Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-13; Housing Element Advisory Committee; ; HOUSING ELEMENT HANDOUT/FAQAgenda item 4 — DRAFT one page handout EeI11 I'M 0 RIYAL��1�13�� �J;3 Since 1969, California law has required that all cities and counties demonstrate how they will meet the housing needs of everyone in the community through housing plans, known as Housing Elements. The state regularly forecasts the need for housing in each region based on population projections, and then each region distributes this projected need to each city and unincorporated county area. This is referred to as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), and the current allocation provides the housing needs for the City of Carlsbad through the year 2029. To show how this housing need can be met in Carlsbad, Housing Elements must be updated regularly. At the end of the process, the City's updated Housing Element must be approved by the state. Updating Carlsbad's Housing Plan... Together The city started its Housing Element update in 2020. It's a very public process. In fact, the City has established the Housing Element Advisory Committee to help guide plan development. Whether you comment at a committee meeting or online, we need your input so the new plan reflects our community values. General Plan The Housing Element is officially part of the city's General Plan, a collection of policies that guide future development in Carlsbad. These policies are based on what the community told us was most important, which is summarized in the nine core values that make up the Carlsbad Community Vision. Why a Housing Element is Important ■ State law requires the city to adopt a Housing Element by April 2021. ■ Providing housing to meet the needs of all income levels is critical to the social and economic health of the city. ■ With an approved Housing Element, Carlsbad is eligible for state grants to help fund infrastructure improvements. Without an approved plan, the city could face fines, penalties, and lawsuits. ■ The Housing Element will also include policies to address housing for special needs populations, including homelessness. For more information ■ Carlsbadca.gov/housing plan ■ Scott Donnell, Senior Planner, 760.602.4618/scott.donnel I @carlsbadca.gov TIMELINE JAN 2020 Work begins on housing plan update JAN -MAR 2020 Citywide housing sites inventory starts Spring 2020 Public input on site selection criteria and scope of environmental review Summer 2020 Analysis of potential sites available for review Public input evaluating potential sites Fall 2020 Draft plan and environmental document released for public review JAN - MAR 2021 Public hearings for final plan adoption APRIL 2021 Current housing plan expires Deadline for final approval of new plan Provide plan to the state for approval Agenda item 4 — FAQ Frequently Asked Questions: 1. What is a Housing Element and what does it contain? Since 1969, California has required all local governments to plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community through the development of a Housing Element. A component of the General Plan, the Housing Element provides a strategy for promoting safe, decent and affordable housing. The General Plan is Carlsbad's blueprint for how it will grow and develop. Per state law, the specific purposes of the Housing Element are to assess both current and future housing needs and constraints, and establish housing goals, policies and programs that provide a strategy for meeting the city's housing needs. The current City of Carlsbad Housing Element, adopted in 2017, identifies strategies and programs that focus on these five objectives to satisfy housing needs: • conserving and improving existing affordable housing • maximizing housing opportunities • assisting in the provision of affordable housing • removing constraints to housing investment, and • promoting fair and equal housing opportunities. 2. When and why does the Housing Element need to be updated? State law requires regular updates to the Housing Element to ensure relevancy and accuracy. These updates are required every eight years. The time from one update to the next is called a housing cycle. All San Diego jurisdictions are in the fifth housing cycle that began in 2013 and will end in 2021. (State law required Carlsbad to adopt a mid -cycle element in 2017.) The upcoming sixth Housing Element Cycle will cover the next eight -year planning period (2021- 2029). To comply with state law, the Carlsbad City Council needs to adopt an updated element by April 15, 2021. Following adoption, and as a final step, the updated element will require state review and certification. If Carlsbad does not meet this deadline, the city would need to prepare a new Housing Element in just four years and could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines per month until it approves a plan. In addition, without an approved housing plan, the risk of housing -related lawsuits and challenges to the city's entire General Plan increase. Having an approved housing plan avoids these significant problems, helps maintain local control over land use decisions, and makes Carlsbad eligible for state grants to help fund infrastructure improvements. 