FROM:
Elise Semonian, Planning Director
SUBJECT:
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Housing Element 2023-2031 Receive presentation on proposed public engagement process and timeline for Housing Element 2023-2031 update and provide direction to staff.
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RECOMMENDATION
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Receive report and provide direction to staff.
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BACKGROUND
Every eight years, every city, town and county must update the Housing Element of their General Plan and have it certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This staff report1 is an introduction to the upcoming 6th Cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element Update for San Anselmo. The memo provides background information on state requirements as well as a proposed local process and timeline.
The Housing Element update is an opportunity for a community conversation about how to address local housing challenges and find solutions. The Housing Element addresses a range of housing issues such as affordability, design, housing types, density and location, and establishes goals, policies and programs to address existing and projected housing needs. The Housing Element must be internally consistent with other parts of the General Plan and is critical to having a legally adequate General Plan.
State law does not require that jurisdictions build or finance new housing, but they must plan for it. It is in the community's Housing Element that local governments make decisions about where safe, accessible, and diverse housing could be developed to offer a mix of housing opportunities for a variety of household incomes. The Housing Element must identify how the town will meet its share of the region's housing need, called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA.
Key Components of a Housing Element
State law2 outlines specific requirements for a Housing Element. All Housing Elements include:
1. Housing Needs Assessment: Examine demographic, employment and housing trends and conditions and identify existi...
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