RHNA News Archive

Draft Methodology Released November 17 - 60-Day Comment Period Begins

The recommendation also asks the Executive Board to adopt rules for the assignment of units by income category, determining local responsibilities in spheres-of-influence, voluntary transfers of units, and the relationship of the region to the San Mateo subregion.

The release of the draft methodology begins a 60 day comment period. The Executive Board could then adopt a final methodology at its January 18, 2007 meeting. On December 18th, the 30-day Notice of Public Hearing will be published.

• Draft RHNA Methodology is available
  
  
• 30-Day Notice of Public Hearing

Draft Regional Housing Need Allocation for San Mateo Subregion - Released

On April 16, 2007, ABAG's Administrative Committee authorized release of the draft Regional Housing Need Allocation for the San Mateo Subregion. The draft allocation to the Subregion is 15,738 housing units. A 30-day public review and comment period begins April 16, 2007. Review copies of the resolution authorizing this action and a staff memorandum describing the allocation are available below.

• Resolution + Staff Memo
• 30-day Notice of Public Hearing

Comments may be mailed to ABAG: Attn: Paul Fassinger, Research Director, ABAG, P.O. Box 2050, Oakland, CA 94604-2050 or emailed to rhna@abag.ca.gov. The 30-day comment period ends with a public hearing held on May 17, 2007 during ABAG's Executive Board meeting beginning no earlier than 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium, 101 8th Street, Oakland, California.

Subregional Issues

Correspondence is available.

The cities and county of San Mateo have joined into an agreement to form a subregion for the purposes of the Regional Housing Needs Determination. Notice has been provided to ABAG and the issue of subregions will be addressed at the ABAG Executive Board meeting on September 21.

Materials are available

Subregional Allocation Meeting

As part of the current RHNA law, there is an option for groups of cites and counties to join together to create a subregion that would perform its own housing needs allocation. A meeting to provide information on how to create subregions for the RHNA process will be held here at ABAG on June 16th, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. This is a public informational meeting, and not a meeting of the HMC. Materials for the meeting are available.

The next HMC meeting will be on Thursday, June 29th

ABAG staff is preparing Potential Survey Factors that will be reviewed by the HMC for potential distribution to the region's jurisdictions. The survey would be used to determine what factors can be added to those mandated by the state to develop the allocation methodology. The potential factors will be discussed by the HMC at the committee's June 29th meeting at the Bay Conservation & Development Commission (BCDC) offices in San Francisco at 10:00 a.m. Future meetings will be at the same place and time on July 27, August 24, September 28, October 26 and November 30.

Additional resource materials are available.

By statute, Bay Area jurisdictions were scheduled to complete housing element revisions by June 30, 2007. However, ABAG requested a 2-year extension to the RHNA process to enable coordination with the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).

On September 29, ABAG received approval of the extension from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). In cooperation with HCD, we have developed a new timeline for completing the next RHNA cycle. Major milestones in the anticipated timeline include:

• August 31, 2006: Deadline for creation of subregions
  
  
• March 2007: Adoption of final methodology
  
  
• June 30, 2007: Release of draft allocations
  
  
• June 30, 2008: Release of final allocations
  
  
• June 30, 2009: Housing element revisions due to HCD

As most of you know, AB 2158 and other legislation passed last year, will affect the methodology for the next allocation. Significantly, AB 2158 also establishes a framework for subregions to assume allocation responsibilities, under specified conditions. We anticipate convening a technical advisory committee this Spring (2006) to assist with methodology development and we look forward to local government participation in this effort.

It is important to note that ABAG's ability to proceed according to this new timeline depends on securing funding for the RHNA. In order to resolve this issue, we continue to pursue legal challenges to the decision by the Commission on State Mandates which removed state funding for the RHNA process, while also seeking other sources for State funding.

Housing Need Production Reporting Form

ABAG is pleased to provide an updated version of the Housing Production Reporting Form. The form has been revised based on comments received in response to its initial distribution in October 2004.

The form was developed to assist communities in meeting their obligation to report annual housing production to Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). It was developed with significant input from local officials in order to help address local concerns and needs when counting housing production.

Although jurisdictions are only required to report their progress to HCD, it would be helpful for ABAG to receive a copy of the report in order to stay up-to-date on the progress the region is making toward its housing goals. Reports can be sent to Gillian Adams at GillianA@abag.ca.gov or 510-433-5511 (fax).