Housing Element and
General Updates
City Council Work Session
September 19, 2022
1 2
Introductions
Brent Gibbons, AICP
Project Manager
Established in 1985
Planning and community
engagement specialists
Statewide leader in general
plans, housing elements, and
zoning
Experience on over 80
housing elements
Customized team
for this project
Ryan Lester
Housing Lead
Project Overview
Housing Element Basics
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
Meeting Housing Needs
Community Engagement
Update Process
3 Presentation Outline
Project Overview
4 Kick-off Meeting/City Tour
City Council Meeting
Housing Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)
Meeting #1
Community Workshop #1
Stakeholder Interviews
HTAC Meeting #2
Community Workshop #2:
Planning Commission and City Council Joint Study Session Planning Commission Study Session
City Council Study Session
Project
Initiation
Current
Phase
1 Housing Policy
Analysis and
Alternatives
Fall 2022
2 Admin. Draft
Housing
Element
Winter 2023
3 Public Review
Draft Housing
Element
May-June 2023
4 HCD Review
July-Sept. 2023
5 HTAC Meeting#3
Update Process
Public Hearings
Final Housing Element Transmittal to HCD
Vulnerability Assessment
Safety Technical Advisory Committee Meeting
Planning Commission and City Council Study Session
Community Workshop
Planning Commission and City Council Study
Session
Safety
Element Update
Apr. - Aug. 2023
6 CEQA
Compliance
Sept. and
Oct. 2023
8 Environmental
Justice
Element
Apr. - Aug. 2023
7 Review and
Adoption
Oct. - Dec. 2023
9 Update Process
Safety and Environmental Justice Updates
Required when one or more General Plan Elements is
updated
Reflect recent State laws and General Plan Guidelines Ensure alignment with other Elements, including the
Housing Element Update
Provide participatory community engagement
Revise goals, policies, and programs, as necessary,
based on current conditions
7 Housing Element
Basics
8 One of Seven Elements in
City’s General Plan
Housing Element updates
required by State law
Updates done on a schedule
prescribed by the State
9 Housing Element Basics
Housing Element:
Provides an assessment of both current and future housing needs
Identifies opportunities and constraints on housing production Establishes goals, policies, and programs to meet these needs Updates City practices and regulations to reflect new State laws 10 Housing Element Basics
Housing Element identifies strategies and programs that focus on:
Conserving and improving existing affordable housing
Maximizing housing opportunities throughout the community Assisting in the provision of affordable housing
Removing governmental and other constraints to housing investment Promoting fair and equal housing opportunities
11 Housing Element Basics
Housing Needs Assessment
• Identifies current conditions and needs through 2031
Constraints Analysis
• Identifies non-governmental and governmental constraints to housing production
• Examples of constraints include:
• Governmental: Restrictive development standards
• Non-governmental: High cost of land and construction
12 Housing Elements Sections
Housing Sites Inventory
• Inventory identifies sites proposed to meet City’s housing needs
• Needs to address:
• Housing for all income levels
• Housing to meet the special housing needs
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
Policy Document: goals, policies, and programs
13 Housing Elements Sections
Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process: SB 35 (2017) Additional Housing Element Sites Analysis Requirements: AB 879 (2017), AB 1397 (2017)
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: AB 686 (2017)
No-Net-Loss Zoning: SB 166 (2017)
Safety Element Update to Address Adaptation and Resiliency:
SB 1035 (2018)
By-Right Transitional and Permanent Supportive Housing:
AB 2162 (2018), AB 101 (2019)
14 Relevant Legislation (partial)
Accessory Dwelling Units: AB 2299 (2016), SB 1069 (2016), AB 494 (2017), SB 229 (2019), SB 13 (2019), AB 670 (2019), AB 671 (2019)
Density Bonus: AB 1763 (2019)
Housing Crisis Act of 2019: SB 330 (2019)
Surplus Land Act Amendments: AB 1486 (2019), AB 1255 (2019) Housing Impact Fee Data: AB 1483 (2019)
Emergency and Transitional Housing Act of 2019: AB 139 (2019) Standardization of Sites Inventory Analysis and Reporting: SB 6 (2019)
Evacuation Routes: SB 99 (2019), AB 747 (2019)
15 Relevant Legislation (partial)
Regional Housing
Needs Allocation
(RHNA)
16 Prepared by the Tulare County Association of
Governments (TCAG)
6th cycle: January 15, 2023 – January 15, 2031
17 What is RHNA?
TCAG
Housing
Element
Updates
RHNA
Determination
RHNA Methodology
Visalia
56 percent of
RHNA is for sites
that can
accommodate
lower-income
housing
18 RHNA
Lower
Moderate Above
Moderate Total RHNA
Very Low Low
3,741 2,306 1,321 3,423 10,791
19 RHNA Change Since Last Update
Cycle
Lower
Moderate Above
Moderate Total RHNA
Very Low Low
5th Cycle 2,616 1,931 1,802 3,672 10,021
6th Cycle 3,741 2,306 1,321 3,423 10,791
Change +1,125 +375 -481 -249 +770
Cycle
Lower
Moderate Above Moderate
Very Low Low
5th Cycle 26.1% 19.2% 17.9% 36.6%
6th Cycle 34.7% 21.4% 12.2% 31.7%
TCAG, Final Regional Housing Needs Plan, August 2022
Meeting Housing
Needs
20 A range of approaches, which could include:
Reduce constraints to housing production
Provide additional support to housing programs
Update City regulations to meet State requirements
Identify additional housing sites
Modify the densities allowed on housing sites
21 How Do We Meet RHNA
This analysis needs to identify capacity for 10,791 housing units in various income levels.
Determine existing potential sites (projects, vacant, and underutilized)
Identify constraints on development (physical and
regulatory)
Determine remaining balance
May need to identify additional sites for multi-family/higher density housing for the very low- and low-income levels 22 Site Selection and Analysis
23 Siting Analysis Example:
2015 – 2023 Housing Element
24 Siting Analysis Example:
2015 – 2023 Housing Element
Community
Engagement
25 City Council / Planning Commission Study Sessions (2) Housing TAC Meetings (3)
Community Workshops (2)
Planning Commission Meetings / Hearings (1)
City Council Meetings / Hearings (1)
26 Engagement Events
Workshop 1 Housing Concerns and Needs
Workshop 2 Vacant and Underutilized Sites
Assessment
Further workshops planned for the Safety Element and
Environmental Justice Element
27 Community Workshops
Branding and logo
Newsletters
Website
Social media outreach
Work with local groups
Virtual Events (Zoom, etc.)
Online surveys / interactions
Joint Study Sessions / Hearings
28 Ways for Public to Participate
Website will host information and activities designed to inform and educate the community
• What is required in a Housing Element?
• What is RHNA?
• Housing terms (e.g., density, housing units, missing middle housing)
• Project schedule
• Providing input on housing sites and policies/programs 29 Public Education
Newsletter #1:
Housing Element Overview
Available now: housevisalia.com
Newsletter #2:
Public Review Draft Housing
Element
30 Newsletters
31 Housevisalia.com
The Housing Element Technical Advisory
Committee (HTAC) will help address topics that are
important to the development of the Housing Element
Provide a consistent “sounding board” throughout the
development of the Element
HTAC is in the process of being formed with city staff coordinating the effort to send out invitations.
HTAC
32 Next Steps
33 Data collection and assessment
Review status of existing goals, policies, and programs Prepare and conduct Community Workshop #1
(Housing Concerns and Needs)
Work on housing sites identification
34 Next Steps
Brandon Smith
Principal Planner,
City of Visalia
[email protected]
35 City’s Project Manager
Open Discussion
36