Belvedere secures housing certification after yearslong delay

More than three years after its state-mandated deadline, Belvedere has officially secured certification of its housing plan.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development confirmed the city’s compliance with state housing laws in a Feb. 26 letter, closing a chapter that began in October 2021 and required five drafts before the state housing agency signed off. The 2023-2031 housing element was due Jan. 31, 2023.

The certified document establishes a framework for accommodating at least 160 housing units through 2031 — 77 for lower incomes, 23 for moderate incomes and 60 for above-moderate incomes. The extra 28 units provide a buffer in case some sites are not developed to projected capacities.

Last July, the agency had issued a breakthrough finding that the fourth draft met statutory requirements pending zoning changes, which at the time appeared to indicate final approval was only a formality. But after the city implemented those changes and submitted its final draft in December, the state housing agency required one additional legal clause before granting final approval in February.

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