Housing Element Update 2023-2031

The adopted Housing Element can be found here

Status

On May 30, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified the Town’s 6th Cycle Housing Element in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law. Los Altos Hills became the third jurisdiction in Santa Clara County to establish a compliant status in the 6th Housing Element cycle. By achieving certification, we have demonstrated our commitment to fulfilling our obligations under state law and creating an inclusive and equitable living environment. The approach to housing development is carefully balanced, taking into account both the need for increased housing options and the preservation of our unique community identity.

The certified Housing Element enables Los Altos Hills to maintain local control over our land-use decisions and to exercise discretion when reviewing high-density development projects including those submitted under the “Builder’s Remedy” provisions of state law. Receiving Housing Element before May 31, 2023, also allows the community, Planning Commission, City Council, and staff to work together and complete the multi-family rezoning and associated CEQA review by January 31, 2026. We are committed to working closely with the community on the Housing Element program implementation while preserving the natural beauty and charm that make Los Altos Hills a desirable place to live.

New legislation associated with the Housing Element such as zoning ordinance ammendments and general plan amendments will be discussed during public hearings of both the Planning Commission and the City Council. These hearings will be notified on both the Town website in the calendar feature as well as posted publicly in the newspaper and on the Town Hall public notice board.

Key Links

Housing Element Town Hall

For more information, visit the Town Hall page.

Requirements for the 2023-31 Update

Recent legislation resulted in the following key changes for theis 6th cycle of RHNA and Housing Element updates:

Higher Allocations: There is a higher total regional housing need. HCD's identification of the region's total housing needs has changed to account for unmet existing need, rather than only projected housing needs. HCD now must consider overcrowded households, cost-burdened households (those paying more than 30% of their income for housing), and a target vacancy rate for a healthy housing market (with a minimum of 5%).
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) - Local Housing Elements must affirmatively further fair housing. According to HCD, achieving this objective includes preventing segregation and poverty concentration as well as increasing access to areas of opportunity. HCD has mapped Opportunity Areas and has developed guidance for jurisdictions about how to address affirmatively furthering fair housing in Housing Elements.
Limits on Sites: Identifying Housing Element sites for affordable units will be more challenging. There are new limits on the extent to which jurisdictions can reuse sites included in previous Housing Elements and increased scrutiny of small, large, and non-vacant sites when these sites are proposed to accommodate units for very low- and low-income households.
Safety and Environmental Justice Element: State law requires that the Safety Element of the General Plan be updated concurrently with the Housing Element. The Safety Element must address new wildfire, evacuation routes, and climate adaptation and resilience requirements in an integrated manner. When two or more general plan elements are updated, jurisdictions with disadvantaged communities must address Environmental Justice, either in a stand-alone element or as a cross-cutting topic across multiple elements.
Community Outreach: Over the course of the Housing Element Cycle, community meetings, outreach programs, and neighborhood engagement events will be advertised on our website as the information bcomes available,

Message from Town Councilmember Linda Swan

In early-February 2023, the Town of Los Altos Hills received two development project applications seeking to use the "builder’s remedy." In response to related media coverage, Los Altos Mayor Linda Swan wrote an op-ed to offer a viewpoint into the Town’s Housing Element process and its history with affordable housing.

5th Cycle Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) Accomplishments

The Town of Los Altos Hills successfully completed its fifth RHNA cycle with 241 new housing units, meeting its overall RHNA number by approximately 200%. Learn more about the Town's accomplishements.