Redwood City Housing and Transportation

Panel

Moderator: Jessica MargolinAdina Levin, Friends of CaltrainDiana Reddy, Peninsula Interfaith ActionJoshua Hugg, San Mateo County Housing Leadership Council

plus: material from Egon Terplan, SPUR

Quick poll RentsKnow somebody who had to move - housing costKnow people crowded in a house?Use a bicycle for transportation (sometimes)Use transit for transportation (sometimes)Car-freeLess than one car per adultConcerned about parking when buildings open?

Rising housing costs What’s up with housing prices?

Adding way more jobs than housing

2013 Bay Area jobs and housing114,000 new jobs< 8,000 new housing units

The most well-off new people outbid existing residents...

Supply matters - the most expensive markets have built the least housing...

While housing prices rise, incomes fall...

and there are fewer middle-income jobs

Nearly 40% of jobs pay less than $18 per hour

For every new high-tech job there are 4 other support jobs - Bay Area Council

Prices are creating challenges even for higher-income renters

The transportation connection

Housing & jobs not evenly distributed

Leading to in-commuting & congestion61% of workers in San Mateo County commute from outside of the County!

Last mile transit gap

Cars cause more congestion...

Space required to transport 60 people

…& require a lot of land for parking

● housing price includes parking whether you drive or not

● land that could be housing

● if everyone drives, parking crunch

Car commuting adds to cost of livingSmall sedan - Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic Gas, maintenance, tires: 16.3 cents per mileTotal cost per year ( 15,000 miles/year): $6,957

Medium sedan - Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry Gas, maintenance, tires: 19.1 cents per mileTotal cost per year (15,000 miles/year) $8,839

SUV - Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder Gas, maintenance, tires: 23.8 cents Total cost per year (15,000 miles/year): $11,039http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-own-a-car-in-2014/

Millennials are driving less

but not everyone realizes the change….

www.bayareavision.org/pda/

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Plan Regionally, Implement Locally

Regional strategy: coordinate land use, transit

Cities invest in less driving...Programs to reduce vehicle trips & parking● Transportation Management Association

(typically nonprofit)● Shuttles, transit pass, carshare,

carpool/vanpool more● Funded by developments, employers,

parking revenues, grants, etc● Data and reporting

Established Developing

...setting goals to reduce driving, support alternatives

Mountain View sets “mode share” goals for North Bayshore where Google is...

San Mateo County & Redwood City

Community Impacts

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Housing burden in San Mateo County

Median Rent for 1-Bedroom Apartment$2,352

Hourly Income to Afford$45.25

Median Rent for 2-Bedroom Apartment$2,648

Hourly Income to Afford$50.92

Who can afford today’s rents?

Retail sales person $13 per hourAuto mechanic $25 per hourParamedic $21 per hourPreschool teacher $18 per hourHome health aide $12 per hour

Compare to salaries...

Shortfall of affordable housing in SMC

Shortfall of 23,775 homes for low-income households in San Mateo County

88% of very low-incomehouseholds in SMC spend more than 30% of income on rent.

SOURCE: CHPC Analysis of 2007-2011 CHAS dataSOURCE: NLIHC Analysis of 2012 American Community Survey PUMS data

How well are we keeping up in SMC?

SOURCE: Association of Bay Area Governments, 2009

Jobs housing balance & fit worsening overall

● 2000 (dotcom boom)○ Redwood City had an estimated 62,000 jobs and

57,607 employed residents○ 1.1 jobs per employed resident.

● 2011○ RWC had 53,400 jobs & 42,100 employed residents○ 1.3 jobs per employed resident○ 5.81 low-income jobs for every unit affordable to a

low-income worker (UC Davis)

What RWC has been doing...+ More than 2500 housing units and 740K square feet of

office (~3,000 jobs) in the pipeline or under construction+ Much development near walkable downtown w/ transit+ Managing parking

- Weak affordability policy → Almost no new affordable housing created within downtown project area recently

- No tenant protection policies- No goals (yet) to reduce car trips

What can Redwood City do? Community Benefits Workshop:

Wednesday, January 14th, 7:00 PM, Main Library● Contributions from developers to fund community needs● Affordable housing funding + land banking● Invest in reducing driving (transportation demand

management)

Other city and county choices

Redwood City Specific Plans - El Camino Real● Zone for housing in plan areas● Monitor jobs/housing balance and

affordability fit● Transportation and parking policies

supporting less driving, more affordabilitySan Mateo County affordable housing policy

We can affect outcome...

Regional opportunities