Housing Element
What is the Housing Element
Contained within a city’s General Plan, is a section dedicated to housing needs called the “Housing Element.” The City of Citrus Heights Housing Element identifies the city’s housing needs and establishes programs and policies to define how those needs will be met. Housing Elements are updated on eight-year cycles and must be reviewed and approved by the State of California’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). The City is currently in its sixth cycle Housing Element which was adopted by City Council on May 27, 2021 and covers the period from 2021 to 2029. HCD subsequently certified the Housing Element on August 18, 2021.
Housing in California
The evidence of a housing crisis is stark: California’s median home price of over $600,000 is the highest of any state in the nation, a significant number of renters pay more than 50 percent of their income on housing, and the number of homeless on the streets in our region has risen significantly in the last few years.The principal way that local governments are tasked with helping address this statewide problem is through planning and zoning.
Regional Housing Needs Allocation
The foundation of the Housing Element is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which begins with a determination of housing need issued by HCD to regional planning agencies. HCD determined the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) planning area needed to provide capacity for 153,512 total housing units. SACOG is required to prepare and adopt a methodology for allocating those units to each member jurisdiction. The Regional Housing Needs Plan was adopted by SACOG on March 19, 2020. Accordingly, Citrus Heights' Housing Element must accommodate 697 total housing units. The Housing Element is required to demonstrate how the City has sufficient vacant land to accommodate these units.
Public Participation
The Housing Element is a critical part of the City’s efforts to preserve, improve, and develop housing accessible to everyone in our community. Public engagement and input are needed to ensure the development of successful policies and programs. Please consider signing up for the City's Newsflash or monthly E-Newsletter to receive updates on the project and how to participate in the City’s outreach efforts which began in early 2021.
Housing Element Schedule
The Housing Element Update began in the fall of 2020 with a Facebook Live interview, online survey, and more.
Public Hearings were held as follows. Check the Agenda Center to see more:
- December 9, 2020 - Planning Commission
- January 14, 2021 - City Council Review
- May 27, 2021 - City Council Adoption
- August 18, 2021 - HCD Certification
Adopted Documents
In the summer/fall of 2020, City staff began updating demographic data, reviewing policies, and preparing for the changes needed to update the Housing Element. The City Council adopted the sixth cycle Housing Element on May 27, 2021. HCD certified the Housing Element on August 18, 2021. All adopted and certified documents are posted in the Adopted Housing Documents Page.