Title
Approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, and San Benito County, and specified cities, implementing multi-jurisdictional cooperation to address affordable housing needs throughout the tri-county area.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, and San Benito County, and specified cities, implementing multi-jurisdictional cooperation to address affordable housing needs throughout the tri-county area.
SUMMARY/ DISCUSSION:
On May 7, 2015, a Regional Housing Forum was held at which more than fifty attendees gathered to receive housing presentations from participating jurisdictions, and to discuss solutions to address affordable housing needs in the Central Coast Region. Attendees included the following 11 jurisdictions: the Cities of Salinas, Soledad, Gonzales, Greenfield, King, Marina, Seaside, Monterey, Watsonville, and the Counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz. The forum was also attended by Mayors, Council members, Housing Developers and other stakeholders. It was noted that the Monterey Bay Area is confronting the same affordable housing challenges it faced 10 years ago; participants identified the issue as follows: “Where are the region’s workforce and their families going to live?”
Objectives accomplished at the forum included:
1) Completing a municipal assessment of available opportunity housing sites within interested, participant jurisdictions,
2) Mapping vacant, high-density parcels within participant jurisdictions,
3) Committing to continue working collaboratively to find and provide affordable housing solutions, including agreement to an MOU, to encourage regional collaboration, and
4) Convening the participating jurisdictions, on a regular basis, to find land use opportunities; facilitate construction of needed regional housing; and assist in mapping vacant parcels, including publicly-owned lands, which could be available for affordable housing.
5) The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) offered to facilitate affordable housing cooperation at AMBAG Planning Directors Forum meetings
A copy of the draft MOU is attached for the Board’s consideration. It is intended to encourage regional cooperation on increasing affordable housing supply in the Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito tri-county area. The MOU contemplates that the parties will work to enter into a formal Inter-local Agreement (ILA), by which they will commit funds and staff resources to implement their cooperative efforts. The MOU does not create any obligation, by any signatory, to enter into an ILA nor does it create any immediate financial obligation. The parties will implement the MOU by attending the quarterly Planning Directors Forum meetings conducted by AMBAG.
Attached for the Board’s information is copy of the PowerPoint presentation presented at the Regional Housing Forum and a follow-up newsletter.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has approved the proposed MOU as to legal form.
The Cities of Salinas, Soledad, Gonzales, Greenfield, King, Marina, Seaside, Monterey, Watsonville, the Counties of Santa Cruz and San Benito, and AMBAG participated in the Regional Housing Forum and will be asked to approve the attached MOU at a future date.
FINANCING:
There is no impact to the General Fund with this recommendation.
Prepared by: ________________________________________________________________
Jerry Hernandez, Administrative Analyst II, Ext. 5393
Approved by: ________________________________________________________________
David Spaur, CEcD, EDFP, Economic Development Director, Ext. 5387
Attachments:
Affordable Housing MOU
Affordable Housing PowerPoint Presentation
Housing Forum Newsletter
[Attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board]