On June 8, 2009 the City Council adopted the 2009 Hillsborough Housing Element. Additionally, on July 1, 2009 the California Department of Housing and Community Development found the adopted Housing Element to be in full compliance with State Housing law.
For preparation and certification of the Housing Element, a “Housing Element Steering Committee” was appointed to include citizens from different geographic areas and economic segments within the Town, financial and real estate professionals, decision-makers, etc., to identify key policies and develop strategies to maximize affordable housing opportunities for the community. The 2009 Housing Element has been prepared based on the following:
ØState Law requires that all Bay Area jurisdictions adopt and forward a Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) by June 30, 2009.
ØA key part of every Housing Element cycle is the development of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which is the number and affordability levels of housing units to be provided by each jurisdiction.
ØThe Town’s of Hillsborough’s housing allocation requires that the Town plan for the creation of 86 new units between 2009 and 2014. Of these units, 34 units would need to be within the lower income categories. The Town’s allocation for the prior Housing Element cycle required planning for 84 new housing units. From 1999 through 2006 Hillsborough planned for 138 new units, and issued permits for 74 new units. Of these permitted units, 31 were second dwelling units having the potential to provide below market levels of housing within the Town. The 2009 Housing Element demonstrates that the Town will be able to continue to meet the requirements for planned new units for the 2009 Housing Element cycle.
The key changes (other than updates to statistical information) within the 2009 Draft Housing Element from the 2002 Housing Element are as follows:
ØSecond Units as Affordable Housing: The Town has committed to collect information on new second unit proposals to determine their general use (i.e. for rent, family, etc), rent range if applicable, number of bedrooms and size to document that second units serve as affordable housing.
ØEmergency Shelter: State Law now requires that we provide an area within our community for emergency shelter to meet our homeless needs. The Town has designated the former Fire Station within the Civic Center as an area permitting an emergency shelter for up to three individuals.
ØTransitional and Supportive Housing (Assisted living for purposes of improving health status and long term self-sufficiency): State Law supersedes local law and requires that all California jurisdictions allow these facilities as permitted uses as they would single-family residential uses.
