Background
All cities in California are required to adopt a comprehensive General Plan to guide land use planning decisions. A key part of the City’s overall General Plan is the Housing Element, which have been mandatory portions of local general plans in California since 1969. Providing housing for all Californians is considered by the state Legislature to be of vital statewide importance. A housing element provides an analysis of a community’s housing needs for all income levels and strategies to respond to provide for those housing needs. State law establishes that each city accommodates its fair share of affordable housing as an approach to distributing housing needs throughout the state. State housing element law also recognizes that in order for the private sector to address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land-use plans and implement regulations that provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development by the private sector.
The previously adopted Housing Element (PDF) covers the period 2013-2021 and must be updated for the next planning cycle (6th Cycle) covering the period 2021-2029.
The Housing Element must be updated to include City policies, strategies, and actions to facilitate the construction of new housing and preservation of existing housing to meet the needs of the population during the 6th Housing Element Cycle period. The Housing Element must also address the City’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation. Please visit the RHNA Homepage section of this website for more information and updates on the RHNA process.
For additional information and resources on the preparation of the 2021-2029 Housing Element please see below. To stay up-to-date on the latest information regarding the process, please check this website on a regular basis and sign up to receive listserv email messages.
Share your thoughts about the Housing Element Update by emailing them to housingelement@rpvca.gov.
Housing Element Resource Information:
Project Planner: Octavio Silva, Deputy Director/Planning Manager
Contact Information: Email Octavio Silva / (310) 544-5234