Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the periodic process of updating local housing elements of the General Plan. The RHNA quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specified planning periods. The current planning period is January 1, 2006 to June 30, 2014. Communities use the RHNA in land use planning, prioritizing local resource allocation, and in deciding how to address identified existing and future housing needs resulting from population, employment and household growth. The RHNA does not necessarily encourage or promote growth, but rather allows communities to anticipate growth, so that collectively the region and subregion can grow in ways that enhance quality of life, improve access to jobs, promotes transportation mobility, and addresses social equity, fair share housing needs.

The RHNA consists of two measurements of housing need:

  1. Existing need, and
  2. Future need.

The existing need assessment simply examines key variables from the most recent Census to measure ways in which the housing market is not meeting the needs of current residents. These variables include the number of low-income households paying more than 30% of their income for housing, as well as severe overcrowding, farm worker needs and housing preservation needs.

The future need for housing is determined primarily by the forecasted growth in households in a community. Each new household, created by a child moving out of a parent's home, by a family moving to a community for employment, and so forth, creates the need for a housing unit. The anticipated housing needed for new households is then adjusted to account for an ideal level of vacancy needed to promote housing choice, moderate cost increase, avoid the concentration of lower income households and to provide for replacement housing.

RHNA Use In Local Housing Element Updates

Every city and county in California must adopt a comprehensive "general plan" to govern its land use and planning decisions. All planning and development actions must be consistent with the general plan. The general plan housing element must be periodically updated using the latest RHNA allocation plan. A housing element must first include an assessment of the locality's existing and future housing needs. This assessment must include the community's "fair share" regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) for all income groups (very low, low, moderate and above moderate) as determined by the regional Council of Governments (COG).

The purpose of the Housing Element of the General Plan is to ensure that every jurisdiction establishes policies, procedures and incentives in its land use planning and redevelopment activities that will result in the maintenance and expansion of the housing supply to adequately house households currently living and expected to live in that jurisdiction. When a local government fails to adopt an updated housing element, or adopts an element that does not comply with the law, the general plan is invalid and a local government may not proceed to make land use decisions or approve development until it has adopted a valid housing element.

Housing Element Law requires quantification of each jurisdiction's existing and projected housing needs for all income levels. The housing element's requirements to accommodate projected housing needs are a critical factor influencing the housing supply and availability statewide and within regional housing markets. The local regulation of the housing supply through planning and zoning powers affects the State's ability to achieve the State housing goal of "decent housing and a suitable living environment for every California family," and is an important influence on housing costs.

The regional housing needs allocation process addresses this statewide concern, and reflects shared responsibility among local governments for accommodating the housing needs of all economic levels. The early attainment of this goal requires the cooperative participation of government and the private sector in an effort to expand housing opportunities and accommodate the housing needs of all Californians. While this law does not require local governments to provide housing to meet all of its identified need, it does require that the community plan for the needs of all their residents.

For more information on preparing a local housing element update of the General Plan, please contact Linda Wheaton, State HCD, (916) 327-2642 or email: Lwheaton@hcd.ca.gov

Final RHNA Allocation
RHNA Allocation & Methodology

Allocation

Methodology

Legislation

2007 Legislation

2006 Legislation

2005 Legislation

2004 Legislation

Legislative Basis for COGs to Charge Fees to Cover RHNA Costs