Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 6270~ . • RESOLUTION NO. 6270 RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY' OF' PALO ALTO ADOPTING A 1985-2000 HOUSING ELEMENT AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WHEREAS, on February 2, 1981, the City CourlCil approved the Palo Alto Comprehensive Pl~n including a Housing Element; and WHEREAS, state law (Government Code Article 10.6) requires locali- ties to adopt revised housing el~ments by July 1, 1984, in conformance with new legal requirements; and WHEREAS, the Planning Com."Tlissicn and the City Council have con- ducted a series of public meetings on the existing housing element and the proposed changes; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION 1. The Council hereby approves the 1985-2000 Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit A. SECTION 2. The Council finds that none of the provisions of this resolution will have a significant adverse environmental impact. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: June 11, 1984 AYES: Bechtel, Cobb, Fletcher, Klein, Levy. Renzel, Sutorius, Witherspoon Woo1ley NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: Ne ne ABSENT: None TO FORM: -~W Attorney HOUSING The goal of keeping Palo Alto a fine residential community makes housing one of the ioost important factors considered in the Comprehensive Plan. Housing is important~ not only in its own right, but also because ft strongly influences the size of the population and its distribution in age, background, and income. Prolonged and continuing employment growth in Palo Alto and neighboring cities has been a major factor fn dramatically driving up the price of housing in Palo Alto. There are far 110re new jobs than new housing units. A 1979 Santa Clara County forecast estimated that about 125,000 new jobs wf 11 be created in north- ern Santa Clara County between 1975 and 1990, while only 19,000 new housing units will be built. Hany people who work in Palo Alto cannot afford to buy a home here, and this jobs-housing imbalance forces l'li!ny into long commutes. This situation will get worse unless Palo Alto and other cities in the area take corrective action, and even then, a very serious problem will remain. Cftf zen Partf ctpation In developing the 1985-2000 hous1ng element, the City sought public participa- tion through di re ct 1nvol vement wf th loca 1 organf zatfons most involved and interested in !'lousing and the housing need of lower-income persons, and at several public meetfn;s before the Planning Con111issfon and City Council. The input received at these meetings was critical in the development of the plan. Palo Alto's Housing ObjectiYes What directions should housing 1n Palo Alto take to mintain and enhance pre- sent residential qualities? Four major objectives, ear,:h of equal importance, are 1 dentf fied. First, it is important to nafotafn the character and physical quality of residential ne1ghborhoods. Palo Altans want to avoid drastic changes in neigh- borhood tharacter. to reduce the intrusion of through-traffic into residential neighborhoods~ to protect neighborhood quality, tc improve visual quality, and to prevent deterioration. Second, 1t 1s ifl1)ortant to Maintain a diversity of housing opportunities especially opportunities for households with children. This means a variety of housing types and sizes, a mfxture of ownership and rental housing, and a full range of housing costs. This diversity of housing opportunities, available 1n an atmosphere of open and free choice for all, w111 then acconrnodate the desired population diversity-a variety of household sizes, all age groups, and a wide range of income levels. 6/11/84 -1- Third. in order to 1essen the jobs-housing imbalance. Palo Alto needs to increase its housing supply, especially for low and ITK>derate income ind1vidua1s and households with children. middle income hous~holds wf th children. and for those who work here. The Houstng Supply In 1980. Palo Alto had 23,750 housing units, which is approximately one-sixth of the h?using on the Mfdpenfnsvla from Redwood Cf ty to S~nnyva le. In addi- tion. Stanford University provides housing for about 7800 of fts 13,200 students including 930 apartments for narrfed students. There are also 830 campus uni ts available for the 13,000 faculty and staff. These units are not available on the open market. Nearly two-thirds of Palo Alto's units are s fngle-famf ly homes. but about 20 percent of them are rented. Owners occupy just over one half of all the housing units in Palo Alto. The percentages of s1ngle-family uni ts and owner-occupied unf ts are similar to most other large Mf dpeninsula comll'tlnit1es. Palo Alto's housing is closer in age to the housing in San Mateo County than it is to other comnM.mi ties in Santa Clara County. Almost 40 percent of Pa lo Alto 1s housing was buflt before 1950. and another 35 percent between 1950 and 1960. Since 1960. while Palo Alto was constructing only 25 percent of its housfny, the rest of Santa Clara County was building over 60 percent. There is greater demand for housing 1n Palo A1to than can be met. This 1s because Palo Alto 1s a desirable place to live., there are many jobs, and there fs little land available for new housing development. This leads to high housfng costs and low vacancy rates. In addf tf on, the lack of affordable housing in Palo Alto creates a larger co11111.1ter population with fncreased energy use. pollution~ and high conr.ute costs. Census data indicate that the median value of a.1ner-occupied housing increased 339 percent from $33.900 'fn 1970 t!> $148.900 in 1980. By comparison, the median value of a home in San Mateo County increased from $30,400 in 1970 to $121, 300 1 n 1980 (a 299 percent f ncrease} and a home f n Santa C 1 ara County increased from $27.300 to $107,700 (a 295 percent increase). In 1980. the median California home value was $84,700 and for tne United States it was $47,300. Inflatfon from 1970 to 1980. as aeasured by the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco Bay area, increased 113 percent. Home prf ces in Palo Alto. therefore, were escalating at three t'f1t.:s the rate of inflation. The average appraised value for three sample sfng1e-fami1y hemes fn Palo Alto monitored by the Northern California Real Estat~ Council was $235.000 fn Aprf 1. 1983. This is up from $225,000 in 1981. $154.000 fn 1979, $72,650 in 1975, and $41,500 fn 1970 (an increase of 466 percent from 1970 to 1983). Monthly pay- ments plus taxes and insurance on ~ $180.000. median-priced house in Palo Alto would be nearly n.soo (ghen a 30-year, 13 percent loan and assuming a $36,000, 20 percent down payment). An annual income of $65.000 would be required to qualify for financing such a house. 6/11/84 -2- Renta'I housing has also been strained greatly by r1s1ng housing costs. Few market-rate apartments have been built since 1972 and little new rental devel- opment is likely because of high construction costs and the correspondir.g need for higher rents required to ~eet mortgage payments. Some addf tional units are added to the rental stock when condominiums are leased. Approximately 30 per- cent of the 960 condominium units existing fn 1980 were rented. The rental stock is reduced through the demolition of existing renta.1 units. These units are often older. lower-priced units which are replaced by higher cost condomf n- i um units. From 1980 to 1983 forty-seven 111.ll t1ple-fam1 ly rentals were lost because of deroo1ition. Median rent in 1980 was $348 a month~ a 115 percent increase from the 1970 median rent of $165. This rate compares with $311 a month in 1980 for San Mateo County and $308 for Santa Clara County. The corresponding rate for California was $?53 a mnth. and $199 for the United States. Rents have increased substantially sfnce 1980. Informal surveys reveal rates for avail- able rentals that generally range from $400 -$800 for a one-bedroom apartment and $700 -$1200 for two and three bedroom units. Single-family homes general- 1y start at a renta 1 rate of $1000 per month. Despite the hf gh costs. the vacancy rates for beth ownership and rental housing have been ·stable at below three percent in recent years due to the strong housing demand. In fact, the vacancy rate of rental apartments was • 7 percent in November. 1983. and has been below 1.2 percent since April, 1976. The federal Department of Housing and urban ~evelopment defines •shortage• or •tight• market condf tfon3 as an overall rental vacancy rate of three percent or less and a.n apartment vacancy rate of five perceut or less. Lootf ng To 2000 If new building were 11m1ted to remaining residentially zoned vacant land a totll of only 1,630 additional units could be built. This involves 1,570 11ultfple-fami ly uni ts and 60 sf ngle-famfly and duplex uni ts. Included in thf s figure is a projection of 1290 units at the Stanford West and 1100 Weich Road sf tes. There wi 11 be construction on other than vacant land, however. Some new 11.1ltiple .. f&mi ly units will replace older s1ngle-falll11y units in areas a1rea~ zoned for nultip1e-family use. Other units w111 be built on land cur- rently fn commercial or industrial use. and additional units will be on surplus schooi sf tes. The residential redevelopment potential allowable fn J11Jltfple famf ly residen- tial zones is 740 additional dwelling units. This assumes development to the maximum density a.llowable~ and merger of lots where feasible. ln addftion. approximately 620 res1dent1a1 units could be developed on vacant and surplus schoo1 sites. 225 on vacant industrial sites. and 670 on redevelopable commer- cial and industrial land. It fs highly unlikely that residential development would reach these levels. A realistf c estf1nilte of development fn Palo Alto 1s approximately 26.400 units 1n 1990 and 27.700 fn the ,year 2000. co""ared to 23,750 fn 1980. An inventory of vacant land is found on pages 42~43. 