Affordable housing is vital to St. Helena - not only because California’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requires cities and counties to plan for their "fair share" of the region's housing needs - but also because it ensures that residents from all income levels, including essential workers and young families, can continue to live and thrive in our community. By providing affordable options, we preserve the diversity and vibrancy that make St. Helena unique, supporting the local workforce and fostering a stronger, more inclusive city. This not only enhances the quality of life for our residents but also contributes to the long-term economic stability and social cohesion of our beloved town.
By 2031 St. Helena is required to have built a total of 256 new housing units. 2031 is just seven years away - and housing projects tend to take almost as many years to plan, approve, and complete. Cities in California that fail to meet their RHNA goals risk losing local control over zoning, state funding, and may face lawsuits, fines, or forced compliance through mechanisms like the Builder’s Remedy. Despite the pressing need and state mandates, affordable housing is not included as one of the city's seven strategic goals.
It is time to prioritize this issue and develop a strategy to address the challenge. From a management and oversight perspective, I believe the city city council would do well to establish a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to strive for and monitor on an annual basis. These are measurable and quantifiable metrics used to evaluate performance. A set of five KEY performance indicators for the year would provide focused attention to our most pressing issues - and affordable housing is one such issue.
I am particularly interested in exploring partnerships and grants that can help fund affordable housing initiatives, leveraging local, state, and federal resources to address our community's housing needs. Examples of current and upcoming opportunities include: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development's FY24 Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing grant opportunity and Round 9 of California's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program that funds affordable housing and transportation projects close to jobs, schools, and other daily destinations to help California meet both its climate and equity goals.
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702 McCorkle Avenue, St. Helena, CA 94574
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