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The City of Santa Cruz and the County of Santa Cruz are in the final stages of completing and submitting their Housing Element Plan to the California Department of Housing and Community Development as required by state law, commonly known as Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for cycle 6 (2023-2031). You can read about the City’s document here in a Santa Cruz Sentinel article: https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/11/07/feedback-needed-for-santa-cruz-housing-element-revisions/. The housing element is part of the city’s general plan and is driven by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation element, which compels the city to plan for and create a specific allotment of housing, at four income levels, from very low to above moderate, in an eight-year period. The income levels are based on the average median income for a family of four in Santa Cruz County and that figure is $119,300 according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The deadline to provide additional public comment is this Friday, November 10. The Housing Element update details the city’s plan to meet the state housing obligation for producing 3,736 units in various income categories. The total units required by the sixth Regional Housing Needs Allocation element cycle, 1,606, should be designated for those with above moderate income, 709 for those making moderate income, 562 for low income, and 859 for very low income. The County of Santa Cruz is holding a final public hearing on its 2023 Housing Element at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, November 14. The notice of the Public hearing is here: https://mailchi.mp/592292c9ea6a/public-hearing-tuesday-nov-14?e=eb2b717954. At this meeting, the Board will consider a resolution to certify the Environmental Impact Report Addendum and adopt the 2023 Housing Element. This will be the final public hearing before the Housing Element is sent to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for their final review and certification. The Housing Element can be reviewed here: https://www.sccoplanning.com/PlanningHome/Housing/2023HousingElement/ProjectDocuments.aspx On November 8, 2022, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Government (AMBAG’s) adopted RHNA Methodology, and was approved by the state HCD. For Santa Cruz County, the RHNA to be planned for this cycle is 4,634 units, a slated increase of 353 percent from the last cycle. Table 4.1-1 shows the RHNA for Santa Cruz County for the period 2023 through 2031. While the County has taken steps throughout the 5th cycle to increase housing production locally, the State passed numerous laws to address California’s housing crisis during the same period. As the State passes new legislation during the last housing cycle and will likely continue adding legislative policies during the 6th cycle, the County intends to amend the regulations to which can produce more housing opportunities; to monitor and evaluate policies and programs designed to meet State requirements; and to proactively implement new policies and programs to help increase housing production Countywide. The question that remains to be addressed over the next eight-year cycle is whether the City of Santa Cruz and the County can meet the state housing numbers. In the past few years, the state legislature and the governor have taken numerous steps through legislative and executive orders to increase housing throughout the state. The Chamber has closely followed both the city and county planning objectives and will continue to weigh in on specific housing projects as they are presented to the city council and board of supervisors. There is no magic bullet that the local government can rely on to ensure housing gets approved and built. The onerous duty falls on the housing developers (both non-profit and for-profit builders) who face the sometimes untenable task of seeking capital funding for the lengthy entitlement and construction timelines. There is a positive movement in our county that progress is beginning to make a difference.
The City of Santa Cruz and the County of Santa Cruz are in the final stages of completing and submitting their Housing Element Plan to the California Department of Housing and Community Development as required by state law, commonly known as Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for cycle 6 (2023-2031). You can read about the City’s document here in a Santa Cruz Sentinel article: https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/11/07/feedback-needed-for-santa-cruz-housing-element-revisions/.
The housing element is part of the city’s general plan and is driven by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation element, which compels the city to plan for and create a specific allotment of housing, at four income levels, from very low to above moderate, in an eight-year period. The income levels are based on the average median income for a family of four in Santa Cruz County and that figure is $119,300 according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The deadline to provide additional public comment is this Friday, November 10.
The Housing Element update details the city’s plan to meet the state housing obligation for producing 3,736 units in various income categories. The total units required by the sixth Regional Housing Needs Allocation element cycle, 1,606, should be designated for those with above moderate income, 709 for those making moderate income, 562 for low income, and 859 for very low income.
The County of Santa Cruz is holding a final public hearing on its 2023 Housing Element at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, November 14. The notice of the Public hearing is here: https://mailchi.mp/592292c9ea6a/public-hearing-tuesday-nov-14?e=eb2b717954.
At this meeting, the Board will consider a resolution to certify the Environmental Impact Report Addendum and adopt the 2023 Housing Element. This will be the final public hearing before the Housing Element is sent to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for their final review and certification. The Housing Element can be reviewed here:
https://www.sccoplanning.com/PlanningHome/Housing/2023HousingElement/ProjectDocuments.aspx
On November 8, 2022, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Government (AMBAG’s) adopted RHNA Methodology, and was approved by the state HCD. For Santa Cruz County, the RHNA to be planned for this cycle is 4,634 units, a slated increase of 353 percent from the last cycle. Table 4.1-1 shows the RHNA for Santa Cruz County for the period 2023 through 2031.
While the County has taken steps throughout the 5th cycle to increase housing production locally, the State passed numerous laws to address California’s housing crisis during the same period. As the State passes new legislation during the last housing cycle and will likely continue adding legislative policies during the 6th cycle, the County intends to amend the regulations to which can produce more housing opportunities; to monitor and evaluate policies and programs designed to meet State requirements; and to proactively implement new policies and programs to help increase housing production Countywide.
The question that remains to be addressed over the next eight-year cycle is whether the City of Santa Cruz and the County can meet the state housing numbers. In the past few years, the state legislature and the governor have taken numerous steps through legislative and executive orders to increase housing throughout the state.
The Chamber has closely followed both the city and county planning objectives and will continue to weigh in on specific housing projects as they are presented to the city council and board of supervisors. There is no magic bullet that the local government can rely on to ensure housing gets approved and built. The onerous duty falls on the housing developers (both non-profit and for-profit builders) who face the sometimes untenable task of seeking capital funding for the lengthy entitlement and construction timelines. There is a positive movement in our county that progress is beginning to make a difference.