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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB 1867 Harkey - Land Use ��� � CITY OF PALM DESERT CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE STAFF REPORT REQUEST: CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE ACTION ON AB 1867 (HARKEY) AT ITS MEETING OF MARCH 30, 2010 DATE: April 22, 2010 CONTENTS: AB 1867 Language Recommendation By Minute Motion, concur with the action taken by the Legislative Review Committee at its meeting of March 30, 2010, and direct staff to prepare a letter of support for the Mayor's signature with regard to AB 1867 (Harkey) relative to land use. Committee Recommendation The Legislative Review Committee directed staff to prepare a letter of support for AB 1867. Backqround Current State law regarding a municipality meeting its State affordable housing obligation uses a specification "unfit for human occupation" as a type of housing the City can claim credit for in the State formula when it is"substantially rehabilitated". This bill would expand that specification to also include rehabilitation of"substandard housing"as a specification the city can claim credit fortowards its "substantially rehabilitated" obligation for low and very low income housing. If a City has very limited"unfit"housing that it can rehabilitate,this presents some restrictions on the formula outcome for a City such as ours which is committed to generating affordable housing. This bill would enable a City that has more "substandard" housing than "unfit" housing more opportunity to get credit for rehabilitation to low and very low income housing which benefits the community and the City. Our support can have a positive impact on the eventual passage of the bill. Fiscal Analvsis There is no fiscal impact to the City of Palm Desert. �� %%�-� CITY COUNCILACTION GARY ROSENBLUM APPROVED � nr�vTlF.D RISK MANAGER RECE[VED OTHF,R � �_ � MEETI G UATE �- a-�Z�lG M. WOHLMUTH AYFS: � 1 � c �i ��`—`4_ , I Y MANAGER NOES: ���` —�- A13SENT: c C,, --� ABSTAIN:_ �nN "-- --__—_____._. V E R I F I F.D I3Y: �1�� ��- �._____.---_. Original on File with City Clcrk's fyscc -----� CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-2009-10 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL No. 1867 Introduced by Assembly Member Harkey February 12,2010 An act to amend Section 65583.1 of the Government Code,relating to land use. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1867, as introduced, Harkey. Land use: local planning: housing element program. The Planning and Zoning Law authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to allow a city or county to substitute the provision of units for up to 25%of the city's or county's ohligation to identify adequate sites for any income category in its housing element if the city or county includes in its housing element a program committing the city or counry to provide units in that income category within the city or county that will be made available through the provision of committed assistance,during the planning period covered by the element, to low- and very low income households at affordable housing costs or affordable rents,as defined.In order for a unit to qualify for inclusion in this program, it must meet one of several, specified criteria,including the criterion of being substantially rehabilitated with committed assistance from the city or county and constituting a net increase in the community's stock of low-and very low income housing, and the criterion of being located in a multifamily rental housing complex of 4 or more units, as specified. Under that law,a unit is not eligible to be considered as"substantially rehabilitated" unless specified requirements are met, including the requirement that the unit to be rehabilitated is initially found by the city 99 AB 1867 —2— or county or by a court to be "unfit for human habitation" due to the existence of at least 4 of various specified conditions. This bill would modify the eligibility requirements for a unit to be considered as"substantially rehabilitated"by revising the requirement that the unit to be rehabilitated is initially found to be"unfit for human habitation" due to the existence of at least four of various specified conditions, and instead requiring that the unit to be rehabilitated is initially found to be a"substandard building"due to the existence of at least 6 of other,various specified conditions.This bill would also revise the criterion of being located in a multifamily rental housing complex of 4 or more units,as specified,and replace it with the criterion of being located in a multifamily rental housing complex of 3 or more units, as specified. