City leaders from all over Santa Barbara County are brainstorming a plan to meet the state’s allocation of 24,856 units for the next “Housing Element” cycle from 2023-2031, with each of the cities scrambling to prove they can address a growing housing crisis without opening a can of worms by overadjusting zoning laws or review policies.
But as discussion continues in boardrooms and city halls throughout the state, questions arise as to what exactly this statewide allocation means and what level of planning these cities need to provide to the state in order to be found “in compliance” with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) when they submit applications in February 2023.
California’s “Housing Element” is a law that, according to the HCD website , requires all local governments both at the city and county level to “address the housing needs and demand” of residents and specifically that they “adopt plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for — and do not unduly constrain — housing development.”