City of Berkeley
Print

Housing Element Update

Explore the City of Berkeley’s housing plan.

The Housing Element is a state mandated plan for Berkeley’s housing needs for the eight year period which began in 2023 and will continue through 2031. It was developed with extensive input from the public, the State, and City stakeholders.

Subscribe to our mailing list

ABOUT THE PLAN

The Housing Element serves as the City of Berkeley’s housing plan for the current state-mandated eight-year cycle (2023-2031). It represents Berkeley’s assessment of housing needs, identifies policy and resource priorities, and outlines solutions to implement a wide range of housing programs. The Housing Element contains goals, policies, and programs that guide the City’s decision-making around the development and rehabilitation of housing.

The Housing Element serves as a comprehensive document for everyone in the Berkeley community. Racial and social equity, and protections for vulnerable and historically impacted communities, are key factors in the City’s housing plan.

State Law mandates that Housing Elements are updated every eight years and certified by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Each jurisdiction in California receives a target number of homes to plan for called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. On December 16, 2021, Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Board conducted a public hearing and adopted the Final RHNA Plan. The total Regional Housing Needs Determination (RHND) for the Bay Area in the 2023-2031 period is 441,176 units. Berkeley’s RHNA for the 2023-2031 period is 8,934 residential units.

  • Berkeley’s RHNA for the 2015-2023 period is 2,959 residential units.
  • Berkeley’s RHNA for the 2023-2031 period is 8,934 residential units.
  • The total Regional Housing Needs Determination (RHND) for the Bay Area in the 2023-2031 period is 441,176 units. 
Income Level2015-2023 RHNA Units2023-2031 RHNA Units
Very Low (< 50% AMI) 5322,446
Low (50-80% AMI)     4421,408
Moderate (80-120% AMI)5841,416
Above Moderate (>120% AMI)1,4013,664
Total     2,9598,934

An essential component of the Housing Element is to identify sufficient sites that can accommodate future housing needs across income levels. The Housing Element contains various approaches to meet those needs, such as zoning updates or new affordable housing requirements and programs.

But that is not all the Housing Element includes.  The Housing Element also includes policies and programs to preserve existing housing, improve the quality of housing, encourage the development of affordable housing, further fair housing, advance equity, and protect tenants.

PLAN ADOPTION

On February 28, 2023, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) found the City of Berkeley’s revised Adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element (version 7) to be in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code).

The 2023-2031 Housing Element (clean and redlined versions) and HCD's compliance letter are available below: 

Learn more about the Housing Element in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and below.

RESOURCES

Project Documents

Annual Progress Reports (APR)

Other Documents

Other Resources

Online Maps

Past Events

News