Atherton planning commission reviews 2024 housing-element progress, sees ADU and SB 9 production ahead of pace

Town Planner Britney Bendix told the Atherton Town Planning Commission on a timely-call meeting that Atherton’s 2024 Annual Progress Report on the 2023–2031 housing element shows the town is broadly on track to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals.

The report, which the town files annually with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), summarizes building permits, planning approvals and completed units, then breaks production down by income category and by unit type such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs). “This is the report that we then submit to HCD,” Town Planner Britney Bendix said, adding the submittal format is a regimented spreadsheet the state requires.

Bendix told commissioners the town recorded 10 units in the very-low category in 2024, and that Atherton has a goal of 26 ADUs per year — a pace the town met in 2024. She also reported early activity under SB 9: the town anticipated 24 SB 9 applications to meet moderate and above‑moderate RHNA needs; to date the town has 10 SB 9 approvals, five outstanding applications and about five additional potential applicants who have discussed projects with staff.

Why it matters: RHNA and the housing element are the principal metrics HCD uses to assess whether jurisdictions are producing enough housing at varying income levels. Bendix warned that if a jurisdiction falls behind, HCD may scrutinize both the…