6/11/84 -3- Only upper-income households w111 be able to rent or buy new llll1tip1e-fam11y units. unless efforts are made to make some units available to low-, iooderate- and 111i ddle-fncome households. The new sfngle-faini ly uni ts will be so expensive that only high-income households will be able to afford them. At the same time. the City's present supply of lower-cost housing will be reduced through continued price escalation and removals to make way for the new construction. The Californ'f a Oepartinent of Housing and Ccll'ITIUni ty Development provides these deff ni tions: o Very low income -below 50 percent of the median income of the county. o Low income -50 to 80 percent of the county median. o Moderate income -80 to 120 percent of the county median. o Middle income -120 to 150 percent of the county median. 1983 median household incomes are shown in the table included in this section. Decent, Safe, and Sanitary Not all units in Palo Alto are decent. safe. and sanitary. Nearly three per- cent of Palo Alto's housing was substandard fn 1980. Estimates made for Palo Alto's Housing Assistance Plan state that there are 331 owner units and 274 rental units whf ch are substandard. These unfts do not neet Federal Section 8 Quality Standards or the more restrictive City code standards but are consider- ed to be suitable for rehabilitation. Original quality, level of maintenance, perceived redevelopment potential. and ownership are important in predicting future housing quality and neighborhood character. Neighborhoods wfth a high percentage of rental properties and where original quality and the level of maintenance are 1o-.. llBY get worse without remedial action. Absentee owners are not wi 1 lfng to invest in expensive repairs and improvements and tenants cannot be expected to do so. Absentee ownership fs prevalent and profitable in many single-family areas because of Pa lo A 1 to 's tight housing market. The 1978 Zoning Ordinance, based on Housing Program l, reversed nJch of the trend toward declining housing quality near Downtown by rezoning some of the multiple-family areas to single-family and duplex. This brought an increase in renovations of single-family homes in this area. Housing units which are overcrowded also fail to meet accepted standards of decent housing. There are 325 1Jni ts fn Palo Alto with more than 1.01 persons per room. 6/11/84 -4- The People There are 55.225 people 11vfng fn Palo Alto. and about 11.000 living on the Stanford University campus. ~alo Alto's population fn 1980 was down 1.5 per- cent from 56.000 f n 1970. This decrease understates the real net loss fn population. sfnce Barron Park, with 3,400 persons, was annexed fn 1975. The 1980 U.S. Centus showed that the average age of Palo Alto's population 1s rfsfng. Persons 60 yea"rs and older made up almost one-fifth of Palo Alto 1s residents. This population increased from 7,980 fn 1970 to 10,170 fn 19BO. a 27S increase. One of the hf ghest concentrations ofe seniors in Santa Clara County is found in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. ~t the same tfme, the per- centage of children fn Palo A1to fs decreasing.. Chf ldren under 10 decreased from 7500 in 1970 to 4750 in 1980. a 37 percent decrease. Children under 18 made up 20 percent o -,alo Alto's population 1n 1980.., co111>.::red to 38 percent in Santa Clara County as a whole. Enrollment 'fn the Palo Alto Unfffed School District has been declining stead;ly in recent years because of the drop fn the birth rate and the tight. high-priced housing market which causes nnst families wfth young children to seek housing elsewhere. This declining enrollment led to the closing of nine elementary and two secondary schools in Palo Alto from 1976 to 1983. Student population in the School District has gone from 15.380 1 n 1967 to a 1983 enrollment of 8090. a 471 drop. A student population of 6.350 f s projected for 1990 by the School District. after which the school age popu1at1on 1s e~pected to stabilize. In 1980 ethnic minorities lllilde up almost 14 percent of Palo Alto's population. This fs not an appreciable change from 1970. Persons of Spanish origin com- prised 27 percent and blacks 20 percent of the minority population. Persons of Chinese and Japanese ancestry co111prised nearly 35 percent of the minority popu- lation. Between 1970 and 1980 there was a 60 percent fncrease in the Chinese population. from i.001 in 1970 to 1.608 in 1980. Data on the handicapped population in Palo Alto indicates that there are 439 residents aged 16-64 and 948 over age 64 who have physical dfsabiltfes that limit use of public transportation. The U.S. Census also indicates that there are 2,108 Palo Altans wfth work disabilities. 815 of whom are prevented from working. Of the total 23,041 households fn Palo Alto fn 1980. sfngle-parent households total 1,640. fncludfng 1.361 households headed by females and 279 by males. The rnedian family income fn Palo Alto grew from $15.036 fn 1970 to $31.796 in 1980, a 111.5 percent fnc"rease. A comparison with Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties reveals that incomes followed similar patterns fn these two counties wf th inedian family income 1n Santa Clara County increasing by 114.0 percent. fro11 $12.456 to $26.662, while in San Mateo Cou!'lty 12dfan family income increased by 106.l percent from $13.222 to $27,279. The median California family income fn 1980 was $21,537. and $19,917 for the United States. 6/11/84 -5- Median household income in Palo Alto was $24, 743 1n 1980. Household income f ncludes households coq>rised of a group of unrelated individuals or persons lh1ng alone. This is lower than median family income because of the large nu~er of lower incor.e senior and sWdent households in Pa lo Al to. The 1980 Census indicated there were 3,248 persons in Palo Alto below the poverty level, a 12.3S drop from the 3.703 persons below the poverty income level in 1970. Changes in population characterfstfcs go along with changes in the housing inventory. The average household sfze will continue to decrease as families mature and older children leave t'lome, as young married couples have fewer children, and as the proportion of one-and two-person households f ncreases along wHh the increase in ll'Ultfple-family units. Palo Alto's population will continue to rise in average a~. Average Palo Alto income is likely to increase faster than the Bay Area avera~ because of higher income required to afford new housing units and the increas- ing costs of existing housing. 6/11/84 -6- O'I ....... I ......,. ....., ...... I ......_ 00 ~ PALO AL.10 POPULATION 2.000 - PALO ALTO HOU5'~ ~\T5 MJL..TI -FAMI L...'( 5t~-f:"AM\L'( 2.7,700 2.000 6/11/84 -8- 75+ S-17 o·'t ML.O ALi"O AGe O\&T~\ el'TI~ 6/11/84 ~9- O'! I -...... ............ 0 .... I -...... ~ PALO ALTO ETH~\C 0\6~\euT\OJ-l%Q WMlTE-~l&H 2..C:,'1 51..ACK Z.t,. OTHe~e z.i% e "75 lC}TT 6/11/84 -12- • PO\:SI \'AL\1£ lait.ial Costs ( 20'iO Dow.T&pt )"IMSlt ead Oosms Cost1) U0111JIJ)· Cons: l'l)'JMDI on JO \'-.r llortpfe TPl!tl 18'Yflll ct l<IS s 171 104 JS I l,017 $ J..0$J SK.ill 1HE rosr OF ll "YING A HOt:SE 1125,000 1150,000 s 2'1.076 s J2.913 us. 169' l~ u~ s 1.106 S l.:MS $ 1,053 s J.327 1!)4 J04 12.S 125 15 JS 42 42 -- I l ,.145 s J,484 ~ J.%20 S J.4M , S 3,7JS s 4.452 s 3"60 s 4,412 $44,llO lSJ.424 IM:UlO $53,114 1200.00(1 s 44.646 16'1 ·~ 13'.l 16'l I 1,614 s l.404 $ l.1'70 s 2,3$2 ll.S J67 16' 167 4l 56 56 56 s 1,711 s 1.627 s 1'93 s 2,375 s ~.Jo s 4,8'!1 S S.979 S 7.l!S 164,116 sn.s'I: r 1,?48 sa~ .soo In 1980. fllOSt houses in Palo Alto cost between $125.000 and $200.000. This chart assumes that one-thirJ of household income 1s avai 1ab1e for lll>rtgage, tax. and insurance payments even though sorl'le financial institutions do not a11ow these payments to exceed 25 to 30 percent of income. Increasing interest rates raise monthly housing costs substantially. Utilf tfes and maintenance add substantially to the-monthly cost of owning a house. but are not included in this table. 6/11/84 -13- PALO ALTO HOUSEHOLDS BY S OF CO~NTY MEDIAN INC~E 1980 CEHSUS S OF COUNTY MEDIAN INCOME I OF HOUSEHOLDS S OF TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS Less than SOS so-soi 80-100% lOC-120: 120-lSOS Over 1502: 2.804 2.704 2,119 1,953 2,910 10,541 l2.2S ll.7S 9.zi a.si 12.6S 45.8S COMPREHENSIYE PLAN DEFINITION (S OF HOUSEHOLDS IN CATEGORY) Very Low Income -below SOS of median County income (12.2S) Low Income -50 to SOS of medfan County fncone (ll.7S} Moderate Income -80 to 120% of median County income (17.7S) Middle Income -120 to lSOS of median County income (12.6S) 6/11/84 -14- . . ; I 1 l J t l I I I! i I :i : 1 l • ' . I i • ! • I .~"'"" ~~~UN~ J J. ~ i LOW-INCOME HOUSING SUPPLY* 12/1/83 ASSISTED TYPF. Of PROJECT {DATE COMPLETED) TENANCY UNITS ASSISTANCE Stevenson House (2/68) Senior 118 Section 22l(d )3 Sect1 on 8 Colorado Park (6/72) Family & Senior 60 Section 236 Section 8 Palo Alto Gardens (9/73) Famf ly & Senf or 156 22l(d)3 rent supplement Arastradero Park (7/74) Family & Senior 66 Section 236 Section 8 Lytton Gel.rdens I (4/75) Senior 218 Section 236 Section 8 Webster Wood (8/78} Famf ly 58 Calif. Housing Finance Sectf on 8 Lytton Gardens II (2/79) Senior 100 Section 202 Section 8 Sheridan Apartments (5/79) Senf or 57 Section 8 Elm Apartments (1/82) Family or Senior 9 Section 8 Mod. Rehab. Section 8 (existfng-1/83) Famf ly & Senf or 93 Section 8 TOTAL ASSISTED UNITS 935 SCHEDULED Birch Court (3/84) Family 5 Palo Al to Hcusing Corp. Subsidy Terman (12/84) Famf ly & Sen1 or 72 Sectf on 8 * Per HUD definition --households having 1ncones below 80 percent of the county med fan 1 ncome. or the Sect'f on 8 1 ncome standard. 