3. What is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and what is the City of Carlsbad's RHNA? Agenda item 4 — FAQ A huge component of the Housing Element update is RHNA. The RHNA is a representation of future housing need for all income levels in a region. Carlsbad's RHNA for meeting regional housing needs is defined by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). More details about RHNA are available in a city informational brochure. Providing housing to meet the needs of all income levels is critical to the social and economic health of a city. Carlsbad is required to plan for its income -based housing allocation to address its share of the San Diego region's housing needs. Income groups include: "very low income" (<50% of the San Diego region's annual median income (AMI)), "low income" (50-80% AMI), "moderate income" (80-120% AMI), and "above moderate income" (>120% AMI). The current AMI for San Diego County is $86,300 for a family of four. The table below shows Carlsbad's allocation of housing units by income group for the upcoming sixth housing cycle. Over 50% of the allocation satisfies the housing needs of very low and low income families. In total, nearly 3,900 housing units are needed to accommodate 2021— 2029 growth for all income groups as estimated through the RHNA process. The RHNA is required by California state law for every jurisdiction in the state and it is the responsibility of the City of Carlsbad to track progress towards the building of these units during the planning period (2021-2029). See the city's 2019 Housing Element Annual Progress Report. 4. Must cities build the housing required by RHNA? While cities do not build housing — that is the function of private developers — they do adopt plans, regulations and programs that provide opportunities for how and where housing development occurs. An example of an adopted plan is the General Plan, which through its Housing Element provides housing programs and through its Land Use and Conservation Element shows where and at what densities housing can be built. 5. What makes a house affordable to an income group? In a word, density. The foundation of Housing Element Law is based on the premise that density is a proxy for affordability. The idea being, the more housing units on a site (density) translates to lower construction costs per unit, which translates to lower rental/sale prices of those units (affordability). As such, HCD assigns minimum density figures to each income category. In Carlsbad, the highest density figure, a minimum 30 dwelling units per acre of land, is assigned to the very low- and low-income categories. 6. How will housing locations be selected? Agenda item 4 — FAQ The updated housing plan must show the exact locations where future housing can be built and identify the potential number of homes that can be built at those locations. When it comes to these important decisions, the City of Carlsbad is not starting from scratch. During the beginning stages of reviewing housing locations, the city limits or eliminates sites: • With sensitive habitat or species • Where the topography isn't conducive to building • That aren't safe because they're in a flood zone or high -fire area • Within areas deemed off limits by the airport because they are in the flight path or noise levels would be too high Areas that could be designated for additional housing include: • Vacant lots not designated as open space AL, • Underutilized sites, such as lots with uses that are no longer needed or need rehabilitation • Locations where housing could be become denser than it is toda • Locations near public transit and essential services like libraries and neighborhood serving retail centers • Areas where housing could be added near commercial buildings or in business parks, creating "live -work" neighborhoods • Sites where infrastructure, such as water and sewer service, can support more housing City regulations ensure housing is not located where sensitive habitats or other constraints occur. They work together with city policies, such as those in the General Plan, to identify suitable housing sites. For example, one General Plan policy encourages medium and higher density residential uses, or homes affordable to very low, low, and moderate -income families, to locate near commercial services, job centers, and transportation corridors. 7. What about other important topics, like housing the homeless or the high cost of housing? Are those addressed too? Yes, a Housing Element discusses issues, trends, and solutions for many topics, including homelessness and high housing costs. The city's current Housing Element is a great resource to see a wealth of information that elements must contain, ranging from age of residents to supportive and transitional housing, and from building permit fees to new home prices. 8. Where can I find more information? For more information about the Carlsbad Housing Element and what the city is doing to address the housing needs of its residents, visit the City of Carlsbad Housing Element Update website: www.carlsbadca.gov/housingplan.