Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, May 07, 2024
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER CARSON'S 2023 ANNUAL HOUSING ELEMENT PROGRESS REPORT (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
California State Housing law requires all cities with certified Housing Elements to file an Annual Progress Report (APR) with the California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) identifying the status of the plan, the progress in the plan’s implementation and the progress the City has made in meeting its share of the regional housing needs determined by the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), Exhibit 1.
The Housing Element includes a series of implementing programs that are required to be executed after the adoption of the General Plan. The City is required to provide annual updates to HCD with the City’s progress with the execution of these implementation programs.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. REVIEW Carson’s 2023 Annual Housing Element Progress Report.
2. RECEIVE and FILE.
Body
III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
On October 18, 2022, the 2021-2029 Housing Element was adopted by the City Council. The adopted Housing Element was submitted for final review and certification by HCD on November 3, 2022. The 2021-2029 Housing Element was conditionally approved by HCD on November 8, 2022, subject to the City completing the necessary rezoning addressing the shortfall of sites to accommodate the RHNA pursuant to Assembly Bill 1398 (Chapter 358, Statutes of 2021), Exhibit 2. After the adoption of the Phase 1 Zoning Code by the City Council on March 19, 2024, staff has been working with HCD to obtain certification of the Housing Element.
The 2021-2029 RHNA allocated Carson a housing need of 5,618 units, consisting of 1,770 very-low-income households (0-50% AMI); 913 low-income households (51-80% AMI); 875 moderate-income households (81-120% AMI); and 2,060 above-moderate-income households (120% AMI) which is a significant increase from the prior cycle’s allocation of 1,698 new units.
The adopted Housing Element sets out to accomplish the following:
1. Maintain and rehabilitate Carson’s existing housing stock.
2. Encourage the development of a variety of housing to meet needs of the broad spectrum of the community, with a particular emphasis on multifamily housing, and development standards that facilitate housing production.
3. Preserve affordable housing “at risk” of conversion and promote additional affordable housing development.
4. Promote and preserve housing opportunities for persons with special needs, including lower income households, large families, single parent households, disabled persons, the elderly, and persons experiencing homelessness.
5. Provide housing opportunities to all persons regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, ability, sex, age, marital status, household composition, or other arbitrary factor.
6. Conserve natural resources and reduce energy consumption in all areas of residential development.
Housing Element Program Implementation
The adopted Housing Element also contained its goals and policies with the Housing Programs implementation outlining seventeen (17) specific actions the City will take addressing its housing needs, Exhibit 3.
The APR incorporates the Programs Implementation to track the City’s progress over the RHNA 2021-2029 Cycle.
RHNA Cycle 6 (2021 through 2029) Units Built
2022
• Six (6) building permits were issued for accessory dwelling units.
• Nineteen (19) certificates of occupancy were issued for accessory dwelling units that were constructed.
2023
Building Permits, A total of 115 building permits were issued in 2023:
• Sixty-eight (68) building permits were issued for Accessory Dwelling Units;
• One (1) building permit was issued for a single-family home at 21719 Grace Avenue; and
• Forty-six (46) building permits were issued for the Carson Landing 175-unit Condominium development located at northeast corner of Victoria Street and Central Avenue.
Certificate of Occupancy (“Certificates”), A total of sixty (60) were issued in 2023:
• Thirteen (13) accessory dwellings were constructed; and
• Forty-seven (47) homes were constructed within the Carson Landing Condominium development.
Ministerial and Entitlement Projects
During this 2023 calendar annual progress reporting year, a total of 69 (sixty-nine) dwelling units were processed administratively (ministerial); and 105 dwelling units were entitlement projects processed as discretionary applications. The following are the City’s housing progress for these types of projects:
• Two-unit (duplex) single-family residence (22030 Main Street), Status: approved.
• Four (4) detached residential units (222 E. 220th Street); Status: approved
• Thirty-four (34) townhome condominium project (Maupin Development, 215 W. Carson Street); Status: deemed complete.
• Fifty (50) townhome condominium project (Anastasi Development, 336 E. Carson Street). Status: deemed complete.
Rehabilitation
Seventeen (17) single family residential housing units and seventeen (17) mobile homes were rehabilitated using the City’s Neighborhood Pride Program which is funded by Community Development Block Grant funds.
The Annual Progress Report (APR) Status
The APR identifies the total number of units by income level that SCAG allocated for Carson’s 6th Housing Cycle for the period between 2021 and 2029. The total RHNA allocation is 5,618 units.
During the 2022 calendar year, 5,148 was the outstanding units need. The City has produced 153 units during this Cycle. Subsequently, a total of 4,995 outstanding units needs to be produced during the rest of the Cycle.
The State provided 2023 Annual Progress Report template is not showing the correct housing data from Calendar years 2021 and 2022 resulting in an inaccurate number of remaining RHNA housing units in the Summary. Staff has emailed the Housing and Community Development APR staff and is working with the State to resolve this matter.
Diverse Housing Relevance
It is imperative that the City continue to implement the Housing Element by encouraging and maintaining diverse and affordable housing because noncompliance with the HCD-required affordable housing allocations could result in the loss of State housing funds.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. City of Carson 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report Summary (pg. 5)
2. Housing and Community Development Department letter dated November 8, 2022 (pgs.6-7)
3. Housing Element APR Housing Implementation Programs (pg. 8)
Prepared by: McKina Alexander, Senior Planner / Saied Naaseh, Community Development Director