Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Mike Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Agreement to Approve $75,000 in Grants of Measure K Funds to Support the Cities Participating in the Home for All Community Engagement Program
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Adopt a resolution approving $75,000 in grants of Measure K funds to support city participation in the Home for All Community Engagement Program, in the amount of $15,000 per grant for Brisbane, Pacifica, San Mateo, Foster City, and Hillsborough.
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BACKGROUND:
Between 2010 and 2014 approximately 24 new jobs were created for every new housing unit added in San Mateo County. To address the gap between new jobs and available housing, Supervisors Don Horsley and Warren Slocum invited 54 community leaders to join the Closing the Jobs-Housing Gap Task Force in the fall of 2015. The Task Force adopted an action plan supporting development of all types of housing and created the Home for All collaborative to implement housing initiatives. With increased housing creation over the past several years, the jobs-housing gap ratio has dropped to 12:1 for the period of 2010 to 2017.
A key component of Home for All is building community support for additional housing through community engagement. To this end, in 2018 four cities (Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, Portola Valley, and Redwood City) participated in a pilot Community Engagement Program of intensive, housing-related community engagement activities. Each city received a grant of Measure K funds to support their participation.
The results and feedback from residents, city elected officials and staff, and a contracted program evaluator were overwhelmingly positive and included increased engagement by large numbers of residents who have not previously been involved in any civic process, increased capabilities of cities and groups of residents to productively discuss housing-related challenges and solutions, a better-informed public, and increased trust in public processes.
In late 2018, Home for All invited cities in the County to apply for a second year of the Community Engagement Program. Five cities have been selected to participate: Brisbane, Pacifica, San Mateo, Foster City, and Hillsborough.
DISCUSSION:
Participation in the Community Engagement Program is accompanied by a $15,000 grant to assist with program expenses such as community meeting logistics, publication and outreach expenses, and child care. In addition to intensive involvement in all program-related activities, cities are also requested to participate in the formal program review process carried out by a professional program evaluator and to participate in the Community Engagement Learning Network meetings held by Home for All for all cities on a bi-monthly basis. Planning and program activities are most intensive for approximately six months and structured follow-up continues for at least an additional six months.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
The Home for All community engagement program supports the 2025 County vision of a collaborative community by expanding community participation in housing decisions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2019-20 recommended Measure K budget includes $75,000 for community engagement grants, which is sufficient to cover all the pilot project grants.