CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 2, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. ___-26 AUTHORIZING TRANSMITTAL OF
THE ANNUAL GENERAL PLAN AND HOUSING ELEMENT PROGRESS
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF LAND USE AND
CLIMATE INNOVATION 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 Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI, formerly 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, LCI, and HCD 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 calendar year 2025.
The Planning Commission reviewed the report at its February 24, 2026, 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, and this agency then 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 that do not exceed 50% of the area median income (AMI); Low Income households have incomes between 50% and 80% of AMI; Moderate Income Households have incomes up to 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.).
As of 2025, the City has permitted 307 units towards the 1,803-unit goal (17% of the total) and has a remaining target of 1,496 units (83%).
The City issued building permits for 12 affordable units in 2025 (in the form of accessory dwelling units), and seven market rate units (in the form of accessory dwelling units and new single family homes on vacant lots), which added to the City’s cumulative unit count for this Housing Element period for a total of 307 units, to which there is still an unmet need of 1,496 units.
The City’s RHNA allocation is further divided into various income categories for the reporting period. The City’s progress towards each, and the remaining amount is summarized below:
RHNA Progress through 2025 by Affordability
6/30/2022-
1/30/2023
2023 2024 2025 Remaining
RHNA
Very Low 9 0 5 4 548
Low 2 2 6 4 312
Moderate 19 30 5 4 196
Above
Moderate
178 29 3 7 440
TOTAL 208 61 19 19 1,496
Additionally, the City approved entitlements for 30 new units in 2025, including 25 ADUs and five new single-family homes; building permits for Harb Townhomes (nine units) and Kamali Single-Family subdivision (eight units) are currently under review. Staff expects many of these units will receive building permits in 2026, furthering the City’s progress. Below is a table of all 2025 housing activity, broken down by affordability:
2025 Housing Unit Activity
Entitled
(Planning approval)
Building Permit
Issued *
Building Permit
Finaled/Certificate of
Occupancy Issued
Very Low 7 4 11
Low 7 4 3
Moderate 6 4 17
Above Moderate 10 7 174
TOTAL 30 19 205
* counted towards RHNA
Additionally, the City has a total of approximately $5,800,000 in dedicated housing funds received as in-lieu fees paid pursuant to the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance (Fund 34) and from housing successor agency assets (Fund 78). These funds are available to assist with the production of very low-income units when the opportunity arises.
The City previously committed $2.5 million in Housing Successor funds to SAHA to assist with the previously approved (2022) 82-unit affordable housing development. The City also previously (2022) sold two former redevelopment agency properties to Habitat for Humanity for the development of 11 affordable ownership housing units. The City committed $285,000 in Housing Successor funds to develop four units at one site, and $400,000 of in-lieu fee funds to develop seven units at the second site. Development applications for both sites were submitted in 2024 and are currently under review. The City also continues to make an annual contribution of $235,000 to Grayson Creek Apartments.
Progress in Implementation of the Housing Element
The City of Pleasant Hill Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on May 18, 2023, and 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. Attachment B (Evaluation of Housing Element Implementation Programs) lists these goals and programs in detail and describes their current statuses for this 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 2025, 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
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 Land Use and Climate Innovation 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 – 2025 Annual Progress Report – California Housing and Community Development Form, including the 2025 City of Pleasant Hill Evaluation of Housing Element Programs
Exhibit B – Status of 2040 General Plan Activities
B - Planning Commission Resolution 04-26
C – Public Comments
Prepared by: Haley Croffoot, Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Troy Fujimoto, City Planner
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager