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Alameda County committee advances SHIFT housing innovation and forwards 10‑year housing plan to full Board
Summary
County housing staff presented an innovations progress report and a draft 10‑year housing plan; the committee accepted the progress report, authorized development of a SHIFT pre‑permitted design/RFP, and advanced the plan for Board adoption after incorporating public feedback.
County housing officials on the Alameda County Social Services and Health committees presented an update on the Housing Innovation Program and a draft 10‑year housing plan and won committee backing to take the next steps toward implementation.
Michelle Starrett, the county’s housing director, reviewed four existing innovation streams—capacity building for new developers, a predevelopment loan program, technical assistance for tax‑defaulted properties, and ADU support—and proposed a fifth initiative called SHIFT. Starrett described SHIFT as a small‑site, pre‑permitted design and architectural assistance program intended to reduce design and permitting costs for modular and pocket infill projects, and said staff plans to issue an RFP to procure design services.
The draft 10‑year plan, presented as the county’s roadmap for expanding rental and ownership opportunities, preserving affordable units, addressing homelessness through both interim and permanent solutions, and strengthening tenant protections, codifies program priorities such as emergency and interim housing under rental development, targeted innovation and small‑scale development, homeownership supports and housing services tied to prevention.
Committee members pressed staff for details on geographic distribution, the pipeline of projects, and how small developers will move from predevelopment into construction. Staff said much of the predevelopment and tax‑default work is centered in Oakland but that SHIFT and ADU resources are intended to be countywide. Starrett said the predevelopment loan awards (11 projects, awards between $425,000 and $750,000) will return to the full Board as contracts for approval.
After hearing extensive public comment—dozens of nonprofit leaders, providers and residents urged that Measure W funds be used for housing and homelessness services as voters intended—the committee voted to accept the informational Housing Innovation progress report and direct staff to move forward with SHIFT development. The committee also voted to forward the draft 10‑year housing plan, with staff directed to incorporate community feedback, to the full Board for adoption.
The committee’s votes were procedural steps toward bringing the detailed allocation and timing of Measure W dollars back to the full Board for separate action; staff and supervisors repeatedly said that decisions about Measure W appropriations will be taken in upcoming Board sessions.
The next procedural step is the full Board adoption of the housing plan after staff integrates today’s committee feedback and returns with the final materials.