6/11/84 -16- DEVELOPMENTS WITH BMR UNITS 1/1/84 UNITS OCCUPIED YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT FIRST SALE Foothill Green 1974 V111as San Alma 1975 Greenhouse I 1975 Greenhouse II 1976 Channing Place 1976 410 Sheridan 1977 Villa Las Plazas 1978 Vf sta Town Houses 1979 San Antonio Village 1979 Barron Square 1979 Palo Alto Greens 1981 Colorado Place 1981 SUBTOTAL UNITS APPROVED BUT NOT YET OCCUPIED Oregon Green Redwoods Park/Calf forr.f a El Camino Way Lot Q Afr Rights SUBTOTAL TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS 4 8 14 10 2 5 4 2 2 6 4 2 63 1 12 17 6 9 45 108 6/11/84 -17- PERSONS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 APRIL. 1983 FEDERAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INCOME LIMITS MEDIAN SANTA CLARA COUNTY INCOME FOR PURPOSES Of 801 1201; l50S HOUSING ASSISTANCE MEDIAN MEDIAN MEDIAN $24.300 $19,450 $29.150 $36,450 27,750 22,200 33.350 41.600 31.250 25,500 37,500 46,850 34,750 27,800 41.700 52,100 37.000 29,500 44,3CO 55,500 39,050 31,250 46.900 58,550 41,250 33,000 49,500 61,850 43,400 34.750 529100 65,150 200% MEDIAN $48,600 55.500 62,500 69,500 74,.000 78,100 82,500 86,800 Palo Alto's Below Market Rate Program is for households having incomes betl#een 80 percent and 120 percent of the County medf an. In 1983. under conventiona 1 financing terms, virtually all f1rst time buyers with incomes less than 200 percent of the rnedian were excluded from the local housing nerket. 6/11/84 -18- HOUSING COISTRAINTS The effort to provide affordable housing fs constrained by a variety of factors. These constraints include market forces and governmental regulatior.. Market forces. which often cannot be addressed by local government. include the cost of construction, the cost of financing, and the cost of land. Current con- structf on costs vary w1dely depending upon type of construction {wood frame or steel and concrete), parking requirements (undergrour.d parking greatly increases costs), degree of amenities, and other factors. Excludf ng land costs, construc- tion costs for a unit developed under a lower cost scenario wou1d range from $75 to $85 a square foot. These costs escalate up to and above $100 a square foot wt.en factors such as underground park ir.g are included. A modest 1, 000 square foot unit, excluding land cost. therefore. could cost $100,000 in construction cost alone. The cost to the buyer of h~using 1s greatly impacted by the avaf lab le interest rate and terms of finanting. Interest rates increased rapidly during the early 1980's and have only moderately declined by 1984. Real interest rates. which considers the difference between the current interest rate and the inflation rate, remains high. Economists predict that these high rates are not likely to decline substantially in the foreseeable future. Palo Alto has assisted in re- ducing financing costs through participating in mortgage re~enue bond programs. Land cost fn Pa.lo Alto constitutes a major component of overall development cost. Residentia 1 developers pay between $10 -$25 a square foot for land in Palo Alto depending upon the location and development potential of a parcel. This cost alone can add $20,000 to $50,000 a unit in development cost. The City in the past has used local and federal revenue sol.irces to reduce the cost of land for the development of low and moderate income housing. Governmental constraints that impact the cost of housing include building codes, fntrastructure requirements. and land use regulations. The City uses the Uniform Building Code to insure safe housing through minimum building standards. Applf cation and building fees currently are about the sa.me, 1f not lower than~ surrounding comioonities. A 1982 survey by the Association of Bay Area Govern- ments (ABAG) on local development fees listed Palo Alto as having among the iowest residential development fees in the San Francisco Bay Area. For single- famf ly housf"g units, only 25 percent of Bay Area conmunfties had lower develop- ment fees. and for P1.11t1p1e family housing unf ts only 11 percent of Bay Area · colllftlnities had lower development fees. These fees are periodically reviewed to insure that they ire equitable, and are limited to the cost of providing build- ing services. The City on an ongoing basfs is atte~ting to iq>rove and expedite its permit processing procedures. Currently, a one-stop information center is befng fmplemented, along with a computerized data infornation system. 6/11/84 -19- Utility hook-up fees for new developrients are lower than lllOSt communities becaiue of the Cfty ownership of utf Htfes. fncludf ng sewer. water. ~.s, and electrical. These fees are reevaluated at least every two years. There are no unusual or extraordinary site improvement or special fmpact fees f111>osed by th~ Cf ty. Zoning and densf ty limitations by their nature limit the allowable development on a sf te, which my increase the cost of developinent. The specific zoning applied to particular areas of the Cfty reflects tne overall objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. including the housing element. The following section includes speciff c policies and programs whfch seek to overcome some of t:iese constraints, and to provf de various incentives to reduce the cost of housing. 6/11/84 -20- H1>USil6 l&Ef.DS, POLICIES AMO PROGRAMS Mafntaf nf ng Palo Alto's resi dentfal qua lf tf es is uppermost in most people's minds. Because Palo Alto f s a ffne res1dentf al community, some Palo Altans see no need for any futher city involvement in housing. But staying the same often requires more fnvoivement than letting unwanted change occ1•r. The following policies and programs have been developed to deal with the need for attention to neighborhood character. housing quality. new housing. and diversified housing opportunities. Residential anienf tfos sueh as schools, parks. and city serv1ces. which are not directly related to hDusing, ~re not discussed in this section. le1ghborhoods Protecting existing neighborhoods fs an important elerent of Pa lo Alto's housing policies because Palo Altans want to maintain the residential character that marks much of the City~ Polf c:y 1: Maintain the general low~density character of existing sfngle-fam11y areas. Policy 2: Preserve older sfng1e-fal!lily homes and small apartment buildings. Ir. single-family zones, which are over 90 percent of Palo Alto's residentially zoned land, these goals w111 not be difficult because 1fttle new construction wf11 take place. New single family homes will be built on the few remaining vacant sites scattered throughout the areas. Because of the scarcity of vacant land zoned for 11111tfple-famf ly use, however. new multiple-fa111ily constructf on wt11 often replace older homes on land zoned for mitiple-fanri ly 1Jse. Some sfngle-famfly and 1111ltiple-family development will take place on surplus school sites. To reduce the changes in neighborhood character created by this redevelopment~ the 1976 Coq»rehensfve Plan called for the retention of some af the older homes which were in danger cf demo11tfon, especially 1n downtown P~lo Alto. These older homes were usually less expensive per square foot than the new llllltiple- fallli ly units. Thfs allows their prices to reain 1n the lower range of Palo A 1to 's housing 111rket. Unfortunately. even these older homes have become so expeni1ve that 1110derate-1ncome buyers can no longer afford them. 6/11/84 -21- The RMD(NP), Neighborhood Preservation. zone was created to reverse this trend. It 1s a n11t1 p1e fam1 ly zone which permits a second dwel 11ng unit to be bu11 t on a site while preserving the existing older un1t. Otherwise. maxf111Jm development \/OUld result in the loss of the older house, often loss of rental stock, and a changed neighborhood character. Several specific pr?grams hne been developed to preserve older single-family houses and small api\rtment bt.!ildings. The specific agency or department with the lead responsibility for implementation of each program is identified. Program 1: In areas adjacent to the Downtown shopping area,. mfntain sfn9le- farnily and duplex areas and have multiple-family close to shops and offices. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Program 2: Continue using minimum lot-size standards for single-family neigh- borhoods to discourage splitting of larger lots. Program Responsibility: Planning Division In most sfngle-family areas, the splitting of larger lots will have an adverse effect by gradually increasing density and traffic. The Zoning Ordinance con- tains six single-family zones, ranging from minimum sizes of 6,000 to 40,000 square feet. These zones have been applied to minimize the amount of lot splitting. Program 3: Continue the cottage-provision in R-1 zones insuring that new development fits in with existing single-family properties. ~rogram Responsibility: Planning Division In response to the 1980 Comprehensive Plan, fo 1982 a cottage prevision was placed in R-1 zones allowing a second residential unit on lots which exceed the mfrti111.1m lot size by at least 35 percent. Ten new unf ts were approved in the first year under thfs provision. In 1983 the regulations were amended to limit the second units to a maxin.1m of 900 square feet. Policy 3: Protect and enhance those qualities which make Palo Alto's neigh- borhoods especially desirable. E/11/84 -22- Program 4: Use the Zoning Ordf nance, other codes. and specfff c plans to main- tain high-quality neighborhoods. Program Respons1b111ty: Planning Division The Zoning Ordinance and Map set broad standards for how structures relate to one another. the street system and public facf lfttes. T~e Architectural