Rohnert Park Housing Element 2023-2031
The 2023-2031 Housing Element was adopted by the Rohnert Park City Council on January 24, 2023. After coordination with the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Rohnert Park was found in full compliance with Housing Element law by HCD on March 20, 2023. From here, the City will begin implementing the Housing Element policies and programs and addressing the community's housing needs.
Thank you for helping to shape the future of housing in Rohnert Park.
The Housing Element is a long-range visionary document to establish how Rohnert Park will grow and change.
The State of California requires that each jurisdiction's housing element be updated every eight (8) years. The plan is certified by the State Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD). The City of Rohnert Park updated its Housing Element for the 2023-2031 period to address housing needs for all income groups.
You can find out more about the City’s housing needs and efforts on the City’s website:
If you have specific questions or comments about the Housing Element, please email housingelement@rpcity.org or planning@rpcity.org.
Read the Housing Element!
Adopted Housing Element (LINK)
Adopted Housing Element Technical Background Report and Appendices (LINK)
The City of Rohnert Park is currently updating its General Plan. While the General Plan is updated every 20 years, State law requires that the Housing Element be updated every 8 years. Housing Element planning periods are sometimes referred to as “cycles” in reference to the number of required updates that have occurred since the comprehensive revision to State Housing Element law in 1980.
All cities in the Association of Bay Area Governments ("ABAG") region are required to prepare a Housing Element update for the 6th Housing Element cycle, which spans the 2023-2031 period. The ABAG region includes all jurisdictions within the counties of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara.
In January 2023, the Rohnert City Council adopted the “6th Cycle Housing Element" and is in full compliance with Housing Element law.
Find more information on the Housing Element here.
What is the Housing Element?
State law requires each jurisdiction to adopt a General Plan, which is a comprehensive, long-term plan for its physical development. General Plans include several "elements" that address various topics. The Rohnert Park General Plan includes the following elements:
Introduction
Community Development/Land Use Element
Economic Development Element
Circulation Element
Noise Element
Conservation and Open Space Element
Safety Element
Housing Element
Racial, Social & Environmental Justice Element
What is the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)?
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment ("RHNA") is a part of State housing element law that determines the projected and existing housing needs for each jurisdiction in the State. In its Housing Element, the City must demonstrate to the State that there are no unnecessary barriers to the housing approval process to meet the RHNA allocation for the City.
In May 2021, ABAG released its final allocation of housing units for each jurisdiction in its region, which can be found here. The City of Rohnert Park has received a final allocation of 1580 new housing units for this upcoming planning period. Additional information on RHNA can be found at Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and at California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Rohnert Park’s Housing Element demonstrates that the City has capacity to accommodate its RHNA during the next 8 year period.
