The State has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of their communities. Local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). General plans serve as the local government’s "blueprint" for how the city and/or county will grow and develop and include seven elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing.

What is the Housing Element? 

The Housing Element is intended to outline goals and policies consistent with the City’s General Plan and community vision in addition to addressing State requirements and laws. The Housing Element assesses current and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community and includes policies for providing adequate housing and action programs for that purpose.

Why Update the Housing Element?

State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is responsible for determining the regional housing needs assessment (RHNA) within each region’s planning body known as a “council of governments” (COG). RHNA quantifies the need for housing during specified planning periods. Each COG is then responsible for allocating the housing need amongst all the jurisdictions within that region during specified planning periods. The RHNA allocation for Laguna Beach is 394 units,.

Housing Element law does not require the City to construct the 394 housing units, but rather implement a plan to accommodate for these units throughout the City. The Housing Element serves as a tool to address housing problems and aims to identify constraints, barriers, and provide realistic solutions where feasible.

The State requires that Housing Elements be updated and certified regularly to reflect the most recent trends in demographics and employment that may affect existing and future housing demand and supply.