City of Lake Elsinore
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Housing Element Update 2021: Seeking Input on the Future of Housing in LE
The City of Lake Elsinore is in the process of updating its Housing Element. The updated Housing Element will cover an eight-year planning period from 2021 through 2029.
Revised Draft Housing Element (April 15, 2022) Available for Public Review
The draft Housing Element for 2021-2029 continues to be revised to incorporate public comments and feedback and to address comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The revised Housing Element is available for public review for an additional review period. View the updated Revised Draft Housing Element for 2021-2029 with all changes from initial draft shown in red and the most recent changes (in response to the HCD Comments) highlighted in yellow.. In order to facilitate your review, that is a matrix that shows HCD comments and the City’s responses/revisions to each comment.. Additionally, the City has completed the environmental review of the Draft Housing Element and the concurrent proposed amendments to Chapter 3.0 (Public Health and Safety) of the General Plan which are all available for public review. View the Environmental Documents and draft Chapter 3.0.
The community is encouraged to provide comments on the Revised Draft Housing Element as soon as possible during an ongoing review period,. There is an initial 7-day period ending April 12, 2022, but comments are encouraged even after that date. Please direct questions and comments to Richard J. MacHott, Planning Manager at (951) 674-3124 Extension 209, or by email at rmachott@lake-elsinore.org
The revised Draft Housing Element will be considered by the Planning Commission and City Council at public hearings in the 2nd half of 2022.
Purpose of the Housing Element
The Housing Element is one of nine state-mandated elements of the City’s General Plan. The Housing Element provides goals, polices, and actions that help the City of Lake Elsinore plan for existing and future housing needs for all segments of its population and expresses community goals about housing in Lake Elsinore.
The City’s current Housing Element covers a period between 2014 and 2021, also known as the fifth cycle. View the current Housing Element for 2014-2021.
2021 Housing Element Update
California law requires an update of the Housing Element every eight years in order to remain relevant and reflective of the community’s changing housing needs. California is now entering its sixth cycle, covering a period between 2021 and 2029. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) must approve Lake Elsinore’s Housing Element.
State-Mandated Housing Goals for Cities
The Regional Housing Needs (RHNA) is a State mandated process that identified housing needs for all income levels within each local jurisdiction during the 2021-2029 planning period.
HCD identified a statewide projected housing need and with input from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) determined the region’s total housing need. SCAG then determined the housing allocation for each county and each city, including Lake Elsinore, in SCAG’s six-county region.
Essentially, a RHNA allocation is a total number of housing units a city must plan to accommodate over the next eight years. The Housing Element is required to identify potential sites and provide policies and programs that will accommodate the City’s RHNA allocation.
For the 2021-2029 period, City of Lake Elsinore's RHNA allocation is 6,681 housing units, with the following income breakdown:
Income Category |
RHNA Allocation |
Percent of |
Very Low Income (<50% of AMI) |
1,878 |
28.1% |
Low Income (50% to 80% of AMI) |
1,099 |
16.4% |
Moderate Income (80% to 120% of AMI) |
1,134 |
17.0% |
Above Moderate Income (>120% of AMI) |
2,570 |
38.5% |
Total |
6,681 |
100% |
“Area Median Income (AMI)” means the median household income based on household size of a geographic area of the state, as annually updated by HCD. *Riverside County’s AMI (Area Medium Income) for a family of four is $75,300 |
Ways to Participate
The Housing Element is for everyone in the City of Lake Elsinore. Population, housing characteristics and housing trends are reviewed in the process to create goals and policies that will assist in creating housing for different income and special needs groups. Additionally, the citizens of Lake Elsinore have a vital role in the update process through their participation in the Housing Element process. The City will provide multiple opportunities for you to bring insight, recommendations, questions and feedback throughout the update process.
An estimated timeline of the Housing Element Update process and community participation opportunities are listed below:
Milestone |
Outreach |
Community Outreach Efforts |
Ongoing |
Housing Element Survey – |
May 12, 2021 – June 20, 2021 |
Public Review of Draft Housing Element |
Starting Mid-June 2021 |
Posting Housing Element Survey Results |
Week of June 21, 2021 |
June 17, 2021 at 6 p.m. |
|
HCD Submittal of Public Review Housing Element for 60-day review |
August 23, 2021 |
Planning Commission Public Hearings for public comment |
October 5, 2021 and November 2, 2021 |
Public Review of Revised Draft Housing Element | November 15, 2021 through November 24, 2021 |
Submittal to HCD for second 60-day review | November 24, 2021 |
Public Review of Revised Draft Housing Element | April 5, 2022 |
Submittal to HCD for third 60-day review | April 14, 2022 |
Planning Commission Public Hearing | TBD |
City Council Public Hearing | TBD |
Additional Information/Submittal of Comments and Suggestions
For more information regarding the Housing Element, or to submit comments and suggestions, you may call the City's Planning Division and speak to Richard J. MacHott, Planning Manager at (951) 674-3124 Extension 209, or by email at rmachott@lake-elsinore.org .
FAQs
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What is the Housing Element?
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When was Lake Elsinore’s current 2014-2021 Housing Element prepared?
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What are the items that the Housing Element covers?
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What is the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) and how does it relate to the Housing Element?
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How is the Housing Element connected to the work the City has been doing on a General Plan Update?
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Why is it important for the City to have a State Compliant Housing Element?
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Who prepares and certifies the Housing Element?
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How can I get involved and provide comments and feedback on the Housing Element Update?
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Will the Housing Element Survey results be available to the public to view?
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If I was unable to attend the Let's Talk Housing, Lake Elsinore! Webinar, can I still view the workshop?