Concord City Council, Planning Commission to Discuss Potential Rezoning for Housing
CONCORD, CA (Jan. 2, 2024) — On Tuesday, January 7, the City Council and Concord Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting regarding the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) program. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., and it will be held at Centre Concord (5298 Clayton Rd.) to accommodate the dozens of community members who have expressed interest in this topic. The meeting will also be televised on Concord TV, through Zoom, and through the City’s website.
This joint meeting is being held to allow Council and the Planning Commission to receive an update and review sites being considered for changes in allowable land uses to enable the development of residential housing at greater densities than what is currently allowed.
The meeting agenda and staff report has been posted and can be accessed for review prior to the meeting
In April 2024 as part of Concord’s state-approved Housing Element, the City began a project to consider rezoning properties under the AFFH program. Since then, City staff have held seven community meetings and surveyed community members to learn more about the locations being considered for rezoning. The overlay zoning will not affect any of the land uses currently permitted on the properties under review.
As required by the State of California, the AFFH program is part of Concord’s Housing Element and commits the City to overlay zoning at least 20 acres in higher resource neighborhoods to allow higher density multifamily development (up to 60 units to the acre).
AFFH is a provision of the Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing and ensures equal housing opportunities for all. California law mandates that cities actively further fair housing in their planning processes and take meaningful actions to combat disparities resulting from past patterns of segregation, and to foster inclusive communities.
To view properties under consideration and learn more, please visit the AFFH web page.