Review Board applies design standards to irultfple-family and all nonresidential development. Maximum privacy, natural light, and outdoor space and mfnfmurr1 undesirable contacts with traffic are the desired results for individual units. The Plan encohrages low-density imJltiple-family areas. Wfthfn 111.1ltfple-famfly areas. the zoning nap has higher density zones located farther from single- fami ly areas. On larger sites undergoing development, densft1es can be varied in relation to distance from nearby single family areas. Two special zones have been used to accompHsh this goal of maintaining hfgh quality neighborhoods. The RMD{NP), Neighborhood Preservation, zone was developed for part of the College Terrace neighborhood. This zone lfmf ts the development potential in a nu1t1p1e family zone while allowing a second dwelling unit to be bt:flt on lots over 5,000 square feet. The zone allows flexibf lfty of sfte development regulations for development of the se~ond unit when the existing older unit fs preserved. The T-Combfnfng District has been used as an overlay zone on 111.11 tf ple family res'f denti a 1 di strf cts to 11mf t building h~fght to two stories, providing a better transition between a single family and adjacent l'llJltiple family zone. Serious conflict can arise between residential &nd adjacent non-residential actfvf ties. Development in such areas should be designed to f!lfnimf ze the potentially noisy and bothersome effects of air condftfonfng and heating tqufp- inent, parking lots. loading docks, and refuse contaf nment areas by buffering them or designing them to be quiet, attractive, and unobtrusive. Building Code enforcerrent ensures that structural qualfty remains hfgh and also helps nafnta1n high-quality nef ghborhoods. Code enforcement applies quality control standards systematically to all new housing construction. Enforcement of the Housing Code, which sets standards for existing housing, fs now volun- tary or handled by coq>l1int. Policy 4: Support locally assisted housing rehabilitation with publi1: and private ffn&ncf ng. Certa1nly not all older houses fo Palo Alto need rehabi11tatfon; many have been wel l1111ntafned over the years. However, there are sections of the connmity that may begin to turn downward unless the norml processes of deterioration are reversed. 6/11/84 -23- Rather than start a program of nandatory code enforcement, the City Counc11 9 1r. May, 1974. voted to establish a V•Jluntary. locally assisted rehabilitation program to aid present code enforcement. Program 5: E~coarage housing rehabilitation in residential areas by continuing the C1ty wide inspection and enforcement program. Pragram Responsibility: Planning Division The Ci·?:y fs promoting code inspection as a service to residents and as a deter- rent tc ~e1ghborhood deterioration. Program 6: Provide rehabilitation assistance to low-income household~ in Palo ~, 1 to. Program Respons1bf 11ty~ Planning Division A housfng rehabilitation program established by the City in 1974 relies on Federal ConmJnfty Development Block Grant funds. The program provides low- interest 1oans or deferred loans. Since it began. the program has loaned over $2.350~000 to 259 homeowners 1n Palo Alto, 92 percent of whom have low fncomes. The majority of loans are going to seniors and female single-parent households. At first., the program concentrated on two target neighborhoods, but rooved City- wide in 1978. with loans reserved for only 10\lf income households. Although its funding has been reduced because of reduced federal funding and other urgent needs. the program is still m~eded, and there is a continuing high demand for 1 oans. Rehab11ftation 1s expensfve. and present occupants. especially renters and senior cit1zen$ with limited incomes., may not be able to afford the additional costs unless they have ff nancial help. The Senior Home Repair Progran: .. which f s administered by the Senior Coordinating Cound 1 and partially funded by the Cf ty, pro vi des subsidized home repair servf ces to assist senf or homeowners. Over 350 subsidized se~v1ces are performed annually. Rental prop~rty owners can contract with the Santa Clara County Housing Author- 1 ty to provide federal rent subsidies. Unfortunately. private landowners have few incentives to make their units available for these federal assistance pro- grams. With the lfmited supply of rental housing, owners have little problem renting their units. The Cost of Housf~g State and federal policies call for comnmfties to provfde housing for all 1neome groups. and Palo Alto has attempted to see that there are housing opportun1tfes for people with a wf de range of fncomes. The trend toward ever- escalating housing costs continues .. however. Housing costs have risen due to 6/11/84 -24- 1nf1at1on fn materials <ind labor. and continuing Mgh interest rates. Addi- tional local reasons for the increase are the hfgh demand for housing in Palo Alto. i,,hich .fs heightened by the scarcity of land a't'ailable for new housfng development. the large number of Jobs. and the demolition of lower-cost unfts to make way for expensive new construction. When the prfce of housing goes up, large segments of tl'le population gradually beCQme unable t~ compete for housing fn Palo Alto: o Middle-and mderate .. f ncome house?holds. particularly those with children. who cannot afford to buy a home 1n expensive housing areas. o Seniors on limited incomes, such as pensions and Social Security. o Households with low-paying jobs or on public assistance who cannot afford hf gh rents. Students also generally have limited financial resources. Those "ho do not want to 1fve on campus or who cannot be accol!ITIC\dated there because of lack of space 1n the campus housing system, hOwever. may be able to compete fn the housing narket because they are wfllfng to share units with others. There is no way to estilflilte the number of households who, although they want to 1 he fn Palo Alto, live elsewhere because they cannot afford to live here. Others with strong enuugh reasons do dE'cide to live 1n Palo Alto no matter what the costs. The costs include not only payfng more than they want to pay for housing, but also living in units which are structurally inadequate or over- crowded. In 1980. 7.400 Palo Alto households, over 35 percent of t~e total households. were paying over 25S of their monthly income on housing. Forty-nine percent of all rer.tars (5,130) were paying over 25 percent of their f~come on gross rent. Over 20 percent of homeowners were payf ng ioore than 25 percent of their income on ownership housing costs. Almost one-half of the households paying over 25 percent of their gross income for housing are very low-and low-income house- holds, with incomes less than 80 percent of the County medfan. Nearly 3.ooo renters. and 630 homeO'tlners. fell into this category. Seniors are particularly susceptible to tlie hardships generated by rapidly inflating housing costs. Although 111>st seniors now lf vfng in Palo Alto would like to stay, 111any are finding the expenses of increased rent or naf ntenance costs mre and more difficult to sustain. Housing complexes for senfors of low-and l!k)derate-f ncome have so many requests that some have stopped takf ng names fer waiting lists. These ff gures are based on the housing situation at any given time. Annual estimates of housing need are included in Palo Alto's Housing Assistance Plan, which is required as part of Palo Alto 1s annual application for the Conroonity Development Block Grant Program. 6/11/84 -25- It should be recognized that as Palo Alto is r:e.de an even more desirable place to live, demand for housing will increase, pushing up purchese prf ces and rents even further. Increased housing costs ne.ke ft even more dffffcult for low-and moderate-inco~ households to make ends neet in the Palo Alto housing mrket. Thf s llllkes it even aore fmportant to have public policies which encoura~ hous- f ng which can be afforded by low-and rn:>derate-fncone households. Wf thout such poHcies and programs the supply of lower-cost housing wil 1 con- tinue to <Mfndle and low-and nl)derate-f ncome owners and renters will continue to be pushed out of Palo Alto by redevelopment, conversion, and rising tents. New residents wf 11 be only those with higher incomes. Pr1orftfes For Increasfng Housing )upply The c:haracter of a cf ty is determined by the type of peop1e who live in ft as well as by the quality of life. amenities, and services that the city can offer. Many Pa lo A 1 tans. not only those on the verge of being squeezed out, !re concerned about the loss of the diversity and balance the conmm1 ty once had. To assure that housing opportunities are available to a broad spectrum of househol~s. ne~ flllltfple-famf ly housing should result in significant amounts of housing that households earning 1°"-· mo~erate~. and middle-incomes can afford, '1hfle ma1nta1nfng those qualities which rrake lffe so attractive fn Palo Alto. Special attention should be given to housing for households with cflfldren dnd for people who work in Palo Alto. Wh!n work began on the 1976 Palo Alto Coq>rehensfve Plan fn the early-and mid- 1970's, housing policies a~d programs reflected the assumptions that: o Federal subsidy programs would provide housing for those households with f ncomes less than 80 percent of the County median. o The Below~arlcet-Rate program would offer housing for those households with incones between 80 and 120 percent of the County median. o The private 111arket would provf d~ housing for those households with 1ncones above 120 percent of the county median. However, by 1980 virtu11ly all first-tiine buyers with fncomes less than twice the median were excluded form the local housing market. An income of