2019 Housing Element - Implementation
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PROPOSED EMERGENCY SHELTER AMENDMENTS
The Humboldt County Planning Commission recommended adoption of the draft Emergency Shelter Amendments at its September 15, 2022 meeting. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of the amendments at its meeting of June 27, 2023. The amendments implement the 2019 Housing Element through Implementation Measures H-IM54 and H-IM71, making changes in the zoning code to make it consistent with Government Code Section 65583(a)(4).
These two links contain the Drafts recommended by the Planning Commission:
Inland Emergency Shelter Amendments - Planning Commission Draft (PDF)
Coastal Emergency Shelter Amendments - Planning Commission Draft (PDF)
Updated June 2, 2023
PROPOSED SUPPORTIVE AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AMENDMENTS
The Humboldt County Planning Commission recommended adoption of the draft Supportive and Transitional Housing Amendments at its October 20, 2022 meeting. The Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of the amendments at its meeting of June 27, 2023. The amendments implement the 2019 Housing Element through Implementation Measures H-IM51 and H-IM71, making changes in the zoning code to make it consistent with Government Code Section 65582, 65883, and 65650.
Inland Supportive and Transitional Housing Amendments - Planning Commission DRAFT (PDF)
Coastal Supportive and Transitional Housing Amendments - Planning Commission DRAFT (PDF)
Supportive Housing in Humboldt - Permitting Guidelines and Best Practices (PDF)
Updated June 2, 2023
FEE DEFERRALS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND TRANSITIONAL AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will deliberate and consider adoption into the zoning regulations, a Fee Deferrals Ordinance for certain housing projects at an upcoming regular meeting in 2023 meeting, The meeting will be noticed and reported here when the date is determined.
Draft Fee Deferrals Ordinance
Updated June 2, 2023
SAFE PARKING - SAFE SHELTER PILOT
Click here to visit the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot page.
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ORDINANCE
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted the following ADU Ordinances and related amendments at its September 1, 2020 meeting, a virtual meeting.
- Inland ADU Ordinance Eff 10/1/2020 (PDF)
- Coastal ADU Ordinance Under Review (PDF)
- Alternative Owner Builder Amendment (PDF)
- Appendix Q Tiny House (PDF)
The Inland ADU Ordinance is effective October 1, 2020. The Coastal ADU Ordinance will become effective upon the Board of Supervisors' adoption of the certified Coastal Commission modifications.
COASTAL ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ORDINANCE
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted the following Coastal ADU Ordinance with modifications as certified by the Coastal Commission at its June 27, 2023 meeting.
Visit our Humboldt ADU page for information on how to plan, permit, and build an Accessory Dwelling Unit.
Last updated July 20, 2023
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PUBLIC HEARING - AMENDMENTS TO THE INLAND AND COASTAL REGULATIONS FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS
| WHEN | WHERE | WHAT |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Board of Supervisors Meeting |
Board of Supervisors Public Hearing |
LINK TO VIRTUAL BOARD OF SUPERVISOR'S MEETING
From the County's Calendar, click on the Agenda link at the right next to the Board Meeting for the desired date. The Agenda contains the zoom link for the meeting, and call-in instructions for public comment. A video link is available to watch the meeting without interaction.
Get Notifications
You can sign up for email or text notifications for Housing Element Implementation, including Ordinances, code updates and other topics on the County’s website at: Notify Me.
Once there, sign in with your email. Then select “General Plan Implementation” for ordinance workshops, meetings, and notices
You can also submit ideas and questions through our long range planning email, where we collect public comments: LongRangePlanning@co.humboldt.ca.us
Opportunities for Public Comment
| WHEN | WHERE | WHAT |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Public Hearing - see Humboldt County Website for details |
Implementation 2020 - Upcoming Projects
Welcome to Humboldt County’s Housing Element Update page. It is intended to inform people, and invite community input about current and future housing in the unincorporated parts of the county.
Thank you to everyone who has participated and provided input to the proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance through workshops and comments. In the coming months more implementation measures will be brought forth for review and comment. Humboldt County Planning will post and notify the public about these projects as information and drafts become available. Please sign up for text or email alerts through our Notify Me webpage to keep up with what is coming.
