Housing Element
View the City of American Canyon's 6th Cycle (2023-2031) Adopted Housing Element by HCD.
Draft Housing Element Update Timeline
January 31, 2023: The Planning Commission adopted Resolution Number 2023-02 and the City Council adopted Resolution Number 2023-06 approving the 6th Cycle Housing Element (2023 – 2031) Housing Element Update.
November 14, 2022: The City submitted adopted Housing Element Update to HCD for a 90-day review.
October 18, 2022: the City Council and Planning Commission conducted a joint Housing Element Workshop.
September 27, 2022: the Housing Element was released for public review.
August 22, 2022: City staff and Consultants from Rincon met with members of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Cultural Resources team for a Housing Element consultation.
August 2, 2022: The City conducted mini surveys during National Night Out neighborhood celebrations.
July 12, 2022: The City hosted an outreach table at Meet-Me-In-the-Street event.
June 19, 2022: The City hosted a popup event at the Juneteenth Celebration at Main Street Park.
June 18, 2022: The City hosted a popup event at the Pride Celebration at Shenandoah Park.
June 14, 2023: The City hosted an outreach table at Meet Me in the Street event.
May 20, 2022: The City hosted a Housing Element workshop at the Adult Activities Center.
April 27, 2022: The City hosted a Housing Element Workshop via Zoom.
April 20, 2022: The City hosted an outreach table at American Canyon Middle School Open House.
April 13, 2022: The City hosted a Housing Element Workshop held via Zoom.
January 10, 2022 to May 16, 2022: The City hosted a Housing Survey on its website to receive feedback on housing needs, current housing conditions, and opportunities for housing programs.
What is a Housing Element?
When and Why does the Housing Element Need to be Updated?
State law requires regular Housing Element updates every eight years to ensure it is relevant and accurate. Today, American Canyon is in the fifth housing cycle that began in 2015 and will end in 2023. The next 6th Cycle Housing Element will cover a new eight-year planning period (2023-2031).
To comply with state law, the City must receive HCD certification of the Housing Element by January 2023. Because we are on the same Housing Element schedule as 100+ other Bay Area jurisdictions, the City must adopt an updated Housing Element on or before summer to avoid the last minute HCD Certification “rush.”
What will the Housing Element Update Include?
- Community Needs Assessment: A complete analysis of the specific housing needs and an inventory of the resources and constraints relevant to addressing housing needs.
- Sites Inventory: An inventory of land suitable for residential development that could accommodate the City’s RHNA allocation.
- Constraints Analysis: an evaluation of governmental and nongovernmental barriers to housing production in American Canyon.
- Goals, Policies, and Programs: Identification of specific policies and actions to implement the Housing Element.
- Other analyses, policies, and goals to meet community housing needs, and/or comply with applicable State law.
Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)
RHNA is a process driven by the State that quantifies the housing need for each jurisdiction. The State determines a housing need for each region in the State based on demographic information and anticipated growth in the area. Our region is the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). ABAG conducts its own evaluation and allocates a “fair share” to each jurisdiction in the Bay Area. The “Fair Share” RHNA is separated into four income categories: Very Low Income, Low Income, Moderate Income, and Above Moderate Income.
The Housing Element update must demonstrate the City has enough land with zoning to accommodate construction of the City’s RHNA allocation in the next 8 years, along with any other housing needs in the community.
Additional Resources