nearly $65,000 ts needed in order to purchase a $180,000 house, the 111edian price home f n 1984. Such high-priced housing 1s not •affordable• to many households. As used in the Coq>rehensive Plan, affordable housing fs that whf ch can be pur- chased or rented by households whose incomes do not exceed 150 percent of the median, and who pay no mre t.ian 30 percent of their gross fncome for thfs housfng .. There 1s a continuing substantial need for affordable rental housing 1n Palo Alto. However~ reyenues from market-rate rental units, ~ven with low land co!;ts, tend not tc cover the costs of constructing and f1nanc1ng new rental 6/11/84 -26- housing uniess such costs are reduced through subsidies or significant innovations in financ1ng developments. In order for the City to 1TBke progress 1n providing affordable housing. a wide array uf programs and activities 111.lst be pursued. Policy 5: Increase affordable housing supply through better use of ex1stfng housing. Better use of existing housing in Palo Alto provides perhaps the best opportun- 1 ty to increase the supply of &ffordable housing. A variety of creative programs have recently evolved wh1 ch increase the number of available 1i ving spaces. Shared housing programs t1th1ch m tch home providers wf th home seekers are currently offered in Palo Alto. Other creative methods of better using of the existing supply should be invest- 1 gated. Thfs might f nclude changf ng the rules limiting second k f tcnens. thereby allowing some large hones to be occupied by more than one family. Program 7: Continue support for Shared Housing Programs. Program Responsfbi11ty: Plann·fng Dfvfsfon and Social and Coltll1llnity Servf t:es Department Shared housing for seniors and single-pare"t household ~re current1y supoorted through the Comn11nf ty Development Block Grant program. Approximately 50 matches are successfully 4rranged each year. Rent& 1 Hou sf ng Polfcy 6: Maintain at least the present number of multiple-family rental units while working to increase the overall supply of rental housing. Program B: Continue the adopted condominium conversion ordinance. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Most of the lower-cost housing 1n Palo Alto is rental housing. Between 1968 and 1974, nine apartllent projects containing 231 units were converted to condo- miniums. threatening to reduce t~ rental hous1og supply substantially. Conversfons fn Palo Alto had a displacement rate of 82 percent. according to a 6/11/84 -27- ---~---------------------------. B74 s•~rvey. Most tenants were forced out because of hf gher costs, because the monthly carrying cost of a condomfnfurr. is almost always Mgher than rent on a comparable un1 t. A few tenants moved out because at that t1me they wou1 d rather rent than own. A 1974 condomfnfum conversion ordf nance greatly reduced the number of conversio~ applications until two large applications were received and approved in 1980. Neither of these two projects, however, were ultimately converted. The 1974 candomf nfum conversion ordinance was replaced in 1981 by a new ordinance wh1 ch al lows an app11 cation for conversion to be filed only ff there 1s a City-wide rental vacancy rate which exceeds three per- cent, or regardless of the vacancy rate, 1f: o One below-market-rate rental unit is provided for every two non-below- market-rate uni ts to be coJJverted. o The tenants of at least two-thirds of the rental units consent to the convers1on. There have been no condominium conversions since this ordinance became law. Program 9: For any residential development in 1T1Jltiple-family zones which causes the loss of rental housing units, subdivision approval (1 ncluding condomi nfam maps) may be granted only if any one of the foll0111ing four circumstances 1s met: o The project will result in a sign1f1cant net gain to the City housing supply (de ff ned as 100 percent l'fl>re unf ts than those previously ed stf ng on the site) and 0:0111>lY with the City BMR program (broadened to include, in this case, projects with less than 10 units); or o The number of rental units to be provided by the project is at least equal to the number of existing rental units (defined as all units past one fn any project); or o Not less than 20 percent of the unfts provided are BMR unfts (minimum one BMR, no in-lieu fee); or o Not less than 50 percent of the unfts shall be marketed to households of middle incomes (proportionally d1strfbuted among households within the 120 to 150 percent of the County medf an income range) and sha 11 have deed restrictions to assure continued affordability with resale. Program Responsibility: Planning Divf sfon This program establishes an acceptable tradeoff between the number and type of new unf ts fn a condomfniurn subdivision and the 1oss of rental units. The first condition provides only for redevelopment within existing zoning levels. The intent of this condition 1s to discourage demoli tfon of rental uni ts where there f s an fnsfgnfff eant net gain in units. 6/11/84 -28- Affordable Ho1sfng Policy 7: Encourage and foster the development of new and existing housing units affordable to low-, ftW.'.>derate-, and middle-income households, especial~y those households with children. These units, for either ownership or rental, should be dispersed throughout the City. Program 10: Continue support for the Palo Alto Housing Corporation 1n the provi s'fon of low-. moderate-. and mi ddle-1 ncome housing, w1 th primary emphasis on the low and IOOderate income sectors. Insure that the housing provided, including middle income housing, rema.fn affordable over time. Program Responsibility: Planning Division The P.e.lo Alto Housing Corporation was established in 1969 to encqurage and develop low-and moderate-income housing fn Palo Alto. It fs an fndepenctent, non-profit organization whose board members serve without pay. In addition to its development activities. the Corporation has provided consulting services on housing to the City under contract since 1970. Administration costs of the Corporation have been funded by the City's Co!m'tunfty Development Block Grant Pro grain. The Corporation has sought to use every means to produce housing at lower costs without sacr1f1 cing qua11 ty. Construction and permanent financing at lowest available interest rates. reduction of land costs through landbankfng or other means, and development by experienced non-profit housing organizations can combine to yield affordable housing. Projects developed by the Corporation include Colorado Park. Webster Wood, Birch Court, and the Terman Apartments scheduled for occupancy by early 1985. The Corporation also owns tnd operates the Elm and Ferne Apartments. Program 11: To make J!llltiple famfly housing attractive for families with chi 1 dren, such housing should provide suitable open space areas for children's play. Program 12: In ~ousfng developmeilts of 10 er mre uni ts, not less than 10 percent of the units shou1d be provided at below-mrket rates to low and 1110clerate f ncome famf lfes. For each BHR unf t prov1 ded, a de ve 1 op er sha 11 be perm1 tted to bu i1 d one additi ona 1 market rate unit up to a 1111xian11 unit increase over the allowable zoning of 15 percent, and consistent with all other zoning requirements. Program Responsibility: Planning Division. Palo Alto Housing Corpora tf on 6/11/84 -29- The City of Palo Alto's SMR Program is intended to increase the housing supply for fndfvf duals and families who have 1ow and moderate incomes. Since the beg1nning of the program in 1974, 63 uni ts have been occupied, and another 45 have been commf tted ta the program. The prfmary objective 1s to obtain actual housing units rather than equivalent cash. Occupancy of BMR units is deter- 111fned according to Cfty Counci 1-est.ablistied guidelines from those on a numbered wafting 1ist mafntafn~d for the City by the Palo Alto Housing Corporatfon. The initial selling price of BMR units is based on what would be affordable to families whose incomes are no higheT than 120 percent of the median income related to family size, as established from tfme to time by HUD for Santa Clara County (BMR Income Guildelfnes). Before acceptance of plans for re-vfew by Palo Alto City staff, a developer of a complex of ten or mre residential units should agree to one or a cori>ination of the following alternatives that are listed in order of priority. Provision by the developer and acceptance by the City of the BMR arrangement will be part of the application for development. On-Site IMR Unfts For each ten units developed. not less than one of such units sh~Jld be µro- v1ded as a. BMR U!'tit withfl'l the development. The price for ~uch BMR units should be established at the time of approval of the tentatf\e subdivision map by the City. The price should be based on the estimated d'h ect construction and financing cost of the BMR unit {excluding land cost. RP.:-:.eting cost. off- site fmprovements and profit). but in any event should be consistent wfth the prf ce ranges allO'lfed by the BMR Incone Guidelines fr effect at the time. Fractions of required BMR units should be handled ~!' equivalent in-lieu pay- ments. For each BMR unit provided. a developer shall be permitted to build one addi- tional market-rate unit. However. fn no event shall the total number of units 1 n a development be mre than 15 percent over the number otherw1 se a 11 owed by zoning. Off-Sf te BMR Units Prov1 de on or before coll\)let1on of any development of ten or ioore uni ts not less than one BMR unft elsewhere in the City for each nine units developed. These units may be new or existing and 1M1st be approved by the City. taking into consideration such fact~rs as size. location. amenities. and condition. ln-Lfeu Pay11ents BaMd • Sales Prfce The City