Accessory Dwelling Unit Surveys
(Most recent update April 30, 2020)
The ADU surveys are not available at this time, however email or written comments are always welcome. Later surveys will appear on this page as new implementation measures are discussed. pens in New Window
2019 Housing Element Adopted Aug. 20 2019
The Housing Element was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 20, 2019. On October 23, 2019 the California Department of Housing and Community Development ("HCD") certified Humboldt County's 2019 Housing Element.
The files below make up the final Housing Element that was adopted at the August 20, 2019 Board of Supervisors hearing. It includes public input, revisions requested by the Planning Commission, HCD, and Legal Services of Northern California. The Element was adopted with minor revisions.
- 8.20.19 revised Final - Chapter 8 (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- 8.20.19 Final - Appendix G (PDF)
- BOS revised Executed Resolution No. 19-84 (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- 8.20.19 Final - Final RHNA Plan (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- 8.20.19 Final - HOZ Maps (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- 8.20.19 Final - Emergency Shelter Maps (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- 8.20.19 Final - Legacy Community Detail (PDF)
- 8.20.19 Final - Mod & Above Mod Income Land Inventory (PDF)
- 8.20.19 Final - Addendum with Exhibits (PDF) Opens a New Window.
Opens a New Window.
Earlier versions of the Housing Element can be found under the Draft Policies tab below.
Remind Me, What is the Housing Element?
State law requires cities and counties to have housing elements as part of their general plans. The housing element identifies existing and projected housing needs and establishes goals, policies, standards and implementation measures for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing in the unincorporated areas of the county. Humboldt County’s Housing Element was last updated in 2019. The planning horizon for this Element extends to 2027.
- hOW cAN I pARTICPATE?
- Draft Policies
- Background & Demographics
- Archived 2019 Housing Element
- Archive
Topics Related to Housing
As part of Implementation, we are asking the public to consider several topics related to housing. Some may result in proposed ordinances or amendments. Some changes are mandated by state law, and some spring from recognized housing needs. All are open to public discussion and comment.
- New allowances for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs);
- New allowances for Tiny Houses;
- Facilitate and fund development of Emergency Shelters on parcels previously zoned for them;
- Facilitate and fund transitional and supportive housing; and
- Allowances for more Farm Employee Housing.
Broad public participation at all levels of the decision making process, including education, study, workshops, hearings, and plan revisions has been a major policy of Humboldt County since 1984 (1984 Framework Plan, Section 1231.4). Public participation continues to be a foundation of County government, as recognized in the 2017 General Plan (Section 2.8):
"The most successful land use planning process will provide for the education of the public. Knowledge of the process allows citizens to have meaningful access to the decision makers, evaluate alternative proposals, and make specific recommendations on hearing draft land use proposals."
How Can You Participate?
You are invited to help us update the Housing Element in several ways:
- Sign up for notifications
- Attend workshop(s)
- Take our surveys
- Submit written comments
- Attend Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hearings
Notifications
You can sign up for email or text notifications for the Housing Element update and other topics on the County’s website at: Notify Me.
Select “General Plan Implementation” for Housing Element workshops, meetings, and notices.
Surveys
As work on the Element progresses, interactive surveys and tools for public comment on specific topics will be incorporated into this and other websites. To receive notifications as surveys become available, sign up at Notify Me. Select "General Plan Implementation".
Written Comments
Please send written communications to: longrangeplanning@co.humboldt.ca.us
All comments will be part of public record.
Contact Person for Housing Element
If you have questions about Humboldt County's 2019 Housing Element, please email Michael Richardson: MRichardson@co.humboldt.ca.us
- Opens a New Window. DRAFT 2019 Housing Element Policy and Program Report (PDF)
- Revised 2019 Housing Element for 7.11.19 Planning Commission (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Chapter 8 (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Final RHNA Plan (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Appendix G (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - HOZ Maps (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Land Inventory (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Legacy Communities (PDF)
- 7.11.19 PC version - Addendum (PDF) Opens a New Window.
Is Humboldt's Population Growing?
Source: Projections Prepared by Demographic Research Unit, California Department of Finance, January 2018. Current population data are from the State of California, Department of Finance, E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State with Annual Percent Change — January 1, 2017 and 2018. Sacramento, California, May 2018.
How Does That Compare With Population Growth in the Past?
