Title
Report on and acceptance of the Anti-Displacement Roadmap (Tony Rozzi, Deputy Economic and Community Development Director)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the Anti-Displacement Roadmap and provide feedback on action priorities.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In early 2024, City Council launched a formal study on residential and commercial displacement, responding directly to recent concerns raised by advocates during the General Plan and Housing Element updates. To lead this effort, the City hired HR&A, a nationally recognized firm specializing in displacement issues. Since then, HR&A and partner firm Kearns & West have engaged the community: forming a Community Advisory Committee, interviewing key stakeholders, and attending citywide events to gather lived experience narratives and strategies to combat displacement.
This effort was layered on the City's existing anti-displacement strategies that have already helped stabilize residents, including:
* the substandard housing displacement ordinance;
* emergency rental assistance program;
* live work preferences for affordable units; and
* recently adopted Single Room Occupancy and Mobile Home conversion ordinances.
And for business owners, the City economic development strategies include:
* Initiating a Business Improvement District study group;
* Negotiating community benefit agreements that include commercial space for local or displaced business tenants;
* An Arts and Makers Overlay requiring creative users on the ground floor of redeveloped properties in Lindenville to preserve industrial space; and
* Launch Local! to provide below market rents for new brick and mortar businesses in City owned spaces
The confluence of Bay Area economic forces, real estate development, and rising wage inequality makes displacement feel nearly inevitable, but the local transformation is particularly dramatic. The East of US-101 area has converted from heavy industry into ...
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