SUBJECT: Housing Element Site Inventory Guidebook Government Code Section 65583.2

The housing element of the general plan must include an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development to meet the locality’s regional housing need by income level. The purpose of this Guidebook is to assist jurisdictions and interested parties with the development of the site inventory analysis for the 6[th] Housing Element Planning Cycle and identify changes to the law as a result of Chapter 375, Statutes of 2017 (AB 1397), Chapter 958, Statutes of 2018 (AB 686), Chapter 664, Statutes of 2019 (AB 1486), and Chapter 667, Statutes of 2019 (SB 6). The Guidebook should be used in conjunction with the site inventory form developed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). These laws introduced changes to the following components of the site inventory:

• Design and development of the site inventory (SB 6, 2019)

• Requirements in the site inventory table (AB 1397, 2017 AB 1486, 2019)

• Capacity calculation (AB 1397, 2017)

• Infrastructure requirements (AB 1397, 2017)

• Suitability of nonvacant sites (AB 1397, 2017)

• Size of site requirements (AB 1397, 2017)

• Locational requirements of identified sites (AB 686, 2018)

• Sites identified in previous housing elements (AB 1397, 2017)

• Nonvacant site replacement unit requirements (AB 1397, 2017)

• Rezone program requirements (AB 1397, 2017)

The workbook is divided into five components: (Part A) identification of sites; (Part B) sites to accommodate the lower income RHNA; (Part C) capacity analysis; (Part D) non-vacant sites; and (Part E) determination of adequate sites.

If you have any questions, or would like additional information or technical assistance, please contact the Division of Housing Policy Development at (916) 263-2911.

Table of Contents BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ........................................................................................ 3 Housing Element Site Inventory Requirements ................................................................ 3 SITE INVENTORY GUIDEBOOK FRAMEWORK ................................................................ 4 Guidebook Structure ......................................................................................................... 4 PART A: IDENTIFICATION OF SITES ................................................................................. 5 Step 1: Identification of Developable Sites ....................................................................... 5 Step 2: Inventory of Sites .................................................................................................. 7 Step 3: Infrastructure Availability ...................................................................................... 7 Step 4: Map of Sites ......................................................................................................... 8 Step 5: Determination of Consistency with Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing ............ 8 Step 6: Sites by RHNA Income Category ......................................................................... 9 Step 7: Environmental Constraints ................................................................................. 10 PART B: SITES TO ACCOMMODATE LOW AND VERY LOW- INCOME RHNA ............. 11 Step 1: Sites Used in Previous Planning Periods Housing Elements ............................. 11 Step 2: Zoning Appropriate to Accommodate Low- and Very Low- Income RHNA ........ 13 Step 3: Size of Sites ....................................................................................................... 15 PART C: CAPACITY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 19 Step1: Utilizing minimum densities to calculate realistic capacity of sites ....................... 19 Step 2: Utilizing factors to calculate realistic capacity of sites ........................................ 19 PART D: NONVACANT SITES .......................................................................................... 24 Step 1: Description of the nonvacant site ....................................................................... 25 Step 2: Nonvacant site analysis methodology ................................................................ 25 Step 3: Reliance on nonvacant sites to accommodate more than 50 percent of the RHNA for lower income households .......................................................................................... 26 Step 4: Program and policy requiring replacement of existing affordable units .............. 28 PART E: DETERMINATION OF ADEQUATE SITES ......................................................... 30 Step 1: Consider any alternative means of meeting the RHNA ...................................... 30 Step 2: Determine whether there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the RHNA for the jurisdiction by income. .................................................................................................... 32 Step 3: Adequate Sites Program .................................................................................... 33 ATTACHMENT 1: SUMMARY OF NEW LAWS REFERENCED IN THE GUIDEBOOK .... 39 ATTACHMENT 2: GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65583.2 .......................................... 40