Housing Element 2014-2022

Housing Element Update 2014 to 2022

On January 20, 2015, the City Manager received a final letter from the State Department of Housing and Community Development finding the City's adopted housing element in full compliance with State housing element law (GC, Article 10.6). On January 6, 2015, the City Council adopted both a Negative Declaration and the City's Housing Element Update 2014 to 2022. 

Update Process

The process of updating the plan included comprehensive outreach, public meetings and public hearings throughout the process. The Update found that the City has adequate sites to meet the City's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), and updated existing programs and policies, providing new policies, as appropriate. On October 20, 2014, staff received a letter of compliance from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), indicating that the City's Housing Element Update met the statutory requirements of the State Housing Element law. As a result, the Housing Element Update was brought forward to the City's Planning Commission and City Council for review and adoption on November 19, 2014 and January 6, 2015, respectively and was adopted by the Council by a vote of 5-0.

Community & Economic Development Department Proposes Update

In November 2013, the City's Community and Economic Development Department initiated preparation of an Update to the City's Housing Element for the 2014 to 2022 planning period, referred to as Cycle 5. The City's consultant, BAE Urban Economics, Inc, reviewed the previous Housing Element and revised the document to reflect current conditions, city policies, and methods to meet the housing requirements mandated by HCD. Emphasis was placed on developing a clear, concise, and legally defensible Housing Element that met the varied housing needs of the Community.

City Objectives

The City's primary objectives through this Update process included:

  • Community Priorities: To address the City's fair share of the regional housing need and specific State statutory requirements, while ultimately reflecting the vision and priorities of the local community
  • Comprehensive Community Outreach: To immediately engage all critical stakeholders including tenants and homeowners, special needs populations, businesses, real estate and housing providers and developers to ensure participation of all economic segments of the community
  • Incorporate Recent Planning: To incorporate recent and on-going planning efforts including the Downtown Concord Specific Plan, adopted June 24, 2014, the Climate Action Plan, the Development Code Update, and the Concord Reuse Plan that covers development of a portion of the Concord Naval Weapons Station

Background

The previous Housing Element was revised and adopted in November 2010, and deemed in compliance with the State Housing Element Law by the State HCD (January 5, 2011). The City's previous Housing Element covered the planning period of July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2014. The newly adopted Housing Element Update, submitted to HCD in January 2015, covers the next eight year period of 2014 to 2022. The project document produced a high-quality document that serves as a resource guide for staff, as well as prospective developers.