Report Prepared by: Leah Brown, Management Analyst, Development Services
Title
SUBJECT: Report - Multijurisdictional Housing Element - Public Review Draft
REPORT IN BRIEF
Report to review the Multijurisdictional Housing Element - Public Review Draft.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Receive and comment on the Multijurisdictional Housing Element - Public Review Draft.
Body
DISCUSSION
History and Past Actions
The City's current Housing Element, one of the seven required elements of the General Plan, was adopted in September 2016. The Housing Element (HE) sets forth policies and programs for the provision of affordable housing throughout the community, promoting the production of available, affordable, and adequate housing. Previously, Housing Elements were required to be updated every 5 years, but the schedule was recently changed after the 2016 - 5th Cycle HE with required updates every 8 years. Legislative changes have increased the cost and complexity of the HE since the fifth cycle.
On December 5, 2022, City Council adopted a motion to participate in the Merced County Multijurisdictional Housing Element (MJHE) in cooperation with other local agencies within our Merced Area Council of Governments. Those other agencies partners are Merced County and the Cities of Atwater, Dos Palos, Los Banos, Livingston, and Gustine. The complexity of the new 6th Cycle of HE reports required financial coordination and administration which pushed the MJHE beyond its deadlines and the current HE is out of compliance. There is no monetary penalty for being out of compliance; however, certain grant funding is ineligible for reimbursement until the HE is back in compliance.
The process for submitting the document has some additional steps as well. First, the Draft MJHE must be made available to the public for comments for at least 30 days. On May 7, 2024, the City began a social media push to announce the Public Comment Period beginning on May 13, 2024. The re...
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