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Albany officials review housing-element progress and confirm consent calendar with direction to clarify program implementation
Summary
Council approved the consent calendar and directed staff to verify implementation details for a housing-element program; staff said Albany issued 215 permit-counted units this year and explained student housing at University Village does not count toward RHNA.
The Albany City Council approved its consent calendar on March 16 and directed staff to confirm that the implementation record for Housing Element Program 3a matches the program’s requirements.
Councilmember Jordan moved the consent calendar with added direction that staff verify and, if necessary, adjust how Program 3a’s implementation is recorded; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously by roll call (Vice Mayor Hansa Romero, Mayor McQuay, Councilmember Jordan and Councilmember Mickey voting yes).
Why it matters: The council’s housing-element work ties into Albany’s 2023–2031 RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) obligations. Leslie Mendez, the city’s planning manager, told the council that this year staff issued building permits associated with 215 units — roughly one‑sixth of the city’s RHNA allocation for the eight‑year cycle — driven largely by permits for the Albany Bowl mixed‑use development. The city also reported completion of 89 units (including ADUs and other projects).
Student housing and RHNA counts: Councilmembers asked whether the new University Village student residence counts toward Albany’s RHNA totals. Staff explained that UC‑owned student housing currently does not count toward the city’s RHNA because the units are provided by the University of California (similar to school-district housing) and are not counted under current state guidance; staff said the question remains a discussion point for future RHNA cycles.
ADUs and affordability accounting: Planning staff noted the state’s guidance (the 30/30/30/10 formula derived from regional ADU rental surveys) used to attribute ADU units to affordability tiers. Mendez said the city plans a local ADU rental survey in late spring to gather Albany‑specific data.
Details of the consent action: The consent calendar was moved with an instruction that staff ensure the implementation entry for housing‑element program 3a (a nonprofit-developer roundtable to advance affordable senior housing) accurately reflects program tasks and statuses and adjust the record if inconsistent.
