Land use: housing element.

The Planning and Zoning Law requires each city, county, and city and county to prepare and adopt a general plan that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element that analyzes existing and projected housing needs and includes a statement of goals, quantified objectives, policies, financial resources, and scheduled programs for the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing. The housing element is required to identify the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The Department of Housing and Community Development is authorized to allow a city or county to substitute the provision of units for up to 25% of the community's obligation to identify adequate sites for any income category in its housing element, as specified, when the community includes in its housing element a program committing the local government to provide units in that income category within the city, county, or city and county that will be made available through the provision of committed assistance during the planning period covered by the housing element to low- and very low income households at affordable housing costs or affordable rents, as defined. This bill would authorize the department to allow a city or county to substitute the provision of units for up to 50% of its site identification obligation if it includes in its housing element a program to provide units within the city or county in any income category that will be made available to low- and very low income households through the provision of committed assistance, as defined.