City of Fortuna Housing Element Programs and Statuses as of 6.9.2025 Program Objective and Timeframe Current Status
H 1. Housing Rehabilitation
Attempt to obtain state and federal assistance to expand the Housing Rehabilitation Program to upgrade those units needing rehabilitat‐ion consistent with state and federal guidelines. The purpose of the program would be to provide low interest loans to low and moderate income families to make necessary repairs.
Objective: As funding is available, assist five
lower income households over the 2014–2019 planning
period.
Time Frame: Apply to HCD for CDBG and HOME funds
through the state’s annual funding cycle as Notices of
Funding Availability are released.
Incomplete and ongoing need.
H 2 HOME Financed First Time Homebuyer Program
Work with developers to provide single family starter homes for young families by assisting with public improvements for those projects financed by the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME).
Objective: Assist five households during the 2014–2019
planning period.
Time Frame: Develop a program and identify an agency
to partner with by December 2018, ongoing through
2019, as funding is available.
Incomplete and ongoing need.
H 3 Promote Fair Housing Opportunities
The City will refer interested persons to the State Fair Employment and Housing Commission. The City will act as an independent third party to discrimination complaints and shall maintain a file for the purpose of recording information about any alleged violations of state or federal fair housing requirements. The City will support housing equal opportunity programs by having the Planning Division distribute information about fair housing rights and procedures for filing fair housing complaints to City government offices, public libraries, and post offices. The Planning Division shall also maintain the information at all City government office locations.
Objective: Continue to promote fair housing.
Time Frame: Mail and post information annually every
January.
Incomplete and annual requirement.
H 4 CDBG Housing Revolving Loan Fund
The City r‐eceived CDBG grants in 1988, 1989, and 1992 to create and carry out a housing rehabilitation program for low and moderate income residents. The Fortuna Redevelopment Agency is responsible for implementing the program. The funds from the grant were used to make loans to qualified property owners. The loan repayments have be‐en placed in a revolving fund. The moneys in the revolving loan fund are being used to make loans to rehabilitate dwellings of low and moderate income residents.
Objective: Increase and improve the supply of low and
moderate income housing by rehabilitating five units per year.
Time Frame: Ongoing through 2019
The program stopped when the Fortuna Redevelopment Agency was dissolved. It can be restarted but would require considerable staff time to run and oversee.
H 5. Density Bonus Program
State law requires that the City allow more dwellings to be built than the existing development standards allow if a developer agrees to make a certain number of dwellings available to the target income group. This provision in state law is commonly referred to as a density bonus provision. The City should actively encourage developers to utilize the density bonus provision and develop affordable housing by providing
information about the program at the counter, on
Objective: Update the Zoning Code to ensure
compliance with state law and provide affordable
housing through use of the density bonus provision.
Time Frame: Update the Zoning Code by December
2018; ongoing as projects are processed through the
Community Development Department.
Incomplete and annual compliance review. Currently, the City utilizes the State Density Bonus law
H 6. Preserve Assisted Units
State law requires jurisdictions to prov‐ide a program in their housing elements to preserve publicly assisted affordable housing projects at risk of converting to market rate housing. To ensure that assisted affordable housing remains affordable, the City will monitor the status of all affordable housing projects and, as their funding sources near expiration, will work with owners and other agencies to consider options to preserve such units. The City will also provide technical support to property owners and tenants regarding proper procedures relating to noticing and options for preservation.
Objective: Preserve assisted affordable housing
projects.
Time Frame: Ongoing, as projects approach expiration
We have an annual MOU with the county to monitor the existing deedrestricted affordable housing. No new deed-restricted affordable housing has been added since then; however, the Humboldt Senior Resource Center project, which is in the approval process, will add 66 new units, which will need monitoring.
H 7 Improvement Standards
Because the Cityʹs Improvement Standards and Specifications are a critical component of subdivision design, it is imperative that they reflect realistic standards that protect public health and safety, while at the same time not impose unnecessary, excessive
development costs. The City shall review and update the Improvement Standards and Specifications to ensure that balanced improvements are required of new developments.
Objective: Evaluate the Cityʹs Improvement Standards
and Specifications and revise as necessary.
Time Frame: Annually review standards and revise
within six to eight months, if necessary
An updated draft of the Improvement Standards was created, but the project appears to have stalled.
H 8. Annual Review of the Housing Element
The City must prepare an annual progress report on the status and progress in implementing its Housing Element. The annual progress report must be presented to the Planning Commission or City Council and is then submitted to HCD and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
Objective: Review the Housing Element on an annual
basis to determine the effectiveness of the programs in achieving the City’s housing goals and objectives.
