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Study Session on the Draft Housing Element and Response to Review Comments by the Department of Housing and Community Development (Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff requests that the City Council share any comments on the revised Draft Housing Element and Review Comment Letter from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for incorporation into the final Draft Housing Element being prepared for the adoption hearing.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City Council and Planning Commission held a joint study session on August 9, 2022 to discuss the draft Housing Element. The document includes obligations for zoning to produce housing and programs to support various equity, affordability, and access issues related to housing for the period of 2023-2031.
Since that time, staff has taken the City Council and Planning Commission’s comments, as well as the public advocacy letters received, and modified the draft Housing Element for submittal to the State’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). Updates have been provided via regular Thursday memorandums. Staff submitted the draft Housing Element to HCD on September 9, 2022 and received a comment letter within the 90 day timeline on December 7, 2022. The response to those comments and revised draft Housing Element is the subject of this study session.
Staff has completed responses to each HCD comment except for edits to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing section, which requires additional time for data requests and analysis. A consultant to the City will have this completed and ready for consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council at future hearings. Edits are red-lined throughout the document and the location of the edit is indicated in the attached HCD comment letter. Staff recommends that the City Council review both documents and provide any guidance, as desired.
Both the HCD comments and staff’s edits are fairly minor - they primarily consist of further analysis supporting the proposed housing programs, edits to timing for program deliverables, and clarification showing how the draft Housing Element complies with state law.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
To meet the state deadline of January 31, 2023 for local adoption of the draft Housing Element, the following schedule is proposed.
1. City Council study session tonight
2. Planning Commission consideration of the draft housing element on 1/19/23
3. City Council consideration of the draft housing element for adoption on 1/25/23
4. Submittal to HCD by 1/31/23
Staff, in coordination with the City Attorney, will provide a draft Housing Element in substantial compliance with state law governing housing elements for Council consideration and adoption. Adoption of a Housing Element in substantial compliance with state law by January 31, 2023 will ensure that our jurisdiction is not subject to penalties or override of local decision-making related to new development.
CONCLUSION
Please review the HCD comment letter, staff responses, and red-lined edits and provide any additional feedback to staff for incorporation into final hearing documents over the next two weeks.
Attachments
1. HCD comment letter and staff responses
2. Revised draft Housing Element