Housing Element Update: Comments from State Reviewers Expected this Week
Published February 14, 2023
The City of Piedmont expects to receive written comments on the Draft Housing Element from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) this week, following the conclusion of the State’s 90-day review period.
Since the City submitted the Draft Housing Element for review on November 18, 2022, HCD officials have been studying the document to assess how it addresses each item on the State’s list of more than 100 specific requirements. Planning staff have been in active communication with State officials during this period, holding multiple meetings to answer questions about the City’s plan and taking the City’s reviewer on personal tour of the city to showcase the sites listed in the sites inventory. An analysis of how the City’s proposed Housing Element addresses each of the State’s requirements is available at PiedmontIsHome.org.
The City expects that HCD’s written comments will request some technical revisions to the Draft Housing Element, as has been the case for most every other city. Planning staff will work with HCD to develop any necessary amendments, then bring the proposed updates to City Council for approval. Staff anticipate bringing the Housing Element to City Council for adoption in late February or March.
Planning & Building Director Kevin Jackson will provide a verbal update on the status of the Housing Element at the February 21, 2023 City Council meeting.
After adoption, City will have three years to implement new Housing Programs
If City Council adopts the Housing Element by May 31, 2023, the City will have three years to implement a substantial number of the proposed programs and regulatory changes outlined in the document. Some of this work has already begun – the City is currently soliciting proposals for a consulting firm to lead the preparation of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan, one of the core elements of the City’s plan to accommodate 587 new homes by 2031.
For more information about the Housing Element update, visit PiedmontIsHome.org. With questions, email [email protected].