Reso23-02 0009 PC Reso Adopt CEQA

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Findings and Statements Required by the California Environmental Quality Act Focused General Plan Update 60 Final Environmental Impact Report January 2023 consideration warranting approval. The City finds that the Project will have the following economic, social, technological, and environmental benefits: 1. Meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The Project promotes development in a manner that would accommodate anticipated population growth for the City and existing unmet need for housing, as required by the City's 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and in a manner consistent with the City's General Plan and Plan Bay Area 2050, prepared by ABAG/MTC. The City is mandated, pursuant to State Housing Element law, to plan for and accommodate the RHNA of 4,588 units as part of the 2022- 2030 Housing Element. The RHNA, prepared by HCD and ABAG, reflects the number of housing units that must be provided to meet the forecasted population growth and the need for housing among the existing population. The Project accommodates this population by incorporating goals, objectives, policies and programs, as well as zoning amendments, to accommodate build-out of the RHNA. 2. Compliance with State Housing Element Requirements. State law requires the City to adopt the Housing Element. HCD has determined that the revised draft Housing Element meets the statutory requirements of State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of Gov. Code). The Project complies with State Housing Element requirements, and adoption of the Project would ensure the City maintains Housing Element compliance. Jurisdictions that fail to adopt a compliant Housing Element by the statutory deadline face potential loss of eligibility for certain state and federal funding programs for affordable housing in addition to other penalties that may be imposed by a court or potentially under the Housing Accountability Act (Government Code Section 65589.5(d)), such as potential limiting of some of the City's land use authority. Additionally, failure to adopt the Housing Element Update within 120 days from the statutory adoption date has an additional consequence of decreasing the planning period from an 8-year period to a 4-year update period (Government Code Section 65588(e)(4)). 3. Compliance with Assembly Bill 686. The Project complies with Assembly Bill (AB) 686, which requires that the City's Housing Element affirmatively furthers fair housing. The implementation programs included in the Housing Element Update are anticipated to provide meaningful action to overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities, helping to address significant existing disparities in housing needs and access to opportunity, replace segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transform racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and foster and maintain compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws. This is achieved by increasing housing opportunities in higher resource areas and the Project's goals, objectives, polices, and programs related to removing barriers to production of affordable housing in high resource areas and areas near transit, anti-displacement and housing preservation strategies, and fair housing compliance. 4. Consistency with State General Plan Requirements. The Project is consistent with state General Plan requirements, which require the update of the Safety Element Update alongside the update to the Housing Element, as well as compliance with environmental