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Resolution adopting a General Plan Amendment (GPA23-0001) to repeal the 2015-2023 Housing Element and adopt the Housing Element for the Period of 2023-2031 in compliance with state housing element law.
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WHEREAS, the California Legislature has found that “California has a housing supply and affordability crisis of historic proportions. The consequences of failing to effectively and aggressively confront this crisis are hurting millions of Californians, robbing future generations of the chance to call California home, stifling economic opportunities for workers and businesses, worsening poverty and homelessness, and undermining the state’s environmental and climate objectives” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has further found that “Among the consequences of those actions are discrimination against low-income and minority households, lack of housing to support employment growth, imbalance in jobs and housing, reduced mobility, urban sprawl, excessive commuting, and air quality deterioration” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and
WHEREAS, the Legislature recently adopted the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (“SB 330”) which states that “In 2018, California ranked 49th out of the 50 states in housing units per capita… California needs an estimated 180,000 additional homes annually to keep up with population growth, and the Governor has called for 3.5 million new homes to be built over 7 years”; and
WHEREAS, State Housing Element Law (Government Code Sections 65580 et seq.) requires that the City of South San Francisco (“City”) City Council adopt a Housing Element for the eight-year period 2023-2031 to accommodate the City’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) of 3,956 housing units, comprised of 871 very-low income units, 502 low-income units, 720 moderate-income units, and 1,863 above moderate-income units; and
WHEREAS, to comply with State Housing Element Law, the City has prepared the Housing Element Update 2023-2031 (the “Housing Element”) in compliance with State Housing Element Law and has identified sites that can accommodate housing units meeting the City’s RHNA; and
WHEREAS, as provided in Government Code Section 65350 et. seq., adoption of the Housing Element constitutes a General Plan Amendment (GPA23-0001); and
WHEREAS, as provided in Government Code Sections 65352 - 65352.5, the City referred the General Plan Update/Housing Element to all California Native American tribes on the contact list provided by the Native American Heritage Commission and to other entities listed and no California Native American tribe requested consultation; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65583 requires that the Housing Element Update contain: (i) an assessment of the City’s housing needs and an analysis of the resources and constraints, both governmental and non-governmental, relevant to the meeting of these needs; (ii) an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development and an analysis of the development potential of such sites; (iii) a statement of the community's goals, quantified objectives, and policies relative to the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing; and (iv) programs that set forth a schedule of actions the local government is undertaking or intends to undertake to implement the policies and achieve the goals and objectives of the Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, State law requires that the City take meaningful steps to promote and affirmatively further fair housing (Gov. Code Section 65583(c)(5)); and
WHEREAS, State law requires that the City make zoning available for all types of housing, including multifamily housing (Gov. Code Sections 65583.2 and 65583(c)); and
WHEREAS, the Housing Element must be adopted to comply with State law, accommodate the RHNA, affirmatively further fair housing, and facilitate and encourage a variety of housing types for all income levels, including multifamily housing (Gov. Code Sections 65583.2 and 65583(c));
WHEREAS, the preparation, adoption, and implementation of the Housing Element requires a diligent effort to include all economic segments of the community; and
WHEREAS, the City conducted extensive community outreach over the last three (3) years including over 80 public workshops and meetings before the General Plan Community Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code Section 65585(b), on July 5, 2022, the City posted the draft Housing Element and requested public comment for a 30-day review period, and on September 9, 2022, after responding to public comments, the City submitted the draft Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) for its review; and
WHEREAS, on December 7, 2022, the City received a letter from HCD providing its findings regarding the draft Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, on January 11, 2023, the City published a revised draft Housing Element responding to HCD’s findings, requested public comment on the draft, and the City Council held a public meeting for a study session on the revised draft Housing Element, and comments from said study session have been incorporated in the revised draft Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, on January 19, 2023 the Planning Commission conducted a duly and properly noticed public hearing to take public testimony and consider a recommendation to the City Council regarding the proposed Housing Element, reviewed the Housing Element and all pertinent maps, documents and exhibits, including HCD’s findings, the City’s response to HCD’s findings, the staff report and all attachments, and oral and written public comments, and recommended that the City Council adopt the Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, on January 25, 2023, the City Council conducted a duly and properly noticed public hearing, received public testimony, considered this Resolution regarding the proposed Housing Element, reviewed the Housing Element and all pertinent maps, documents and exhibits, including HCD’s findings, the City’s response to HCD’s findings, the staff report and all attachments, and oral and written public comments, and determined the Housing Element to be consistent with State law and the General Plan of the City of South San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the City Council by separate resolution determined that the draft Housing Element was appropriately reviewed for compliance with CEQA (ND23-0001).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby finds that, based on substantial evidence in the record:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated by reference into this action.
2. The City Council has considered the extent to which the proposed Housing Element as a General Plan Amendment meets the purposes of Chapter 20.540 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code, the compatibility of the proposed amendment with other provisions of the General Plan and any applicable specific plan, and any changes to the amendment that the City Council deems necessary to comply with other adopted Plans and ordinances or to reduce environmental impacts.
3. The Housing Element substantially complies with Housing Element Law, as provided in Government Code 65580 et seq., and contains all provisions required by State Housing Element Law, as reflected in the bases and findings contained in Exhibit A to this resolution, incorporated herein.
4. Based on substantial evidence in the record such as location, existing use, low building to land value, and market demand, the existing uses on the non-vacant sites identified in the site inventory to accommodate the RHNA are likely to be discontinued during the planning period and therefore do not constitute an impediment to planned residential development on the site during the planning period.
5. As required by Government Code Section 65585(e), the City Council has considered the findings made by the Department of Housing and Community Development included in the Department’s letter to the City of South San Francisco dated December 7, 2022, consistent with Government Code Section 65585(f), and as described in Exhibit B to this resolution, incorporated herein, the City Council has revised the Housing Element in response to the findings of the Department to substantially comply with the requirements of State Housing Element Law; further, as a result of these foregoing edits and revisions, the Housing Element substantially complies with Housing Element Law, as provided in Government Code 65580 et seq. and contains all provisions required by State Housing Element Law, as shown in Exhibits A and B to this resolution.
6. The South San Francisco Housing Element 2015-2023 is hereby repealed in its entirety, and the South San Francisco Housing Element 2023-2031 as shown in Exhibits C and D to this Resolution, incorporated herein, is adopted.
7. This Resolution shall become effective upon adoption by the City Council.
8. The Director of Economic and Community Development or designee is hereby directed to file all necessary material with the Department of Housing and Community Development for the Department to find that the Housing Element is in conformance with State Housing Element Law and is further directed and authorized to make all non-substantive changes to the Housing Element to make it internally consistent or to address any non-substantive changes or amendments requested by the Department to achieve certification.
9. The Director of Economic and Community Development or designee is hereby directed to distribute copies of the Housing Element in the manner provided in Government Code Sections 65357 and 65589.7.
Exhibit A: Findings of Substantial Compliance and Compliance with Statutory Provisions
Exhibit B: Findings Responding to Letter from Department of Housing and Community Development dated December 7, 2022
Exhibit C: Housing Element 2023-2031 with appendices
Exhibit D: Housing Element 2023-2031 without appendices for download purposes only