SB 35 Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process

By SLNext
In Uncategorized
Feb 19th, 2021
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The State of California passed Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) in late 2017 to facilitate the construction of housing and to address the statewide affordable housing crisis in cities and counties. SB 35 took effect on January 1, 2018. Under SB 35 (Government Code Section 65913.4), certain project types are eligible for streamlined review process:

  • projects with at least 2/3 residential floor area
  • projects which meet certain affordability requirements
  • projects that pay prevailing wages to the construction labor force and
  • projects that are consistent with the City’s zoning and other “objective standards.”

Currently in San Leandro, projects with at least 10% of their units as affordable to low-income households are eligible for SB35 streamlining. The review process is 90 to 180 days depending on the project size. No CEQA review is required and no discretionary review (e.g., Zoning Board, Planning Commission, or City Council review) is permitted. For more information on the SB 35 Streamlined Ministerial Process, click HERE.

To prepare for and respond to new State laws that allow for streamlined multi-family housing project review, the City is conducting a grant-funded project to update its objective development standards for multi-family and mixed-use projects. Please visit https://www.sldevelopmentstandards.com/ for more information or to sign up for updates.

Below are updates on two SB 35 residential developments in San Leandro. 

110 East 14th St.

Two forthcoming development projects will provide much-needed affordable housing in the community. AMG & Associates‘ recently received a green light for a 221-unit affordable housing project at 110 E. 14th St. (corner of Durant Ave.). This represents the first development in San Leandro to obtain entitlements under the State’s SB 35 Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process. The project will include construction of 221 studio units within two five-story apartment buildings. All of the units will be affordable for low income levels earning up to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Alameda County (1 person household earning up to $55,000 and a 2 person household up to $63,000).

The developer will partner with an experienced non-profit organization to manage and provide services to tenants. There will be onsite managers living at the site, and amenities will include a community room, a fitness room and a library. The project will exceed Title 24 energy efficiency requirements, and there will also be electric vehicle charging on the premises.

The project is located directly across from a new AC Transit Tempo Bus Rapid Transit Line stop, which provides fast and frequent service to BART stations along East 14th St. and International Blvd. No parking is required for SB 35 projects and with easy access to transit at the site, the developer plans to include limited parking.

AMG & Associates has applied for tax-exempt Housing Bonds as a primary public financing source for the project and to ensure the long-term project affordability for a minimum of 55 years.

The next steps are building permit review and construction. Leasing for these apartments is not expected to open up for another two years, but an interest list will be issued in the coming year and broad public marketing will follow. Visit www.amgland.com for more information.

Bay Fair Housing

A second opportunity for affordable housing was recently submitted to the City’s Planning Division under SB 35. AMG & Associates is also proposing to develop two five-story apartment buildings next to the Century 16 theater and near the Bay Fair BART station. The project includes 497 studio and one-bedroom units, of which half will be affordable to lower income households earning 50% to 80% of Area Median Income (income levels from $46,000 to $94,000 for 1 to 3 person households). Apartment amenities may include a fitness room, clubhouse, outdoor recreation space, and a pet relief area. Proposed public amenities include a half basketball court, a landscaped plaza, open turf lawn area, an outdoor patio with seating, and a new pedestrian/bicycle connection from E 14th Street to the theater. The existing site is vacant and the project is currently under Planning review for consideration under SB 35 Affordable Housing Streamlined Ministerial Approval.

2 Responses to “SB 35 Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process”

  1. Sherry Cunningham says:

    Are there handicapped units

  2. […] environmental impacts with appropriate mitigation measures identified. To date, approximately 500 units of multi-family housing have been approved adjacent to Bayfair Center between E. 14th Street and the movie […]

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