If you were planning on going to this week’s public workshops on the update for Irvine housing policies and goals, don’t. According to Irvine’s website, they have been postponed:

“The Housing Element Public Workshops scheduled for January 28 and January 30 at the Irvine Civic Center have been postponed. Notice will be posted once the workshop dates have been rescheduled. For more information, please contact Amy Mullay, Senior Planner at 949-724-7454 or email amullay@cityofirvine.org.” –City of Irvine Website

If you are reading this after the fact, my regrets. But if this is something that you are interested in, you now have more time to inform yourself and plan ahead. 

The update to the Irvine housing goals and policies is a state requirement. The document produced is called the housing element. The next housing element that the city council adopts will set Irvine’s housing policy through much of 2021; therefore, it is worthwhile to put in your two-cents worth when this planning cycle come around. I will be watching for the new dates and putting in my two-cents worth as time and information availability allow.

Here is the definition of the housing element from the state website:

 “State law recognizes the vital role local governments play in the supply and affordability of housing. Each governing body (City Council or Board of Supervisors) of a local government in California is required to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the city, city and county, or county. The housing element is one of the seven mandated elements of the local general plan. Housing element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems which provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development. As a result, housing policy in the State rests largely upon the effective implementation of local general plans and, in particular, local housing elements. Housing element law also requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) review local housing elements for compliance with State law and to report its written findings to the local government.”

And to brush up on matters related to the housing element, here are some past posts concerning the Irvine Housing Element:

·       Council Members Differ on Inclusion of Set-Aside in Housing Element

·       What is the Condition of Irvine’s Housing Stock?

·       How Healthy is Irvine’s Housing Ladder