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BACKGROUND <br /> The Housing Element is one of the mandatory elements of the City's General Plan, <br /> California law requires each jurisdiction to adopt a general plan, which acts as a <br /> constitution for community development. State law has many requirements for housing <br /> elements, with the State's goal for each community to zone for its assigned fair share of <br /> housing at a range of income levels and to take affirmative actions to further for such <br /> housing. <br /> The City has been engaged in a multi-year process of community meetings, public <br /> input, as well as formal hearings by the City Council and Planning and Housing <br /> Commissions for the adoption of the Housing Element. On January 26, 2023, the City <br /> Council adopted the Housing Element by Resolution No. 23-1358. The City submitted <br /> the Housing Element to HCD with the goal of having HCD determine that the City's <br /> Housing Element is in substantial compliance with State law. The City was then <br /> contacted by a property owner which asked for its site to be removed from the list of <br /> housing sites in the Housing Element. The City Council removed the site, added <br /> another site, and re-adopted the Housing Element with those site changes and other <br /> amendments on June 20, 2023, by Resolution No. 23-1406. With passage of this <br /> resolution, City Council granted authority to the Director of Community Development to: <br /> file all necessary materials with HCD for HCD to find that the Housing Element is in <br /> conformance with State Housing Element Law; further directed and authorized the <br /> director to make all typographical and non-substantive changes to the Land Use <br /> Element and Housing Element of the General Plan to make them internally consistent; <br /> and to address any non-substantive changes or amendments (collectively revisions) <br /> requested by HCD to achieve HCD certification of the Housing Element. <br /> After the Housing Element was resubmitted to HCD, HCD recommended further <br /> modifications to highlight State law housing requirements. As authorized by the City <br /> Council's delegation of authority, the director made revisions to the Housing Element to <br /> make non-substantive changes and amendments that highlight State housing laws that <br /> further housing. City staff then posted these revisions on August 17, 2023, in <br /> compliance with requirements of State law to provide a seven-day public review period <br /> for revisions. On August 24, 2023, at the end of the seven-day review period, staff <br /> affirmed with HCD that no further revisions to the August 17, 2023, documents had <br /> been made (i.e., no comments had been received by the City, and hence no further <br /> revisions). <br /> On August 25, 2023, the City received formal correspondence from HCD advising that <br /> the City's Housing Element, with the incorporated revisions, is in substantial compliance <br /> with State law (i.e., "certified"). HCD's letter is provided as Attachment 1. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> The revisions to the Housing Element which were posted on August 17, 2023, as shown <br /> in Attachment 2, are non-substantive and reflect the City's intent and processes to <br /> implement the Housing Element's policies and programs. Also, these revisions to the <br /> Page 2 of 3 <br />