Foster City fixes affordable housing wait-list regulations

On Dec. 31, 50 of the building’s affordable units will become market-rate ones, while rents for the other 24 affordable units will become market rate over the next three years. Some tenants are facing rent increases from as low as $500 a month to $3,200 a month as rent is 30% of the tenant’s income based on the agreement.   

While the residents are allowed to remain in their apartments moving forward, the enormous rent hikes will mean many if not all of them will have to relocate.

“I’m stressed over this matter so much that I’m on depression meds with nowhere to go,” Vanessa Franklin, a 33-year Foster’s Landing tenant who raised her family in the apartment, said at a City Council meeting March 18. 

Foster City officials have been scrambling to find a solution and, during that meeting, the council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s affordable housing wait-list policy that would allow “tenants at-risk of displacement” to be placed at the top of the list. Those lists are extremely competitive and if new applicants are even being accepted at all, wait times can be as long as five to 10 years. 

“This is a really sound policy given the circumstances we’re dealing with,” said Councilman Sam Hindi. “Those at risk of homelessness — we’re dealing with members of our community who are at risk of that and they should be the priority.” 

Councilmembers did say they had reservations about bumping those currently on the wait list further down to accommodate the Foster’s Landing residents, but ultimately voted for the proposed policy. 

“If those people have been on the wait list to push them down — I don’t know how equitable that is, but we need to do something,” said Mayor Catherine Mahanpour. 

Community Development Director Marlene Subhashini said each year there are about 20 vacancies on affordable housing wait lists, which is less than half the number of Foster’s Landing tenants facing large rent hikes. She also said the policy won’t be helpful to those currently paying less than $1,000 a month in rent because rents at affordable units elsewhere are typically at least that much. 

Hindi also proposed using limited city resources to supplement the rents of Foster’s Landing tenants for a period of time, but his council colleagues did not weigh in on the suggestion during the meeting. 

Amending the wait-list policy is just one of other potential moves to bring relief to the Foster’s Landing renters. On April 6, the council will consider forming a subcommittee to explore other potential actions. 

“We’ll leave no stone unturned,” Subhashini said. 

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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