

What is Affordable Housing? Take a peek at our brand-new Affordable Housing in San Mateo County eBook to learn more. Our project features an array of diverse developments, organizations, and people who work, support, and live in affordable homes.

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