will consider an in-Heu payment alternative to actual units only if the developer substantiates that the df rect construction and financing costs of 6/11/84 -30- the BMR uni ts (excluding land cost, mrketi ng cost, off-s1 te f mprovements and 9rofit} exceed the selling prices a~towed by the BMR Income Guf delfnes. The fn-lfeu paym!nt fs to be 3 percent of the actual sales price of each unit sold. The paymer.t will be n.de to the C~ty upon the sale of each un1t in the subdf vis ion. In-lieu payments for fractions of BHR units will be determined: o Disregarding any bonus unfts. o As 3 percent of sel 11 r.g prf ce of each of the un1 ts for whf ch no BMR unit is provided. If the developer retains any coq>1eted unf t as a rental, either for its own account or through subsfdh.ry or affiliated organizations. the fn-lieu payment for such unit should be negotiated between the developer and the City. EqutY1lent Alternatt.es The City may consider reasonab1y equivalent alterntaives to these gu1delines. Sites larger tllan F1ve Acrei Deve1opers who build on sites larger than ffve acres are expected to provide more than 10 percent BMR units or to set aside land for assisted housing to be built by others~ Approprfate BMR contributions fn such cases sha11 be fndivf d- ually negotiated be~een the developer and the City. Below-Market-Rate guf de1fnes for rental housing developments should be adopted. The BMR program guidelines have been developed for sale housing. Gu11de1ines should be developed for rental housing developments in the event that a ll'Brket rate renta 1 project is prDposf:d. Program 13: Encourage the development of Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Housing cooperatives are recef v1ng mre attention in this area as a practical way to reduce housing costs. Cooperative housing is a form of home ownership which is jointly owned by the people who live in the development. L1mited- equfty cooperatives are generally targeted to low and mderate income persons. A cap 1s placed on the allowable equity build-up of 1ndf vidu&t ownership which insures continued affordability. City support fn the form of land acqufsft1on and financing assistance should be considered for 11mited--equfty cooperative noustng whose occupancy is primarily people of low to noderate income and fn keepfng with other City policies_ 6/11/84 -31- Program 14: Provide zoning f1ex1b111ty to encourage the development of smal- ler unfts affordable to low-and !!Dderate-income persons. Program Responsibility: Planning Div1s1on Many niltiple family 11nits now being built in Palo Alto are over l,200 square feet in size, and are prf ced beyc.id the reach of low-and n:iderate-income households. The private sector may be able to provide affordable units if high land costs could be spread over more units and the construction costs lowered by reducing the size of the units. In order to encourage smaller. affordable housin:J in 1M1ltiple famfly, commer- cial. and industrial areas, the City will consider planned co111t1Unity develop- ments which lfmft building size to that established by the standard zoning of the area but allow the number of unf ts to exceed the number norrna lly al lowed under the zoning of the area. Jn return for receiving a greater number of units• the developer shall provide a mecl'lanfsm to assure that the units gained wf 11 be affordable to low-and 111>derate-income households. The site develop- ment standards of the planned communf ty district sha11 adhere to those of the zo"ing applied prior to the establishment of the planned cot1111.1nfty distrfct. In con sf de ring such developments. the City st.al 1 assure that the number of units allowed will be coq>atible with the surrounding land uses. that traffic and public services will not be adversely i~acted,, and that the development will not result in adverse off-site parking impacts. Program 15: Study surplus sc~ool sites to determfne possfbf lf ty of 111>re affordable housing. Program Respoi1sfb1lf ty: Planning Division A to~l of ten surplus school properties are currently being leased for a vari- ety of interim uses. Each of these sites should be evaluated before rezoning to determine ff affordable housing beyond the Below-Market-Rate requirement fs approprf ate. Program 16: Evaluate commercial and industrhl properties w1th the intention of rezoning to housing where appropriate. Program Responsfbf lity: Planning Division Program 17: Consider new 111.11t1ple family zoning fn whfch the number of unfts allowable fs a function of their affordabf 11ty. Program Responsibility: Planning Division 6/11/84 -32- Zoning for affordability 1s a new concept that would -establish flexible zon1ng density levels for specific s1tes. allowing a greater number of total housing units, depending upon the number of lower cost units provided by a developer. Program 18: Continue to require developers of emplcyment-generating co11111erc1~l and industrial developments to contribute to the supply of low and moderate income hous;ng. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Commercial and industrial developments generate added emp1Qyment fn Palo Alto, thereby incre(t.sfng the demand for nx>re housing in Palo Alto. A certain per- centage of these employees r.eedfng more housing will be low-and l'll'Jderate- income families. Developers whQ contribute to the current jobs/housing fnt>alance and the concomitant incr,easing shortage of low-arwd rooderate-incorre housing should be required to assist the City in solving the hous1ng problem. One way Palo Alto has obtafned ioore housing for low-and moderate-income families has been to require. th~ough the Ca11fornia Environmental Quality Act. large eqlloyment-generati ng developments to contribute funds to City programs set up to construct or acquire housing for low-and moderate-income fam11f es. Thh program should be continued pursuant to an ordinance that specifically S'!ts out the housing contributions required of commercial and industrf al developers. Policy 8: Encourage and partfcfpate fn low-and moderate-1ncome housfng programs financed by other levels of government. Most city housing programs have aimed to 1111ke federal and state assistance pro- grams mre effective here. In 1981, wf th the passage of the new State Housing Element law. a new Nfair share• h~using need method was established. This law provided guidelines for local Council of Governments to determine reg;onal housing needs and applicable City and County shares of such needs. The Associ- ation of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) deterarined that Palo Alto's projected 1980-1990 need fs 2,441 addf tfonal housfng units, fncludfng 1,318 unf ts ~hf ch w111 be affordable to low-and mderate-1nccre households. As required by the new law. the housing need should be projected over a ff VQ-year period {19 per- cent of the total units to very 1<*' fncone households, 15 percent to 1ow- i nco11e households. 20 percent to moderate-income households). IMCOME CATEOGRY Very Low (0-501 of Median Income) Other L~er (501-QOS) Mo~rate (80S-120S) Above Moderate TOTAL UNITS 1985-1990 FIVE YEAR HOUSING NEEDS 232 183 244 562 1.221 6/11/84 -33- It fs unlikely that Pa.lo Alto can provide that many units for lower-income households because of limited federal resources and lack of land. But the City will use public and private resources to nake a good-fafth effort to provide as many un1ts as it can in meeting its required need. A housing action plan set- ting forth the City 1s ffve-year goal for housing assistance is found at the end of the housing element. Program 19: Contf nue the Land Bank Program. Program Responsibility: Planning Division The Land Bank Program provides for City purchase of sites primarily for resale to developers interested fn provf ding rental housing for lower income house- holds. The ccnstruction of this housing is impossible without both a land bank program to make the land available and federa 1 assistance to lower housing costs. Since 1976. funds for thfs program have come from ConrniJnity Development Block Grants. Beiow-Market-Rate program in-lieu funds, environmental mitigation payments. a~1d City capital improvement funds. The program has assfsted in the development of Lytton Gardens Phases I g II. Webster Wood, The Sheridan~ Birch Court, and the Terman Apartments. Program 20: Reinstate the local ~ent supplement (Piggyback) program upon availability of appropriate federal ho~sing programs. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Palo Alto's Piggyback program was created fn 1974 when it became apparent that maxitlllm rents payable by the Santa Clara County Housing Authority under the Sectf on 23 housing assistance program were too lm.i to make the Housing Author- ity a real competitor for un1'ts fo Palo Alto's tight housing narket. Until the Sectfor. 23 program was terminated by the federal government fn 1982, the City provf ded subsidies to the Housing Authority to help lease up to 20 units annua 1 ly. Similar rental assistance programs are being considered by the federal govern- ment which may need local rent supplements. The City should reinstate the Pf ggyback program 1f a rental assistance program becomes available. ProgTam 21: Support the Rental Housing Acquisition Program under which the Palo Alto Housing Corporation acquires* rehabilitates if neces- sary .. and operates existing rental housing pri mr11y ior low and moderate f ncome persons. Program Responsibility: Planning D1vf sfon/Pa1o Alto Housing Corpora ti on 6/11/84 ... 