Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Workshop
On November 10, the Planning Board will hold a workshop to review potential updates to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, which requires residential projects of five or more units to provide 15% affordable housing [1] for very low-, low-, and moderate-income households. Updates will aim to maintain development feasibility while increasing affordability as well as Alameda’s competitiveness for state and regional housing and infrastructure grants.
[2]Key staff recommendations are:
- Adjust the income mix.
- For rental projects: Shift the focus to 15% low-income units rather than including moderate-income units that are close to market rates and don’t serve significant affordability needs.
- For ownership projects: Require 5% low-income and 10% moderate-income units to balance feasibility and affordability.
- Maintain the overall 15% inclusionary requirement while differentiating between rental and ownership housing.
- Adjust and expand in-lieu fees (fees developers can pay in lieu of including affordable housing units on-site).
- Expand eligibility for all project types.
- Set fees at $25 per square foot for rental and $50 per square foot for ownership projects.
- Dedicate revenues to a local housing fund supporting affordable housing initiatives, including acquisition, rehabilitation, and homeownership assistance.
- Formalize a clustered option.
- Formalize criteria allowing developers to partner with nonprofits for off-site affordable housing (“clustered” projects).
- Ensure equivalent or greater affordability outcomes and require City Manager approval.
- Extend the affordability term.
- Extend the affordability period from 55 to 99 years to preserve long-term benefits at a minimal additional cost.
The Planning Board will review and provide direction before final recommendations are brought forward for adoption by the Planning Board and City Council.
How you can participate
The meeting will be held on Monday, November 10, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue.
Members of the public may participate in person or via Zoom. They may comment on the Non-Agenda, Consent Calendar, and Regular Agenda portions of the Meeting Agenda [4] (link downloads document).
The Non-Agenda portion of the meeting provides an opportunity to address the Board regarding any matter not on the agenda over which the Board has jurisdiction. The Consent Calendar is for routine items approved by a single motion. The Regular Agenda is the central portion of the meeting, during which each issue receives a presentation and time for Board discussion and public comment.
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Make requests for reasonable accommodation by completing an online form [5].
For Zoom registration, click here [6]. Information to assist with Zoom participation is here [7]. The Zoom phone number for telephone participants is 669-900-9128, and the Meeting ID is 815 3979 3319.
The meeting can also be viewed on the City of Alameda Facebook page, [8] but comments posted there are not monitored.
Community members may also email Board Members [9] before the meeting.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post [10]. Contact her via [email protected] [11]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen [12] and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen [13].