TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Kelvin Parker, Community Development Director
DATE:March 26, 2024
SUBJECT: 2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive and file the 2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Minimal staff time required to prepare the report is included in the Adopted FY 2023-24 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
California Government Code Section 65400(a)(2) mandates that each city and county prepare an annual report on the status and implementation of its General Plan and Housing Element. The report must be submitted to the City Council, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the State Department of Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), each year by April 1st.
The purpose of the Annual Progress Report (APR) is to provide City Council and the public with information regarding the implementation of its General Plan for their city or county and to inform the public of the progress in meeting the community’s goals. The report also allows OPR to identify statewide trends in land use decision-making and identify how local planning and development activities relate to statewide planning goals and policies. Similarly, it allows HCD to track the implementation progress of a jurisdiction’s Housing Element and requires its submission as a threshold requirement for several State housing funding programs.
2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 26, 2024
9 4
4 The APR is essentially comprised of two progress reports: the report on the General Plan and the report on the Housing Element. The General Plan progress report summarizes the City’s progress toward implementing the goals and policies of the General Plan during the calendar year and the date of any revisions to each Element. The Housing Element Annual Progress Report outlines the City’s progress in meeting its share of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) (pursuant to California Government Code Section 65584) and local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing. State law requires the Housing Element Annual Progress Report be considered at a public meeting where members of the public can provide oral testimony and written comments.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
General Plan Annual Progress Report
On December 5, 2023, the City Council adopted the General Plan 2045. The General Plan is a long-range planning and policy document that guides decision- making for the future social, economic, and physical development of the City. The General Plan is comprised of a vision statement, guiding principles, and various elements containing goals and policies, and implementation actions to implement the vision. The General Plan serves as the foundation for guiding public and private activities related to the City’s development.
As required, a summary of the changes to each element is provided below:
Amendments to the Land Use Element Approved in 2023
Two developer-initiated amendments to the General Plan Land Use Element were approved by City Council during the 2023 calendar year. This occurred prior to the adoption of the updated Land Use Element associated with the General Plan 2045.
1. General Plan Land Use Amendment 2020-70026-LU: The Land Use Element designation was changed from “Industrial” to “High-Density Residential” to allow construction of a 27-unit residential project on a 1.57- acre site on Rancho Conejo (APN 6670173025). The project was approved by City Council on April 4, 2023.
2. General Plan Land Use Amendment 2021-20169-LU: The Land Use Element designation was changed from “Commercial” to
“Commercial/Residential” to allow construction of a 333-unit residential project on an 8.28-acre site at 2150 West Hillcrest Drive. The project was approved by City Council on July 11, 2023.
2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 26, 2024
9 4
4 Other Elements
The adoption of the General Plan 2045 included revised elements for Land Use, Circulation, Parks and Open Space, Conservation, Community Facilities and Services, Arts and Culture, Safety, Noise, Governance, and Implementation. No subsequent amendments to these Elements were adopted in 2023. Further information regarding implementation of the new General Plan 2045 will occur in the next reporting period for the 2024 calendar year.
2021-2029 Housing Element Annual Progress Report
On December 5, 2023, the City Council adopted the revised 2021-2029 Housing Element. The Housing Element evaluates existing and projected housing needs, outlining goals and objectives relative to the preservation and development of housing in the City. It also provides programs for implementing these housing goals and objectives.
A major component of the Housing Element is the RHNA allocation, provided by HCD in coordination with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), in eight-year cycles. The City’s RHNA requirements for the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element total 2,621 units with specific levels of affordability.
The Housing Element annual progress report summarizes residential housing activity, progress towards the 6th Cycle RHNA, and housing program implementation. The report is prepared using forms and definitions adopted by HCD. In addition to tracking progress towards RHNA through the issuance of building permits, HCD also collects data on the type of housing projects submitted to local jurisdictions, whether projects are approved or disapproved, the number of streamlined applications, and requests for density bonuses or concessions. The complete 2023 report is provided as Attachment #1 and a summary of the reported information is provided below.
Table A of the progress report (replicated on the following page) documents new residential development applications submitted between January 1 to December 31, 2023. Note that only formal applications deemed complete are included.
(Table A)
Housing Applications Submitted
Total housing applications submitted: 90
Number of proposed units in all applications received: 114 Total housing units approved: 114
Total housing units disapproved: 0
2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 26, 2024
9 4
4 Table A2 of the progress report (replicated below) documents the number of planning entitlements that were approved by household income categories submitted between January 1 to December 31, 2023. Note that entitled projects that have not received their building permits do not yet count towards the progress of meeting RHNA.
(Table A2)
Approved Entitlements by Housing Income Categories
Very Low
Income
Low Income Moderate
Income
Above Moderate
Income
# Of Units
Approved
39 5 9 542 595
Table B of the progress report (replicated below) documents the total number of residential units that have received building permits during the 2023 reporting year of the City’s 6th Cycle RHNA. As stated in the table below, the City issued a total of 92 building permits for new housing units in 2023, including 66 accessory dwelling units, 19 single-family detached dwellings (including one Woolsey Fire rebuild), 6 multi-family units, and one manufactured home. There are 2,356 remaining units for the 6th Cycle.
(Table B)
Regional Housing Needs Allocation 2023 Progress
Housing
Income
Categories
RHNA
Allocation for
2021-2029
Building
Permits Issued
in 2023
Total Building
Permits Issued
to Date
RHNA
Remaining
Housing Need
by 2029
Very Low 735 0 0 735
Low 494 0 0 494
Moderate 532 0 0 532
Above
Moderate
860 92 265 595
Total: 2,621 Units
Required
92 Units
Issued
265 Units
Issued
2,356 Units
Remaining
2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 26, 2024
9 4
4 The City has met its RHNA obligation by designating land in the new General Plan Land Use Map that is sufficient to accommodate the development of housing units throughout the City. While 92 building permits were issued in 2023, there are approximately 1,229 residential units that have approved entitlements but have not yet obtained a building permit, including 204 units, which are deed-restricted as affordable. The number of building permits issued by the City is anticipated to increase dramatically in the coming years as entitled projects move forward.
Housing Element Programs Implementation
Each jurisdiction is required to identify specific programs in its housing element that will allow it to implement its stated goals and objectives. The programs shall include timeframes for implementation, the agencies responsible for implementation, and available funding sources.
The Housing Element identifies five goals and 19 Programs that focus on:
1) Providing a wide range of housing opportunities for persons of all income levels;
2) Providing housing opportunities for persons with special needs; 3) Maintaining and improving the existing housing stock of the City by reducing housing deterioration;
4) Preserving existing affordable housing opportunities; and 5) Affirmatively furthering fair housing.
A summary of the program implementation is provided in Table D of Attachment #1.
Housing Successor Agency Annual Report
All Redevelopment Agencies in California were formally dissolved in 2012 and the affordable housing functions were assigned to the City as the Housing Successor Agency. Pursuant to Section 34176.1 of the California Health and Safety Code, the Housing Successor Agency Annual Report is required to be submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development as an addendum to the Housing Element Annual Progress Report. The FY 2022-2023 (ending on June 30, 2023) Housing Successor Agency Annual Report is provided as Attachment #2.
2023 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 26, 2024
9 4
4 COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
PREPARED BY: Krystin Rice, Planning Division Manager
Iain Holt, Senior Planner
Lynn Oshita, Community Development Analyst
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report Attachment #2 – Housing Successor Annual Progress Report CDD: 440-20\kr\H:\COMMON\City Council\CC Agenda Items\2024\03262024\Annual Progress Report\Staff Report