34- The ~ousing Corporation's Rental Housing Acqu1sftfon Program helps provide and preserve low-and nnderate-1 ncome rental housing 1n Palo Alto. The Housfng Corporation operates City-wide to acquire, rehabf litate ~here necessary. man- age~ and rer;t rr:sidential properties to provf de housing at the lowest possible cgst whfle nafntafning a financially self supporting program. Coll!llJnfty Development Block Grant funds have been used to acquire two proper .. ties under this program, the 12-uni t Elm Apartments and the 16-unf t Ferne Apartments. Ffndfng satisfactory properties which can be affoi'"ded by the Housing Ccrpora- tfan Ul'lder thfs program has been difficult. The City should investigate dif- ferent financing mechanisms which nrlg~t reduce the cost to purchase properties. One potential mechanism to be explored is the establishment of a non-profit entity directly controlled by the City which could acquire properties througt- prolllf ssory notes, the interest on which is tax-exempt. Sellers would be will- f ng to reduce their prf ce because of the tax-exempt nature of the payments. Management of the units would be by the Housing Corporation. Program 22: Maintain the high priority for housing programs in the alloca- tion of Colll!llir.f ty Development Block Grant Funds Program Responsibility: Planning Division The P11o Alto Colftlnfty Development Block Grant three-year plan (1982-85) estabHshes a funding al location goal of at least 80 percent for housing related actfvitfes, a level which has been exceeded in recent years. This high level of support to housing should be naintained. Policy 9: Encourage i"novat1ve housing ffnancing techniques to nake 11Dre housing affordable. lnnovathe ffnancing techniques have been developed that reduce the costs of owning new and existing housing. An exa~le 1s Stanford University's cofnvest- .ent (COIN) program that provides subsidized second lll)rtgages to the homebuyer. This progra111 fs now being replaced by the .. Ten-Thirty Program", which allows a hOflebuyer to defer part of a nonthly payment obligation for up to ten years on a thf rty-year convent1ona1 loan. Star.ford wi 11 guarantee repayment of the deferred interest obligation. Another ex1111>1e f s equity sharing, in which a homebuyer and an investor form a p1rtnershtp that share 1 n the downpay111ent, RK>nthly pay•nts. and the equity of the property for a lhrf ted tine. The homebuyer saves on down payirent and aonthly P11•nt costs and can obtain tax deductions and other advantages of hat1t ownership. 6/11/84 -35- • Proqram 23: Use mrtgage revenue bonds to !"educe the cost of housing finance. Program Responsfb1lfty: Pl1nnfn9 Divfston The City should use funds from the$e bonds to provide lower interest, long-term mortgage loans to buyers of below-market-rate housing for bufldfrtg or buying federa1 ly or state assisted housing for low-and moderate-incnne households. Palo Alto, as a participant fn the County of Santa Clara Mortgage Revenue Bond Program, has received bond ffnancfng for buyers of 83 new owner-occupied homes 1n Palo Alto11 and for construction and permanent financing of the 92-unft Terllliln Apartments. Policy 10: Increase fanding sources used to provide affordable housfng. Program 24: Oe-ve lop ways to obta 1n greater contri butfons frcm corNnercfo 1 and industrial developers. Program Responsibflfty: Planning Division Program 25: Develop local revenue sources to address funding for affordal>le housing. Program Responsfbf lfty: Planning Division The development of affordable housing has relied predominantly fn the past on federal funding sources. For th~ rnost part, these sources are no longer avail- able. Cf ties 1111st look to new and df verse sources of funds fn order to con- tinue the production of affordable housing. Policy 11: Support the m1xfng of resfdentfal uses fn commercial and industrial areas. Mixing residential uses in commercial areas offers promise of increasing the housing supply. Residences can be built over store$ and offices. and in Palo Alto's attractive industrial areas. This could aho reduce conwnute costs and help employers re1:ruf t employees to the area with imre affordable housing. The housing would also i~rove the urban design quality of the city's cormiercfal dfstr'icts by adding nrfety and pedestrian activity to shopping streets. These gaf ns would be mde at the cost of some additional trafff c congestion. Since 1980, seweral large mhed use projects have been built in Palo A1to. A 117 unit condo1R1nfum and 40,000 squ~re foot connercfal complex f s currently being developed in the California Avenue Shopping area. 6/11/84 -36- Program 26: Evaluate existing incentives for encouraging residential use on land zoned for commercial and industrial use to determine ~hether i ncentfves implemented to date are effect he and should be llllf n- tai ned. and determ1 ne wtJat new f ncentf ves should be provided. Evaluate any dhincentfves which discourage resi dentiai use on lar.d zoned for connercial and industrial use. and ff necessary, eliminate or mitigate suth dis1ncent1ves. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Program 27: Continue to consider development of residential units on air space over selected public and private parking lots. Program Responsfbf lity: Planning D~visfon/Real Estate Some assessment distr1ct and private off-street par~ing lots can be put to nK>re effective use by allowing and encouraging housing over the parking areas. The City has developed procedures for considering air rights projects for assess- ment dfatrict lots. One .application for forty residential units and parking has been appr-oved. The City will evaluate this project to determine how successful the afr rights concept f s fn application. Program 28: ijork with local employers to encourage the development of housing for persons working fn Palo Alto. Program Responsibility: Planning Division Primary objectives for new housing are that low-, moderate-. and m1ddle-1ncome househQlds can afford it, and that it be occupied by people e~loyed in Palo Alto. It would be very difficult for the City to require that prhate housfng be occupied by individuals who to1ork here. However, the City can encourage local employers who partf cipat~ in the development of new housing to give first priority to those who work nearby. Thfs occupancy pattern could help e~loyers recruit. reduce travel costs for employees, and reduce com111Jte traffic. Ope1 Chof ce All of Palo Alto's efforts to provide a diversity of housing opportunities would be neaningless 'ff that housing were not available in an atmosphere of open and free choice for all. Policy 12: Work towards the elimination of df scrfminatfon based on race. re11 g1on. national origin, age, sex. mar1 tal status. or physi ca 1 handicap. and oth~r barriers that prevent choice in housing. 6/11/84 -37· Programs to accornpli sh this polf cy are: Pro~ram 29: Seek better state and federal enforcement of fair housing laws. Program Responsibility: City Attorney's Office Program 30: Continue to contract with such groups as Mi d-pen1 nsula Citizens for Fair Housfng to provide fair housing servf ces. Program 31: Program Responsibilfty: Planning Divfsfon/Department of Social and Community Services Continue the City-supported Rental Housing Mediation Task Force, a program of the Human Relations Conrnission, to prevent or remedy conditions which lead to problems between landlords and tenants. Program Respons1b1lfty: Plannfng Division/Department of Social and Comlflun1 ty Ser·:i ces Program 32: Contfnue the efforts of the Human Relations Commission to combat dhcrim~nat'fon in rental housing. Program Responsibf 1i ty: Department of Social and Colll!IJni ty Services Program 33: Work to effecf tvely carry out the intent of the adopted age discrimination ordfnancce. Program Responsfbilfty: Cfty Attorney 1s Office Energy ProY1sfons California's new housing element law requires that opportu111t1es for energy conservation in resf dential development be analyzed as part of the housing element. Policy 13: Continue efforts whf ch re-duce the cost of housing by promoting energy efficiency and conservation for new and ex1st1ng housing. By owning and operating fts own utilities system, the City fs corr.mf tted to offering its residents a high quality of utilities services at the lowest 6/11/84 -38- possible cost. The Uti11ties System atteq>ts to fnvest fn a mf x of new energy supply pro~cts, operating efficiencies, and custoirer-or~ented conservation and solar services which together will enable local residents to lll!et their energy needs at a lower cost than fn neighboring communities. Current residential utilities rates are approxfmately SO percent lower than neighboring c1t1es for electricity. 20 percent lower for water, 30 percent for sewer, and equal for gas~ Program 34: Contf nue staff support and techni ca 1 assfstance in energy conser- vation to architects and developers. Program Responsibility: Utilities. Resource Planning Dfv1sion Conservation and Solar staff of the City's own utilities system (electricity, gas. water:. sewer utilities) have an active role in design review for all new construction, excluding individual single·fami ly horr.es. Through this design review process, the staff assess the building structure and systems fn terms of energy efficiency. Certain measures are required of all projects (solar water heating/heat recoY~ry. solar p1umbfng and storage provisions fn certain build- ings, solar pool heating, and window shading on air conditioned buildings) fn Palo Alto. Beyond these requirements. staff works on a voluntary basis with architects. developers, and buf lders to review bu1 ld1 ng plans and suggest addf tfona1 opportu!'