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1. What is the Housing Element?

The Housing Element is one of the mandatory elements that must be included in a 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.

2. When was Lake Elsinore’s current 2014 to 2021 Housing Element prepared?

The City Council adopted the 2014 to 2021 Housing Element (PDF) on August 27, 2013 by Resolution Number 2013-057 (PDF). Through policies, procedures, and incentives, it provides an action plan for maintaining and expanding the housing supply in the City of Lake Elsinore. On September 16, 2003, HCD issued a letter of certification for the adopted Housing Element.

3. What are the items that the Housing Element covers?

The Housing Element must cover the following topics:

• An evaluation of a city's demographic and housing characteristics and trends including an analysis of existing and projected housing needs, the number of people living in overcrowded housing, residents paying more for their homes than they can sustainably afford, people with special housing needs and affordable units at risk of converting to market rate;
• A review of potential market, governmental, and environmental constraints to meet a city's identified housing need;
• An evaluation of land, administrative, and financial resources available to address the housing goals (developed by the Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG);
• A review of a city's past accomplishments under the previous Housing Element; and,
• A Housing Plan including goals, policies, and programs that the City will adopt to assist the development of housing for different income and special needs groups, ensure equal housing opportunity, and preserve and improve the existing housing stock.

4. What is the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) and how does it relate to the Housing Element?

Every Housing Element must make an "adequate provision for the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community." The adopted 2021 to 2029 RHNA for Lake Elsinore is 6,681 units divided into four different income affordability categories. Despite the wording, the RHNA is a "distribution of housing development capacity" that each city must zone for in a planning period. A community is not actually obligated to provide housing to all in need but it must plan for it.

5. How is the Housing Element connected to the work the City has been doing on a General Plan Update?

The Housing Element is a required chapter of the City's General Plan. The General Plan is a city's constitution for future development. The general and specific policies of the General Plan serve as the basis for the City's land use decisions and provides to both the interested public and the decision-makers a practical and implementable policy vision for the future.

The City's current General Plan adopted December 11, 2011 has a 2030 planning horizon. In July 2020, the Lake Elsinore City Council adopted the Dream Extreme 2040 Plan as the City's first long-term strategic plan to assist the City in its pursuit of achieving its vision and to provide a framework to guide all decision-making over the next 20 years by identifying key Anchors, Aspirations, and Strategies. The City has started a review and update of the General Plan to extend its planning horizon to 2040 and to reflect the Dream Extreme 2040 Plan's vision.

State law requires that the General Plan contain a consistent set of goals and policies. Therefore, the Housing Element will be consistent with the policies contained in other elements of the General Plan. In addition to the preparation of the 2021-2029 Housing Element, the City is required to review and update as necessary the General Plan's Safety Element to address fire risk and other hazards and to adopt an Environmental Justice Element. The Safety Element review and update and the Environmental Justice Element will be incorporated into the 2040 General Plan.

6. Why is it important for the City to have a State Compliant Housing Element?

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. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) must approve the updated Housing Element.

Over the years, California has steadily increased the penalties for not having a legally compliant Housing Element, and this trend is expected to continue. A non-compliant Housing Element can affect the City negatively in the following ways:

• More frequent Housing Element updates. When a city does not adopt its Housing Element within the established timeframe, subsequent updates must be completed on a 4-year schedule rather than an 8-year schedule. A 4-year update requirement would create an ongoing administrative and cost burden to the City.
• Carryover of unfilled housing allocation. If the City does not demonstrate the availability of adequate sites to accommodate its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation, the shortfall is carried over and added to the RHNA for the next planning period. This creates an additional burden to the City in regard to the number/types of housing that must be planned for in the City.
• Reduced availability of grant funds. Some state grant funds are contingent upon Housing Element certification or give priority to those jurisdictions with a certified Housing Element. Therefore, without an approved Housing Element the City could miss out on additional funding opportunities.

7. Who prepares and certifies the Housing Element?

The City of Lake Elsinore prepares the Housing Element, and the Housing Element must be certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This certification creates a presumption that the Element complies with State law.

8. How can I get involved and provide comments and feedback on the Housing Element Update?

The City will be conducting outreach activities during the Housing Element update. Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City is working to identify safe and effective forms of public input. Visit the Let's Talk Housing, Lake Elsinore webpage to find out how you can provide comments and feedback.

For more information of the Housing Element update, to submit comments, or to request notification of upcoming events, please email Richard J. MacHott, Planning Manager, or call 951-674-3124, ext. 209.

Para obtener información adicional sobre la actualización del Elemento de Vivienda, un capítulo importante del Plan General de la ciudad, favor de enviar un correo electrónico a Richard J. MacHott, Gerente de Planificación o llamar 951-674-3124, ext. 209.

9. Will the Housing Element Survey results be available to the public to view?

Yes. The Housing Element Survey results (PDF) for the 6th cycle are available.

10. If I was unable to attend the Let's Talk Housing, Lake Elsinore! Webinar, can I still view the workshop?

Yes. The workshop presentation and video recording are available. Watch the live recording of the workshop or view the presentation slides (PDF).

You can also view comments from the workshop (PDF).

11. What is Measure Z?

On July 28th, the Lake Elsinore City Council placed Measure Z - a local funding measure to address City service, public safety and local recovery needs. If enacted, Measure Z will be a locally controlled one-cent sales tax to ensure the City is self-reliant for current public safety needs and is prepared for any health or catastrophic emergency.

12. How does Measure Z address current public safety needs?

Having the capacity to respond to 911 emergencies is critical for saving lives. Measure Z will ensure that we have enough law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics to respond quickly to 911 emergencies.

13. Will Measure Z help prevent cuts in City services?

Yes. Measure Z will provide the funding needed to avoid deep cuts in all service areas, including police, 911 emergency response, the maintenance of streets, parks and public facilities, as well as programs for youth and seniors.

14. What are the community identified spending priorities for Measure Z?

Through an extensive engagement effort, Lake Elsinore residents have identified the following City service priorities:

• Providing quick responses to 911 emergencies
• Providing fire protection and paramedic services
• Fixing streets, sidewalks and repairing potholes
• Keeping public areas clean, healthy and free of graffiti
• Reducing gang activity and drug-related crimes
• Preparing for public health crises, wildfires, natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies

15. What else is on the November 3rd Municipal ballot?

Lake Elsinore voters will also have the opportunity to select the City Councilmembers for Districts 2, 4 and 5 as well as the City’s Treasurer.