Housing Element of the General Plan

Nevada CountyLocal Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo)

February 19, 2015

Introduction• Tom Last, Community Development Director- Grass Valley• Managed or wrote Housing Elements for Red Bluff, Butte and Sutter

Counties, and the 2003-2009, 2009-2014, and 2014-2019 Housing Elements for Grass Valley.

• Tyler Barrington, Principal Planner- Nevada County• 2003-2008 (3rd Planning Cycle)• Project Manager-Northern California Planning and Research

(2002-04)• Tehama, Willows, Colusa and Red Bluff

• Assistant Planner II- City of Clearlake (2004-2005)• 2009-2014 (4th Planning Cycle)/2014-2019 (5th Planning Cycles)• Senior/Principal Planner- Nevada County

What is a Housing Element

• One of seven state-mandated “elements” of the City’s General Plan.

• Identifies Cities and Counties estimated housing needs for current & future residents for all income levels

• Housing numbers established by the State, distributed by Sierra Planning Org. (COG)

• Evaluates constraints to meeting future housing needs

• Contains the agency’s strategy for addressing housing needs, particularly affordable housing

Regional Housing Needs Allocation • The State assigns each local Council of Government

(COG) a specific number of housing units the region must “plan” for over a specific period of time.• The housing units are assigned by total number and 1 of 4

income categories. • This represents the number of housing units the region must plan

to accommodate, not construct over the planning period. • Each COG must develop a methodology for distributing a

“fair share” of the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) to each local jurisdiction.• Sierra Planning Organization (SPO) is the local COG.• In June of 2013, SPO and HCD finalized the Regional

Housing Need Determination of 1,845-units for the Sierra and Nevada County region.

Draft 2014-2019 RHNA Plan

• 1,845-units for Sierra and Nevada County’s and their incorporated cities/towns.• Nevada County: 41% of total units (764)*• Town of Truckee: 25% of total units (460)• Grass Valley: 29% of total units (530)*• City of Nevada City: 5% of total units (85)• *Reflect distribution after execution of RHNA transfer

agreement per the Loma Rica Ranch Annexation.

• 6-units for Sierra County.

2014-2019 RHNA

Nevada County Jurisdiction Very-Low

Low

Moderate Above-Moderate

Total

Grass Valley 122 88 100 220 530

Percentage of Total 23.0% 16.4% 18.7% 41.7% 100.0% 29%

Nevada City 19 14 16 36 85

Percentage of Total 22.5% 16.9% 19.0% 42.8% 100.0% 5%

Truckee 108 75 78 199 460

Percentage of Total 23.5% 16.4% 17.0% 43.2% 100.0% 25%

Unincorporated Nevada County1 174 126 150 314 764

Percentage of Total 22.8% 16.5% 19.6% 41.1% 100.0% 41%

County TOTAL 423 303 344 769 1,839

Sierra County Jurisdiction Very-Low

Low

Moderate Above-Moderate

Total

Loyalton 1 1 1 1 4

Percentage of Total* 24.5% 18.1% 17.0% 40.4% 100.0% 73%

UnincorporatedSierra County 1 1 0 0 2

Percentage of Total* 23.0% 18.2% 19.0% 39.8% 100.0% 27%

County TOTAL 2 2 1 1 6

RHNA Questions?

Housing Element Overview• Only Element that requires periodic updating• Element is reviewed and certified by the State

Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)• Government Code Sec. 65580 (Article 10.6 of

Chp. 3)• Last updated in 2014• Board Adoption June 24, 2014• HCD Certification July 17, 2014

Key Housing Element Requirements• Review of Prior Housing Element• Community Profile• Housing and population trends

• At-risk Analysis• Housing Needs Assessment• Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) • Special housing needs (e.g. farmworkers,

disabled, elderly, extremely low income, etc.)

Key Requirements, continued

• Resource Inventory• Vacant land inventory• Sites to accommodate housing affordable to all

income levels (RHNA)• Sites to accommodate homeless shelters, transitional

and supportive housing.• Housing Constraints• Non-governmental constraints• Governmental constraints

• Quantified Objectives• RHNA- New Construction, Rehabilitation

and Conservation

Key Requirements, continued• Goals, Policies, and Programs• Housing Development• Maintenance and Improvement of Existing

Housing• Removing Constraints• Affordable Housing Preservation• Equal Opportunities in Housing• Energy Conservation

Regional Housing Need AllocationComparison

Income Category

Year

2003-2009 2009-2014 2014-2019

Very-Low 937 656 174Low 885 527 126Moderate 1,117 593 150

Above Moderate 1,947 1,212 314

TOTAL 4,886 2,988 764*

Accommodating the RHNA

• Resource/Vacant Land Inventory• APN level analysis by Zoning• Sites zoned 15-units per acre

• 2014-2019 5th Planning Cycle RHNA: • Adequate sites for 764-units

• 172-units Transfer to Grass Valley

• Identified Unmet Need• Requires Rezoning Consistent with State Requirements

APN ZONING GPDES SANDIST ACRES

VERY

LOW LOW MODERATE

ABOVE

MODERATE TOTAL

4811012 R3-MH UHD 1.01 9 6 154811011 R3-MH UHD 5.61 51 33 84

2173087 R3-SC-SP-PD UHDLAKE OF THE

PINES 1.88 17 11 28

8.50 77 50 127

TABLE A.5URBAN HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R3) VACANT SITES