Time Frame: Annually, starting April 2018
Compliant
H 9. Residential Multifamily Development Review Process Currently, the City requires a conditional use permit for multifamily developments with 5 or more units. To ensure that the conditional use permit process does not impact the timing, cost, or supply of multifamily development, the City shall replace the conditional use permit requirement for multifamily development in multifamily zones with a site plan review process. This process will continue to review elements such as aesthetics, traffic, parking, noise and visual impacts. The site plan review process will incorporate objective standards to promote greater certainty and streamlining in the approval process for multifamily development.
Objective: Replace the conditional use permit process
with a site plan review.
Time Frame: End of 2018
Possibly complete. On 12/4/23, the City adopted Ordiance 2023-764 amending chapters 17.03, 17.06, and 17.08 of the Fortuna Municipal Code to multifamily by right in most zoning districts subject to Objective Standards compliance.
H 10. Maintain an Inventory of Affordable Housing Sites and Ensure Site Feasibility The City will aid developers looking to develop affordable housing by continuing to maintain an inventory of available sites within the City and by identifying potential sites that are prime for affordable housing development. The City will continue to allow lot consolidation as a ministerial process, and when financially feasible, the City will waive any fees for consolidating small parcels. The City will also provide information and technical assistance on federal and state funding sources or referrals to appropriate agencies. ‐ ‐
To comply with new housing laws, the City will rezone sites 6 and 12 to allow residential use by right. This by rig‐ ht (without discretionary review) requirement is only for housing developments in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to lower income households.
Objective: Encourage the development of housing for all segments of the community, specifically lower income
households. Ensure the City is meeting its regional
housing needs allocation.
Time Frame: Ongoing; review and update the sites
inventory on an annual basis. Provide lot consolidation assistance as projects are proces‐sed through the
Community Development Department. Rezone sites 6
and 12 to allow residential use by right within 3 years from adoption of this Housing Element.
Need Zoning code amendments (Planning Commission and City Council) to remove/amend Q-2 and Q-16 overlay zones.
H 11. Emergency Shelters and Regional Homeless
Coordination
State law requires the City to identify a zone where emergency shelters are permitted by right, without discretionary review. The City is also permitted to adopt developmental and managerial standards in accordance with Government Code Section 65583(a)(4)(A).
The City’s Zoning Ordinanc‐e currently allows for the develo‐pment of a homeless shelters by right on select parcels in the
Commercial Thoroughfare (C T) and Light Industrial (M 1) zoning districts. To ensure compliance with state law, the City will: - Create an emergency shelter overlay zone where an emergency shelter will be permitted by right, without discretionary review. - Identify sites within the overlay zone that have sufficient capacity and are appropriate and suitable for a homele‐ ss‐ shelter. - Work with the County and Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition (HHHC) during the yearly point in time homeless count to conduct a suitability study to determine the specific needs for Fortuna.
- Identify and revise the current standards for emergency shelters to remove any discretionary approvals.
- Monitor annually and add additional sites, if needed.
In addition, the City will continue to coordinate with neighboring cities, the County, and other agencies in the development of programs aimed at providing homeless shelters and related services.
Objective: Amend the Zoning Ordinance to create an
overlay zone that will be applied to identified sites where an emergency shelter will be permitted by right and
remove any discretionary approval by allowing planning
director approval of design review. Annu‐ally‐ work with the County and Humboldt Housing and Homeless
Coalition (HHHC) during the yearly point in time
homeless count. Time Frame: Update the Zoning
Ordinance by spring 2018. Identify and revise the current standards and remove any discretionary approvals prior
to adoption of the Housing Element. Meet with
neighboring cities and the County annually to discuss
homeless issues.
Compliant
H 12 Transitional and Supportive Housing
The City currently has separate definitions of transitional and supportive housing, as defined in Health and Safety Code Sections 50675.2 and 50675.14, included in its Zoning Ordinance. In an effort to comply with state law, the City will review and revise its Zoning Ordinance to state that transitional and supportive housing types will be allowed as permitted uses subject to only the same restrictions on residential uses contained in the same type of structure.
Objective: Amend the Zoning Ordinance to state that
transitional and supportive housing types will be allowed as permitted uses subject to only the same restrictions on residential uses contained in the same type of
structure. Time Frame: Update the Zoning Ordinance by
spring 2018.
