Alameda County board receives 2023 general plan and housing element reports; staff warns county remains far short of RHNA

Alameda County staff presented the 2023 General Plan annual report and the Housing Element annual report to the Board of Supervisors at a planning meeting, and the board voted to adopt a resolution accepting the reports.

Planner Liz McKelligot, of the county planning department, told supervisors the county submitted the housing element documents to state reviewers on March 29. "We did actually submit on March 29, so we made the deadline," she said, noting the state’s Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) are the reviewing agencies.

The housing element report summarizes residential building activity in 2023. McKelligot said the county issued 320 building permits last year — about 6.8% of the county’s estimated Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2023–2031 cycle. The permits included 114 accessory dwelling units, roughly 20 single‑family homes, several small multiunit projects, and three apartment developments totaling about 186 units. McKelligot said the total RHNA for the unincorporated county is roughly 589 units and that 2023 permit activity will not, by itself, put the county on track to meet that requirement.

The presentation outlined several strategies in the draft housing element intended to boost production: zoning overlays to streamline permitting, upzoning to allow more units on selected parcels, and other programs designed to reduce discretionary review. McKelligot said some measures are on an "aggressive" timeline, with several ordinances or programs expected to be brought forward within the next year and others within 18–24 months.

Board members pressed staff for details on where new units were built. McKelligot identified major projects accounting for a large share of the apartment units, including the Ruby Street and City Ventures developments in Castro Valley and Madrone Terrace on East 14th Street in Ashland. She said ADUs were scattered across the urban unincorporated area rather than clustered in one neighborhood.

Supervisors also asked about the state review and whether HCD’s comments might require the county to adopt stronger tenant protections before the housing element can be certified. McKelligot said the county received extensive comments after its first submittal and resubmitted a revised draft; the state allows a 60‑day second review period. She added the county can amend ordinances before final adoption and that showing a good‑faith path to adopt tenant‑protection measures may satisfy reviewers.

County staff cautioned about possible consequences if the housing element is not certified. A staff speaker said the state could affect land‑use control and that, at the regional level, the county could lose access to some grant funding. The speaker estimated potential regional road and transportation grant losses in the round could be as high as $55,000,000 and noted one San Lorenzo PDA grant is on hold pending certification of the housing element.

After discussion, the board moved to adopt the resolution accepting the 2023 general plan and housing element annual reports; roll call votes were taken with the motion passing and two supervisors recorded as excused.

The housing element will return to the Planning Commission and, following final state review and any further revisions, back to the board for adoption and certification. Staff said they will continue to consult with state reviewers during the 60‑day period to minimize follow‑up comments.