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Submitted by Councilmembers Brenden and Posey - Staff Report on Current Status of Regional Housing Needs Assessment Process
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STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has commenced work on the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) that will cover the planning period October 2021 through October 2029. For the current RHNA cycle (5th cycle), which runs from October 2013 through October 2021, Huntington Beach was assigned a RHNA number of 1,353, which City Council voted unanimously to adopt in September 2013, but has been found to be difficult for the City to attain. As such, it is imperative that our City take an active role in monitoring and guiding the 6th Cycle RHNA planning process in order to avoid receiving an undesirable assessment for the 6th Cycle. SCAG meetings are open to the public and public comments are welcome.
BACKGROUND:
The RHNA is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the periodic process of updating local housing elements of the General Plan. The RHNA quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specified planning periods. SCAG is now in the process of developing the 6th cycle RHNA allocation plan, which is expected to be adopted by SCAG in October 2020.
The current planning process has included a total of six RHNA Subcommittee meetings, starting back in October 2018. To give a sense of the type of topics being addressed during this initial RHNA planning period, the following is a summary of agenda highlights from those meetings:
● October 29, 2018
○ RHNA 101, presentation by SCAG staff.
○ Draft RHNA Work Plan, presentation by SCAG Director of Planning.
○ Draft Subcommittee Charter, presentation by SCAG Chief Legal Counsel.
● December 3, 2018
○ Proposed Final RHNA Subcommittee Charter, presentation by SCAG Chief Counsel.
○ Comparison of Fair Share Housing Approaches, presentation by Associate Professor from UCLA Department of Urban Planning, Luskin School of Public Affairs.
○ SCAG’s Regional Growth Forecast and Recent Housing-related Data Trends, presentation by SCAG Staff.
● NOTE: Prior to January 2019, Council Member Posey, serving as Huntington Beach’s voting SCAG delegate, had been appointed by his SCAG colleagues to sit on the RHNA Subcommittee. With the appointment of a new Huntington Beach Council Member as our SCAG delegate at the beginning of this year, Council Member Posey’s membership on the RHNA subcommittee fell to Mission Viejo Council Member, Wendy Bucknum, leaving our City without representation on this important subcommittee.
● February 4, 2019
○ Initial Framework for Developing SCAG’s RHNA Regional Determination Consultation Package with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), presentation by SCAG Staff.
○ RHNA-related Local Planning Factors, presentation by SCAG Staff.
○ Legal Action Filed by HCD Against the City of Huntington Beach, presentation by SCAG Chief Counsel.
● March 4, 2019
○ Overarching Principles for Social Equity Distribution, presentation by SCAG Staff.
● April 1, 2019
○ RHNA Timeline, Receive and File.
○ Comments Received Relating to the 6th Cycle RHNA, Receive and File.
○ Update from HCD, presentation by SCAG Asst. Deputy Director of Fair Housing.
○ RHNA Distribution Methodology and Social Equity, presentation by SCAG Staff.
● May 6, 2019
○ 6th Cycle RHNA Timeline, Receive and File.
○ Summary of Written Comments Received for the 6th Cycle RHNA, Receive and File.
○ Regional Determination Panels of Experts Recap, presentation by SCAG Staff.
○ Draft RHNA Consultation Package to HCD, presentation by SCAG Staff - ACTION ITEM.
○ Existing Need Distribution in RHNA Methodology, presentation by SCAG Staff.
recommendation
Direct the City Manager/Interim City Manager to conduct, within 60 days, a Study Session on the RHNA 6th Cycle Planning process as it relates to Huntington Beach and to provide monthly updates throughout the remainder of the Planning Process.
Study Session needs to include:
1) Current status report of RHNA Subcommittee work.
2) General overview of the new 6th Cycle RHNA methodology.
3) Review of all pending legislation that could change the RHNA requirement from a simple zoning compliance question to an actual housing production requirement.
4) An assessment of potential options to expand City engagement in the RHNA Planning Process.
5) A discussion of the impact of the City’s falling short of its 5th Cycle RHNA (SB35 exposure, SB2 funds, park grants, decertified Housing Element).