Administrative
Report
N.1., File # 22-3555 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: BRANDY FORBES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT’S RESPONSE TO THE CITY’S 6TH CYCLE (2021-2029) ADOPTED
HOUSING ELEMENT SUBMITTAL FOR STATE CERTIFICATION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On October 5, 2021, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted the City of Redondo Beach’s 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Housing Element. The adopted Housing Element was submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) prior to the October 15, 2021 statutory deadline.
HCD issued their comments on the City’s Housing Element on January 5, 2022, a full 90 days after the City’s adopted element was received by HCD. Attached is the HCD comment letter, dated January 5, 2022.
This agenda item provides the Mayor, City Council and community an opportunity to discuss HCD’s comments and provide direction on the City’s next steps for response.
BACKGROUND
At their public meeting on June 15, 2021, the Redondo Beach City Council approved in a 3-2 vote the City’s Draft General Plan Land Use Plan/Map, which demonstrated the City’s capacity for complying with Redondo Beach’s 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), and authorized staff to submit the City’s Draft Housing Element to the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Staff submitted the City’s Draft Housing Element to HCD and received their formal written comments on the draft on September 2, 2021 (see attached). HCD’s correspondence noted that the City’s Draft Element addressed many of the State’s statutory requirements; but also stated that revisions were required to address concerns regarding 1) the adequacy of sites for accommodating the City’s regional housing needs allocation of 1,444 housing units for lower-income households, 2) affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) requirements, 3) the amount of information on the City’s Housing Programs, and 4) the public’s opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Element.
At their public hearing on September 16, 2021, the Planning Commission considered HCD’s comments along with the staff’s recommendations for response, received additional comments from the public, discussed and approved edits to the Housing Element, and recommended that the City
N.1., File # 22-3555 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
the public, discussed and approved edits to the Housing Element, and recommended that the City Council adopt the City’s 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element and the associated environmental documentation.
On October 5, 2021, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted the City of Redondo Beach’s 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Housing Element on a 3-2 vote. The adopted Housing Element was submitted to HCD, prior to the October 15, 2021 statutory deadline, for HCD to determine if the Housing Element complies with State Housing Element Law.
The City’s current 5th Cycle Housing Element was originally adopted by the City Council on March 18, 2014, covering an 8-year cycle from 2013-2021. However, since the City adopted the 5th Cycle Housing Element past the statutory deadline, the City was required to conduct a mid-term (4-year) update to the Housing Element in 2017. The City adopted the 2017 Technical Midterm Update to the 5th Cycle 2013-2021 Housing Element on September 19, 2017, which was prior to the statutory deadline of October 15, 2017. The City met the obligation of adopting the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element by submitting before the October 15, 2021 deadline, making the City eligible to be on an eight-year Housing Element cycle beginning in 2021.
However, during the 6th Cycle review and adoption process, Assembly Bill 1398 was adopted and approved by the Governor on September 28, 2021. This bill removed the 4-year update requirement for those municipalities not meeting the statutory deadline for adoption of a Housing Element, thus establishing an 8-year cycle for all municipalities. Yet, the new State regulations have a restriction that if a local government does not adopt a substantially compliant Housing Element (as determined by HCD) within 120 days of the October 15, 2021 deadline (February 11, 2022), the municipality must then complete the rezoning to effectuate the Housing Element by October 15, 2022 rather than by the standard three-year deadline of October 15, 2024.
Although Redondo Beach met the October 15, 2021 statutory deadline for adoption and submission of its Housing Element, the January 5, 2022 letter from HCD states that additional revisions are necessary for the Housing Element to be certified as substantially compliant with the State Housing Element Law. Therefore, currently Redondo Beach is not guaranteed the three-year timeframe to complete the rezoning needed to effectuate its Housing Element.
Staff are communicating with the HCD representatives in charge of reviewing/certifying the Redondo Beach 6th Cycle Housing Element to determine what additional actions and revisions are needed to bring the City’s Housing Element into compliance by February 11, 2022. An update on those discussions will be provided at the City Council meeting.
This agenda item provides an opportunity for the Mayor, the City Council and community to discuss HCD’s comments and provide direction on the City’s process/response to address HCD’s January 5, 2022 letter.
COORDINATION
Preparation of this report has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Office and the City’s Housing Consultant, Veronica Tam and Associates.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs associated with the preparation of this report are within the scope and budget of the
N.1., File # 22-3555 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
The costs associated with the preparation of this report are within the scope and budget of the Department’s annual budget and the existing contract with the City’s Housing consultant, Veronica Tam and Associates.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· HCD Review Letter on Redondo Beach’s 6th Cycle Housing Element submittal dated January 5, 2022 (which includes HCD’s September letter on the Draft Element) · Adopted Housing Element and appendices are available on the City’s website at <https://www.redondo.org/depts/community_development/planning/housing_element.asp>