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Report regarding a resolution to accept technical assistance grant funding from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future in an amount up to $15,000 to fund consultant support for a single room occupancy (SROs) units and mobile home park preservation ordinance and approve Budget Amendment Number 24.039. (Nori Dubon, Housing Fellow)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adopting a resolution to accept up to $15,000 in technical assistance funding from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Grant and approve Budget Amendment Number 24.039.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City of South San Francisco, working in close partnership with Housing Leadership Council (HLC), was awarded a Partnership for the Bay's Future Policy Grant (also referred to as a Breakthrough Grant) in Summer 2022. The Policy Grant, managed by the San Francisco Foundation, provides jurisdictions a full-time Fellow, technical assistance, and other resources to help local governments create and successfully implement policies to preserve and produce affordable homes. All eleven Policy Grant awardees are made up of a local government and at least one community organization with the intent of creating a more collaborative policy-making process. The fellowship will run until May 31, 2024.
The City of South San Francisco is using The Policy Grant to advance affordable housing preservation policies and coordinate an effort to create a residential and commercial anti-displacement roadmap by hiring a consultant team to lead the work around data and research gathering, staffing a community advisory committee, and policy recommendations.
This staff report focuses on the first objective to advance preservation policies for affordable housing.
Over the past year, staff has been reminded of the vulnerability of affordable housing, most notably on the water with liveaboards in private or public marinas, Single Room Occupancy (SROs) hotel residents, and mobile home park occupants. These housing options represent some of the few naturally occurring affordable housing for low-income households in South San Francisco. These housing types are largely legal, nonconforming uses; therefore, zoning would not allow new ones to be created but they have some land protection given where they already exist.
Regional jurisdictions have taken legislative actions to create steps for local agencies to intervene should these uses be redeveloped to minimize resident relocation. The intention of these legislative actions is not to prevent redevelopment, but rather to allow sufficient noticing time and funding to help preserve affordability or blunt the displacement of lower income households that might otherwise occur.
Housing Staff held individual meetings with each Councilmember to talk through some of these topics and get a sense of which preservation policies Council would be interested in exploring further to protect the vulnerable residents at these alternative housing options. Staff view this research and policy recommendations as a component of the Anti-Displacement Roadmap and want to implement some level of protections before the two-year effort of the roadmap is completed.
Through the support of the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Fellowship, the City of South San Francisco is receiving up to $15,000 in technical assistance funding that could be used to cover the cost of City Attorney consulting fees associated with reviewing and drafting ordinance language and attending associated meetings for a single room occupancy (SRO) and mobile home park preservation ordinance.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no net fiscal impact to the City’s General Fund from adopting the recommended resolution and City funds that would otherwise be spent on outside consultant time may be offset completely.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
This funding assists in supporting the preservation of affordable housing through policy intervention.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends adopting a resolution to accept up to $15,000 in technical assistance funding from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Grant and approve Budget Amendment Number 24.039.