On Friday September 5, 2014, the City of Alameda received notice from the State of California that the State had certified the City of Alameda’s Housing Element.
The State certification was made possible by the Alameda City Council’s July 15, 2014 action to approve a new and updated Housing Element for the period 2015 through 2023. This is Alameda’s first Housing Element to be certified on time since 1990.
With support from a wide variety of Alameda organizations and citizens including the City of Alameda Planning Board, Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Commission on Disability Issues, a variety of local housing organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, the Alameda Board of Realtors, and other local interest groups, the City Council adopted the new eight-year Housing Element. The 2015 - 2023 Housing Element includes policies and strategies to provide for the housing needs of the community, provide for transportation strategies to support existing and new neighborhoods, and ensure environmentally sensitive, transit oriented, and “green” housing development consistent with the City of Alameda Climate Action Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Land Use Element.
“State certification is incredibly important for the City of Alameda,” said City Planner Andrew Thomas. “Certification means the City is in conformance with State law and doing its fair share to accommodate the State’s need for housing as well as supporting the local and regional plan for economic growth and climate protection. In addition, without certification, the City is blocked from many sources of important State funding for transportation, parks, and affordable housing, and we have less discretion over each housing project proposed in Alameda.”
“Certification of the Housing Element is not just about housing. This year, the City received a State Housing-Related Parks grant for $200,000 for Estuary Park. We were only able to apply for that grant because the City of Alameda was in compliance with State Housing law. With the creation of two new City parks in the near future, the Recreation and Parks Department fully expects to apply for more State funds for City parks and this certification is a key factor,” said Recreation and Parks Director Amy Wooldridge.
The new Housing Element also demonstrates that the City of Alameda does not need to re-zone any more land for residential use to accommodate the City’s Regional Housing obligation of 1,725 units over the next eight years.
“We are very pleased to be finished with this process and to be certified by the State,” said City Manager John Russo. “It would not have been possible without all of the efforts and contributions from the Alameda community members who participated in this process and the City Council’s leadership.”
