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• Priority processing of building and engineering approvals Inclusionary Housing Inclusionary Housing Ordinance In 2000, the City adopted an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO) (Municipal Code Chapter 17.44) which modified the City's requirements for the provision of affordable housing by the builders of new residential projects. The IZO, which has not been amended since 2000, requires below market rate units to be provided in the following projects: • New single-family residential developments of 15 units or more must provide at least 20 percent of its units at a below-market sales price • New multi -family development of 15 or more units must provide at least 15 percent of the total units for multi -family developments). Inclusionary units must be dispersed throughout the project, unless otherwise approved by the City, and be constructed with identical exterior materials and an exterior architectural design that is consistent with the market rate units in the project. However, inclusionary units can be smaller and have fewer interior amenities than the market rate units in the project. Other requirements are that the inclusionary units remain affordable in perpetuity through recordation of an affordable housing agreement, and that the inclusionary units in a project be constructed concurrently within or prior to the construction of the project's market rate units. The primary emphasis of the IZO is to achieve the inclusion of affordable housing units to be constructed in conjunction with market rate units within the same project in new residential projects. However, since this may not always be practical, alternatives are available for a development to meet its inclusionary requirement. At the discretion of the City, alternatives include: • Construction of units off-site at a location within the city other than the project site • Land dedication • Credit transfers if a project exceeds the total number of inclusionary units required • Alternate methods of compliance as approved by the City Council • Payment of a lower income housing fee The use of any of these alternative methods of compliance is subject to City review and approval memorialized in an Affordable Housing Agreement. The Agreement is negotiated by City staff and the applicant. It is then brought to the Housing Commission for recommendation and ultimately to the City Council for final approval. Agreements include a contribution of lower income housing funds towards the project to help offset the cost of including affordable units. The process is run simultaneously with the development application review and does not extend the development Housing Constraints City of Pleasanton I C-21