3.3 Governmental and Non-Governmental Constraints

Housing development is affected by government regulations and other non-governmental forces, such as the cost of land and building materials and the availability and cost of housing loans. Housing elements are required to investigate the impact of these constraints as they present themselves in the city or town for which the housing element is being prepared. This subsection provides a brief overview of governmental and non-governmental constraints in the City of Belvedere. Please see Appendix C for a full discussion of housing constraints.

Belvedere’s development regulations are generally consistent with California housing law, and where this is not the case, as with Low-Barrier Navigation Centers, Chapter 2 of this plan (Goals, Policies, and Programs) includes a program to correct the deficiency. The Zoning Code does not pose an unnecessary constraint to the development of affordable housing. To wit:

Single-family zones allow supportive and transition housing, small residential and family care facilities, and manufactured housing;

Multi-family densities, which allow up to 35 dwelling units per acre, are high enough to facilitate affordable housing projects;

Objective design standards are in place, so that the development process for multi-family housing is not subject to local design discretion;

Off-site improvement requirements are typical and not unduly constraining;

Processing times are consistent with State law and typical for a Bay Are community;

Parking requirements, which require 1.25 units per unit for one- and two-bedroom units, are low enough to not pose a constraint; and

The City of Belvedere has reasonable accommodations in place to facilitate needed modifications for special needs households.

In terms of non-governmental constraints, land costs will remain a constraint to affordable housing. The cost of construction materials is also a constraint, and to the degree that the City can subsidize affordable housing projects with available funds dedicated to housing, this too can make a difference.