(Cortese D) Planning and zoning: housing element: inventory of sites: regional housing need.

Current Text: Introduced: 2/9/2023 

Status: 5/19/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(5). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on
5/15/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)
4/12/2023-April 18 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

Summary: Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that includes specified mandatory elements, including a housing element. Existing law also establishes a planning agency in each city and each county with the powers necessary to carry out the Planning and Zoning Law. Existing law requires the housing element to include, among other things, an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development. Existing law requires a county or city to submit each revision or amendment of its housing element to the Department of Housing and Community Development promptly following adoption of the revision or amendment and requires the department, within 90 days, to review the adopted housing element or amendment and report its findings to the planning agency. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, as specified. Existing law requires the appropriate council of governments, or for cities and counties without a council of governments, to adopt a final regional housing need plan that allocates a share of the regional housing need to each city, county, or city and county, as provided. Existing law requires a city or county to determine whether each site in its inventory of land can accommodate the development of some portion of its share of the regional housing need, as provided.

This bill, for a housing element or amendment adopted as part of the seventh planning period, would require the planning agency to provide notice to the owner of a site included in the above-described inventory that the site is included in that inventory, if the owner’s identity and contact information is known, as specified. If the site owner notifies the planning agency or the department that the owner does not intend to develop at least 80% of the number of units for the site, determined as described above, during the current planning period, the bill would provide that the site would not be considered a site that can be developed to meet the jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need, except as specified. The bill would require the planning agency to make a reasonable effort to identify an owner and the owner’s contact information and to determine the intent of the owner to develop the site. The bill would require that the information be an important factor for the department in determining whether the housing element identifies sufficient sites to meet the jurisdiction share of regional housing. The bill would require the department to amend specified standards, forms, and definitions to implement these provisions. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.