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STATUS OF 6TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT PROCESS On September 15, 2020, City Council received a status update on the 6th Cycle process, to that point focused on development of the RHNA methodology. The report outlined work to develop an initial draft methodology by the Housing Methodology Committee (HMC), a 35-member group of representatives of local agencies, stakeholders and interest groups from across the Bay Area. The HMC was convened in early 2019, and its work concluded in September 2020 with an initial recommendation to the ABAG/MTC Executive Board on a proposed RHNA methodology. That methodology would be used to allocate the total RHND (the aggregate allocation of projected housing needs for the nine-county Bay Area, approximately 441,000 units), to each of the cities and counties in the region. At that time, Pleasanton's RHNA estimated at approximately 4,900 units, a 2.3 fold increase over the prior (5th Cycle) allocation. Following the HMC's recommendation, Pleasanton, along with other Tri-Valley cities, the Alameda County Mayor's Conference, and multiple agencies from Contra Costa and Marin Counties submitted comment letters objecting to the proposed methodology, which appeared to relieve South Bay jurisdictions from addressing their significant jobs-housing imbalances, at the same time placing an undue burden on East and North Bay cities, and small and rural jurisdictions to absorb that demand. The ABAG Executive Board considered the proposed RHNA methodology and accepted public comments at a series of meetings held in October and November 2020. The Board adopted the methodology on January 14, 2021, and the final methodology report was submitted for review by HCD on February 11, 2021. In that same timeframe, ABAG/MTC also released the final draft Plan Bay Area 2050, reflecting policy changes that modified the modeling of future housing growth in different parts of the region, including a significant increase in projected housing growth in the Tri- Valley. Since the proposed RHNA methodology is in large part based on Plan Bay Area 2050 projections, Pleasanton's estimated RHNA also increased by a substantial margin, over 1,100 additional units, compared to that reviewed at the conclusion of the HMC process. Table 1, below, summarizes the estimated RHNA, in comparison to the 4th and 5th Cycle allocations. The draft RHNA methodology submitted by ABAG/MTC to HCD, projects a total RHNA of 5,965 units for the City of Pleasanton. As shown, it would be almost triple the number of units assigned in the prior cycle.' Compared to the 5th Cycle, Very-Low and Low-income allocations together increase by over 1,600 units, and the Above- Moderate income category by over 1,700 units. ' It should be noted that the 5th Cycle reflected relatively low RHNA allocations overall, reflective of the timing of the RHNA cycle at the end of the economic recession. Page 3 of 8