!fties to fr.corporate energy efficiency features in project plans. Individual sfngle-famf ly home new construction fs not required to go through the City's design n~iew process outlined above. However. conservation and solar staff are available to assfst property owners, architects and builders to evaluate building plans and make reco111nendatfons fo:-1;r.p;ov1ng energy efficiency. These services include: orientation of a building on its lot for inaxf111.1m passive solar utilization; advice on glazing and thermal mass requirements for passive heating/cooling; and review of furnace size requirements, and optional heating system!. Program 35: Continue City conservation, solar, weatherfzation services and loans. PTogram Responsfbf lfty: Resource Planning Divfsfon The Uti 11 ties Conservation 1nd Solar programs offer extensive assistance and services aimed a.t reducing the costs of ut111tfes. Among the services provided are; on-sf te energy audf ts of s1 ngle-fami ly and iwl tf ple-famfly dwe1 lings; installation services 1nc1uding tontractor-1nsta1lat1on and a local youth- program service 1nsta11fng low-cost conservation products; and law interest loans by the utility to residents desiring a loan payment plan to avoid a one- time cash outlay for conservation/solar products. 6/11/84 -39- -----~------------------------------------------ Two programs are specially oriented toward lower-income households: o The •cttallenge M1cnaeP program places an interactfve micro-computer fn public locations (e.g., banks, senior centers, retail stores) to reach specifica11y l«*er-income senfcrs and single-parents who might not other- wfSe knew about Pa lo A 1 to' s conserva tfon servf ces. at1d/or how lllicn lll>ney can be saved wf th home energy conservation. o The R.l.C.H. program (Rebate for Investment in Conser~ation for the Home) f s operated under a pflot federal/state grant to target low income house- holds -and seniors fn particular. This program allows households at or below 80 percent of median inca112 to pay only 50 percent of the costs for home weather1zation fmprcvements. The City Council has established a comn1.1nity goal of 3.ooo solar installations by 1986. A comprehensive program of services ar.d activities has been developed to achf eve this: o Technic!l assistance, both on-site and in-office .. to assist residents to determine their potential to use solar energy techniques, and to design or select the property for solar energy use. o A wf de array of solar fnformatfon materials from educational handbooks and fact sheets to contractor lists~ sizing guidelines, and installation specf fi cations. o Evening and weekend workshops for residents to learn about solar, tour existing solar app11catfons. and l!leet with solar contractors. I) City-assisted group 11eetings where residents collectively choose systems and negotiate discount prices ~1th participating solar contractors, resul- ting in 10-20 percent reductions in the pr1ce of solar systems. o LDW interest loans (cur~ently 10 percent interest, with a variety of maxi- mum loan amounts and repayment periods) to assist residents who want to purchase a solar system, but either lack the cash or cannot take advantage of conventional ffna"cfng terms. The utfltfes loan attempts to achieve a •break-even" cash flow between utf11ty bf 11 savings and solar loan pay- ments, whf ch a~erage $20-$24 per month. o Electricity utility bill discount of 10 percent to residents w1th qualify- ing solar systems. The Desired Resalt The policies and programs set out in the preceed1ng pages are the framework of Palo Alto's housing program. Together these policies and programs will help Palo Alto to continue to provide a high-quality residentia1 environment for the diversity of people who make up the Palo Alto comnMJnf ty. 6/11/84 -40- lousf Rg Actf on Plan The 198C-1990 housing need projection for Palo Alto 1s 2.441 un1 ts, and 1.221 for the 1985-1990 fhe--year fn!plementat1on period. At this time there are suff1 cf ent sf tes to accomn>date these uni ts, but not necessar1 ly at prices and rents that neet affordab111 ty target income fig1Jres. (Nineteen percent very low, lSS low, 20S moderate income households). Projecting accurately the number and type of housing f s coq>licated because of the uncertainty of market forces and the avaf labf lity of state and fede1~a1 resources. Over 2,650 new units are projected for the 1980-1990 period. including approximately 2,000 units pro- jected for 1985-19900 This forecast assumes a Stanford 'Hest/1100 Welch Road development of 1290 units. From 1980 through 1983 there were 628 new housing units added to the housing stock. including 563 multiple family units and 65 single family unit~. Accounting for demolitions, in this period there was a net addition of 545 u~its to the housing stock. Three tables are presented below, including a current land inventory, a housing unit forecast for the 1984-2000 period, and a table providing the City goa1s for hcus1ng assistance to low and mderate income households over the 1985 to 1990 period. 6/11/84 -41- RESIDEITIAL DEVELOPMENT LAND IMVEMTOIY (JAIUARY 1. lt84) An inventory of land suitable for residential development. including vacant sites a11d sites having a potential for redevelopment 1s a requirement under the new housing element law. This should include sites not presently planned and zoned for restdentfal use, but otherwise suitable for residential development. Thfs table surveys najor parcels of vacant residentially zoned land and other potential sites for residential development. Dwelling unit capacity 1s also provided. Re<Jfdentially zoned parcels have an assumed housing yfeld equal to the maximum al lowed by the zone, e;ccept for the Stanford West and 1100 Welch Road sf t~s. which are calculated at less than the maxinx.1m allowed by the zoning. The City currently has sufficient overall capacity in the utility system (water, sewer, gas, and electricity) to acconrnodate new development. Indfvidual sites may require upgrading of utility lines serving a specific site. T~ansportation and street improvements may be required as part of project approval for some of the sites. ZON I twG/S ITE Multiple Family Zoning Stanford West 1100 Welch Road San Antonio and Nita Clemo Avenue 725 Loma Verde Other Multiple Famf ly Single Family and Duplex TOTAL RESIDENTIAL Industrial Areas Page Mf 11 Between Hansen and Hanover 1050 Arastradero TOTAL INDUSTRIAL ACRES 45.20 4.20 3.00 1.80 1.30 4.50 30.00 90.00 8.2 5.9 14.1 POTENTIAL DWELLING (A::TUAL SUB- DIVISION PROPOSAL OR MAXIMUM TYPE ALLOWED BY ZONING) 1,140 150 106 21 27 126 60 1,630 164 59 223 6/11/84 -42- ACRES COMMITTED ESTIMATE Surplus School Properties De Anza (Rezoned for Housing) 5.2 19 Hoover (3.47 Acres Rezone~ 6.2 99 for Housing) Ortega (Rezoned for Housing) 5.7 25 Oh lone 5.6 55 Cubberley 35.4 147 Green dell s.o 25 Terman (4.35 Rezoned for 20.9 92 Housingi Garland 5.0 25 Crescent Park (Rezoned for 4.9 25 Hou sf ng) Ross Road 4.9 21 Mayfield 4.2 84 TOTAL 103 182 435 Addi ti ona 1 housf ng unf ts can be expected through redt ve 1 op men t of ex'fstf ng resf dentfal and connercf al areas. Current zoning would permit a nBxfmum of 738 addi tiona 1 uni ts through redevelopment of exf stf ng re sf dentf a 1 areas. This development can be expected to take place over many years. Redevelopment of conaercfal areas, such as the Urban Lane and Haxfmart sites, could yield over 650 units. 6{11/84 -43- -------~----------------- PALO ALTO IEW HOUSING UNIT FORECAST 1984-2000 (JANUARY 1. 1984) 1984 -1990 199G -2000 SINGLE Ruln. FAMILY FAMILY Vacant Residential 20 1,400 Vacant Industrial 80 Commercial and Industrial Redeve l opmer.t 250 Residential Redevelopment 160 Surplus School Sites 50 170 TOTAL 70 2,060 ~MLE FAMILY 40 90 130 MULTI. FA1'ULY 180 140 420 160 300 1,200 6/11/84 -44- 1985 -1990 IMPLEMENTATION GOALS Increased housing opportunities for low-and lll)derate-f:".:ome househo'lds is a major goal of the Housing Element. l111>lementatfon goals for programs which attemp to increase and i~rove the housing suply for this population are outlined below: New Constr-uction Program 3 -Cottage Un1 ts Program 11 -Below Market Rate Uni ts Program 12 -Limited Eq. Coop Program 13 -Bonus Unit~ Program 18 -Co~lete Terinan Development Program 18 -New Development TOTAL Ellisting Program 6 -Housing lJl11rove- ment loans Program Program 7 6 Shared Housing Matches Program 19 -Sect1on 8 Existing or Voucher Recipients Program 20 -Rental Housing Acquisition Program TOTAL VERY LOW RENT OllJl 20 25 45 15 100 100 10 10 - 120 115 INCOME LOW INCOME RENT ORN 10 72 82 40 20 20 80 20 5 25 - 50 135 40 175 MODERATE lNC~E RENT OWN 15 20 155 20 5 25 - 35 205 15 15 15 15 6/11/84 -45- ' . ,-J ~--..-· ..... VI 0 3 3 POINT SIZE 4 • l' • ~I • '),• : -• 6 Hg471 W9~9 A7o7:::, Ge-9'2 8 2J<biy GmnOc 10 Y5o5o E119g 7n34a K2b8t 12 D6tmh 9ss9d Wcuzl L lcdg 14 6Y3sl Okjdg FU TU RA NEWS GOTHIC 14 K2b8t OkjdB 4ef8k Gmn c 12 Zlo6x Ge92 7n34a 6Y3sl VQr8j A7o7q 10 Oelvf 2xbiy 9ss9d Llcdg 8 33q7n Elt9g 6 4 ·'•.:. POINT SIZE IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-2) ~ 12.s ~ 1.0 ~ mi ~~ Ill &::.; i.;. Ui. i.:. I 2.0 lllllJ.I Lo. ~ .... t ... :: 111111. 25 111111. 4 11111 !.6 , I , .. , ... · 1 · ... . . . . ' ' .. h~ c U..."J z~ /, ~ g 0 1..1.J co -~ ~ L ~ '-" c 0 3 r-Via:ioN LL I Q'.) ::::> " L u. ...., t--t :r a:: .,:, <( x 0 ::> <( w "' >-~ z x LL.. <t co CD VI r--Vl '" ~ :l:: .,, ~ CD l/) ~ "' LU N <l. , <l. 3: :I: L~ zl >: :I: ~ => ~ .,.. 0 :::> a:i z ::,: w < I "' _J ~ c a:i ff O' Lil v 2: ..... ~ ~ x > >C) u t-w 00 ON :r ~N .:T '° ---o-,.., -0 ;;.., Xa..l/1 01 :_ i-N •"': ~ ..:.c: ·-,...--... ;;; ~ ;., "' ~ ~ ~ ;....; -0: '" )': ~ ~~ ..J -" ~ -to c ..J --~ --...... :::. ::.:' ~ _._ ~ ~ .-. ..... ~ 5$ -,, - T -., :;::: 0... ~ -~ =-~ ,.... ·'"' N ~ ... ..... tr'.I rJ) " ..... ~ < ~ -= ·~ .......... pQ ·-•-J'1 ~ ...c -..,,i r--..___. I-~ PHO'FOGRAPHIC SCIENCES CORPORATION 770 BASKET ROAD + • ,. 4 P.O. BOX 338 WEBSTER, NEW YORK 14580 (716) 265-1600 ' •• t ' . . . . , . . . . .. . .. -. -. . . . .. .. . ~ . . . -. . -... - ,. • • • • ti. ...