Sources: Historical population data from 1920-1970, U.S. Department of Commerce, Decennial Census; California DOF Report E-8090City), Report E5, 4/1/2010); U.S. Census Bureau. Current population data from the State of California, DOF, E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State with Annual Percent Change —January 1, 2017 and 2018. Sacramento, California, May 2018. Projections Prepared by Demographic Research Unit, California Department of Finance, January 2018.
What Are Some Other Housing-Related Characteristics of Humboldt?
California’s Housing and Community Development Department has compiled statistics on population, housing types, employment, households, housing stock, homelessness, and other data that can be accessed in the following link:
Regional Housing Need
What is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)?
State housing element law requires the County and other jurisdictions to meet their shares of the state prescribed regional housing need. The County does this by maintaining a residential land inventory sufficient to meet the assessed number of units (known as RHNA).
What are the Projected Housing Needs of Humboldt County?
The 2019 Housing Element covers an eight-year cycle. The planning horizon for this Housing Element extends to 2027. The final housing allotments calculated and adopted by Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) are shown in the table below. The County’s share includes unincorporated areas and is highlighted below.
| Jurisdiction | Very Low Income Allocation | Low Income Allocation | Moderate Income Allocation | Above Moderate Income Allocation | Proposed Total RHNA Allocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcata | 142 | 95 | 111 | 262 | 610 |
| Blue Lake | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 23 |
| Eureka | 231 | 147 | 172 | 402 | 952 |
| Ferndale | 9 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 33 |
| Fortuna | 73 | 46 | 51 | 120 | 290 |
| Rio Dell | 12 | 8 | 9 | 22 | 51 |
| Trinidad | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
| Unincorporated Area | 351 | 223 | 256 | 583 | 1413 |
| RHNA Targets | 829 | 532 | 613 | 1416 | 3390 |
For more information and details about the RHNA allocation and process, users may download the final 2019 Regional Housing Needs Assessment Plan (PDF) by visiting the Humboldt County Association of Government's ("HCAOG") webpage.
More Housing Element Resources
California Department of Housing and Community Development housing element webpage.
The documents below are the result of community workshops and public comments as they become available. Here you will find presentations, Fact Sheets, Surveys and other materials pertaining to the 2019 Housing Element Update.
Fact Sheets
- Opens a New Window. Opens a New Window. Farmworker Housing for Ag Employers (PDF)
Surveys & Results
- Tiny House Survey Opens a New Window.
- Opens a New Window.
Comments
- Housing Element Written Comments Numbers 1-9 (PDF)
- Workshop Public Comments by Topic as of March 7th, 2019 (PDF)
- Workshop Public Comments by Location as of March 7th, 2019 (PDF)
Presentations
- Presentation to Humboldt Housing Coalition on February 7th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation to Humboldt Association of Realtors on February 26th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation to Mckinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee on February 27th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Redway on February 28th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Eureka on March 5th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Willow Creek on March 6th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation to Housing Trust Fund and Homeless Solutions Committee on March 19th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Eureka on April 23rd, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation to McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee on April 25th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Redway on April 25th, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation to Humboldt Association of Realtors on April 23rd, 2019 (PDF)
- Presentation in Willow Creek on April 29th, 2019 (PDF)
Reports
Resources Shared by the Public
Public Notices & Older Drafts
- August 20 2019 - Chapter 8 (PDF)
- August 20 2019 Appendix G (PDF)
- August 20 2019 - Final RHNA Plan (PDF)
- August 20 2019 - HOZ Maps (PDF)
- August 20 2019 - Emergency Shelter Maps (PDF)
- August 20 2019 - Mod & Above Mod Land Inventory (PDF)
- August 20 2019 - Legacy Community Detail (PDF)
- Suppl 1 List of changes for HCD 8.8.19 (PDF) Opens a New Window.
