The Plymouth County Planning Department presented the draft 202429 housing element to the Board of Supervisors on July 15 and opened a 30-day public review period. Planning staff said the state-assigned Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) increased from the last cycle to 154 units to account for housing lost in the 2021 wildfires and other disaster impacts.

Planning Director Tracy Ferguson said the draft housing element documents housing need by income category and inventories sites the county believes can accommodate the RHNA. The state-assigned RHNA for the cycle calls for 9 extremely low-income units, 29 very low-income units, 24 low-income units, 29 moderate-income units and 63 above-moderate units.

Ferguson outlined how the countys inventory addresses the RHNA using vacant multifamily parcels, underutilized multifamily parcels (sites with existing single-family or nonresidential uses that could be redeveloped at higher density), accessory dwelling units (ADUs) carried forward from the previous cycle and planned-development subdivisions for moderate and above-moderate units. Staff said the countys vacant-plus-underutilized capacity exceeds the RHNA target, giving planners a surplus margin.

The housing element also includes the new state requirement to "affirmatively further fair housing" (AFFH), which requires jurisdictions to identify patterns of segregation and barriers to housing and to adopt programs that meaningfully address them; staff said the county will continue stakeholder outreach to develop the AFFH analysis. Ferguson said the county will submit the draft to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) after the 30-day public comment period; HCD then has 90 days to review and issue a comment letter. Ferguson said staff will request consultation with HCD during that review period to accelerate resolution of technical comments.

Public and board discussion focused on rehabilitation and the practicality of producing affordable housing in a high-cost reconstruction environment. Several supervisors and audience members asked whether the element could do more to identify incentives for rehabilitation of vacant or abandoned single-family homes and to reduce government-imposed costs that affect affordability. Ferguson said federal and state programs (for example, USDA Rural Housing Service and weatherization programs administered by local housing agencies) are referenced in the plan and that the county would continue to explore incentives and development tools.

The formal 30-day comment period runs June 27July 28; staff will accept comments through adoption in 2026 and expects to submit the draft to HCD on Aug. 11. Adoption and state certification are expected during 2026 if HCD comments are resolved.