Housing Element Update

6th Cycle Housing Element Update (2023-2031)

What is the Housing Element?

The Housing Element is one of the 10 State-mandated “elements” or chapters of a local jurisdiction’s General Plan. It identifies policies and programs to meet existing and projected housing needs for all segments of the community, including various household types, special needs populations, and all income levels of the jurisdiction.

Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)

The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the periodic process of updating local Housing Elements. The State Office of Housing and Community Development (HCD) projects population growth by geographic region and designates the regional Councils of Government (COGs) as the agencies responsible for determining how the potential growth is to be allocated among the jurisdictions within the regions. The City of Santa Cruz is located within the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) region. AMBAG released the Draft 6th Cycle RHNA Plan in April 2022, and the Final 6th Cycle RHNA Plan is scheduled for adoption in fall 2022. AMBAG’s 6th Cycle runs from December 31, 2023 to December 15, 2031.

For the 6th Cycle, the City of Santa Cruz has been allocated 3,736 housing units at specific affordability levels to accommodate the City’s projected housing needs (updated August 2022). This allocation is the City’s RHNA. The Housing Element must identify “adequate sites” to accommodate this estimated growth. The City is also required to provide the programs, policies, and appropriate zoning to incentivize this growth.

It is important to note that, while the City may assist with the development of affordable housing through various programs and funding sources, it is not the direct role of the City to construct housing. Rather, the City is responsible for ensuring that adequate opportunities exist for housing development through zoning and by removing regulatory impediments to housing production.

The Update Process

The Housing Element update process started Summer 2022. This process involves analysis and assessments of:

Existing conditions, community demographics, and the housing stock.
City processes, fees, zoning requirements, local ordinances, and development standards related to housing.
Environmental constraints.
Availability of infrastructure and services.
Fair and equitable housing practices and availability of housing opportunity for all segments of the community.
Currently adopted 5th Cycle Housing Element policy programs.

The update process provides an in-depth analysis of the City’s population, economy, and housing stock characteristics, as well as a comprehensive evaluation of programs and regulations related to housing. Through this analysis and evaluation, the City identifies priority goals, polices, and programs that directly address the housing needs of the City’s current and future residents.

The Housing Element Update must also provide specific site analysis to demonstrate that the numbers and affordability levels specified in the RHNA can be met. If the number and affordability levels can not be met, the Update must also indicate specific properties that will be rezoned to meet the City’s RHNA within the required time limit.

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) is a set of federal and state laws which require jurisdictions to combat housing discrimination, eliminate racial bias, undo historic patterns of segregation, and lift barriers that restrict access in order to foster inclusive communities, achieve racial equity, and guarantee fair housing choice. The 6th Cycle Housing Element Update is required by AFFH to: 1) study whether the City meets these AFFH principles, and 2) facilitate deliberate action to explicitly address, combat, and relieve disparities resulting from past patterns of segregation to foster more inclusive communities. More information about AFFH can be found on HCD’s website.

2023-2031 (6th Cycle) Housing Element

The City is posting the Public Review Final Adoption of the 2023-2031 Housing Element for review by the public. The final adopted document can be found below:

In addition, the City is posting the HCD Letter of Substantial Compliance, which can be found below.

HCD Letter of Substantial Compliance (12.21.2023)

The final draft was presented to City Council at its regular meeting on December 12, 2023.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is an important part of the success of the Housing Element Update. The Santa Cruz community will have multiple opportunities to collaborate throughout the update process by participating in community workshops, focus groups, online surveys, and Planning Commission/City Council public meetings. Please stay tuned for upcoming participation opportunities – all will be posted to this webpage under the Events tab as they become available. The community is also encouraged to submit comments or questions to Senior Planner, Clara Stanger at cstanger@santacruzca.gov..

A Housing Element Update Survey was made available to the public from September 29th to November 10th, 2022 below are the results of that survey.

Housing Element Update Survey Results

Hearings, Community Meetings, and Webinars

City Council - Tuesday, December 12, 2023: The Housing Element is agendized for the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, when Council will consider final adoption of the Housing Element. For more information, please see City Council home page.
Planning Commission - Thursday, November 16, 2023: The Housing Element is agendized for the Planning Commission on Thursday, November 16, 2023. For more information, please see Planning Commission home page.
Planning Commission and City Council Review of First Draft. The first draft of the Housing Element was presented to Planning Commission on April 20, 2023 and to City Council on April 25, 2023. For more information on those presentations and associated materials, please see City Council and Planning Commission home pages.
Workshop #2 –Tuesday, April 4, 2023 | View Workshop #2 Flyer: The second community workshop was held Tuesday, April 4th, 2023. If you were unable to attend, below you will find the recorded webinar in its entirety. For the recording, view: Community Workshop #2 (Recording), April 4th, 2023 and Taller Comunitario #2 - 4 de abril de 2023 (Grabando en español)
Workshop #1 – Thursday, September 29, 2022 | View Workshop #1 Flyer: The first community workshop was held Thursday, September 29th, 2022. If you were unable to attend, below you will find the recorded webinar in its entirety. For the recording, view Community Workshop #1 (Recording), Sept. 29th, 2022 and Taller Comunitario #1 - 29 de septiembre de 2022 (Grabando en español)

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