(17)AR 030607 Regional Housing Needs Assessment

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ITEM #17 CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT FOR COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 06, 2007 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: Daryl Parrish, City Manager SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE STAFF TO SUBMIT LETTER TO THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (SCAG) APPEALING THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT (RHNA) NUMBERS FOR HOUSING UNITS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE CITY OF COLTON. DATE: March 6, 2007 BACKGROUND Every five years, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is required to project the housing needs of California that are required to meet the population demands in each council of government. HCD develops these housing numbers in consultation with each council of government. This allocation includes housing numbers for each major income category. These numbers are largely derived from projected population growth, although there can be significant disparities between the state and regional projections. These housing numbers, called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) numbers are then assigned to each council of government using a formula that takes into account population growth and building capacity. The regional council of government (COG) then allocates a share of the regional RHNA number to each city and county within the region (HCD makes the allocation where there is no COG). Each local government is then required to develop a housing element that plans for its allocated share (in each income category, including moderate, low and very low). The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), a regional council of government which includes Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial counties, has a population of approximately 16 million persons. SCAG estimates a population increase of more than 6 million people between 1997 and 2020. Thus, HCD has projected the housing needs of SCAG. State law requires cities and counties to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the city, city and county, or county. The housing element is one of the seven mandated elements of the local general plan. This same law mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for—and do not unduly constrain—housing development. On Nov. 2, 2006, SGAG's Community, Economic, and Human Development Committee (CEHD) approved the RHNA subcommittee policy recommendations regarding the RHNA methodology. At the request of CEHD, a draft Regional Housing Need Allocation Plan was drafted with input of subregion/local jurisdictions during the workshops. Two SGAG public