City of Calistoga : Housing Element Update 2009

The purpose of the Housing Element Update program is to produce an updated Housing Element that is accurate, complete, understandable, and meets all the requirements of State law. The updated Housing Element will provide an overall strategy and schedule of actions needed over the next 5 years to achieve the City’s housing goals and objectives.

The Housing Element Update program will primarily be carried out by City staff under the supervision and direction of the Planning of Building Director. Staff is not anticipating major changes to the current Housing Element and views the update program as an opportunity to review, evaluate and “fine tune” the City’s current housing programs and policies.

A detailed Work Program for updating the Housing Element was approved by the City Council on January 22, 2009 There are three major focus areas of the work program: (1) develop an understanding of current housing conditions and needs within the City; (2) assess current housing policies and programs, identified housing sites, and constraints to developing those sites; and (3) update the goals, policies, actions and programs contained in the current Housing Element.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Housing Element Update program is being guided by an advisory committee that was appointed by the City Council on March 3, 2009. Members of the advisory committee include: Councilmembers Placido Garcia and Karen Slusser; Planning Commission Vice-Chair Clayton Creager and Commissioner Paul Coates; and local residents Brian Brewster and Stephanie Duff-Ericksen. The committee meets monthly for briefings by staff on efforts related to the Housing Element Update and to provide direction as needed. Advisory Committee meeting dates and agendas are posted below.

OVERVIEW OF HOUSING ELEMENT

The Housing Element is a comprehensive assessment of current and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community. It sets forth local housing policies and identifies specific programs for meeting the community’s housing needs.

The State recognizes that the most critical decisions regarding housing development occur at the local level and requires every city and county to include a Housing Element as part of its General Plan (the comprehensive, long-term plan that guides the physical growth and development of a community). Unlike the other mandatory elements of the General Plan, the Housing Element is subject to detailed statutory requirements regarding its contents and must be updated every five years. The Housing Element is also subject to mandatory review by the State Department of Housing and Community Development. This reflects the statutory recognition that the availability of housing is a matter of statewide importance and that cooperation between the government and private sector is critical to attainment of the State’s housing goal of “decent housing and a suitable living environment for every California family.”

The City’s current Housing Element was adopted on October 31, 2003 and found to be in full legal compliance by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on March 9, 2005. The current Housing Element addresses housing needs for the State-defined planning period of 1999 to 2006. Since adoption of the current Housing Element, the State set a new planning period (2007 to 2014) and is requiring all local governments within the regional jurisdiction of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to update their Housing Elements by June 30, 2009.

QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please contact Ken MacNab, Senior Planner, by phone at: (707) 942-2827, or by e-mail: kmacnab@ci.calistoga.ca.us if you have any questions about the Housing Element Update program or would like additional information.

Last updated: 7/29/2010 3:55:13 PM