TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Carrie Tai, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Authorizing Submittal of a Grant Application for, and receipt of, Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) State Grant Program Funds (Community Development Director Tai).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 20-0074
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 20-0074 authorizing the City Manager to submit the LEAP grant application.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no cost associated with submitting an application to the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development. Approval of the grant award is based on the proposed project’s ability to further the City’s consistency with State Housing Goals. If awarded, a budget appropriation will be requested at a later date.
BACKGROUND:
Earlier this year, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for approximately $119 million under the Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grants Program. The purpose of this grant program is to provide financial support and technical assistance to local governments for the preparation and adoption of planning documents that will accelerate housing production consistent with the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).
DISCUSSION:
All jurisdictions in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region are required to update their Housing Element for the 2021-2029 planning period (the “6th cycle”). The Housing Element is the portion of the City’s General Plan that plans for and implements the production and maintenance of housing. The requested grant funds would cover a large portion of the City’s cost of preparing the 2021 Housing Element and associated tasks, such as zoning amendments, needed to ensure consistency with current State housing law.
Grant amounts are based on jurisdiction size with a maximum grant of $150,000 for jurisdictions with a population between 20,000 and 59,999 such as Manhattan Beach. If approved, the grant funds would be used to offset a significant portion of the cost of preparing the State-mandated 2021 Housing Element update and related tasks.
In addition to updating the Housing Element, the City will need to include necessary amendments to City zoning regulations and permit procedures to facilitate housing production. Furthermore, the City will study site- or area- specific land use to determine potential to expand housing opportunities. Environmental review in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will also be undertaken. There are several State-mandated updates relating to the Safety Element of the General Plan and also, inclusion of environmental justice principles that are needed. Lastly, all activities will include public engagement and outreach.
As part of the grant application, cities must submit a City Council resolution authorizing submittal of the application, agreeing to execute a Standard Agreement, and agreeing to abide by the terms of the grant.
Additional information regarding the LEAP grant program is available at: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/active-funding/leap.shtml#getfunding <https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/active-funding/leap.shtml>
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
While that public outreach was not required for the grant application, the planning activities proposed to be funded by the grant include public outreach component that will include community engagement, public review, and public noticing to the public, stakeholders, community groups and/or other governmental agencies. Public outreach will include, but is not limited to, community meetings, social media outreach, printed noticing and advertising, and public meetings and hearings.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Submittal of the proposed grant application is not subject to CEQA. Future City actions to consider approval of the 2021 Housing Element and related zoning amendments will be subject to CEQA and appropriate environmental analysis will be conducted in connection with those actions.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 20-0074
2. Grant Application - Local Early Action Planning