MEETING DATE:
MARCH 23, 2021
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-8866 - APPROVE THE ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT ON HOUSING ELEMENT COMPLIANCE FOR 2020
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT resolution approving the Annual Progress Report and Addendum (SB341 Report) on Implementation of the Housing Element
Body
Board or Commission Action
N/A
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Planning for the Future
Relevant Department Goal
N/A
Executive Summary
The Housing Element is a component of the General Plan. The current Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on June 25, 2013 and covers the planning period April 30, 2013 through April 30, 2021. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified in July 2013 that the City’s Housing Element complied with state law. California Government Code Section 65400 mandates that all cities and counties submit an annual progress report on the implementation of its Housing Element to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and HCD. The City has complied with these requirements in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The State’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) goals will continue to be used as the benchmark for compliance reporting purposes. In addition, the California Health & Safety Code Section 34176 as amended by Senate Bill 341 has mandated an annual successor housing entity report and that the report be submitted to HCD as an addendum to the Annual Progress Report. Accordingly, this additional report is enclosed as Attachment A to the Annual Progress Report.
Discussion
As part of the State’s 2017 Housing Package, SB 35 and AB 879 incorporated new annual progress report requirements now included in the updated forms and in Government Code Section 65400. These new requirements are in effect with the 2020 annual progress report. HCD has expanded and modified the report to incorporate more varied reporting requirements in order to comply with recent changes to Housing law. Applicable new reporting requirements include additional details on housing development applications received, new construction entitlements, building permits and completed units. Other new requirements include sites identified or rezoned to accommodate housing needs. The new format still retains the core RHNA progress reporting in similar fashion as the legacy report. Reporting on the Housing Element program implementation status also remains unchanged.
The law requires that the annual progress report be considered during a meeting of the City Council to allow for public comment. This report is being submitted in order to meet this requirement. The City’s Annual Progress Report on Implementation of the Housing Element for calendar year 2020 is provided as an attachment to this staff report. It addresses the following topics:
• Progress in meeting the RHNA goals
• Attainment of housing goals and objectives specified in the City’s 2013-2021 Housing
Element
• Detail on housing development applications received, new construction entitlements, building permits and completed units
• Detail on sites identified or rezoned to accommodate housing needs
The RHNA is State mandated and requires that each city accommodate its fair share of the region’s housing need by providing for a mix of housing for all economic segments. The RHNA is linked to various factors, including the availability of adequate sites with appropriate zoning. It also takes into consideration sites that are vacant or underutilized. A breakdown of the City’s RHNA allocation and the progress the City has made towards those goals is shown in Table B of the attached report. The current RHNA cycle ends on December 31, 2020.
In addition, the California Health & Safety Code Section 34176 as amended by Senate Bill 341 has mandated an annual successor housing entity report and that the report be submitted to HCD as an addendum to the Annual Progress Report. The period of time covered in the annual successor housing entity report is for the previous fiscal year from July 1 through June 30. Accordingly, this additional report is enclosed as Attachment A to the Annual Progress report covering the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.
Environmental Review
Section 15378(a) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3) defines an activity as a “project” if it has the potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change to the environment. The proposed adoption of a Resolution approving the Annual Progress Report and addendum on Implementation of the Housing Element for calendar year 2020 is not a project within the meaning of CEQA because there is no potential for it to result in a physical change in the environment, either directly or indirectly.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to submitting these annual progress reports. Failure to submit the annual progress report could limit the City’s ability to successfully compete for grants administered by the State government.
In addition to the importance of annually reviewing the City’s progress in meeting its Housing Element goals, the State government has increasingly tied various competitive funding programs for non-housing-related activities (such as infrastructure and parks) to a jurisdiction’s compliance with Housing Element law, including having a certified Housing Element and submittal to HCD of the jurisdiction’s annual housing element progress report.
Attachment(s)
Resolution No. 2021-8866
Annual Progress Report on Housing Element Compliance for 2020
Attachment A - Addendum Annual Progress Report
Submitted by: Beth Herzog, Administrative Services Manager
Reviewed by: Dahvia Lynch, Development Services Director
Approved by: Jack Griffin, City Manager