Housing Element

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English – https://forms.office.com/r/HXWDKqPDSR

Spanish – https://forms.office.com/r/ZW1zUe9YUt

Background

The State of California requires that the City Council adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan for the physical development of the City. The Housing Element is one of seven mandated elements of the General Plan and must be updated every eight years to address existing and projected housing needs across all segments of the community. Housing need is determined through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process described below.

The City’s current Housing Element (5th Cycle) was adopted by the Hollister City Council on April 4, 2016 and certified by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The current Housing Element covers the 2015-2023 planning period.

The City is currently in the process of updating its Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period. To comply with State Law, the City’s Housing Element must be updated to ensure that Hollister’s policies and programs can accommodate estimated housing growth needs, also known as RHNA.

Regional Housing Needs Allocation

The housing need is determined by the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which is mandated by State Housing Law, as a periodic process of updating local Housing Elements. The State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) projects population growth by geographic region and designates the regional Councils of Government (COGs) as the agencies responsible for determining how the potential growth is allocated among the jurisdictions within the regions. The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Counties of San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey; however, it is the COG for only the Counties of Santa Cruz and Monterey. Accordingly, the San Benito County Council of Governments (SBCOG) is subject to a separate RHNA determination from HCD and is responsible for development its own RHNA Plan.

SBCOG developed its methodology to determine the “fair share” distribution of the region’s housing need to local jurisdictions. SBCOG adopted the Final 6th Cycle RHNA on October 20, 2022. SBCOG’s 6th Cycle runs from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2031. On November 4, 2022, the Council of San Benito Government’s (SBCOG) was informed by the HCD that it had reviewed and approved SBCOG’s adopted RHNA Plan.

For the 6th Cycle, the City of Hollister has been allocated 4,163 housing units at specific affordability levels to accommodate the City’s projected housing needs. This allocation is the City’s RHNA. The Housing Element must identify “adequate sites” to accommodate this estimated growth. The City is also required to provide the programs, policies, and appropriate zoning to incentivize this growth.

Number of Units by Income Level Very Low

0-50% AMI*

 Low

51-80% AMI*

 Moderate

81-120% AMI*

 Above Moderate

>120% AMI*

 Total Units
Current 5th Cycle RHNA (2015-2023) 312 189 258 557 1,316
Upcoming 6th Cycle RHNA (2023-2031) 846 678 826 1,8313 4,163

*AMI – Area Median Income

It is important to note that while the City may assist with the development of affordable housing through various programs and funding sources, it is not the direct role of the City to construct housing. Rather, the City is responsible for ensuring that adequate opportunities exist for housing development through zoning and by removing regulatory impediments to housing production.

Upcoming Events

On Wednesday May 31, 2023, the City of Hollister and Kimley-Horn will be hosting a Community Workshop via Zoom on the 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Process. The meeting will include:

  • An overview of the Housing Element and update process
  • Background on the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
  • Future opportunities for engagement and project schedule
  • Community participation and discussion about housing in Hollister

Housing Element Update Virtual Community Workshop #1

You can also find the Virtual Community Workshop #1 Flyer (English) Here / (Spanish) Here

 

Previous Events

 

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Please visit this webpage periodically for progress updates and documents related to Housing Element Update process.

Resources

City of Hollister Housing Fact Sheet. This Fact Sheet answers commonly asked questions and provides information about the update process.

City of Hollister Housing Element Fact Sheet (English) Here

City of Hollister Housing Element Fact Sheet (Spanish) Here

For more information, please reach out to housingelement@hollister.ca.gov.