Lafayette Receives State's Blessing On Housing Element

LAFAYETTE, CA— Two years after beginning the process, the city of Lafayette's eight-year Housing Element was certified Friday by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

The certification of Lafayette's 6th Cycle Housing Element followed a request from HCD in July. The state housing department said Lafayette's housing element for 2023-2031 would meet the requirements of state housing law once the city adopted rezoning. The City Council voted Jan. 13 to adopt the rezoning. On Jan. 30, city staff resubmitted the housing element to the state.

"We are happy to announce that HCD has certified Lafayette’s Housing Element Update inclusive of the rezoning that the City Council initiated last year," City Manager Niroop K. Srivatsa said. 'This certified 2023-2031 Housing Element was created with significant community input and countless hours of work and analysis by city staff and our consultants."

The city submitted its Draft Housing Element Update to the state on June 30, 2022. What followed were multiple rounds of comments and requests from the state for information and revisions.

"Cities across the state, not just Lafayette, have struggled to have their housing elements certified by the state during this 6th cycle," said Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell. "I am so appreciative to our staff, our commissions and committees, and our residents who have all worked on this together to achieve this certification. This is a real accomplishment for Lafayette!"

Lafayette Plans For 2,114 Units In Housing Element

While the city does not develop housing, the housing element guides where development occurs in the city. The 54-page document also comprises policies and programs to meet the city's housing allocation needs across four affordability levels.

Cities in the Bay Area are assigned a regional housing needs allocation—or RHNA—which governs the number of housing units they need to plan for. Lafayette needed to plan and zone for 2,114 units: 599 at the very-low-income level, 344 at the low-income level, 326 at the moderate-income level, and 845 above-market-rate.

City officials said several housing projects are either under construction in the city or are in the pipeline to be built. The city is also reviewing multiple proposed projects, including a 90-unit development at 1001 Oak Hill Road, 15 units across from the Lafayette BART station at Oak Hill Place, and 48 affordable housing units at 949 Moraga Road.

City Faces Lawsuit Over Housing Element

The city's celebration may be short-lived. In March, a group known as the Housing Action Coalition filed a lawsuit against the city over its housing element.

"We will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit," Srivatsa said.

See Lafayette's Housing Element Update and background information. The 54-page document is also embedded below.