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7.B. - Page 64 of 79 AP -75 Barriers to affordable housing — 91.220(j) Introduction: The provision of adequate and affordable housing for all residents is an important goal and top strategic priority for Redwood City. Many factors, however, can encourage or constrain the development, maintenance, and improvement of the housing stock. These factors include physical constraints, land availability, the economics of development, and governmental regulations, all of which may impact the cost and amount of housing produced. These constraints may result in housing that is not affordable to low- and moderate -income households, or may render residential construction economically very difficult for developers. Constraints to housing production significantly impact households with lower incomes and special needs. Actions by the City can have an impact on the price and availability of housing in the community. Land use controls, building codes, fees, and other local programs intended to improve the overall quality of housing may also serve as a constraint to housing development. Housing supply and costs are affected by the amount of land designated for residential use and the density at which development is permitted. Actions it planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment The City's Housing Element is the primary tool that includes the list of comprehensive strategies and programs that will be implemented to remove or ameliorate the barriers to affordable housing. The City's land use policy provides ample opportunities for higher -density development, which increases the feasibility of affordable housing projects. In addition, a number of financial and administrative resources are available to assist in the development of affordable housing and implementation of the City's housing programs. The City coordinates the use of federal, State, and local funds to facilitate the development of affordable housing. The City's General Plan allows development projects to exceed maximum densities if the development is within a designated planning area (such as certain precise plans) and the project demonstrates it will provide valuable amenities. The City has implemented zoning standards for nearly all mixed-use areas, including Mixed -Use Corridor, Mixed -Use Neighborhood, and Mixed -Use Live/Work. These standards allow for mixed-use, multi -modal environments with compact development patterns and graceful transitions to neighborhoods. The City also has an Affordable Housing Ordinance which requires all residential development to provide 15- 20% of the total units as affordable units for very -low to moderate income households or pay a fee in -lieu of providing affordable units. Additionally, the City has an affordable housing impact fee on all non-residential Annual Action Plan 2020 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018) 55 525