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of California do enact as,follows: l SECTION 1. Section 65583.1 of the Government Code is 2 amended to read: 3 65583.1. (a) The Department of Housing and Community 4 Development,in evaluating a proposed or adopted housing element 5 for substantial compliance with this article, may allow a city or 6 county to identify adequate sites, as required pursuant to Section 7 65583, by a variety of inethods, including, but not limited to, 8 redesignation of property to a more intense land use category and 9 increasing the density allowed within one or more categories.The 10 department may also allow a city or county to identify sites for 11 second units based on the number of second units developed in l 2 the prior housing element planning period whether or not the units 13 are permitted by right, the need for these units in the community, 14 the resources or incentives available for their development, and 15 any other relevant factors, as determined by the department. 16 Nothing in this section reduces the responsibility of a city or county 17 to identify, by income category, the total number of sites for 18 residential development as required by this article. 19 (b) Sites that contain permanent housing units located on a 20 military base undergoing closure or conversion as a result of action 21 pursuant to the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base 22 Closure and Realignment Act(Public Law 100-526),the Defense 99 —3— AB 1867 1 Base Closure and RealignmentAct of 1990(Public Law ]O1-S l 0), 2 or any subsequent act requiring the closure or conversion of a 3 military base may be identified as an adequate site if the housing 4 element demonstrates that the housing units will be available for 5 occupancy by households within the planning period of the 6 element. No sites containing housing units scheduled or planned 7 for demolition or conversion to nonresidential uses shall qualify 8 as an adequate site. 9 Any city,city and county,or county using this subdivision shall 10 address the progress in meeting this section in the reports provided 11 pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision(b)of Section 65400. 12 (c) (1) The Department of Housing and Community 13 Development may allow a city or county to substitute the provision 14 of units for up to 25 percent of the community's obligation to I S identify adequate sites for any income category in its housing 16 element pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 17 65583 where the community includes in its housing element a 18 program committing the local government to provide units in that 19 income category within the city or county that will be made 20 available through the provision of committed assistance during 21 the planning period covered by the element to low-and very low 22 income households at affordable housing costs or affordable rents, 23 as defined in Sections 50052.5 and 50053 of the Health and Safety 24 Code, and which meet the requirements of paragraph (2). Except 25 as otherwise provided in this subdivision, the community may 26 substitute one dwelling unit for one dwelling unit site in the 27 applicable income category. The program shall do all of the 28 following: 29 (A) Identify the specific, existing sources of committed 30 assistance and dedicate a specific portion of the funds from those 31 sources to the provision of housing pursuant to this subdivision. 32 (B) Indicate the number of units that will be provided to both 33 low- and very low income households and demonstrate that the 34 amount of dedicated funds is sufficient to develop the units at 35 affordable housing costs or affordable rents. 36 (C) Demonstrate that the units meet the requirements of 37 paragraph(2). 38 (2) Only units that comply with subparagraph (A), (B), or(C) 39 qualify for inclusion in the housing element program described in 40 paragraph(1), as follows: 99 AB 1867 —4— 1 (A) Units that are to be substantially rehabilitated with 2 committed assistance from the city or county and constitute a net 3 increase in the community's stock of housing affordable to low- 4 and very low income households. For purposes of this 5 subparagraph, a unit is not eligible to be "substantially 6 rehabilitated"unless all of the following requirements are met: 7 (i) At the time the unit is identified for substantial rehabilitation, 8 (I)the local government has determined that the unit is at imminent 9 risk of loss to the housing stock, (II) the local government has 10 committed to provide relocation assistance pursuant to Chapter 16 ll (commencing with Section 7260) of Division 7 of Title 1 to any � 12 occupants temporarily or permanently displaced by the 13 rehabilitation or code enforcement activity, or the relocation is 14 otherwise provided prior to displacement either as a condition of 15 receivership, or provided by the property owner or the local 16 government pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section l 7 17975) of Chapter 5 of Part 1.5 of Division 13 of the Health and 18 Safety Code,or as otherwise provided by local ordinance;provided 19 the assistance includes not less than the equivalent of four months' 20 rent and moving expenses and comparable replacement housing 21 consistent with the moving expenses and comparable replacement 22 housing required pursuant to Section 7260, (III) the local 23 government requires that any displaced occupants will have the 24 right to reoccupy the rehabilitated units,and(IV)the unit has been 25 found by the local government or a court to be ----�` r�- '-_--�.