Elk Grove Seeks To Have Housing Element Plan Completed By End of '13

As part of Elk Grove's eight year housing element plan as required by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), a workshop was held yesterday afternoon at City Hall to gather public comments on the report the planed to be reviewed by the Elk Grove City Council this June.

The process is driven by HCD which formulates regional housing needs. For Elk Grove, those housing needs are derived from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

According to the information presented at the workshop, Elk Grove's share of regional housing over the next eight years has been determined to be an additional 7,402 new housing units between now and 2021.

Of these new units (does not include unoccupied current housing units) there are five housing classifications based on income categories. Those classifications included extremely low income, very low income, low income, moderate income and above moderate.

Below find the income categories and the percent of housing unit (our of the the 7,402 new units) that city must plan for.

• Extremely low income $0 - 22,850           1,018 units      13.75 percent     
• Very low income $22,851 - 38,050          1,017                13.74
• Low income $38,051 - 60,900                 1,427                19.28
• Moderate income $60,901 - $91,300      1,377                 18.6
• Above moderate > $91,300                       2,563               34.63

During the session Elk Grove Planning Director Taro Echiburu explained that the city must provide the means for accommodating the various housing classifications and said that is done primarily through zoning. The city has also provided subsidies for the construction of high density housing for the lower income categories.

According to Echiburu, if the city does not provide the means for the new units, the legal remedy  is covered by California's so-called anti-NIMBY law. 

During the workshop several participants expressed concern that among other things the plan does not allow inclusion of existing vacant units, that several high density developments are not located within easy walking distance of services and that the three level apartments meant for lower income families do not include elevators thereby effectively excluding physical disabled people. Participants also urged to plan for walkable communities and to see what is being done in several East Bay cities.

 

It is expected the Planning Commission and City Council will both hear the plan in June prior to submission to the HCD. Based on HCD action, the plan is expected to be adopted in December.