Title
Planning and Building Department, Planning Division, Long Range Planning Unit, recommending the Board receive and file the following reports and provide direction if necessary: 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report and 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report following public comment for submittal to the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
General Plan Annual Progress Report
California Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700 as well as County General Plan Policy 2.9.1.1 require preparation of a General Plan Annual Progress Report (General Plan APR) for each calendar year on the status of General Plan implementation to be presented before the legislative body (Board) and submitted to the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
The 2024 General Plan APR (Attachment A) includes six sections: 1) Introduction, 2) Major Planning Activities in 2024, 3) General Plan Overview, 4) General Plan Elements, 5) General Plan Implementation Plan, and 6) Planning and Development Activities. Appendix A provides the County’s growth monitoring charts (Attachment B), and Appendix B provides a list of the incomplete General Plan Implementation Measures (Attachment C). Appendix C provides the 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Attachment D).
The Introduction section explains the requirements of California Government Code and County General Plan policy for preparing and circulating the General Plan APR. The Major Planning Activities section describes key milestones of projects or programs that are tied directly to the General Plan for 2024. The General Plan Overview section provides a summary of recent General Plan updates, OPR’s guidelines on the content included in the General Plan APR, and a summary of the implementation measures completed, in progress, and remaining to be addressed since adoption of the General Plan. The General Plan Elements section provides an overview of each of the nine elements included in the 2004 General Plan, as amended, and status of the implementation measures. The General Plan Implementation Plan section provides a summary of state law requirements to implement a Mitigation Monitoring Program and the regular review of the mitigation measures. The Planning and Development Activities section summarizes the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments and discretionary development applications approved during 2024.
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
California Government Code Section 65400 establishes the requirement that each local jurisdiction prepare a Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Housing Element APR) on the status of the General Plan Housing Element and provide a progress update on implementation using forms and definitions adopted by HCD. The Housing Element APR is used for reporting various metrics of housing development in the County and the status of its Housing Element implementation measures.
The Housing Element APR shows the County’s annual progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs and describes the County’s efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing. Of the 565 total housing units permitted in the County in 2024, 56 were very low-income, 44 were low-income, 28 were moderate-income, and 437 were above-moderate income. A comprehensive summary of the Housing Element APR data, which includes key housing metrics such as building permits issued by affordability and units categorized by structure type; a summary table of the County’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) progress; and the status of the County’s Housing Element Implementation Measures, is provided in Attachment E. The 2024 Housing Element APR data (General Plan APR Appendix C) is provided in Attachment D.
Reason For Recommendation
General Plan Annual Progress Report
State law and County General Plan Policy 2.9.1.1 require preparation of a General Plan APR for each calendar year on the status of General Plan implementation to be presented before the Board and submittal to OPR and HCD. The General Plan APR submitted to OPR should outline the status of the General Plan and progress in its implementation over the previous year’s 12-month reporting period.
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
State law requires the County to hold a public meeting before the legislative body and take public comment when submitting its Housing Element APR. The Housing Element APR must have all applicable sections completed in HCD’s mandatory report template. These sections include housing development applications submitted, annual building activity, RHNA progress, Housing Element program implementation status, locally owned surplus sites, local tenant preference policy, Local Early Action Planning Reporting, as well as updates on the use of different streamlining or other housing statutes.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the County fail to submit the Housing Element APR (not the General Plan APR) on or before April 1 of each year in accordance with Government Code Section 65400, a court may issue an order or judgment compelling compliance with this section within 60 days. If the County fails to comply with the court's order within 60 days, the plaintiff or petitioner may move for sanctions, and the court may, upon that motion, grant appropriate sanctions.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Other County Divisions and Departments that contributed to the 2024 General Plan APR and Housing Element APR are Agriculture, Planning and Building, Environmental Management, Transportation, Chief Administrative Office, Economic Development, Facilities, Health and Human Services, Parks and Trails, and the Surveyor’s Office.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact or change to Net County Cost associated with this item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
No action by the Clerk of the Board is required. Staff will submit copies of the 2024 General Plan APR and 2024 Housing Element APR to OPR and HCD as required pursuant to Government Code Section 65400.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Rob Peters, Deputy Director of Planning
Planning and Building Department