Title
a. Receive a presentation on the San Mateo County 21 Elements Initiative; and
b. Discuss and provide direction regarding a similar initiative for the County of Monterey.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a presentation on the San Mateo County 21 Elements Initiative; and
b. Discuss and provide direction regarding a similar initiative for the County of Monterey.
SUMMARY:
The Housing Advisory Committee received a report on the San Mateo County 21 Elements Initiative at its March 2022, meeting and recommended that the initiative model be presented to the Board of Supervisors for its consideration. The San Mateo County Department of Housing and the San Mateo County City/County Association of Governments have co-cosponsored the 21 Elements program since 2006. The program name is derived from the fact that all 20 cities plus the County (21 Elements) are participating in the project. The 21 Elements program was originally established to assist the 21 jurisdictions in San Mateo with the coordination and preparation of their Housing Elements. The jurisdictions recently completed their third housing element cycle under the 21 Elements model.
DISCUSSION:
The 21 Elements framework is best seen through two projects undertaken by the San Mateo County Department of Housing and the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) over the last 15-years to support the preparation of the housing element that each city and the county are required to submit to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). First, C/CAG had worked with the 21 jurisdictions to develop Priority Development Areas (PDAs). These PDAs, along with C/CAG’s role as the congestion management agency for the County allowed the jurisdictions to align their Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) with agreed development areas and traffic corridors. Second, the 21 Elements program created a common foundation of shared data and resources that save money and staff time by eliminating the need for each jurisdiction to recreate data and presentation materials, especially around housing elements. Through their collaborative work, the County was able to be designated a sub-region with the nine County Bay Area so that the Association of Bay Area Governments left it to the 21 Elements to apportion the County’s RHNA allocation among themselves. This collaboration also allowed HCD to review all 21 housing elements together to assess their potential impacts and respond with comments/approvals quicker.
Since 2006, 21 Elements has expanded beyond just housing elements to support residential development countywide. Because the Housing Element is only updated once every eight years, San Mateo County and C/CAG used the 21 Elements framework to continue collaborating on shared issues. These collaborative endeavors have included providing summaries of new housing laws; inventorying and summarizing ADU requirements by jurisdiction; and a clearinghouse of material on a wide range of housing topics. The 21 Elements website is also a clearinghouse for PowerPoint presentations and staff report templates that jurisdictions can customize for use with their Planning Commissions and City Councils to educate them and the public on issues related to housing development and planning. More detailed information on what the 21 Elements is working is included in Attachment 1.
The 21 Elements framework is an intriguing model that may provide a road map for increasing communications and coordination among the 13 jurisdictions in Monterey County. There are several unknowns at this time that need to be more fully explored with the jurisdictions and the 21 Elements consulting team. First is the degree of interest among the jurisdictions in learning more about the framework and what benefits it could bring to the jurisdictions. Second, is the degree of urgency in establishing a framework locally. This is largely a function of what support may be provided in preparing the 6th Cycle Housing Element and/or if the jurisdictions are interested in developing and implementing off-year activities. Since the County’s 6th Cycle Housing Element is due December 2023, County staff is asking for the Board’s direction related to this collaborative approach as staff begins its work.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Housing Advisory Committee received a report on the 21 Elements Initiative during its March 9, 2022, meeting. The HAC adopted a recommendation that Board of Supervisors receive a report on the Initiative and direct staff to schedule a presentation to the City Managers Association to determine the degree of interest in pursuing a similar program in Monterey County.
If so directed by the Board of Supervisors, staff will reach out to the City Managers Association, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, and the Association of Monterey Bay Governments to explore establishing a similar initiative locally. If there is consensus that the jurisdictions and agencies would like to pursue this model, staff will return to the Board with recommendations for developing, implementing, and financing implementation of the model locally.
FINANCING:
There is no impact on the General Fund. Depending on the level of interest expressed during the City Managers Association presentation, staff may return to the Board with an augmentation request to implement the program.
In September 2021, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a two-year agreement valued at $1,158,794 for consulting services to manage the 21-Elements project. Funding comes from the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG), roughly the San Mateo County equivalent of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), County Department of Housing (DOH), and the 20 cities. The C/CAG and DOH account for about 80% of the funding. The high cost associated with this two-year agreement reflects working with the 21 jurisdictions to prepare their 6th Cycle Housing Elements. During non-housing element years, the project budget is approximately $300,000 annually split equally by the C/CAG and DOH.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Implementing a program similar to 21 Elements Monterey County could facilitate faster construction of affordable housing, coordination among the various jurisdictions, and the administration of housing related planning and programs.
__Economic Development
_X_Administration
_X_Health & Human Services
_X_Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Darby Marshall, Housing Program Manager (WOC), x5391
Approved by: Erik Lundquist, AICP, Director of Housing and Community Development, x5154
The following attachment is on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment 1 - 21 Elements Scope of Work