- PC Presentation June 6 2019 (PDF)
- 8.20.19 Draft - Chapter 8 Opens a New Window. Attachment 3 - 2019 Housing Element 6.6.19 PC DRAFT and Supplemental (PDF)
- Revised 2019 Housing Element for 7.11.19 PC Meeting (PDF)
- Public Notice Housing Element Workshop May 16 2019 (PDF)
- PC Presentation May 16 2019 (PDF)
- DRAFT 2019 Housing Element Policy and Program Report (PDF)
- Staff Report for the May 2nd, 2019 Planning Commission Workshop (PDF)
- May 2nd, 2019 Planning Commission Workshop Presentation (PDF)
Past Workshops
| When? | Where? | What? |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, February 27, 2019 6-8 PM | Azalea Hall 1630 Pickett Road, McKinleyville | 1st Community Workshop |
| Thursday, February 28, 2019 6:30-8:30 PM | Redway Elementary 344 Humboldt Ave, Redway | 1st Community Workshop |
| Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6-8 PM | County Agricultural Center 5630 South Broadway, Eureka | 1st Community Workshop |
| Wednesday, March 6, 2019 6-8 PM | Willow Creek CSD Office 135 Willow Rd, Willow Creek | 1st Community Workshop |
2014 General Plan Goals (2014 Element)
The Housing Element must be consistent with state law, as well as the County’s General Plan. That said, the Housing Element Update is an opportunity to examine and adjust county housing goals. Here is a summary of previous (2014) General Plan Goals.
- H-G1 Promote the creation of affordable housing;
- H-G2 Provide an adequate supply of all types of affordable housing for all income levels in all areas of the County;
- H-G3 Provide an adequate supply of rental and home ownership opportunities affordable to wage earners, and close to local businesses, recreational, community services, transit and schools;
- H-G4 Provide capacity for the county’s RHNA share of 1413 new housing units for all income classes;
- H-G5 Supply sufficient and affordable housing opportunities for seniors, disabled persons, homeless, nomadic, single-parent households, farm workers, and large families;
- H-G6 Facilitate emergency shelters and transitional housing to meet local demands.
2014 Goals related to housing are found in Chapter 8.4 of the General Plan.
2014 Housing Policies (2014 Element)
Housing policies, also in the General Plan, are strategies to achieve the Goals. The Housing Element Update is an opportunity to examine and adjust county housing policies. The previous (2014) policies related to housing focus on five areas:
- H-P1 to H-P5 attempt to concentrate development in areas with urban level services, and in identified Housing Opportunity Zones. They encourage increased density of development, smaller unit size, and infill and redevelopment. One result is that they contain built-in measures to reduce environmental impacts;
- H-P4, H-P6 to H-P11, H-P17 to H-P21, H-P28, and H-P30 seek to remove barriers to development of lower cost housing types;
- H-P12 to H-P17, H-P25 to H-P27, and H-P30 to H-P31 simplify and reduce the cost of permitting in general;
- Several policies are aimed at reducing environmental effects of development. H-P29 prevents impacts to surface water from development, and H-P8 minimizes traffic and greenhouse gas effects from development;
- H-P14, and H-P23 to H-P24 address fair housing and housing discrimination.
The complete list of 2014 Policies is contained in Chapter 8.4 of the General Plan.
2014 Standards (2014 Element)
Standards are specific, often quantified rules or measures that help determine how a policy is enacted. These are typically calculation methods, priorities, waivers, criteria, and other nudges to achieve desired results.
As part of the 2019 Element Update, many standards that involve specific parameters were updated due to fresh demographic and economic data, new state law, and public inputs that reflect real-world changes in conditions in the county.
Information about demographics and population can be found on the “Basic Housing and Demographics” tab of the current webpage.
The complete list of previous (2014) Standards can be found in Chapter 8.5 of the General Plan.
2014 Implementation Measures (2014 Element)
Implementation Measures (IMs) are actions, procedures, programs, and plans used to carry out policies of the Housing Element. The 2019 Housing Element Update revisits the IMs, and adds to, retires or amends them to meet current needs.
Previous (2014) IMs focus on areas related to the policies they are designed to implement:
- H-IM1- 2, H-IM6-7, H-IM9, H-IM13-17, H-IM21-22, H-IM27-31, and H-IM37-40 facilitate the development of lower income housing, either directly or indirectly;
- H-IM21-25 and H-IM27 facilitate housing options for homelessness people;
- H-IM23-24 and H-IM30 address people with disabilities and other special populations;
- H-IM4, H-IM8, H-IM10-12, H-IM31-34, and H-IM36 generally simplify and reduce the cost of permitting; and
- H-IM11-12, H-IM18, and H-IM21 are designed, among other things, to reduce environmental impacts from development.
The list of previous Implementation Measures is contained in Chapter 8.6 of the General Plan.