Welcome to the Sierra Madre Housing Element Update
The City of Sierra Madre, along with all jurisdictions in the Southern California (SCAG) Region, is mandated by California State Law to prepare a Housing Element update for State certification. The Housing Element is part of Sierra Madre’s General Plan and establishes policies and programs to further the development, improvement and preservation of housing. State Housing Element law requires that each City and County identify and analyze their community’s existing and projected housing needs for an eight-year period, which for SCAG jurisdictions extends from October 2021 through October 2029, for the 6th cycle planning period.
Through a comprehensive analysis of existing and future needs, the State has determined that an additional 1.34 million housing units need to be constructed in the SCAG region during the above-mentioned planning period. Although not yet finalized, SCAG has allocated Sierra Madre a regional housing needs allocation, or “RHNA”, for 204 units to accommodate the estimated growth need among the following income levels:
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6th RHNA Cycle (2021 -2029)
Units Allocated to Sierra Madre
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Income Category
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Housing Units
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Very Low Income (< 50% AMI)
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79
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Low Income (51-80% AMI)
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39
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Moderate Income (80 – 120% AMI)
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35
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Above Moderate (> 120% AMI)
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51
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Total
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204
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Income Category (% of County AMI)
AMI = Area Median Income for LA County |
Potential Housing Sites to Accommodate RHNA
One of the important steps in the Housing Element Update process is to identify sites to accommodate this estimated growth at each income level. Choosing sites is completed with a thorough analysis of site-specific constraints, including but not limited to, size, location, current use, and development potential. Because of the built-out nature of the community, Sierra Madre's approach to the RHNA is focused on infill and underdeveloped sites. Based on public input, comments from the City’s Planning Commission, and staff analysis, the City has identified a number of parcels that could potentially be used for meeting the City’s RHNA. A map has been created to identify the locations of these draft “candidate” housing sites.
Working Draft Housing Element
City staff has conducted three public hearings before City Council to discuss potential sites for the Housing Element update (March 10, June 23, 2020, October 13, 2020, and February 23, 2021), and before the Planning Commission on January 21, 2021. The City Council and staff received input and feedback from the public on the potential sites. On November 9, 2021, the City Council adopted the 2021-2029 Housing Element and Appendix. The redline revisions have been made in response to comments received from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The Revised Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on July 26, 2022, and resubmitted to HCD on July 28, 2022, for a 60-day review period. Minor technical corrections have been proposed by the City to facilitate certification of the 2021-2029 Housing Element Update by the state Housing and Community Development Department (HCD).