Agenda Item#9 on tonight’s city council meeting

By J.P.

Housing Element Update on the city of Encinitas official website: click me Clever
how they stick those controversial agenda items last eh?

State law requires cities and counties to update their General Plan Housing Elements every five years in order to periodically address the changing housing needs of their communities and to establish action plans to meet those goals. The Housing Element update process and resulting documentation must meet the minimum requirements of state law and include the following:

1. An evaluation of the results from housing programs implemented during the previous review period, including a discussion of the effectiveness of housing programs and policies, a comparison of projected results to actual accomplishments, and a summary of how these results will inform revisions to the update;
2. An assessment of the city’s housing needs based on housing, land use, population, demographic and employment trends.
3. An analysis of housing opportunities within the city, including an inventory of suitable sites and the city’s capacity to meet regional share goals. Assess the adequacy of the city’s public facilities relative to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing;
4. An analysis on governmental and non-governmental constraints to providing housing; and
5. A set of quantifiable objectives and programs to address the housing needs for residents of the community

Based on Chapter 10.6 of the Government Code, the Housing Element addresses housing needs of the city and recommends ways to meet these needs while balancing community objectives and resources. In addition, in order for a city’s housing element to be in compliance with the State law, it must meet the requirements of a Regional Share plan. The goal of this plan is to distribute total housing production among several cost categories, including households of “very low”, “low”, “moderate”, and “above moderate” income levels.