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The City of San Bernardino is updating its Housing Element and needs your input! The Housing Element guides future housing growth in the City that meets the needs of all residents. While also meeting a state-mandated requirement, the Housing Element will allow the City to apply for available State funding to develop more affordable housing and support housing-related priorities in the community. Learn more about the Housing Element below and how you can get involved!
Wherever you’ve been to a recent community meeting that discussed housing or your first time getting involved, we want to hear from you! Drop us a line at the email below to provide feedback and have your voice heard!
Stay involved in the planning process by visiting this page for upcoming meetings and the latest information.
Upcoming community participation opportunities will be posted here. Have a look at the resources section below for the current working drafts of Housing Element related documents. If you have any questions or wish to provide comments, make sure to send those to FutureSB2050@sbcity.org.
WHAT IS A HOUSING ELEMENT?
The Housing Element is a component of the City of San Bernardino’s General Plan. California state law requires that each city adopt a general plan containing at least seven elements, including the Housing Element. The purpose of the Housing Element is to address the current and future housing needs of all residents in the community. The Housing Element is updated every eight years, subject to detailed statutory requirements, and reviewed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The City’s Housing Element Update covers the planning period of 2021 through 2029.
WHAT DOES THE HOUSING ELEMENT CONTAIN?
As required by State law, the City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element will contain several key components:
WHAT IS RHNA?
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is an important part of the 2021-2029 Housing Element. Every eight years, the State of California provides the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) with the number of new housing units that it must plan for by the end of the planning period. SCAG divides the allocation among all local governments in the region it represents. The City is allocated 8,123 units divided into income/affordability categories (see chart below). While the City is not required to build or finance the construction of these units, it must identify adequate sites to accommodate them.
| 2021-2029 City of San Bernardino Regional Housing Needs Allocation | |||
| Income Group | Definition** | Number of Units | Percentage of Units |
| Very Low * | Affordable to incomes of 0-50% AMI (up to $37,650) | 1,415 | 17% |
| Low | Affordable to incomes of 51-80% AMI (up to $60,250) | 1,097 | 14% |
| Moderate | Affordable to incomes of 81-120% AMI (up to $90,350) | 1,448 | 18% |
| Above Moderate | Affordable to incomes of 120% AMI + (above $90,350) | 4,163 | 51% |
| Total | 8,123 | 100% |
Source: Adopted 2021-2029 RHNA, Southern California Association of Governments
* Extremely low income must comprise at least one-half of the very low-income requirement
** AMI = Area median income for a four-person household based on state income surveys.
The City will use its housing production goals in the RHNA to plan future land uses, prioritize how local resources are allocated, and decide how to address current and future housing needs. By incorporating information provided by the RHNA, the City can identify projected housing needs by income category and develop policies and programs that will aid in achieving the housing goals set forth in the RHNA.
WHAT IS THE HOUSING INVENTORY?
As part of the Housing Element process, the City identifies properties within the community that could be developed with the number of units allocated by the RHNA. This list becomes a part of the Housing Element. While the City is required to show that sites could be used for housing, the actual use of the sites is always a decision made by the owners and developers. However, if a site in the Housing Inventory is developed with no housing or is developed with less housing than originally planned, the City must replace that site with another site to ensure the same number of units can be built elsewhere in the city.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CITY DOES NOT COMPLETE THE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, OR IF THE STATE FAILS TO CERTIFY THE HOUSING ELEMENT
If HCD determines that a jurisdiction’s Housing Element fails to substantially comply with the State’s Housing Element Law, there are serious consequences. Non-compliance can result in the following consequences
RHNA assignment that is not accommodated in one housing cycle will roll over to the next Housing Element cycle, increasing the number of units and the potential land a city is required to designate for multi-family housing.
A city would become vulnerable to lawsuits for noncompliance and potential financial penalties and remedies, from the State of California or a lawsuit from other parties.
A city would risk the loss of transportation funding and become ineligible for a number of state and federal grants that the City could benefit from in addressing their local housing needs.
WHAT ROLE DOES THE COMMUNITY PLAY IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE?
Local government must make a concerted effort to achieve public participation in the update process and gain input from people of all socioeconomic groups in the community. Public participation in the process is key to the implementation of the Housing Element that will assist in the development of the Housing Element, identify key community concerns, and ensure that community voices are heard.
Past Meeting Materials
| Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element, January 2024 | Download |
Upcoming Events and Activities
Address
FutureSB2050
290 North D Street
San Bernardino, CA 92401