Community Development

Housing Plans for Albany

The City is in the midst of developing two important plans for the future of housing in Albany The first is preparation of a “Specific Plan” for San Pablo Avenue The proposed plan will result in zoning changes intended to increase the vitality of San Pablo Avenue, allowing new mixed use housing developments and ground floor commercial uses Cost of the preparation of the plan is funded by grants from the California Department of Housing and Community Development For more information, visit www.sanpablospecificplan.org

The second major planning initiative is preparation of a new Housing Element component of the City’s General Plan Pursuant to State Law, every city in California is required to have a plan that shows how each City can meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) As widely reported in the news, the RHNA that each City needs to plan for has increased dramatically This important document will address not only the location of future housing development, but also affordability and social justice aspects of City housing policy For more information, visit www.albanyca.org/housing-element

Housing Projects Approved

SAHA Affordable Housing Project

In Fall 2020, the City Council approved agreements with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates for the development of a 62-unit affordable housing project at the corner of Washington Avenue and Cleveland Avenue Since City Council approval, SAHA has been working on securing grants and financing required for construction Progress is being made, and it is hoped that construction of this critically important project will begin late in 2022

Graduate Student Housing Project

In July 2021, the University of California Board of Regents approved the design of a new student housing project to be built in University Village at the corner of Jackson Street and Monroe Avenue The project will provide 760 bedrooms in 289 apartment-style units targeted to single graduate students without children The project is expected to begin construction in 2022 and open to students in Fall of 2024

540 San Pablo Avenue

In October 2021, the City Council approved the plans for a major new mixed use rental housing project at the site of the former Albany Bowl The City Council’s action approved the design of a project with 207 units of housing, including 21 units of affordable rental housing, and nearly 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail space

Accessory Dwelling Units

Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, provide additional housing and an opportunity for homeowners to generate additional income or accommodate extended family housing opportunities To learn more about ADUs, contact the Community Development Department or visit www.albanyca. org/adu Recent changes to state laws and local regulations make getting City approval easier than ever before