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Housing Element Update

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

The City of Berkeley is creating a plan to meet the housing needs of our community over the next eight years, from 2023 to 2031. This state-mandated plan, known as a Housing Element, is developed with extensive input from the public, the State, and City stakeholders. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed.  

On January 18, 2023, the Berkeley City Council approved and adopted the 2023-2031 Housing Element (v6) with amendments, and submitted it to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on January 23, 2023. The Council found the 2023-2031 Housing Element to be in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law. 

On January 30, 2023, HCD provided formal comments following a 60-day review of the draft (v5) 2023-31 Housing Element and appendices that was submitted on December 1, 2022. HCD’s review also incorporated the edits and amendments (v6) submitted on January 23, 2023.

City staff are taking a close look at the latest comments and following up with HCD to determine improvements necessary to achieve State certification beyond local findings of substantial compliance.

The adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element and related documents are available below:  

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

ABOUT THE PLAN

The Housing Element Update will serve as the City of Berkeley’s housing plan for the next eight years (2023-2031). It is an important opportunity for Berkeley’s residents and community members to come together to assess housing needs, identify policy and resource priorities, and find 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 Update will serve as the City of Berkeley’s housing plan for the next eight years (2023-2031). It is an important opportunity for Berkeley’s residents and community members to come together to assess housing needs, identify policy and resource priorities, and find 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.  

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