Housing Element

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

On March 13, 2023, the City Council adopted the updated Housing Element, covering the period from 2023 to 2031. The Housing Element is a required element, or "chapter", of Livermore’s General Plan. The purpose of a Housing Element is to identify current and projected housing needs and establish goals, policies, and programs to address those needs.

The Housing Element includes several components:

1. An analysis of Livermore’s demographic profile, housing characteristics, existing and future housing needs, and a fair housing assessment.

2. A review of potential market, governmental, and environmental constraints to housing development.

3. An evaluation of the land, financial, and organizational resources available to address the identified housing needs.

4. A housing plan to address the identified housing needs, including a statement of goals

2023-2031 Housing Element Brighton Housing Element

Previous Housing Elements:

2015-2022 Housing Element

2009-2014 Housing Element

State Law

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 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 eight elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, environmental justice, and housing.

California’s Housing Element Law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address the housing needs and demand of Californians, local governments must adopt plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for (and do not unduly constrain) housing development. As a result, housing policy in California rests largely on the effective implementation of local General Plans and, in particular, local Housing Elements.

State law requires the Housing Element to be updated every eight years and to be certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Additional information about HCD and State laws may be found at the following links:

Annual Progress Report

State law requires local jurisdictions to file a Housing Element Annual Progress Report with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to track progress towards meeting the goals, objectives, and programs set forth in the Housing Element. The report complies housing data annually, tracking residential development projects from application to occupancy, and providing status updates on housing program implementation.

Recent Housing Element Annual Progress Reports can be found at the links below:

Livermore 2024 APR (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024)

Livermore 2023 APR (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023)

Additional Annual Progress Report information and report data can be accessed on HCD’s Data Dashboard and Downloads webpage.

Regional Housing Needs Allocation

The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) refers to the fair share of regional housing that the City needs to accommodate during the Housing Element planning period. While the City is not required to construct housing to meet the RHNA, Housing Element legislation requires cities to demonstrate the availability of land with zoning appropriate to accommodate future additional residential units.

The City’s RHNA for the 2023-2031 Housing Element 6th cycle is 4,570 dwelling units, distributed among four income categories (1,317 very low, 758 low, 696 moderate, and 1,799 above moderate). Residential units are counted toward the RHNA at the time of building permit issuance. A summary of Livermore’s 6th Cycle RHNA progress is provided below.