Burlingame making progress on housing numbers: City has met nearly 40% of state housing requirements; majority above-moderate units 

Since 2022, the city has met 75% of its above-moderate quota, with 991 units approved. Its numbers are lower in other categories, with only 8% of moderate units approved and 14% of very low-income units approved, for example. 

Burlingame should be proud of the work it has done in such a relatively small span of time, Community Development Director Neda Zayer told the council. 

“We have achieved close to 40% of our [Regional Housing Needs Allocation] numbers, which is a high mark and a huge achievement for the city to have made that much progress in such a short amount of time,” she said. 

In 2025, housing progress in the city revolved largely around construction, with 465 units built. Ninety-two units were entitled, and 72 were issued building permits. 

The city’s progress on building new housing for its growing population began before the state required it, Mayor Michael Brownrigg said. 

“The work speaks for itself. We’re getting the job done. We were getting the job done before we were told to do it,” he said. “I think we all know what the right thing to do is.” 

He did raise concerns around developments labeled as affordable housing raising rents to meet average median income standards. In a county where 80% of the average median income for a family of four is already $158,000, it makes sense to require affordable housing developers to cap increases, Brownrigg said. 

“I think it is perfectly reasonable to hold a developer to whatever that rent is today at 80% AMI and not allow it to float up with AMI, and rather cap the increases over time,” he said. 

Councilmember Peter Stevenson said he was in agreement with the idea, which may not mean fully freezing rent increases, but rather making them more reasonable given the rapid increases of average median income numbers. 

“It’s a teaser rate — it gets people in but they can’t survive, because the increase is growing faster than their wage,” he said. “We need mechanisms to combat that.” 

As the city continues to develop affordable housing, it might be prudent to consider hiring a housing specialist on staff, Councilmember Donna Colson said. She noted that she and other councilmembers often have to act as “housing specialists” for residents. 

“Does there come a point in time [that] we need to seriously think of focusing someone full time?” she said. “I think we all feel like we’re kind of acting like housing specialists, and we’re not.”