Oakland, CA – Today the City of Oakland published the draft Housing Element for the Oakland 2045 General Plan. The Housing Element outlines the strategies and policies the City will implement over the next eight years in order to meet Oakland’s housing needs. The Housing Element was last updated in 2015 and is now being updated with public input to reflect the recent housing opportunities, challenges, and approaches that have emerged in the Oakland community, as well as to comply with new state laws.
“The housing crisis in Oakland affects us all. This comprehensive update of the Housing Element outlines the City’s plan for meeting the housing needs of all Oaklanders,” said William Gilchrist, Director of the City’s Planning & Building Department. “We invite the community to review the draft Housing Element and provide their input to shape the future of Oakland.”
“Ensuring Oaklander’s are informed about the significant funding needs accompanying the housing crisis is a critical part of the Housing Element engagement process. Addressing the housing crisis requires money – lots of it,” said Shola Olatoye, Director of the City of Oakland Housing and Community Development Department.
Since February 2022, the City has hosted two town halls and three Housing Element-focused workshops for community members to discuss the major housing issues facing the city and share ideas on potential new housing programs; locations for housing; and strategies for building and preserving affordable housing and preventing displacement. The City’s community engagement partner, the Deeply Rooted Collaborative, has hosted upwards of 20 community pop-up events and workshops for residents to engage in the General Plan and the development of the Housing Element.
Key components of the draft Housing Element include:
- An evaluation of the previous 2015-2023 Housing Element;
- Analysis of existing and projected housing need, including needs for seniors, people with disabilities, extremely low-income households, large households, female-headed households, persons experiencing homelessness, and undocumented immigrants;
- An inventory of adequate sites for building new housing; and
- A Housing Action Plan, which includes specific actions to address housing needs with specific roles identified for all responsible agencies.
What’s Next?
The public will have 30 days (until Monday, June 13, 2022) to review and provide feedback on the draft Housing Element. Each chapter of the Housing Element can be found on the City’s website, where community members can download and read the draft Housing Element. Community members can provide feedback on the draft Housing Element at the Planning Commission meeting on May 18, 2022, the Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee meeting on May 24, 2022, and at the Housing Element Workshop on June 9, 2022.
Following the public review process, staff will revise the draft Housing Element to incorporate the feedback received by the public. The revised draft Housing Element will be sent to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for its review at the end of June 2022, in keeping with state deadlines. The Housing Element will be available again for public review and feedback in late October 2022. The Housing Element must be adopted by the City Council in early 2023 and certified by HCD by May 2023.
Please visit the General Plan Update website to sign up to receive updates about the General Plan and reminders about upcoming events.
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