Incomplete
H 13. Facilitate the Development of Affordable Housing
In an effort to facilitate the development of affordable housing, the‐ City will consider the following efforts:
- Prioritize any available funding for affordable housing, extremely low income households, and/or for emergency shelters.
- Conduct yearly outreach to affordable housing developers and shelter providers, identifying available sites for development and assisting with funding applications.
- Waive or de‐fer impact fees for affordable housing
developments and shelters when feasible.
- Dedicate City owned site(s) to an affordable housing developer and/or emergency shelter provider.
Objective: Increase the likelihood of developing and
rehabilitating housing units affordable to lower income individuals and families by educating developers,
increasing public awareness of the process, and creating a partnership with developers between developers and
the City.
Time Frame: Ongoing. Conduct yearly outreach, waive
or defer fees as projects are processed.
Incomplete and ongoing requirement
H 14 Housing Grants and Other Forms of Assistance
The City shall pursue funding for ‐housing programs, and/or assist private developers who pursue housing assistance programs, including but not limited to the following: First time Homebuyer Program - Home Investment Partnership Program
(HOME)
- State Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG)
- Multifamily Housing Program (MHP)
- Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant
Program (JSJFWHG)
- CalHome Program
- Building Equity and Growth in
Neighborhoods Program (BEGIN)
- United States Department of Agriculture
Housing Programs
-‐California Ho‐using Finance Authority Loans
(CHFA)
Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit
(LIHTC)
Objective: Provide gap financing to developers to
encourage affordable housing. Target assisting 5
households with the programs listed. Time Frame:
Ongoing, as NOFAs are released.
Incomplete and ongoing requirement
H 15. Housing for Extr‐emely Low Income Households
The City shall amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow conversion of hotels and motels to single room ‐occupancy units (SRO) under specified conditions in selected zones. In addition, to help meet the needs of extremely low income
households, the City will prioritize fu‐nding and/or offer financial incentives or regulatory concessions to encourage the development of housing types affordable to extremely low income households, such as SROs, multifamily units, and supportive housing.
Objective: Support the development of housing for
extremely low income ‐households and amend the Zoning
Ordinance to allow for SROs to comply with state law.
Assist 3 extremely low income households by the end of
the planning period. Time Frame: Ongoing as projects
are processed through the Community Development
Department. Amend the Zoning Ordinance by December
2018.
Compliant
H 16. Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory dwelling units (second units) can be an affordable housing option and can help meet the needs of many residents in the city. To ensure consistency with state law concerning accessory dwelling units (Assembly Bill 2299 and Senate Bill 1069), the City shall review standards and revise as necessary to facilitate the development of accessory dwelling units.
Objective: Support the development of accessory
dwelling units.
Time Frame: Update the Zoning Ordinance by December
2018.
Incomplete and requries annual monitoring for compliance H 17 Efficiency Units
The City shall consider adopting changes to the Uniform Building Code to allow construction of efficiency units as small as 150 square feet in size consistent with the requirements of state and local law.
Objective: Encourage efficiency unit construction.
Time Frame: Determine if this is feasible and update the Zoning Ordinance by December 2018.
Incomplete
H 18 Reasonable Accommodation Procedure
The City will develop and formalize a process that a person with disabilities will need to go through to make a reasonable accommodation request in order to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities and streamline the permit review process. The City will provide information to individuals with disabilities regarding reasonable accommodation policies, practices, and procedures based on the guidelines from HCD. This information will be available through postings and pamphlets at the City and on the City’s website. The City will also update the definition of family to state “one or more persons living together in a dwelling unit.”
Objective: Develop and formalize a general process for
reasonable accommodations. Time Frame: Update the
Zoning Ordinance by December 2018.
Compliant
H 19. Provide Assistance for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Chapter 507, Statutes of 2010 (Senate Bill 812), which took effect January 2011, requires the City to address the needs of individuals with a developmental disability. The City will work with the Redwood Coast Regional Center to implement an outreach program that informs families in the city about housing and services available for persons with developmental disabilities. The program could include the development of an informational brochure and directing people to service information on the City’s website.
Objective: Work with the Redwood Coast Regional
Center to develop an outreach program to assist
persons with development disabilities.
Time Frame: Develop an outreach program within one
year of adopting the Housing Element and implement the
program within six months after it is developed.
Incomplete and requries annual review for compliance
H 20. Energy Conservation
The City will work with Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA) to promote residential energy efficiency. The following programs are available through RCAA: ‐ ‐
Free Weatherization Program – Provides weatherization
services and assistance to low to moderate income households through grants and financial assistance. Activities may include energy conservation measures, weatherization such as weather stripping, water heater wrap, insulation of various home components, and financial assistance.
