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BACKGROUND AND EXISTING POLICIES This meeting is the second of two meetings related to housing policy. Below is a discussion of existing policies in the General Plan related to workforce housing and potential definitions for this term, along with background regarding affordability by design. Workforce Housing Existing Policies for Workforce Housing The General Plan has several existing goals and policies related to workforce housing, excerpted below. It acknowledges the need to provide affordable housing to a wide range of households and identifies a specific program to assess the need for workforce housing, and references the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan, which recognizes that the housing stock in Pleasanton is primarily single-family homes in traditional settings, which could be a potential barrier to attracting talented workers. The strategic plan (dated 2013) cites that about 64 percent of Pleasanton's housing stock is single-family detached but about half of households are small (one to two persons)'. Therefore, increasing the diversity of housing products (related to housing units that are smaller and "affordable by design," also discussed in this report), along with providing high-quality multifamily housing near employment centers and amenities could make Pleasanton more attractive for smaller and younger households. General Plan Policies, Workforce Housing • Goal 5: Produce and retain a sufficient number of housing units affordable to extremely low-, low- and very low-income households to address the City's responsibility for meeting the needs of Pleasanton's workforce, families, and residents, including those with special needs. Goal 14: Provide adequate locations for housing of all types and in sufficient quantities to meet Pleasanton's housing needs. - Policy 36: Encourage development of workforce housing that helps to achieve the goals of the Economic Development Strategic Plan. - Program 36.1: Regularly assess the need for workforce housing (including stock, type and quantity of housing) in the community. Develop routine planning and economic development activities to better integrate assessment information into efforts that produce a built environment responsive to the need for workforce housing, in accordance with the Economic Development Strategic Plan. The City Council shall consider the appropriate steps to address the identified needs. Defining Workforce Housing in Pleasanton While the concept of workforce housing in Pleasanton has been discussed numerous times during the course of the current and past Housing Element updates, a formal definition has yet to be established. Based on discussions with the City Council, Planning Commission and Housing Commission, some common themes have emerged, including: (1) ensuring that Pleasanton is able to provide housing options for those who work in Pleasanton, in jobs at a variety of wage levels, including those who perform lower -wage jobs essential to the local economy but either cannot find or afford housing here; and (2) the needs of households who The California State Department of Finance, as of May 2021, estimates single-family detached units to be comprise 60.5 percent of Pleasanton's housing stock; it also estimates population density at 2.85 persons per household. Housing Element Update, P21-0751 Planning Commission 2of10