MEETING DATE: 3/22/2022
DEPARTMENT: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
DEPT HEAD/DIRECTOR:
AGENDA ITEM PREPARER:
SBC DEPT FILE NUMBER: 156
SUBJECT:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Discuss and consider a letter addressing and opposing San Benito County's 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation. Recommend modifications as necessary and approve Board Chair or Vice Chair to sign letter, if desired.
SBC FILE NUMBER: 156
AGENDA SECTION:
REGULAR AGENDA
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
California State law recognizes that local governments play a vital role in developing affordable housing. Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community – regardless of income.
California's local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their "general plan" (also required by the state). General plans serve as the local government's "blueprint" for how the city and/or county will grow and develop and include seven elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing. Through a Regional Housing Needs Assessment, a jurisdiction determines how much housing it must plan for and estimates how much will be needed at various affordability levels to match the people's needs.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is responsible for determining the regional housing needs assessment (segmented by income levels) for each region's planning body, known as a "council of governments" (COG). HCD starts with demographic population information from the California Department of Finance and uses a formula to calculate each region/COG figure.
Each COG uses its own demographic figures to calculate what it believes the regional housing need is. Each COG then coordinates with HCD — taking into account factors not captured in the calculations — to arrive at a final figure. This final figure is the regional housing needs assessment.
COG takes over once HCD and the COG have agreed to the region's assessment figure (the amount of housing that must be planned for). It is responsible for divvying up (allocating) the housing need amongst all jurisdictions (cities/counties) within that region. The COG does this in a Regional Housing Need Allocation Plan (RHNA Plan).
At the December 14, 2021 Board meeting, the San Benito County Council of Governments provided the Board with a regional housing needs determination and Allocation Methodology presentation.
A letter from COG to HCD addressing and opposing San Benito County's 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation Plan dated January 5, 2022, and HCD's response dated January 25, 2022, and further email correspondence dated February 17, 2022 and is presented for board discussion and consideration.
RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE NEEDED FOR THIS ITEM:
N/A
CONTRACT NEEDED FOR THIS ITEM:
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CONTRACT AND RFP HISTORY:
n/a
LAST CONTRACT AMOUNT OR N/A:
N/A
STATE IF THIS IS A NEW CONTRACT/ HOW MANY PAST AMENDED CONTRACTS/ OR N/A:
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
BUDGETED:
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Budget Adjustment Needed: N/A
Unfunded Mandate (Is this a mandate not funded by the State): N/A