EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In accordance with Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700, all jurisdictions are required to provide the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Reports (APRs). Staff has prepared the calendar year 2023 annual reports, which reflect the City's progress in implementing the goals and policies of the General Plan and Housing Element during the 2023 calendar year.
BACKGROUND
All jurisdictions are required to provide the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with an annual report on the implementation of the General Plan and a separate report on the implementation of the Housing Element, per Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700. Both reports are due to OPR and HCD by April 1st.
City staff has submitted annual progress reports to HCD on the Housing Element since 2018. Calendar year 2022 was the first annual report submitted to OPR on the General Plan.
As a result of the 6th cycle housing element update, staff was unable to complete the annual reports by the State's deadline of April 1st. The Planning Commission reviewed and accepted the reports at their June 12, 2024 meeting (Attachment 4).
STAFF ANALYSIS
General Plan Annual Progress Report
State law requires each city and county to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the community. The law further requires each plan to include a land use element, circulation element, housing element, conservation element, open space element, noise element, and safety element. Additional elements can be included at the city or county's discretion. In addition to the seven required elements, the Carmel General Plan includes community character, coastal access and recreation, coastal resource management, and public facilities and services.
The General Plan Annual Progress Report is an opportunity to highlight how land-use decisions relate to the adopted goals, policies, and implementation measures of the General Plan. There is no standardized format for the preparation of the annual report. Each jurisdiction is allowed to determine what locally relevant issues are important to include in the annual report.
In the 2023 General Plan Annual Progress Report (Attachment 2), staff has identified various projects and accomplishments related to specific goals, policies, and objectives from each general plan element.
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community. California's local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans (aka housing elements) as part of their "general plan" (also required by the state). General plans serve as the local government's "blueprint" for how the city and/or county will grow and develop and include seven mandatory elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing.
Each jurisdiction must prepare an annual progress report (APR) on its status and progress in implementing its housing element using forms and definitions adopted by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), per Government Code Section 65400. Each jurisdiction's APR must be submitted to HCD and the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) by April 1 of each year (covering the previous calendar year (CY)).
The Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Attachment 3) includes tables for jurisdictions to report permit activity during the prior calendar year.