Energy Demonstration Center – Through the Energy and
Environmental Services Division of the RCAA, this center provides energy efficiency retrofits, home improvement, utility and energy assistance, client education and advocacy, an‐d other services to people in need in Humboldt County.
Utility Payment Assistance Program – Low income households are assisted with utility expenses. Several resources are leveraged to provide each consumer with maximum assistance.
Objective: Promote residential energy conservation.
Time Frame: Ongoing
Incomplete and ongoing requirement
H 21. Inclusionary Zonin‐g Ordinance ‐ Inclusionary zoning ordinances require developers to include a certain percentage of rental or for sale units that are affordable to lower income people as a condition of development. The City will explore the adoption of a local inclusionary housing
program. The program could include requiring developers of certain types of housing developments to construct inclusi‐onary affordable units or, in limited circumstances where the City deems construction of inclusionary units to be impractical, pay an in lieu fee, or donate land to subsidize affordable housing development.
Prior to adopting any inclusionary program, the City will conduct analysi‐s to ensure that sufficient incentives exist to mitigate potential negative impacts from the program on the cost and supply of market rate housing.
Objective: Promote the development of affordable
housing.
Time Frame: Explore options of an ordinance by the end
of 2018; if determined to be feasible, adopt an ordinance by the end of 2019.
Incomplete and requires monitoring
H 22. Preservation of Mobile Homes
Mobile homes are an affordable housing option for many residents. In an effort to assist with preserving this type of housing, the City will take the following steps:
- Compile a list of resources and provide technical assistance to facilitate the maintenance and preservation of mobile home parks.
- Conduct yearly outreach to mobile home residents and park owners regarding potential funding sources, including the State’s Mobilehome Park Rehabilitation and Ownership Program (MPRROP).
Outreach may be facilitated by going to mobile home clu‐ bhouses and posting information in readily visible locations.
- Consider preparing an assessment of housing related needs in mobile home parks through communications with residents and owners, identifying city, state, federal, and private resources available to address those needs.
- Provide assistance with funding applications to mobile home park owners, residents, and nonprofit organizations to assist in mobile home park preservation.
- Compile a list and map of mobile home parks in Fortuna. - Develop a list of mobile home preservation experts and nonprofit organizations that can assist in the preservation of mobile home units. Provide this information to interested mobile home park residents, owners, and nonprofit organizations.
Objective: Preserve housing affordable to lower income
persons.
Time Frame: Provide assistance at least annually and as an ongoing effort. Compile a list of resources and map of mobile home parks and develop a list of preservation
experts and nonprofit organizations by the end of 2018.
Consider preparation of a housing assessment by the
end of 2018.
Incomplete, ongoing, and requires annual reporting/monitoring
H 23. Infrastructure Provision and Financing
To minimize infrastructure costs for residential development by identifying infrastructure needs and available sources of funding for infrastructure improvements. The City will analyze existing and potential infrastructure financing measures for their ability to meet infrastructure needs without an adverse impact to housing costs and identify and apply for state or USDA infrastructure funding programs to support improvement efforts. The City will also consider allowing for fee exemptions when energy and water conservation measures are considered for new development.
Objective: Reduction of housing development cost
associated with infrastructure develop‐ment‐. Assis‐ t with ‐infrastructu‐ re constraints for properties included in the sites inventory, specifically APNs 201 149 023, 024,
037, and 039.
Time Frame: Annually evaluate measures and apply for
at least 3 funding sources, as NOFAs are released. As
applications are processed though the Community
Development Department.
Incomplete, ongoing, and requires annual reporting/monitoring H 24. Employee Housing
To comply with Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6 the City will review and revise the zoning code. For the purpose of all local ordinances, employee housing shall not be deemed a use that implies that the employee housing is an activity that differs in any other way from an agricultural use. No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required of this employee housing that is not required of any other agricultural activity in the same zone. The permitted occupancy in employee housing in an agricultural zone shall include agricultural employees who do not work on the property where the employee housing is located.
Objective: Promote the development of employee
housing.
Time Frame: Update the Zoning Ordinance by December
2018.
Possibly compliant. On 12/4/23 the City adopted Ordiance 2023-764 amending chapters 17.03, 17.06, and 17.08 of the Fortuna Municipal Code regarding multifamily design standards and agricultural employee housing.