TOTAL

2014-2019 Housing Element• Goals, Policies, and Programs• Housing Development (HD) (5 Goals, 19 Policies, and 16 Programs)• Maintenance and Improvement of Housing (MI) (3 Goals, 3

Policies, and 2 Programs)• Retention of Existing Affordable Housing (AH) (1 Goal, 3 Policies

and 2 Programs)• Removing Constraints (RC) (2 Goals, 10 Policies and 8 Programs)• Equal Opportunities in Housing (EO) (2 Goals, 7 Policies, and 7

Programs)• Energy Conservation (EC) (2 Goals, 8 Policies and 8 Programs)• Implementation and Monitoring (IM) (1 Goal, 1 Policy and 1

Program)• Total: (16 Goals, 51 Policies and 44 Programs)

Housing Element Implementation• Housing Element Programs- 44 Total• Examples• HD-8.1.16: Adopt a “stock” housing plan for a variety of housing sizes

including smaller housing that could later be converted to an accessory structure.

• RC-8.4.4: Request that special districts defer or waive permit or mitigation fees for affordable housing developments

• MI-8.2.1: Annually apply for CDBG rehabilitation funds to provide rehabilitation services to low and very low income owner and rental households.

• EO-8.5.4: Amend zoning ordinance to permit transitional and supportive housing as a residential use, subject to only those regulations that apply to other residential dwellings within that zone.

• EC-8.6.2: Make information available to the public regarding efficient use of energy in the home and ways to improve energy efficiency.

Housing Element Implementation• Housing Element Rezone Program• 2009-2014 Housing Element

• Contained 2 State Mandated Rezone Programs• 571-units for the 3rd Planning Cycle• 699-units for the 4th Planning Cycle

• Environmental Review (EIR)/Rezone project• Commenced late 2013 • Action still pending

• 2014-2019 Housing Element• Contains only 1 State Mandated Rezone Program (HD-8.1.1)• Adequate sites were available to accommodate the 2014-2019 RHNA• 699-units for the 4th Planning Cycle

• Rezone at least 43.7-acres• Identify potential candidate sites• Grass Valley SOI, Penn Valley, and Higgins Corner/Lake of the Pines

• June 30, 2015 Deadline

Why is the Housing Element Important?• Affordable Housing Goals/Policies/Programs• Directs residential growth in the County• Provide incentives to affordable housing development• Removes constraints• Provides equal opportunities in housing• Procedures for promoting energy conservation

• Grants/Loan Programs• Allows the County to access critical infrastructure

funds from the California Strategic Growth Bonds• Such as CDBG and other similar programs

• General Plan Validity• Land Use Decisions

Next Update• Next Regional Housing Need Allocation (6th Revision)• Provided to Jurisdictions by June 30, 2018

• Nevada County’s Next Housing Element Update (6th Revision)• Due June 30, 2019

• 7th Revision- new “8 Year Cycle”• Nevada County Transportation Commission• 2014 Action- 4 year Regional Transportation Plan Update• Requested by Town of Truckee, Nevada City, Grass Valley

and Nevada County.

Questions?

2014-2019 Candidate Sites• On Slides that follow

2009-2014 Candidate Sites• On slides that follow

CDBG The County has been awarded $1,953,750 for FY 2013-14 funding cycle through the Super NOFA to support the following activities: • Public Improvements: Penn Valley Wastewater/Sewer. $1.3M • Public Services: Hospitality House Homeless Shelter programs, Gold Country Community Senior Services Food programs and Sierra Senior Services Food programs. $465K

• Planning projects: North San Juan Fire Flow Water Feasibility Study $50K  *The 2009-STBG-6413 Grant funds were successfully allocated to implement the payment water assessment assistance program in the Cement Hill Community Facilities District (Cement Hill CFD). The program was designed to assist low-income owner occupied home owners living the Cement Hill CFDT with an annual special tax. Twenty-two households were served that met the targeted income group qualification of CDBG and the special tax liens were paid to NID on behalf of these households, totaling $537,198.

CalHOME: The County is still working on 06-CalHOME-0188 and the contract will expire August 28, 2014. Of the $1,000,000awarded, $381,821 has been loaned to assist 16 income qualified homeowners with health and safety rehabilitation home improvements.

-HOME: The 2011 HOME First Time Homebuyers and Tenant Based Rental Program (TBRA) grants were received and the County is continuing to utilize the funds. The County has made 5 loans totaling $300,000 of the $546,975 available in its First Time Homebuyers’ down payment assistance program. All of the $99,000 TBRA grant has been spent, serving 98 households with rental deposit assistance. -USDA Sec 533 Rural Housing Preservation Grant (HPG): In 2012, the Housing Division applied for the HPG single family owner occupied housing rehabilitation activity. In October 2012, Retain Program the Division executed the grant contract with an $85,000 award. To date, three homeowners have received grants for health and safety rehabilitation repairs to their homes totaling $21,794. This award is will continue through September 2014.