�-- 26 '-�'--'�ata� a substandard building due to the existence of at least 27 �€a�tr six violations of the conditions listed in subdivisions (a) to 28 {g�j (o), inclusive, of Section '''-�� 17920.3 of the Health and 29 Safety Code. 30 (ii) The rehabilitated unit will have long-term affordability 31 covenants and restrictions that require the unit to be available to, 32 and occupied by, persons or families of low- or very low income 33 at af�ordable housing costs for at least 20 years or the time period 34 required by any applicable federal or state law or regulation. 35 (iii) Prior to initial occupancy after rehabilitation,the local code 36 enforcement agency shall issue a certificate of occupancy indicating 37 compliance with all applicable state and local building code and 38 health and safety code requirements. 39 (B) Units that are located in a multifamily rental housing 40 complex of�ettr three or more units,are converted with committed 99 —5— AB 1867 1 assistance from the city or county from nonaffordable to affordable 2 by acquisition of the unit or the purchase of affordability covenants 3 and restrictions for the unit, are not acquired by eminent domain, 4 and constitute a net increase in the community's stock of housing 5 affordable to low-and very low income households.For purposes 6 of this subparagraph, a unit is not converted by acquisition or the � 7 purchase of affordability covenants unless all of the following 8 occur: 9 (i) The unit is made available at a cost affordable to low- or 10 very low income households. 11 (ii) At the time the unit is identified for acquisition, the unit is 12 not available at an affordable housing cost to either of the 13 following: 14 (I) Low-income households,if the unit will be made affordable 15 to low-income households. 16 (II) Very low income households, if the unit will be made l7 affordable to very low income households. 18 (iii) At the time the unit is identified for acquisition the unit is 19 not occupied by low- or very low income households or if the 20 acquired unit is occupied,the local government has committed to 21 provide relocation assistance prior to displacement,if any,pursuant 22 to Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 7260) of Division 7 of 23 Title 1 to any occupants displaced by the conversion, or the 24 relocation is otherwise provided prior to displacement; provided 25 the assistance includes not less than the equivalent of four months' 26 rent and moving expenses and comparable replacement housing 27 consistent with the moving expenses and comparable replacement 28 housing required pursuant to Section 7260. 29 (iv) The unit is in decent, safe, and sanitary condition at the 30 time of occupancy. 31 (v) The unit has long-term affordability covenants and 32 restrictions that require the unit to be affordable to persons of low- 33 or very low income for not less than 55 years. 34 (C) Units that will be preserved at affordable housing costs to 35 persons or families of low- or very low incomes with committed 36 assistance from the city or county by acquisition of the unit or the 37 purchase of affordability covenants for the unit. For purposes of 38 this subparagraph,a unit shall not be deemed preserved unless all 39 of the following occur: 99 AB 1867 —6— 1 (i) The unit has long-term affordability covenants and 2 restrictions that require the unit to be affordable to and reserved 3 for occupancy by persons of the same or lower income group as 4 the current occupants for a period of at least 40 years. 5 (ii) The unit is within an "assisted housing development," as 6 defined in paragraph(3) of subdivision (a) of Section 65863.10. 7 (iii) The city or county finds,after a public hearing,that the unit 8 is eligible, and is reasonably expected, to change from housing 9 affordable to low- and very low income households to any other � 10 use during the next five years due to termination of subsidy 11 contracts, mortgage prepayment, or expiration of restrictions on 12 use. 13 (iv) The unit is in decent, safe, and sanitary condition at the 14 time of occupancy. 15 (v) At the time the unit is identified for preservation it is 16 available at affordable cost to persons or families of low- or very l7 low income. 