City Council Meeting to Consider Adoption of San Mateo’s 2023-2031 Housing Element

The City Council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 6:00pm.

The City’s Updated Housing Element, a state-mandated plan for how San Mateo can accommodate at least 7,015 new homes over the next eight years, has been revised in response to comments from the State Housing and Community development Department (HCD); and was published for second round of public review on December 30, 2022. The 2023-2031 Housing Element establishes goals, policies and programs to help address the City’s current and future housing needs. The second formal public review period was between December 30, 2022 and January 9, 2023, however comments are still being accepted. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on January 12, 2023 and recommended that the City Council decline to adopt the Housing Element as drafted. The City Council will hold a public hearing on January 24 to receive public comments, consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation and take action on the Updated Housing Element.

How to Get Involved 

The Housing Element is available for public review at City Hall and posted online. 
 
Send written comments with subject line “Housing Element” 

• By email to: housing@cityofsanmateo.org  
• By mail to: Housing Manager, City of San Mateo, Planning Division, 330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403 
• Online: on our Housing Element website 

Attend an upcoming public hearing:  

• City Council – January, 24, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
  Meeting info is available on the Public Meeting Portal 

Background 

The State requires cities to plan for future growth by updating their Housing Elements every eight years. In this cycle, the City of San Mateo is required to demonstrate our zoning has enough capacity for at least 7,015 new housing units to meet our Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The Housing Element is the only element of our General Plan that is subject to State review and approval. According to State statutory requirements, the City must submit an adopted Housing Element by January 31^st to the State of California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) to be considered compliant.
 
Housing needs in the City are significant, especially for low- and middle-income households. These needs affect the entire community, but disproportionately impact our underrepresented and ethnically-diverse populations. Over the last year, we’ve conducted extensive community outreach to inform this Housing Element during 19 meetings, four surveys, two hearings, several study sessions, and numerous pop-up events. 
 
 The plan articulates five goals to shape policy and programs moving forward: 

• Production: Facilitate the production and development of new housing at all income levels, especially affordable housing. 
• Preservation: Preserve existing housing that is affordable to lower- and middle-income residents. 
• Protection: Protect current residents to prevent displacement. 
• Promotion: Promote community engagement and public outreach to increase education and awareness.  
• Fair Housing: Ensure fair housing laws proactively protect residents: (Affirmatively further fair housing)