CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: Adopt Resolution No. ___-25 Authorizing Transmittal of the Annual General Plan and Housing Element Progress Report to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the State Department of Housing and Community Development
SYNOPSIS
Government Code Section 65400 requires the City to provide an annual progress report to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) concerning the status of the General Plan progress, including implementation of the 6th Cycle Housing Element and progress toward meeting the City’s share of regional housing needs. The Planning Commission has reviewed the report and concurs with its content.
DISCUSSION
Background
State law requires the City to prepare an annual status report on the General Plan. Specifically, Government Code Section 65400 requires the City’s Planning Agency to:
1. Investigate and make recommendations to the legislative body regarding reasonable and practical means for implementing the General Plan or element of the General Plan, so that it will serve as an effective guide for orderly growth and development, preservation and conservation of open space land and natural resources, and the efficient expenditure of public funds relating to the subjects addressed in the General Plan.
2. Provide an annual report to the legislative body, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development that includes all of the following:
a. The status of the plan and progress in its implementation. b. The progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs determined pursuant to Section 65584 and local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 65583.
c. The degree to which the approved General Plan complies with the guidelines developed and adopted pursuant to Section 65040.2 and the date of the last revision to the general plan.
This report provides an update on the status of the 2040 General Plan, and in particular, the 2023- 2031 Housing Element, and the progress made in meeting goals and objectives for the year 2024.
The Planning Commission reviewed the report at its February 25, 2025 meeting and recommended approval to the City Council (Attachment B).
Analysis
Progress in Meeting Regional Housing Needs
The regional council of governments (the Association of Bay Area Governments, or “ABAG”) is charged by the State with the responsibility for determining the number of new housing units needed in a community for the upcoming planning period. The State of California provides population estimates to each regional council of governments, after which each council allocates the estimated housing units needed by income category among its member communities. The estimated number of housing units needed in Pleasant Hill, as determined and approved by ABAG, is set forth in Table
1. This table reflects the planning period (i.e., “6th RHNA Cycle”) from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2031.
TABLE 1
HOUSING NEED BY INCOME CATEGORY (2023-2031)
Income Category Eight Year Need
Housing Units (% of Total)
Extremely Low (<30% median income) 283 (15.7%)
Very Low Income (<50% median income) 283 (15.7%)
Low Income (<80% median income) 326 (18.1%)
Moderate Income (<120% median income) 254 (14.1%)
Above Moderate (>120% median income) 657 (36.4%)
TOTAL 1,803 (100%)
Source: Based on Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) figures.
Generally, Very Low Income households have incomes below 50% of the area median income (AMI); Low Income households have incomes that do not exceed 80% of AMI; Moderate Income Households have annual incomes less than 120% of AMI; and Above Moderate Income households have incomes greater than 120% of AMI (see Title 25 Cal. Code of Regs. §6910 et. seq.). Table 2 below includes information reflecting units added to Pleasant Hill’s housing stock through 2024.
TABLE 2
UPDATED REGIONAL HOUSING NEED ALLOCATION TO YEAR 2024
Units
Approved
(received
Planning
entitlements)
Building
Permits
Issued
Units Issued a
Building
Permit Final
or Certificate
of Occupancy
or Newly
Affordable
Deed
Restricted
Units
REMAINING
BALANCE OF
REGIONAL
HOUSING NEED
DETERMINATION
HOUSEHOLD
INCOME
LEVEL
REGIONAL
HOUSING NEED
DETERMINATION
(2023-2031)
Units
Added to
Housing
Stock,
2023-2031
2024 2024 2024
Extremely
Low
283 - - - - 283
Very Low 283 14 5 5 1 269
Low 326 10 5 6 2 316
Moderate 254 54 4 5 12 200
Overall, the City issued building permits for 16 affordable units this past year (in the form of accessory dwelling units that are divided among various affordability levels), and three market rate units, which added to the City’s cumulative unit count for this Housing Element period, but for which there remains a need. Additionally, the City approved entitlements for the Harb Townhomes development at 230-240 Cleaveland Road comprising nine units, one of which was reserved for very low income households.
Additionally, the City has a total of approximately $3,600,000 in available dedicated housing funds received as in-lieu fees paid pursuant to the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance (Fund 222, formerly 34) and from housing successor agency assets (Fund 225, formerly 78). These funds are available to assist with the production of very low-income units when the opportunity arises. However, the majority of these funds are already committed, including $2.5 million in Housing Successor funds to SAHA to assist with the previously approved (2022) 82-unit affordable housing development, and $685,000 for Habitat for Humanity, including $285,000 in Housing Successor funds to develop four units at one site and $400,000 from City in-lieu fee funds to develop seven units at a second site (with the remaining funds dedicated for ongoing administrative costs of the Housing Successor Agency). To assist further development at the two Habitat for Humanity sites, the City sold two former redevelopment agency properties to Habitat for Humanity for the development of 11 affordable ownership housing units. The City development applications for both sites were submitted in 2024 and are currently under review.
Progress in Implementation of the Housing Element
The City Council adopted the Housing Element on May 18, 2023, and it was subsequently certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development on November 22, 2023. The Housing Element includes multiple mandatory programs with specific timeframes for implementation. The Housing Element identifies a Housing Program Strategy with nine goals, 26 policies and 57 programs. Exhibit A to the Resolution (Annual Progress Report) lists these goals and programs in detail and reports on their current statuses for the 6th RHNA Cycle reporting period of January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2031.
Status of General Plan Activities
Attachment A, Exhibit B contains an update of the City’s actions to implement the General Plan in 2024, including highlights from the City’s Capital Improvement Program.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This annual report is statutorily exempt pursuant to Section 15262 of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act pertaining to preparation of feasibility and planning studies.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
Above
Moderate
657 210 12 3 24 447
Total 1,803 288 26 19 39 1,515
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public Contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web page.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Adopt the resolution accepting the annual progress report of the current status of implementation of the Housing Element and General Plan and authorize transmittal of the report to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the State Department of Housing and Community Development.
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide staff with direction to modify the annual General Plan and Housing Element report prior to transmittal.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A - Proposed Resolution
Exhibit A – 2024 Annual Progress Report – California Housing and Community Development Form, including the 2024 City of Pleasant Hill Evaluation of Housing Element Programs
Exhibit B – Status of 2040 General Plan Activities
B - Planning Commission Resolution 01-25
Prepared by: Haley Croffoot, Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Troy Fujimoto, City Planner
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager