2018-10-10 Item H2 Affordable Housing Information Session AGENDA REPORT
Housing Authority
MEETING DATE: October 10, 2018
PREPARED BY: Nicole Piano-Jones, DEPT. DIRECTOR: Brenda Wisneski
Temporary Housing
Coordinator
DEPARTMENT: Development Services EXECUTIVE Karen P. Brust
Department DIRECTOR:
SUBJECT:
Affordable housing information workshop.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the Encinitas Housing Authority Board receive the information and provide
direction to staff, if needed.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This item is consistent with the Community Planning focus area of the City's Strategic Plan. This effort
supports the goal "to pursue a range of diverse housing opportunities balanced throughout the
community."
FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS:
This is an informational item and there are no fiscal impacts associated with the staff
recommendation. Should the Encinitas Housing Authority (EHA) Board provide direction that has
potential for costs in addition to the approved FY 2018-19 budget; staff will present such budget
amendments to the City Council for consideration at a later date.
BACKGROUND:
In May 2017, the City underwent a departmental reorganization, which included merging Engineering
and Planning and established the Development Services Department. Modifying and adding staff
positions were also included as part of the reorganization. As a follow-up to the reorganization,
subsequent staffing refinements were approved by the City Council in April 2018. One such staffing
refinement was to create a Temporary Housing Coordinator position from the existing Management
Analyst position. Additionally, a budget authority was included to enable the City to contract with a
housing consultant, experienced with affordable housing. The intent and goal of those staffing
refinements were to focus on developing strategies to incentivize and facilitate the development of
affordable housing.
In June 2018, staff contracted with Karl Schwarm, who has worked for many years as a former
Director of Housing and Neighborhood Services, involving affordable housing in the San Diego
Region, especially North County. He works closely with the Temporary Housing Coordinator, and
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other City staff to develop strategies, suitable for Encinitas, which assist in the effort to create new
affordable housing.
A preliminary step in this work effort is to provide an opportunity for the public and the EHA to learn
more about the mechanisms involved in creating new affordable housing developments.
ANALYSIS:
Throughout the most recent Housing Element Update process, there has been a great deal of
discussion regarding the needs and requirements for affordable housing, and the land use and zoning
efforts to plan for affordable housing. While understanding the needs and requirements for affordable
housing are important, as are the development conditions necessary for new construction of
affordable housing, the focus of this information session will be on the basic "nuts and bolts" and
necessary steps in affordable housing development. The goal of the session is to educate, discuss,
and receive feedback regarding affordable housing policies, which would be presented to the EHA
and City Council for consideration at a later date. The information session will include a PowerPoint
presentation, followed by a question and answer panel discussion segment.
The affordable housing informational session is specifically designed to provide the following:
- A definition of affordable housing;
- An overview of the City's existing affordable housing developments and programs;
- An overview of funding mechanisms used in affordable housing development; and
- Several examples of affordable housing developments recently built in North County.
Affordable housing developers representing the developments to be shown in the presentation will be
present for the discussion.
Should the EHA provide feedback and/or direction to staff regarding affordable housing policies
and/or strategies, staff will return at a later date for future consideration by the EHA and the City
Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) because it is not a "project" under Section 15378(b)(5) of CEQA Guidelines. The action
involves an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in the direct or
indirect physical change in the environment.
This item is not related to the Climate Action Plan.
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