Foster City lags behind on housing goals

So far, the city has completed 11 very low-income units out of the required 520, 14 low-income units out of 299, 11 moderate-income units out of 300, and 37 above-moderate units out of 777. In 2025 alone, only five total units received certificates of occupancy.

The total number of permit approvals are even fewer, with 38 completed since the beginning of the cycle, the majority of which were approved last year.

According to a staff report, the city has not denied any housing applications, and the slow progress is more indicative of broader macroeconomic trends that have made lending conditions difficult for developers, a pattern that has played out regionally, not just in Foster City.

"It's just mind-boggling that we're only 3% in towards our RHNA numbers, and we're two years in at this point," said Councilmember Stacy Jimenez. "I know it's not necessarily on us — you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink — so I am looking forward to seeing how we can get more creative."

Each city must complete an annual update on its housing element and RHNA figures, with progress varying between cities. Redwood City showed it is slightly behind on its housing element, though San Mateo has seen a flurry of new development proposals, with a pipeline that comprises roughly 80% of its RHNA goals, though many of those have not yet received entitlements.

Councilmember Phoebe Venkat said she wasn’t surprised by the slow progress given the city’s historically poor track record of approving new housing.

“We’ve had a pretty anti-housing stance here in leadership in the city, so I guess we reap what we sow,” Venkat said. “I don’t want this to work so we can check a box and be seen as good eggs to [the Department of Housing and Community Development]. I want this to work because this is what our community needs.”