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State conditionally certifies Half Moon Bay housing element; residents press for 555 Kelly and rent control
Summary
HCD issued a conditional certification requiring zoning/code updates to show capacity for RHNA numbers; staff plans to start code amendments immediately. Multiple public commenters urged the council to move forward on the 555 Kelly project and pursue rent-control protections for low-income and farmworker households.
City planning staff reported that, after a 60-day review, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) found the housing element the council adopted in November meets statutory requirements but that the city remains conditionally certified until required zoning updates are completed to demonstrate capacity to meet RHNA allocations. Staff said the zoning updates will be the first implementation tasks and that Measure D code amendments in the housing element will be included in that workstream.
Councilmembers asked staff how long the ordinances will take to prepare; staff estimated the code updates could be completed in a couple of months and pledged to prioritize the amendments as the first Land Use Plan implementation work.
During the public forum, several residents urged swift action to approve the 555 Kelly housing project and called for stronger tenant protections. Rocio Avila and other speakers characterized the lack of affordable and dignified housing for farmworkers and essential workers as urgent and asked the council to remove delays. Several speakers repeated that they support rent control or other measures to limit rent increases and increase housing stability for low-income households.
What happens next: staff will begin drafting zoning/code amendments to align the municipal code with the certified land-use plan and will return to council as those drafts are prepared; public advocates said they will continue to press for timely permit approvals and tenant protections.
