DATE: February 7, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Acting Director of Development Services
SUBJECT
Title
Housing Element: Adopt a Resolution Amending the General Plan to Include the 2023-2031 Housing Element
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) approving an Amendment to the General Plan for the 2023-2031 Housing Element; and review an EIR Addendum related to the General Plan Amendment prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
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SUMMARY
The City Council is being asked to review and adopt a General Plan Amendment for Hayward’s 6th Cycle Housing Element (2023-2031). Pursuant to State Law, all local jurisdictions in California must update the Housing Element, a required chapter of the City’s General Plan every five to eight years. The City of Hayward is on an eight-year cycle. The last Housing Element was adopted on December 2, 2014, and the updated Housing Element was due January 31, 2023.
A Housing Element is an opportunity for a community to analyze local housing challenges and develop solutions to address those issues. Thus this Housing Element is composed of the goals, policies, programs and actions to remove constraints and streamline new development; allows for the establishment of a variety of housing types; prioritizes funding for affordable housing development, particularly for special needs populations; ensures that programs affirmatively further fair housing goals; provides education and outreach opportunities for residents; and identifies sites that are zoned to accommodate the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). It is essential to note that State Housing Law does not require that jurisdictions build or finance new housing, but we must plan for it in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing.
Following adoption of the Draft Housing Element, staff will incorporate any changes recommended by the City Council and submit the final adopted version to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for certification. To streamline the certification process, the accompanying Resolution would authorize the Acting Development Services Director to make all non-substantive changes to the Housing Element to make it internally consistent or to address any non-substantive changes or amendments requested by HCD to achieve certification.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Addendum
Attachment IV 6th Cycle Housing Element 2023-2031
Attachment V Housing Element, Appendix A, Public Participation Report
Attachment VI Housing Element, Appendix B, Housing Needs Assessment
Attachment VII Housing Element, Appendix C, Housing Resources
Attachment VIII Housing Element, Appendix C, Sites Inventory
Attachment IX Housing Element, Appendix D, Housing Constraints
Attachment X Housing Element, Appendix E, Review of Past Accomplishments
Attachment XI Housing Element, Appendix F, Fair Housing Assessment
Attachment XII State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Letter 11/28/22
Attachment XIII City Response Matrix to HCD Letter
Attachment XIV Planning Commission Draft Minutes of 1/26/23 Housing Element