2021-2029
Housing
Element Update
City Council Study Session
January 17, 2023
Housing Element Update
• Two main components:
Housing Element
• Policy and planning document
• Mandated element of the General Plan
Implementation Actions
• Accommodates the City’s plan for housing
through zoning (i.e. – RHNA)
• Affordable Housing Overlay
BOTH MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER
TO OBTAIN HCD CERTIFICATION
Housing Element Status
• 11/16/22 – Planning Commission recommended
approval to the City Council
Housing Element Update
Affordable Housing Overlay
Environmental Impact Report
• 11/29/22 – City Council continued to special meeting
on 12/8/22 with public hearing open
• 12/6/22 – City Council cancelled 12/8/22 special
meeting
Regional Housing Needs
• RHNA = Regional Housing Needs Allocation
• Initiates the Housing Element Update process
• Quantifies housing needs, by income category, within each County and City in the SCAG region
• City went through lengthy appeal process with
SCAG and was ultimately denied
State
• HCD
• Regional
determination
SCAG
• Southern
California
Association of
Governments
Huntington Beach
• HB is one of
191 cities & 6
counties that
make up SCAG
HE Goal 2 Provide
adequate sites to
accommodate
projected housing unit
needs at all income
levels identified by the
RHNA.
2021 – 2029 Huntington Beach RHNA
Income Category % of Median Family
Income
2022 Annual Income
Range
RHNA Allocation
(Housing Units)
Min. Max.
Very Low Income 0 - 50% MFI -- $67,750 3,661 units
Low Income 51 – 80% MFI $67,751 $108,400 2,184 units
Moderate Income 81 – 120% MFI $108,401 $142,900 2,308 units Above Moderate Income >120% MFI $142,901 >$142,901 5,215 units Total: 13,368 units
Above Mod
39%
Mod
17%
Lower
Income
(VL + Low)
44%
Existing Draft RHNA Strategy
Very Low
Income
Units
Low
Income
Units
Moderate
Income
Units
Above
Moderate
Income
Units
Total
Units
RHNA Target 3,661 2,184 2,308 5,215 13,368
Approved/Pending
Projects 17 285 82 1,371 1,755
ADU 307 170 10 487
Hotel/Motel
Conversion 415 0 0 415
Affordable Housing
Overlays 5,420 2,581 9,541 17,542
Total 6,444 2,833 10,922 20,199
RHNA Met? YES YES YES YES
Above Mod
39%
Mod
17%
Lower
Income
(VL + Low)
44%
1 3
3 6
8 R
H
N
A
CAN WE ADOPT A HOUSING
ELEMENT THAT ONLY INCLUDES
THE RHNA (13,368 UNITS)?
Assume site
accommodates
100 units & is
identified in
Housing Element
Proposed Project: 100 unit rental project
1 3
3 6
8 R
H
N
A
RHNA TARGET AFF HOUSING OVERLAY (20%)
Units Units Shortfall
39 above mod 80 (+41)
17 mod 0 (-17)
44 lower 20 (-24)
NET LOSS
WHAT IS NO NET LOSS?
Above Mod
39%
Mod 17%
Lower Income
(VL + Low)
44%
6 8
3 1
B
U
F
F
E
R
2 0
1 9
9 H
O
U
S
I
N
G
I
N
V
E
N
T
O
R
Y
SITES
SITES
RHNA BUCKET
BUFFER BUCKET
HOUSING ELEMENT
CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION:
“Zoning Program” – Approval of Affordable
Housing Overlay Sites ONLY to
accommodate 13,368 RHNA units
FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION:
“As Needed” – If proposed
development results in “Net Loss”
move only necessary sites from
“Buffer Bucket” to “RHNA Bucket”
ONLY RHNA/ NO BUFFER STRATEGY
Housing Element Site No. 449 :
Accommodates 177 dwelling units;
20% of the units required to be
affordable to lower income
households per the Affordable
Housing Overlay.
RHNA TARGET AFFORDABLE HOUSING
OVERLAY (20%)
Units Units Target Met?
107 above mod 225 (+118)
26 mod 0 (-26)
44 lower 35 (-9)
NET LOSS
ONLY RHNA/ NO BUFFER STRATEGY SCENARIO
Need to find sites
in “Buffer Bucket”
that will
accommodate 26
mod and 9 lower
income units
SITE ABOVE
MOD
MOD LOWER
Site 62 95 26 52
Options to Accommodate the RHNA
A. Current Draft Housing Element “All At Once Approach” • RHNA + buffer will be identified in the Housing Element sites inventory and accommodated through the Affordable Housing Overlay
B. Separate the Buffer Sites “Bifurcated Approach”
• RHNA will be identified in the Housing Element sites inventory and accommodated through the Affordable Housing Overlay
B-1: Buffer will be identified in the Housing Element and accommodated through zoning with criteria for selecting which buffer sites get rezoned will be identified in the implementation program as necessary to accommodate any RHNA shortfall
B-2: Buffer will be identified in the Housing Element but not accommodated through zoning now and will require future City Council approval of Zoning Text Amendments as necessary to accommodate any RHNA shortfall
Above Mod
39%
Mod 17%
Lower Income
(VL + Low)
44%
6 8
3 1
B
U
F
F
E
R
2 0
1 9
9 H
O
U
S
I
N
G
I
N
V
E
N
T
O
R
Y
SITES
SITES
RHNA BUCKET
BUFFER BUCKET
HOUSING ELEMENT
CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION:
“Zoning Program” – Approval of Affordable
Housing Overlay Sites ONLY to
accommodate 13,368 RHNA units
• B-1: Triggers codified by City Council to
automatically move sites from “Buffer
Bucket” to “RHNA Bucket” as needed
FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION:
“As Needed” – If proposed development results in “Net
Loss” move only necessary sites from “Buffer Bucket”
to “RHNA Bucket”
• B-2: City Council to approve Zoning Map
Amendment each time a site needs to move from
“Buffer Bucket” to “RHNA Bucket”
ONLY RHNA/ NO BUFFER STRATEGY
Questions?