REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Ursula Luna-Reynosa, Director of Community Development
Subject:
title
Receive and file the monthly status update on the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process
body
Statement of Issue:
During the July 15, 2019, City Council Study Session, Community Development staff presented an overview of the 6th Cycle RHNA process and related items of information as directed by the City Council. At the end of the study session, the City Council requested monthly updates on the status of the 6th Cycle RHNA process. This update provides a summary of what has occurred since the last monthly update on October 21, 2019.
Financial Impact:
There is no fiscal impact.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Receive and file the monthly Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process status update.
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Alternative Action(s):
Provide alternative direction to staff.
Analysis:
The following is a summary of what has occurred during the RHNA process since the last monthly update on October 21, 2019.
On October 21, 2019, the SCAG Community, Economic and Human Development (CEHD) Committee, approved a SCAG staff recommended RHNA methodology to the Regional Council. Mayor Pro Tem Semeta and Council Member Posey are members of the CEHD and attended the meeting representing the City of Huntington Beach and the Orange County Council of Governments, respectively.
The SCAG staff recommended methodology would have resulted in approximately 3,600 RHNA units for the City of Huntington Beach. Although this number is greater than the current cycle RHNA allocation, it resulted in one of the lower allocations for Huntington Beach of all the methodology options that had been presented. In addition, the SCAG staff recommended methodology resulted in a more equitable distribution of RHNA units than the current cycle.
On November 7, 2019, the SCAG Regional Council, made up of elected officials from the various SCAG jurisdictions, considered the draft methodology. The Regional Council’s action on the RHNA methodology would be the final step before sending the draft methodology to HCD for a 60-day review. After a motion and a second for the SCAG staff recommended methodology, the Regional Council ultimately voted 43-19 to approve a substitute motion, approving an alternative methodology proposed by Mayor Rusty Bailey of Riverside rather than the SCAG staff recommended methodology. Although there were some changes added to the methodology as part of the substitute motion, the “Riverside” methodology would result in a RHNA allocation of approximately 13,300 units to the City of Huntington Beach. The City was aware of a potential substitute motion prior to the meeting and submitted a comment letter opposing the alternative “Riverside” methodology (Attachment No.1). Mayor Pro Tem Semeta, representing the City of Huntington Beach on the Regional Council, voted no on the substitute motion.
The approved methodology will now be forwarded to HCD for review. If HCD approves the methodology, SCAG will then distribute RHNA units to its member jurisdictions. An appeal period will follow the jurisdictional allocation.
Environmental Status:
The filing of a status update on the 6th Cycle RHNA process is not a project as defined by Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines and is not subject to CEQA.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non-Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. November 7, 2019, Regional Council comment letter