Redwood City seeks ways to bring in new housing

Councilmembers met for a study session Monday to discuss updated Regional Housing Needs Allocation numbers, a state-mandated process that requires cities to strive to meet growing housing needs. Though still unofficial, the city will likely be required to build an additional 4,588 homes in the next eight-year cycle beginning 2023.

The city’s current RHNA goals were set in 2015 and required the city to build 2,789 units by 2023. Units must fall into one of four categories, above market rate, moderate, low and very low market rate.

Within the current eight-year cycle, Redwood City has welcomed 4,143 new units, successfully surpassing its above-market-rate goal of 1,152 units by 2,137 and its low-income goal of 429 units by 34.

Despite building nearly double the number of units required, the city is still short of meeting its very-low and moderate-income unit goals. Of the 706 very-low units required to be built, only 350 have been developed and of its 502 moderate unit goal, only 41 have been built.

Nearly 790 new moderate and more than 1,100 very low units will likely be the city’s new goal in the next cycle, said Diana O’Dell, principal planner with the city.

“That’s going to be quite a challenge for us so I think really dedicating our resources to what we need to do to meet that need will be a big lift,” said O’Dell.

Councilmember Lissette Espinoza-Garnica questioned whether the city could require developers to include more very-low-income units given proposals are already required to reserve 15% of units at below-market rate.

Similarly, Councilmember Diana Reddy, a longtime housing advocate, suggested the city include extremely low income as a category when surveying income levels of city residents. The analysis is part of the city’s Housing Element Study required for the state’s RHNA process.

“These are the ones that are most at risk of homelessness and being pushed into homelessness,” said Reddy, also a member of the Regional Impact Council, a multi-jurisdictional body working toward a regional housing approach.

Councilmembers also suggested the city review R1 or single-residential zoning. Espinoza-Garnica shared support for banning R1 zoning like Berkeley while Vice Mayor Giselle Hale pushed back on the idea, instead suggesting the city welcome more duplexes and triplexes around the city.

Broadening development outside of downtown was also a proposed solution such as creating a mixed-use corridor along Woodside Road. While supportive of the idea, councilmembers said they'd like staff to consider other parts of the city such as Redwood Shores.

Smith said a “structured and rationalized way” of evaluating various areas would need to be developed and Councilmember Alicia Aguirre said the city should loosen its ties to building near transit.

“I agree that it would be nice to have them on transit corridors but I don’t think we should limit where we can do it,” said Aguirre. “I think we need to be open and look at deed restrictions in the shores. Folks can benefit out there as well as in any area in our city.”

City staff and council were aligned on their concerns for preventing displacement as the city continues to grow and preserving existing housing. The housing division will return to council in the fall with strategies meant to prevent residents from being pushed out, said O’Dell.

Councilmembers encouraged staff to meet with nonprofits and trusted community partners when engaging the public on their development interests, particularly those who serve Black and Latino residents and the youth. Staff assured the council a robust outreach process was already in the works.

“I really like this idea of anchoring on community values because the housing we build has to be about the values we want to see living in our community,” said Hale. “I really want to see us hit those moderate, low and very low goals because that is where we’re really able to meet the needs of individuals in our community that are not being served.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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