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February 25, 2022 <br /> Pleasanton Housing Commission <br /> City of Pleasanton <br /> Re: February 28 meeting, Housing Element Update <br /> Dear Chairperson Galvan and Housing Commissioners, <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to comment on policies proposed for the 2023 2031 Housing <br /> Element Update. Because you will be considering and discussing the same issues considered by <br /> the Planning Commission at their meetings on February 9 and February 23,you will find my <br /> comments to them attached below. <br /> I am hopeful that the Council will adopt new policies that will improve the City's success in <br /> providing housing opportunities for the severely underserved 60% of employees currently <br /> working in Pleasanton who hold jobs paying below the Area Median Income.The lack of housing <br /> close to their jobs requires long commutes,resulting in Pleasanton's responsibility for many tons <br /> of GHG emissions.The City Council recently recognized this by adding a policy to our CAP 2.0 <br /> that will measure Pleasanton's success in terms of increasing the number of local jobholders <br /> (currently only 8%)who currently live here. <br /> Judging from the declining numbers of local employees who also live in Pleasanton, from 27.3% <br /> in 1990 to only 8%today, the tools available in our current Housing Element need an update that <br /> will accomplish our"fair share" RHNA numbers and environmental goals. I believe that a <br /> combination of inadequate LIHF fees designed to favor commercial development at the expense <br /> of the environment and the workforce,deference to market rate housing developers' desire to <br /> limit the number of deeply affordable units they include, and a persistent aversion to workforce <br /> serving nonprofit development explain the trend. I sincerely hope that the Housing Commission <br /> will recommend to the Council a focus on policies that will foster the investment of City resources <br /> in nonprofit workforce housing. This is the only solution that will produce the numbers of <br /> housing units needed, and the housing that will serve the "missing majority"of our local <br /> workforce. <br /> Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> r3e <br /> ,k-td Pei <br /> 925- <br /> 925- mobile <br />