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Adopt a resolution approving the formation of and participation in a subregion as part of the Association of Bay Area Governments’ Regional Housing Needs Allocation process
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution approving the formation of and participation in a subregion as part of the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG) Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process.
SUMMARY:
RHNA is the process utilized by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to allocate housing need, by income group, to each of the cities and counties in the Bay Area. It is associated with housing requirements applicable to local jurisdictions under State Housing Element law. Work on the RHNA process has commenced, and Solano County and each of its cities have informally agreed at the City County Coordination Council meeting on August 8, 2019 to form a subregion which will allow the County and the cities to allocate the county’s housing allocation to each of its local agencies using a locally developed methodology. For an agency to be included in a subregion, it is required that each legislative body in the subregion that wants to participate to approve a resolution and submit it to ABAG by February 1, 2020.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item and with submission of the resolution are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Background
Under State Housing Element law, the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process is the procedure for allocating a “fair share” of housing units, in all income categories, to each city and county in California, including the Bay Area. Under State law, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is responsible for formulating the methodology and allocating the housing units to each jurisdiction. The RHNA planning period addresses an 8 year planning cycle.
Also, as provided for under State law, contiguous cities and counties may choose to come together and form a subregion. Under the RHNA process, a subregion is allocated a total number of units, and the subregion itself must develop its own internal methodology for distributing those units among its agencies. The methodology must comply with California housing law, which has undergone statutory revisions in the last two years. Once the allocation is final, each agency must then update its Housing Element to incorporate those units into its next planning period for the years 2022 - 2030.
During the previous RHNA process, Solano was one of three counties in the Bay Area electing to utilize a subregional approach. The others were Napa County and San Mateo County. Formation of a subregion allows for more local control and coordination among the County and each of its cities in the allocation process.
The Solano Subregion procured consultant assistance during the previous process to assist staff with the development of its methodology and to help navigate the technical requirements that a subregion must adhere to. The County and its cities have contracted with a consultant, Placeworks, to provide this technical guidance.
For informational purposes, for the 2007-2014 RHNA cycle, Solano County was allocated a combined total of 12,985 housing units. For the 2014-2022 cycle, the County was allocated 6,977 units. The reduction in unit allocation was primarily resultant of a larger percentage of the Bay Area’s regional allocation being dispersed to Priority Development Areas and employment centers, most of which are located in the inner Bay Area.
RHNA 2022-2030
While ABAG has not been assigned its regional allocation from HCD at this time, ABAG staff expects a significant increase in unit allocation to the region, with each County’s allocation potentially doubling or tripling. This is likely intended to reflect the well documented increasing shortage of housing in California.
ABAG has already begun the RHNA methodology process for the upcoming cycle of 2022-2030. Its Housing Methodology Committee (HMC) has been meeting monthly beginning in September 2019. The HMC consists of Bay Area local agency staff, elected officials, and other stakeholders who meet and discuss potential methods to disperse housing unit needs fairly and equitably to cities and counties while also meeting statutory requirements. Solano County and its cities have two designated committee members. Supervisor Brown is the elected representative, and Matt Walsh is the staff representative.
Staff is recommending that the County again form a subregion as it did during the last cycle to provide more local control over how Solano’s overall unit allocation ultimately gets dispersed to its local agencies. ABAG requests that each subregion be overseen by a countywide body that will approve the final subregional methodology and local housing unit dispersement In August 2019, the Solano City County Coordinating Council (4Cs) agreed to act as the decision-making body for the Solano Subregion. To accomplish this, it is required that each city and county within the subregion must adopt resolutions and agree to be included in the subregion. Copies of the resolutions must be submitted to ABAG by February 2020.
The Solano Subregion utilized the assistance of a consultant to help manage the subregion during the last RHNA methodology process. The consultant developed various draft methodologies for the subregion to consider and helped navigate the technical and statutory requirements that a subregion is held to. Having the consultant as part of the team was a significant benefit. For this RHNA cycle, Placeworks has been retained to help provide that technical assistance, with financial contribution from each city and the county to cover the contract amount.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to adopt the resolution and not participate the subregional process. This alternative is not recommended because the 4Cs has already authorized the local formation of a subregion and has agreed to be the decision-making body for the subregion.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
It is expected that each city in Solano County will participate in the subregion. Executed resolutions from each participating agency will be forwarded to ABAG for its approval.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION