25 Apr San Pablo Looks to Prioritize City Residents in Some Affordable Developments

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

San Pablo’s push to increase the amount of housing in the city could soon require developers to set aside units for residents in certain affordable developments.

The policy, which council members voted Monday to look into, would mean that housing developers who request funding from the local successor agency’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Funds would have to designate a portion of units for San Pablo residents.

Commonly known as a “local preference” policy, City Attorney Brian Hickey said that the research around a possible policy would not be on the legality of such a policy but what percentage of units could be set aside for residents.

“We just need some time to develop a policy that makes sense,” said Hickey.

Similar policies have helped nearby community members secure housing. In North Richmond, the Las Deltas housing projects prioritized former Las Deltas residents. Those who currently worked or lived in North Richmond received second priority, alongside those who previously lived in the unincorporated area.

San Pablo Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado and City Manager Matt Rodriguez said that any proposed preference policy would still need to be flexible for developers, meaning developers that would otherwise be required to set aside a percentage of units might not have to set aside those units if the city says so.

“We need to be careful not to confine something that doesn’t work for [developers]. Plus, the overarching [Regional Housing Needs Allocation] requirements,” said Rodriguez.

The Regional Housing Needs Allocation is the state-determined number of housing units and their accompanying income levels that each city needs to meet housing demands. San Pablo must build 746 units through 2031, according to the state. A majority of those — 63.4% — need to be for those who are moderate- to above-moderate-income levels.

Most recently, the Alvarado Garden Apartments project used funding from the Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund to build 50 affordable housing units.

Though East County has the county’s largest share of people experiencing homelessness, San Pablo has made its own efforts to support its population. In 2025, the number of people counted as homeless dropped from 35 in 2024 to 13.

Still, the city increased Coordinated Outreach, Referral, and Engagement, or CORE, services almost a year ago to further drive the decrease.

Officials have provided some support to those who already have housing, many who are renters, but have also drawn criticism. Some mobile home owners received a one-time grant for rent increases and renter anti-harassment protections were passed soon before that, though critics say those measures don’t go far enough.

The proposed preference policy is expected to come back for consideration by the end of June, according to Rodriguez.