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Housing Development Costs.The City will continue to work to offset the costs of housing development by waiving certain City fees for affordable rental and ownership housing units and by providing various types of subsidies through the use of its Lower Income Housing Fund.The example was cited earlier in this report of extensive fee waivers that have been granted in the past to defray development costs and promote affordable housing construction. Community Perceptions of Affordable Housing.A continuing impediment to affordable housing development is the negative perception of affordable housing held by many members of the public.The City provides local funds annually to East Bay Housing Organizations(EBHO)to implement an ongoing program aimed at improving residents' perceptions and understanding of affordable housing. Pleasanton collaborated with its neighbor cities in the Tri-Valley to hold a tour of affordable housing developments and issues in 2009(a similar tour is planned for July 2013).The recent Housing Element update process provided an additional forum for discussion of affordable housing issues. In conjunction with other Tri-Valley cities,the City of Pleasanton will work with EBHO in FY 2013 in activities related to Affordable Housing Week, held annually in May.This will include media presentations, affordable housing tours,and other activities focusing specifically on affordable housing efforts past, present, and future in the Tri-Valley area. In May 2012,the cities sponsored an event entitled "The Benefit of Meeting Employee Housing Needs"at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton to promote interest among the business community in supporting the development of affordable housing. The City collaborated with BayEast Association of Realtors in its sponsorship of a "real estate town hall meeting" in April 2011. In May 2009, a similar event also highlighted the National Association of Realtors (NAR) "Ambassadors for Cities" award to BayEast and the City of Pleasanton relative tc their support of the Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center(one of only five awards NAR throughout the nation). Annual Action Plan 35 2013 0MB Control No:25060117(exp.07/31/2015)