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Housing Element Update

Help shape the City of Berkeley’s housing plan for the next eight years.

LATEST NEWS

Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for 2023-2031 Housing Element Available for Public Review

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the 2023-2031 Housing Element is available for public review and comment:

The Draft EIR will be available for public comment for a 45-day review period as specified by CEQA Guidelines Section 15105. The purpose of this comment period is to allow the public and reviewing agencies an opportunity to consider the content of the Draft EIR and the potential environmental impacts that may result from project implementation.

The public comment period for the Draft EIR will begin on August 30, 2022 and end on October 17, 2022 (a 45-day public review period).  Comments may be submitted by mail or email by 5:00 p.m. on October 17, 2022.

Comments pertaining to the impact analysis, criteria and thresholds, mitigation measures, and alternatives presented in the Draft EIR will be considered by the City during preparation of the Final EIR. The Final EIR will include copies of comments and the City’s responses to comments pertaining to the environmental analysis provided in the Draft EIR.

Please include the name of the contact person and contact information for your agency, and direct your comments to:

  • Mail: Justin Horner, Associate Planner, Land Use Planning Division, 1947 Center Street, 2nd Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
  • Email: JHorner@cityofberkeley.info

The City of Berkeley Planning Commission will take public comments and consider the Draft EIR at their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM and be held via video and teleconference only. Interested parties should check the Planning Commission website for information on how to join the meeting and to confirm the meeting date, time, and agenda.

Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element Submitted to the State for Initial Review

The City submitted the Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for initial review. HCD's 90-day review period runs from August 10, 2022 through November 8, 2022. The preliminary draft plan was available for public review from Monday, June 13, 2022 through Thursday, July 14, 2022. A public workshop was held on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. More information, including all comments submitted during the 30-day public review period, can be found below under Project Documents and Past Events.

ABOUT THE PLAN

The Housing Element Update will serve as the City of Berkeley’s housing plan for the next 8 years (2023-2031). It is an important opportunity for Berkeley’s residents and community members to come together on assessing housing needs, identifying policy and resource priorities, and finding solutions to implement a wide range of housing choices. The plan contains goals, policies, and programs that will 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 this update to the City’s housing plan. 

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Housing Element is mandated by State law to be 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 Level 2015-2023 RHNA Units 2023-2031 RHNA Units
Very Low (< 50% AMI)  532 2,446
Low (50-80% AMI)      442 1,408
Moderate (80-120% AMI) 584 1,416
Above Moderate (>120% AMI) 1,401 3,664
Total      2,959 8,934

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

PROJECT TIMELINE

State law requires that all jurisdictions in the Bay Area update their Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period by January 2023. In order to meet the State’s deadline, below is the planning process and timeline for each phase. Public outreach is a core component of the Housing Element Update and will inform the planning process throughout this 18-month effort.

  • June-December 2021: Analysis and Assessment
  • August 2021-April 2022: Sites and Opportunities
  • November 2021-May 2022: Goals and Policies
  • June-October 2022: Draft Housing Element and Review
  • November 2021-December 2022: Environmental Review
  • December 2022-March 2023: Adoption of Final Draft

This is a general timeline and actual timing may change.

RESOURCES

Project Documents

Annual Progress Reports (APR)

Other Documents

Other Resources

Online Maps

Past Events

News