18 (3) This subdivision does not apply to any city or county that, 19 during the current or immediately prior planning period,as defined 20 by Section 65588,has not met any of its share of the regional need 21 for affordable housing, as defined in Section 65584, for low- and 22 very low income households.A city or county shall document for 23 any housing unit that a building permit has been issued and all 24 development and permit fees have been paid or the unit is eligible 25 to be lawfully occupied. 26 (4) For purposes of this subdivision, "committed assistance" 27 means that the city or county enters into a legally enforceable 28 agreement during the period from the beginning of the projection 29 period until the end of the second year of the planning period that 30 obligates sufficient available funds to provide the assistance 31 necessary to make the identified units affordable and that requires 32 that the units be made available for occupancy within two years 33 of the execution of the agreement. "Committed assistance" does 34 not include tenant-based rental assistance. 35 (5) For purposes of this subdivision, "net increase" includes 36 only housing units provided committed assistance pursuant to 37 subparagraph (A) or(B) of paragraph(2} in the current planning 38 period, as defined in Section 65588, that were not provided 39 committed assistance in the immediately prior planning period. 99 —7— AB 1867 1 (6) For purposes of this subdivision, "the time the unit is. 2 identified"means the earliest time when any city or county agent, 3 acting on behalf of a public entity,has proposed in writing or has 4 proposed orally or in writing to the property owner, that the unit . 5 be considered for substantial rehabilitation, acquisition, or 6 preservation. 7 (7) In the third year of the planning period,as defined by Section 8 65588,in the report required pursuant to Section 65400, each city 9 or county that has included in its housing element a program to 10 provide units pursuant to subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of 11 paragraph (2) shall report in writing to the legislative body, and 12 to the department within 30 days of making its report to the 13 legislative body,on its progress in providing units pursuant to this 14 subdivision. The report shall identify the specific units for which I S committed assistance has been provided or which have been made 16 available to low- and very low income households, and it shall 17 adequately document how each unit complies with this subdivision. 18 If, by July 1 of the third year of the planning period, the city or 19 county has not entered into an enforceable agreement of committed 20 assistance for all units specified in the programs adopted pursuant 21 to subparagraph(A),(B),or(C)of paragraph(2),the city or county 22 shall,not later than July 1 of the fourth year of the planning period, 23 adopt an amended housing element in accordance with Section 24 65585,identifying additional adequate sites pursuant to paragraph 25 (1)of subdivision(c)of Section 65583 suf�icient to accommodate 26 the number of units for which committed assistance was not 27 provided. If a city or county does not amend its housing element 28 to identify adequate sites to address any shortfall, or fails to 29 complete the rehabilitation, acquisition,purchase of affordability 30 covenants,or the preservation of any housing unit within two years 31 after committed assistance was provided to that unit, it shall be 32 prohibited from identifying units pursuant to subparagraph (A), 33 (B), or(C) of paragraph(2) in the housing element that it adopts 34 for the next planning period, as defined in Section 65588, above 35 the number of units actually provided or preserved due to 36 committed assistance. O 99 April 13, 2010 1�R ��' Honorable Diane L. Harkey State Capitol Room 4177 Sacramento, California 95814 Dear Assemblywoman Harkey, The City of Palm Desert supports passage of AB 1867. This bill would adjust the City's low and very low income housing element to include the defined "substandard housing" properties that are rehabilitated, not just properties that are declared "unfit for human habitation." The City has a very robust program for rehabilitating housing in the City for the benefit of those who require affordable housing, and a strong commitment to meet its State affordable housing obligation. The changes made by this bill would allow a City like Palm Desert that may have very little housing "unfit for human habitation" but much more "substandard housing" available and actively undergoing rehabilitation to receive appropriate credit for this committment. We support this bill and urge your colleagues to do the same. Sincerely, CINDY FINERTY MAYOR CF/Iw cc: Honorable Brian Nestande Anthony Gonsalves