TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Kelvin Parker, Community Development Director
DATE:March 25, 2025
SUBJECT: 2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive and file the 2024 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.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Minimal staff time required to prepare the report is included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 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 City Council, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), 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 LCI to identify statewide trends in land use decision-making and identify how local planning and development activities
2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 25, 2025
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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.
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, 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.
The adoption of the General Plan 2045 included revised elements for Land Use, Mobility, Parks and Open Space, Conservation, Community Facilities and Services, Arts and Culture, Safety, Noise, Governance, and Implementation. In 2024, there was one amendment to the Land Use map. On March 26, 2024, City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-004 approving a General Plan Amendment and a Zone Change for concurrent action on the density transfer from 400 East Rolling Oaks Drive to 355 West Janss Road concurrent with entitlements for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at 400 East Rolling Oaks. The land use designation changes associated with that project consisted of a change of a 4.74- acre site from Neighborhood Very Low to Commercial Neighborhood and a change of a 2.145-acre site at 355 Janss Road from Institutional to Neighborhood Low 1.
Consistent with the No Net Loss provisions of the Housing Crisis Act (SB 330), concurrent land use changes were necessary to ensure that there was no net loss in residential capacity.
2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 25, 2025
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The implementation of the General Plan goals is categorized per timeframe: short term (1-3 years), medium term (4-7 years) and long term (beyond 7 years).
Throughout 2024 there were several General Plan Policy implementation actions, that were accomplished or are in progress already within the first year of the General Plan adoption. Notable actions include the following:
Completion of LU-A.2 Create new mixed-use zoning district Progress on LU-A.1 Comprehensive zoning code update
Completion of LU-A.3 Inclusionary Housing Program
Adoption of S-A.14 Climate and Environmental Action Plan Completion of G-A.1 City website overhaul
Progress on LU-A.4 Campus Master Plan “Downtown Thousand Oaks Project”
A complete summary of the short-term goal actions is provided in Attachment #1. 2021-2029 Housing Element Annual Progress Report
On December 5, 2023, 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 2024 report is provided as Attachment #2 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, 2024. Note that only formal applications deemed complete are included. 2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 25, 2025
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(Table A)
Housing Applications Submitted
Total housing applications submitted: 108
Number of proposed units in all applications received: 109 Total housing units approved: 107
Total housing units disapproved: 2
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, 2024. 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
0 103 19 398 520
Table B of the progress report (replicated below) documents the total number of residential units that have received building permits during the 2024 reporting year of the City’s 6th Cycle RHNA. As stated in the table below, the City issued a total of 82 building permits for new housing units in 2024, including 74 accessory dwelling units, 2 single-family detached dwellings, 5 multi-family units, and one manufactured home. There are 2,274 remaining units for the 6th Cycle. (Table B)
Regional Housing Needs Allocation 2024 Progress
Housing
Income
Categories
RHNA
Allocation
for 2021-
2029
Building
Permits
Issued
in 2023
Building
Permits
Issued
in 2024
Total
Building
Permits
Issued
to Date
RHNA Remaining
Housing Need by
2029
Very Low 735 0 0 0 735
Low 494 0 0 0 494
Moderate 532 0 0 0 532
Above
Moderate
860 92 82 347 513
Total:
2,621
Units
Required
92 Units
Issued
82 Units
Issued
347
Units
Issued
2,274 Units
Remaining
2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 25, 2025
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While building permits for 82 units were issued in 2024, there are approximately 1,963 residential units that have approved entitlements, including 289 deed- restricted affordable units. Many of those units are associated with large projects that have been affected by circumstances beyond the City’s control, such as the current economic environment affecting interest rates, insurance premiums and construction costs. The number of building permits issued by the City is anticipated to increase dramatically in the coming years as entitled projects move forward. In 2025, the City anticipates issuing building permits for the Latigo 2150 Hillcrest Road project with 333 units, including 3 moderate and 30 very low-income units, and the Timber School Site project with 218 apartments, including 26 low- income units.
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.
In 2024, the City Council adopted the following ordinances implementing Housing Element Programs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8:
1726-NS - In March 2024, City Council adopted a municipal code amendment for introduction of a new Mixed-Use Zone with appropriate zoning standards to facilitate the development of housing, identify the replacement housing requirements and occupant protections, and add an exemption for affordable housing projects from discretionary review according to Assembly Bill 1397.
1727-NS - In March 2024, City Council adopted a Zoning Map Amendment to implement the Mixed-Use zoning district and rezoning for housing sites. 1729-NS - In April 2024, City Council adopted a municipal code amendment for Small and Large Family Day Care Homes.
1730-NS - In April 2024 City Council adopted a municipal code amendment for Low Barrier Navigation Centers.
2024 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report March 25, 2025
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1732-NS - In October 2024, City Council adopted a municipal code amendment to update the City's ADU regulations to be compliant with State Law.
1733-NS - In December 2024, City Council adopted municipal code amendments to establish a Senate Bill 35 review process, and code amendments related to Manufactured Homes, Density Bonus, Emergency and Transitional Housing, Low Barrier Navigation Center, Supportive Housing, Farmworker and Employee Housing, Licensed Residential Care Facilities for Seven or More, and Emergency Shelters.
1734-NS - In December 2024, City Council adopted a municipal code amendment to establish a ministerial process for lot consolidation and incentives for affordable housing with lot consolidation.
A full summary of the program implementation components is provided in Table D of Attachment #2.
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 HCD as an addendum to the Housing Element Annual Progress Report. The FY 2023-2024 (ending on June 30, 2024) Housing Successor Agency Annual Report is provided as Attachment #3.
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: Iain Holt, Senior Planner
Lynn Oshita, Community Development Analyst
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – 2024 General Plan Implementation Program Report Attachment #2 – 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report Attachment #3 – Housing Successor Annual Progress Report CDD: 440-20\ih\H:\COMMON\City Council\CC Agenda Items\2025\03252025\Annual Progress Report\Staff Report