City Housing Element Update Scheduled for Review By Planning Commission

The Planning Commission on Wednesday is scheduled to review an update on the city’s housing element.

The state mandated element of the Pasadena General Plan must be updated every four to eight years to address the current and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community.

“The update includes the assessment of the City’s share of housing needs, identification of constraints and housing resources, an inventory and analysis of sites, and a housing plan with goals, policies, and programs,” according to a city staff report. “Per state law, the City Council is required to adopt the updated 2021-2029 Housing Element by October 15, 2021.”

The study session will provide a summary of the housing element update process and requirements, review feedback received from workshops held last month and members of the Housing Task Force members, and the city’s past accomplishments for specific housing programs in the current housing element.

“For the upcoming planning period, the city’s total Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is 9,429 new housing units, which includes 2,747 very low-income, 1,662 low-income, 1,565 moderate-income, and 3,455 above moderate-income units.

The deadline for cities to submit their housing elements is in October, but they are required to submit the elements in draft form before the end of June. The state’s Department of Housing and Community Development will offer comments on the drafts before the end of August and cities are expected to respond to the comments to bring the housing elements into compliance with state regulatory requirements in time for the submissions required by the end of October.

As part of the update, the city is conducting an extensive outreach program through community workshops, online surveys, Planning Commission and City Council study sessions, and public hearings.

Community outreach for the housing element update began in April with a Spanish and English-language virtual community workshop attended by residents, business owners, and other community stakeholders.

The city, like the rest of the state, is currently mired in an affordable housing shortage.

“Our city is greatly in need of bridge housing for our hundreds of residents who sleep on the streets every night,” wrote homeless advocate Sonja Berndt. “Supporters of bridge housing urge the City to ensure that the Housing Element allows for the creation of sufficient bridge housing, by right, in order to provide basic shelter and services for our unsheltered residents. Bridge housing removes many of the major obstacles to becoming permanently housed. It is good for our unsheltered residents as well as our community as a whole.”

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and can be viewed at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85762141012.