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While the city of Pleasanton continues to move forward with updating its Housing Element, an extensive outreach campaign is in the works to ensure public participation and understanding of the process, and to receive important feedback from residents.
An overview of staff’s recent efforts and developments on updating the city’s upcoming regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) cycle was given at last week’s council meeting, and outlined a “public participation plan.” Community outreach is required by law as part of the state-mandated RHNA process, though state officials do not dictate exactly how to do so.
City staff recommended holding three community-wide meetings early in the project “to allow for feedback and insight into the highest priority considerations,” and at least two stakeholder meetings with representatives for housing-related interests such as nonprofits, community service providers and market-rate and affordable housing builders.
The city may hang signs and consider hosting a booth at the Farmers’ Market, as well as adding signs and electronic displays at places like City Hall, the Public Library, and the Senior Center. Additionally, staff may give reports or presentations to additional commissions and committees outside of the Housing and Planning commissions, and groups like the Realtors’ association.
A recently launched website will serve as the primary access point for residents to learn more about the Housing Element update and future meetings, and subscribe to updates on the project. The user-friendly site also includes project documents and a page of frequently asked questions.
The outreach plan was praised by Councilmember Kathy Narum as “robust,” and several residents shared some suggestions of their own during the public hearing on Tuesday.
“Many of our residents speak English as a second language and have a variety of different cultures,” Jocelyn Combs said. “Ask them the best way to reach out, which could include multiple languages, different social media, meeting types and locations.”
Debunking myths about affordable housing is crucial, Combs said, and that the city is “not reaching out to those who work here, who would like to live here — a key demographic for new housing.” Combs urged them to “create a means to capture that information by survey, social media, working with employers.”
Before voting that evening, Councilmember Valerie Arkin said, “Certain areas are more highly impacted with our schools than others and I would like that to be a consideration as we move forward.”
During the last Housing Element, Arkin said the Planning Commission met at every single elementary school in Pleasanton Unified School District, and sent a card to every resident in that boundary area inviting them to come meet and learn more about the process.
“I think that would be a really good thing to do this time as well,” Arkin said.
Monith Ilavarasan, a candidate in last year’s mayoral election, said during public comment that the city should “advance the goals of affordable housing” by identifying “all publicly owned land that is available in Pleasanton, and make that information available to the community in an accessible manner.”
“This publicly available land can be used in conjunction with nonprofit housing developers and community land trusts to build higher-density long-term affordable housing that actually fosters community here,” Ilavarasan said.
Both Combs and former council member Becky Dennis said not adding more affordable housing in Pleasanton could eventually backfire on the city and also contribute to the consequences of climate change.
“We should take into account the limited financial resources of these lowest-paid essential workers who often commute the farthest distance from housing they can afford to their jobs here,” Dennis said. “The rising cost of gas and then the need to purchase electric vehicles could make commuting too expensive for them, and that in turn could reduce workforce availability for Pleasanton businesses.”
Dennis added, “Preserving and enhancing the competitiveness of our city as a business location will require an investment in affordable workforce housing close to Pleasanton jobs.”
Increasing workforce housing and “taking away commuter trips reduces greenhouse gases and helps meet our climate goals,” too, Combs said.
“Water is the reason” that former councilmember Arne Olson said he commented on Tuesday, and shared his concerns that the city’s current draft RHNA allocation of 5,965 housing units — which city officials plan to appeal based on concerns about the methodology used — is at odds with local resources.
“When you prepare your appeal regarding the allocation, I think we need to mention water as an environmental constraint,” he said. “(The) process requires that we outline governmental constraints and environmental constraints, and I think water has to be an environmental constraint.”
Olson added, “This Housing Element will require an EIR. That exercise needs to look at water, and not just the supply water for Pleasanton, the secondary issue of PFAs in our water supply. There seems to be a disconnect at the state level between housing goals and a recognition that they’re impacted by water supply.”
This month, the Association of Bay Area Governments and Metropolitan Transportation Commission are expected to start issuing draft RHNA allocations, then outline the procedure and timeframe for the mandatory local review and appeal process, before finalizing the RHNA later this year. Though the city plans an appeal of the draft RHNA allocation, the most recently published estimate will be used as a working number in the meantime.
To learn more about the Housing Element update, visit www.pleasantonhousingelement.com.
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