City of Richmond 6th Cycle Housing Element Update is Underway

The State of California recognizes the vital role local governments play in the availability, adequacy, and affordability of housing. State law requires every jurisdiction in California to adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan to guide its physical development, and the Housing Element is one of the seven mandated elements of the General Plan. The Housing Element is updated every eight years and is required to demonstrate sufficient zoned capacity for housing to accommodate the number of units identified in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). The law recognizes that in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development.

In January 2022, the City of Richmond kicked-off the 6th Cycle Housing Element effort. The 6th Cycle Housing Element will cover the RHNA for the planning period of 2023 to 2031.

What’s New in the 6th Cycle Housing Element? 

The 6th Cycle Housing Elements requires cities to include additional information on a series of topics:

• Housing Needs Assessment – Substandard housing requiring replacement, and farmworker housing needs.
• Past Accomplishments to Help Special Needs Population – What the City has achieved to help increase housing efforts for special needs populations.
• Governmental Constraints – Governmental regulations that can have an impact on housing development, from state law to local ordinances.
• Nongovernmental Constraints – Any additional impediments that hinder housing development such as construction and land costs, entitlement and building permit issuance, etc.

Please see 6th Cycle Housing Element: New (& Kind of New) Analyses Required for more information.