RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY – S. LOUPE, INTERIM RMA DIRECTOR 

Receive and accept the annual Housing Element Progress Report for 2021, provide a brief update on county-wide affordable housing and affordable housing committee (HAC).  

SBC FILE NUMBER: 790

Housing Needs

The Housing Element is approved and covers the present period through the year 2023. The total Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the unincorporated San Benito County is 837 total units. As listed in Table B of Attachment A The information shows the progress completed towards the RHNA. Currently we have constructed 107% of the entire housing needs for this period, which is 898 units. For Very Low to Low Income the allocation is a total of 318 units and 12 new units have currently been constructed. For Moderate Income the allocation is 164 and a total of 0 total units have been constructed. For above-moderate income the allocation is 355 and 880 units have been constructed, so we have exceeded our RHNA expectation for that specific category.

Permit Activity

2017-2020 have been some of the strongest construction periods for the County, compared to the previous Housing Element reports, where the average was below 30 units. In 2021, this slowed down and San Benito County only finaled 120 housing building permits, about half of what was finaled in 2020. A majority of the 120 building permits issued were for above moderate-income units. The 12 lower income units were added to the Riverview II affordable housing project. San Benito County approved the Riverview II affordable housing project in December 10, 2019. The project will provide 24 single family homes for very-low and low-income households. The project received multiple funding sources and is being completed by the local non-profit Community Services Development Corporations (CSDC). The last 12 units will show finaled in 2022 annual progress report.

Program Implementation

Program HOU 2-10 Affordable Housing Requirement: In 2020 Staff continued to meet with the Affordable Housing Ad Hoc Committee in public meetings to analyze affordable housing options and amendments to the current Affordable Housing Ordinance. In 2020 the Ad Hoc Committee proposed specific amendments to the ordinance and the changes were approved in December 2020. In 2021. Staff continued to work with consultant, Vernazza Wolfe Associates to complete a feasibility study analysis. The feasibility study is expected to research and develop an in-lieu fee, if a development is approved to pay the fee.

Program HOU 1-1, 4, 5,6: Part of the program implementation includes functions completed by the Health and Human Services Workforce Development Division. In 2020, Health and Human Services Agency received various grants including Community

Services Development Grant (CSDG), and Home Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP). In particular, Health & Human Services received two CSBD Grant awards. CSBG-Regular Allocation the agency received $308,206 for the implementation of the Family Winter Shelter program for homeless families. Twenty families participated in this program. For COVID related assistance, CSBG Cares, the county received $414, 759. The assistances helps to provide a variety of services including for youth, seniors, veterans, homeless and other low-income community members. Eligible services include hotel vouchers to help mitigate the spread of COVID, rental assistance, school supplies for school age youth and other supportive services.

Program HOU 2-4 Annual Monitoring: Staff continues to complete annual monitoring to ensure residents are following resale restrictions.

There are a few programs, which have not been addressed such as expanding permitting for mobile home parks and identifying additional zoning districts mobile homes would be allowed.

Future Plans

The Santana Ranch Development, though approved prior to this Housing Element, will be constructing approximately 110 low and moderate rental units, which when completed will be added to the RHNA, although the requirements for satisfying moderate income units for RHNA and the definition in the Santana Ranch Development Agreement conflict, so the extent that construction of multifamily rental units in Santana Ranch will satisfy RHNA requirements is uncertain.

In October 2019 San Benito County RMA applied for the Building Homes & Jobs Act (SB 2, 2017) Planning Grants Program, which our small jurisdiction was entitled to receive $160,000. In 2020, RMA staff received confirmation our application was approved. The Planning Grant Program award will be used to update current zoning/code ordinances. Staff is currently working with Interwest Consulting Group, to update our zoning code ordinances. In addition, San Benito County is seeking to use funding to create an accessory dwelling unit program, where the county provides pre- approved architectural approved site-plans. This will help decrease cost for future applicants and intend to increase the number of approved accessory dwelling units in our county.

Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grant provides a one-time non-competitive grant to cities/counties to update their planning documents and implement process improvements to prepare for the sixth cycle RHNA. San Benito is eligible to receive the $65,000 grant and is the final process of receiving confirmation from the State Housing & Community Development of the grant award contract. The application was due July 1, 2020 and must be expended by December 31, 2023.

Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grant provides one-time grant funding to regional governments and regional entities for planning activities that will accelerate housing production and facilitate compliance in implementing the sixth cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. San Benito County was allocated to receive $79,743.9 and will use the funding to complete a Housing Element for the next sixth cycle RHNA allocation.

Staff has noticed with the continued availability of State funded grants major qualifying thresholds include a jurisdiction submitting the required Annual Housing Element Progress Report and having an approved Housing Element. If a jurisdiction has not followed the State regulations, they were not eligible to the grant funding. It is critical for the department to continue to submit the Annual Housing Element Report and ensure the next Housing Element is approved by HCD.

The current Housing Element is set to expire in 2023 and San Benito County staff plans to begin the process to develop the sixth cycle housing element in 2021. At this time, the anticipated RHNA has not been released, but staff will continue to work directly with our local jurisdictions, Council of Governments (COG), and Association of Monterey Bay Governments (AMBAG) as the process continues.