Close to two-thirds of the region’s municipalities missed the October 15 deadline to revise their housing elements, jeopardizing state funds and control over local development.

The saga of California’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) continues, with nearly two-thirds of Southern California’s cities and counties failing to meet the deadline for updating their housing elements to satisfy state housing mandates.
As Jeff Collins reports for the Orange County Register, “As a result, the remaining 124 governments have two hurdles to overcome to get into compliance with state housing laws and avoid a host of possible sanctions,” namely getting a new housing element approved and rezoning enough parcels to meet their housing goals. “Governments without an approved housing plan and completed rezoning can lose access to state housing and transportation grants, have less control over future developments and face the risk of lawsuits and fines.” The Southern California city of Santa Monica saw 4,000 housing units proposed when it fell out of compliance with the state law earlier this year.
The RHNA requires cities and counties to revise their housing elements every eight years to account for population growth and ensure that housing supply meets demand. Formerly seen as rather toothless, the process garnered more attention this year when the state rejected many municipalities’ housing elements as unrealistic or insufficient and gave them an October 15 deadline for revising them.
As Collins explains, “The housing plans, which can run into hundreds of pages, outline where and how new housing can be built, creating an inventory of sites where developers can build new homes. Once the housing element is adopted, governments must rezone land to ensure there’s enough land for the new affordable and market-rate housing.”
Collins notes that “On the positive side, the 73 jurisdictions that won state approval represent 65% of the 1.3 million new housing units the state wants Southern California to build by 2030.” However, the needed housing in the jurisdictions without approved plans amounts to 474,210 new homes by 2030. Meanwhile, developers can use the “builder’s remedy” to get projects approved more easily in cities without approved housing elements.
FULL STORY: Most Southern California cities miss new deadline to complete housing plans

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and harrowing close calls are a growing reality.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)