Council approves 2024 General Plan and Housing Element progress report for submittal to state agencies

City planning staff presented the City of Hawaiian Gardens’ 2024 General Plan and Housing Element progress report on March 26 and the City Council voted unanimously to receive and file the report and direct staff to submit it to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Elise (Community Development staff) summarized the report, noting that the housing element update required zoning to accommodate 331 units across income levels. For calendar year 2024 she reported: "30 applications submitted, 17 units entitled, 5 building permits issued, and 3 units completed," and described complementary programs, including Section 8 voucher activity and beautification and code‑enforcement efforts. The city created three new zoning categories (Mixed Use 1, Mixed Use 2 and Religious Institution Housing) and continued small grants and senior mobile‑home renovations under its programs.

Why it matters: State law requires cities to submit annual progress reports about housing element implementation and unit production to OPR and HCD; the council’s action authorizes staff to send the city’s required report for 2024. Elise said the city closed 87% of code‑enforcement cases and continued a beautification grant program that currently has a waiting list (about 62 applicants). She also noted the city’s Section 8 voucher counts (98 regular vouchers and 5 port‑ins reported in the presentation) and highlighted the housing element’s 37 programs the community development division is to implement over the 8‑year cycle.

Council action: A council member moved and another seconded to approve the staff recommendation. A roll call vote recorded all present members voting yes (Council Member Farfan: yes; Council Member Raul: yes; Council Member Vargas: yes; Mayor Pro Tem Del Rio: yes; Mayor De Paula: yes). The motion carried.

Votes at a glance (procedural votes recorded during this meeting): - Motion to approve the meeting agenda: carried by roll call (unanimous). - Motion to approve the consent calendar: carried by roll call (unanimous). - Motion to receive and file the 2024 General Plan and Housing Element progress report and direct staff to submit to OPR and HCD: carried by roll call (unanimous).

What this article does not claim: The council’s vote was to submit the state progress report and did not adopt a new ordinance or appropriate new funds at this meeting; specific future zoning approvals or building permits remain separate entitlement processes.