Housing: regional housing needs.

(1) 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, but not limited to, a housing element that analyzes existing and projected housing needs. That law also requires the housing element, in turn, to include, among other things, an assessment of housing needs and an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to the meeting of those needs. That law further requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, for the 4th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, to determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, based upon population projections produced by the Department of Finance and regional population forecasts used in preparing regional transportation plans, in consultation with each council of governments. Existing law includes a declaration of legislative intent regarding the allocation of regional housing need. This bill would make additional findings regarding the relationship between the shortage of housing and the state's environmental policies. (2) Existing law requires the population forecast developed by the council of governments to be the basis upon which the department determines the existing and projected need for that region if the total regional population forecast for the project year, developed by the council of governments and used for the preparation of the regional transportation plan, is within 3% of the total regional population forecast prepared by the Department of Finance. This bill would instead require the population forecast developed by the council of governments to be the basis upon which the department determines the existing and projected need for that region if the total regional population forecast for the project year, developed by the council of governments and used for the preparation of the regional transportation plan, is within 1.5% of the total regional population forecast prepared by the Department of Finance. (3) Existing law requires the department to meet and consult with the council of governments regarding the existing and projected housing need for a region at least 26 months prior to the scheduled revision. Existing law requires the council of governments to provide data assumptions from the council's projections, including, if available, among other things, household size data and trends in household size. This bill would require the council of governments to additionally include data on the percentage of renters' households that are overcrowded, as specified. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law requires each council of governments and delegate subregion, as applicable, to distribute a draft allocation of regional housing needs to each local government within the region or subregion, as provided, at least 1.5 years prior to the scheduled revision of its housing element. Existing law authorizes a local government to request from the council of governments or delegate subregion, as applicable, a revision of its share of the regional housing need, in accordance with specified factors, within 60 days following receipt of the draft allocation. This bill would require that a request for a revised share pursuant to these provisions be consistent with, and not to the detriment of, the development pattern in an applicable sustainable communities strategy. (5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.