FAQs

Marin County and its cities and towns, like other communities in California, is initiating a planning process under State law to identify how to meet our housing needs at all income levels. This process involves updating each Housing Element, which is a required component of each city’s General Plan and the Countywide Plan. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) dictates that among the seven mandatory elements of a general plan, one element must address local housing needs.

According to State housing element legislation, all local governments must adopt land use plans and regulations that provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development. Because housing availability is a critical issue with statewide implications, and most housing decisions occur at the local level, State law requires housing elements to be updated on a regular cycle (the timeframe for the next Housing Element includes planning periods 2022-2030). The State also mandates that housing elements, unlike other elements of the general plan, be reviewed and certified by the State.

https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/planning/housing-and-safety-elements/faqs