Del Norte County

Housing Element Update

The Housing Element Update is a pivotal opportunity to address housing issues and plans for increasing housing production in Del Norte County.

Adopted and Certified 2022-2030 Housing Element Now Available!

The 2022-2030 Housing Element was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on February 14th, 2023. On February 24, 2023, following review of the Adopted Housing Element, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued a letter of certification that found the Element in full compliance with State Housing Element Law (article 10.6 of Gov. Code).

Click here to view HCD's Certification Letter

Policy Document

The 2022 Housing Element Policy Document establishes the County's housing action plan for the 6^th Cycle (2022-2030). The Policy Document includes seven goals, supported by policies and implementation programs that aim to address identified housing needs during the planning period. The goals, policies, and programs of the Housing Element establish a policy framework to guide county decision-makers to meet identified housing needs.

Click Here to Download the Policy Document

Background Report

Published under separate cover, the 2022 Housing Element Background Report provides the data and analysis that informs the Policy Document.

Click Here to Download the Background Report

Environmental Review Committee - Review of the Public Hearing Draft Housing Element

On December 15, 2022, the County presented the Draft Housing Element to the Environmental Review Committee for discussion. A copy of the presentation made before the Committee is linked below.

Download the Meeting Presentation

Welcome

The County is currently undertaking a Housing Element Update for the 2022-2030 planning period. Throughout the Update process, the County and its consultants (Housing Element Team), will work with the public, housing stakeholders, and decisionmakers to evaluate housing issues, constraints, and opportunities, select sites appropriate for residential use, and create policies and programs to ensure Del Norte County is positioned to meet its housing needs.

The Housing Element Update for Del Norte County includes multiple phases, beginning with community engagement, updating the Housing Element, and drafting the necessary CEQA documentation.

Following the adoption of the Housing Element, the Project includes implementing of one or more of the Housing Element programs, creating objective residential design standards to reduce costs and permit application review time for housing developers, and draft amendments to the zoning ordinance for consistency with the new Housing Element.

What is a Housing Element?

The purpose of the housing element is to identify and analyze existing and projected housing needs in order to support housing preservation, improvement, and development for all economic segments of the community.

The State of California requires each City and County to plan for its fair share of the regional housing need. This fair share is determined through a process called the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA). Once a local government has received its RHNA, it must revise its housing element to show how it plans to accommodate its portion of the region’s housing need.

Resources

Participate

Documents

The Housing Element process provides all residents, property owners, and businesses with the chance to help guide the future of housing in the county. A successful Housing Element will reflect the community needs through the year 2030. In order to do this, we need your input!

How to participate?

Join our email list. Just click the orange “eMail List” button on the top of the screen.

Send us your thoughts, anytime! Use the green “Comments” button to send us a comment at your convenience.

Participate in Workshops. Throughout the Update process, the Housing Element Team will host events, online surveys, and more. These will be critical opportunities for you to provide guidance to the Housing Element Team. Please check the website regularly and watch for announcements via the mailing list.

Review Documents. The Housing Element Team will post all draft documents to the website. Please check the Documents page for all project deliverables and instructions on commenting.

The Housing Element Process

Task 0: Project Initiation (Completed, 2021) Community Engagement: Project website and online engagement, Newsletter #1
Task 1: Housing Sites Inventory (October 2021-February 2022) Community Engagement: Community Open House
Task 2: 6^th Cycle Housing Element and CEQA Compliance (July 2021 to November 2022) Community Engagement: Stakeholder Interviews, Public Review of Draft Housing Element, Newsletter #2, Planning Commission Study Session, Board of Supervisors Study Session, public hearings
Task 3: Implementation of One of More Programs Identified in Housing Element Update (November 2022 to May 2023)
Task 4: Objective Residential Design Standards and By Right Development Amendments (February 2022 to December 2022) Community Engagement: Public Hearings
Task 5: Amendments to Ordinances (February 2022 to December 2022) Community Engagement: Stakeholder Interviews, Public Review of Draft Housing Element, Newsletter #2, Planning Commission Study Session, Board of Supervisors Study Session, public hearings

Housing Element Update

The Housing Element Update is a pivotal opportunity to address housing issues and plans for increasing housing production in Del Norte County.