A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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Required Contents 
State law requires the housing element to address particularly detailed statutory requirements. For more information on these 
requirements, see the HCD’s 
website
. A housing element must generally include the following parts, which are described in 
further detail below and through links:
• Review of previous element 
• Housing needs assessment
• Inventory and analysis of adequate sites 
• Analysis of potential governmental and non-governmental constraints
• Housing policies and programs 
• Quantified objectives
Planning and Zoning Law also requires planning agency staff to: 1) collect and compile public comments regarding a proposed 
housing element; and 2) provide the comments to each member of the legislative body prior to adoption (
Gov. Code § 65585(b)
(2)
). The scope of the housing element requires a strong relationship to other elements of the general plan, and linkages 
between sections should be taken in to consideration. The housing element should integrate 
community health
, 
climate 
change
, and other considerations affecting and affected by housing throughout each section. More information on additional 
considerations is presented at the end of this 
chapter
. 
Public Engagement: 
Housing issues affect the entire community, and can be confusing and contentious. The public participation requirement of 
housing element law presents an opportunity to engage constituents in a dialogue – defining problems and creating solutions. 
Public participation should include community stakeholders, including residents, and examine how different housing strategies 
are identified, evaluated, developed, and implemented. An inadequate public participation process may lead to community 
conflict or anti-development initiatives. Public engagement strategies to address multiple communities are outlined in 
Chapter 
3
 of these Guidelines. The housing element must document how outreach and public engagement is carried out, from planning 
through implementation (
Gov. Code § 65583(c)(7)
). This documentation should include current and future plans to involve a 
cross-section of the community in the full process. 
Review and Revise: 
The review and revise requirement is an important feature of the housing element update. A review facilitates a comprehensive 
update and ensures that the housing element can be effectively implemented in the next planning period (
Gov. Code § 65588
). 
Review and revise requires analysis in three areas:
Progress in implementation:
 A description of the actual results or outcomes of the prior element’s goals, objectives, policies, 
and programs. The results should be quantified where possible (e.g., number of units rehabilitated) and may be qualitative 
where necessary (e.g., mitigation of governmental constraints).

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Effectiveness of the element:
 An evaluation of the effectiveness 
in achieving the objectives of each program, such as analyzing 
differences between what was projected or planned in the 
earlier element and what was achieved.
Appropriateness of goals, objectives, policies and programs:
 
A description of what has been learned based on the analysis 
of progress and effectiveness of the previous element. A 
description of how the goals, objectives, policies, and programs 
in the updated element are being changed or adjusted to 
incorporate what has been learned from the results of the 
previous element. 
Examples of review and revise analysis can be found 
here
.
General Plan Consistency: 
The goals, policies, and objectives and various accompanying 
analyses and text of the housing element must be reviewed 
in the context of the rest of the elements of the general plan 
such the
 land use
, 
circulation
, and 
open space
 elements (
Gov. 
Code § 65300.5
). The element must include a discussion of 
how internal consistency within the general plan has been 
achieved and how internal consistency will be maintained 
throughout the planning period (
Gov. Code § 65583(c)
(7)
). If appropriate, other elements may need to be updated 
concurrently with the housing element.
Coastal Zone Requirements: 
To assist a locality’s determination of whether the affordable 
housing stock in the coastal zone is being protected and 
provided as required by 
Government Code Section 65590
, 
the element must contain data on the new construction, 
demolition, conversion and replacement housing units for 
low- and moderate-income households 
within the coastal 
zone
.
Based on this analysis, localities should consider appropriate 
programs to provide incentives and regulatory concessions 
in order to preserve housing for low- and moderate-income 
households within the coastal zone. See also the 
Coastal Act 
section
 of the GPG.
Aligning transportation and land use increases access and vibrancy 
 for all residents
Image by Urban Advantage, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

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Internal Consistency in Updates:
Updates to other sections of the general plan often require a review of 
land use
, with consideration to the potential impacts to 
existing housing stock and the housing element land inventory. For example, should the update of these elements demonstrate 
that certain parcels within the community would not be able to be developed or require significant mitigation; the sites 
inventory of the housing element should be updated to reflect these constraints. As a result, new parcels to accommodate the 
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) may need to be identified. 
Land Use Element: 
Government Code section 65302.10(a)
 requires that each city and county review and update the 
land use
 element of its general 
plan, based on available data, including, but not limited to, the data and analysis developed pursuant to 
Government Code 
section 56430
, of 
unincorporated island, fringe, or legacy communities
 inside or near its boundaries. 
Safety and Conservation Elements: 
Government Code Section 65302
 requires amendment of the 
safety
 and 
conservation
 
elements of the general plan to include analysis and policies regarding flood hazard and management information. In 
addition, the 
safety
 element must be updated to analyze risk and include policies for the protection of the community from any 
unreasonable risks associated with the effects of wildland and urban fires.
Environmental Justice Element: 
Government Code Section 65302(h) (1)
 requires cities and counties with identified disadvantaged communities to create an 
environmental justice element
, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements. The environmental justice 
element must include objectives and policies to promote safe and sanitary homes.
Analysis of Existing Housing Needs 
Requirement Description:
An assessment of existing housing needs must include an analysis of population and employment trends and documentation 
of projections and a quantification of the locality’s existing and projected housing needs for all income levels, including 
extremely low-income households (
Gov. Code §65583(a)(1and 2)
). The assessment must also include an analysis of household 
characteristics such as tenure (whether renting or owning) and overpayment; housing characteristics such as overcrowding; and 
housing stock conditions. The purpose of the assessment is to evaluate existing housing needs to formulate appropriate policies 
and programs. The assessment can be combined with other areas of the housing element such as evaluation of past programs 
and comments through public participation. An assessment of housing needs can utilize a variety of quantitative and qualitative 
information and should use current information when available. An assessment may also evaluate trends over time and consider 
Neighborhood-based Policies and Programs:  Some jurisdictions will evaluate household and housing characteristics 
at a neighborhood level to target funding and other programs.  For example a jurisdiction could evaluate housing 
conditions at a neighborhood level to target revitalization efforts or consider tenure and income to better utilize 
resources for conserving and improving affordable housing stock. 

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