California housing & land-use law
Housing Element Sites Inventory Guidebook (AB 1397)
California housing and land-use law as enacted — the statewide floor local ordinances are written against.
- Edition
- 2026
- Last updated
- 2026-07-29
- Contents
- 59 sections
- Jurisdiction
- California
Contents
- SUBJECT: Housing Element Site Inventory Guidebook Government Code Section 65583.2
- Housing Element Site Inventory Requirements
- SITE INVENTORY GUIDEBOOK FRAMEWORK
- PART A: IDENTIFICATION OF SITES
- PART B: SITES TO ACCOMMODATE LOW AND VERY LOW- INCOME RHNA
- PART C: CAPACITY ANALYSIS
- PART D: NONVACANT SITES
- PART E: DETERMINATION OF ADEQUATE SITES
- Step 1: Identification of Developable Sites Government Code section 65583.2(a)
- Government Code section 65583.2(b)
- Step 3: Infrastructure Availability Government Code section 65583.2(b)(5)(B)
- Step 4: Map of Sites
- Step 5: Determination of Consistency with Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Government Cod…
- Government Code section 65583.2(c)
- HCD Best Practices for selecting sites to accommodate the lower income RHNA:
- Step 7: Environmental Constraints
- NEXT STEP:
- Step 1: NEW Sites Used in Previous Planning Periods Housing Elements Government Code section 6…
- Unusual Circumstances
- Step 1B:
- Definition of Use By Right (Government Code section 65583.2 (i))
- Sample Program:
- Government Code section 65583.2(c)(3)
- Housing Overlays
- Step 3: Size of Sites
- Definition of a Large Site
- Specific Plans, Master Plan, and other Subdivisions
- NEXT STEP:
- Step1: Utilizing minimum densities to calculate realistic capacity of sites Government Code se…
- Government Code section 65583.2(c)(2)
- - Applicable land use controls and site improvement requirements
- Form Based Codes
- Typical densities of existing or approved residential developments at a similar affordability …
- No Net Loss Law
- NEXT STEP:
- Definition of a Vacant Site
- Step 1: Description of the nonvacant site Government Code Section 65583.2(b)
- Government Code section 65583.2(g)(1)
- Existing Uses:
- Development Trends:
- Market Conditions:
- Availability of Regulatory and/or other Incentives:
- Step 3: NEW Reliance on nonvacant sites to accommodate more than 50 percent of the RHNA for lo…
- Step 4: NEW Program and policy requiring replacement of existing affordable units Government C…
- Program X: Replacement Unit Program
- Funding: General Funds
- NEXT STEP:
- Government Code section 65583.1
- Impact of New Accessory Dwelling Unit Laws
- Step 2: Determine whether there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the RHNA for the jurisdi…
- Step 3: Adequate Sites Program
- General Program Requirements
- Timing
- Consequences for Failing to Complete Rezoning Deadline:
- Housing Accountability Act and the Housing Element
- Annexation
- Common Program Questions and Answers for Shortfall Zoning:
- ATTACHMENT 1: SUMMARY OF NEW LAWS REFERENCED IN THE GUIDEBOOK
- ATTACHMENT 2: GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65583.2