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Housing Elements

Definition

Housing elements are critical parts of the General Plan, they dictate where and what kind of housing can be built in your community.

In California, the Housing Element is state mandated, it assesses the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community; identifies potential sites; and contains adopted goals, policies, and implementation programs for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing.

Every city in California must update their housing element in 2022. Use this website to track upcoming housing element updates across the state:

fairhousingelements.org⁠

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Why Is the Housing Element so Important If You Care About the Climate?

The Housing Element has become increasingly important as California continues to face a major housing shortage. While this problem has many root causes, exclusionary zoning policies are a key barrier that the Housing Element update can help address. These restrictive policies force people to find homes they can afford outside of the areas in which they work and, consequently, drive up greenhouse gas emissions that could be curbed with a shorter commute and accessibility to public transportation. The shortage and inaccessible prices force more workers to become super commuters—people who have to drive more than 90 minutes to get to work. The lack of affordable housing close to jobs also puts pressure for sprawl development in outlying areas meeting wild-land vegetation where wildfire risk is more pronounced.

Sample Climate Policies⁠

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