Escalon planning commissioners receive 2024 housing element progress report; minutes approved with one abstention

The City of Escalon Planning Commission received an informational update on its 2024 housing element annual progress report at its April 15 meeting and approved the meeting minutes; one commissioner abstained, citing absence from the prior meeting.

Jalen French, a city planning staff member, told commissioners that the annual progress report has been submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development and that the submission requirement is set out in the California Government Code. French said the state has “softened their stance” on requiring governing-body approval before submittal, but the city is bringing the report to the planning commission and city council for review as an FYI.

French said the city is still monitoring its progress against the fifth-cycle housing element programs and policies because the sixth-cycle housing element has not yet been adopted. He gave the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation total as 367 units over an eight-year period, made up of 90 very-low-income units, 56 low-income units, 66 moderate-income units and 155 above-moderate-income units. French said Escalon has submitted two versions of the sixth-cycle housing element to the state and that “we are down to a few line items” that remain to be resolved; he said the draft should return to the commission and then the council for adoption during the summer.

The report presented was informational only; no vote on the housing element occurred at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The commission moved and seconded approval of the meeting minutes as presented. One commissioner said he would abstain because he had been absent; the transcript does not record a full roll-call tally. The abstention was recorded by Commissioner Terry Pine.

Background: The annual progress report tracks local actions against state reporting requirements and the jurisdiction’s RHNA allocation. French said many jurisdictions are still working through the sixth-cycle housing element review with HCD and that Escalon is monitoring progress against the fifth-cycle programs until its sixth-cycle element is adopted.

The meeting opened with roll call by Commission Chair Steve Castellanos and Commission Vice Chair Mike Dunbar, and new commissioner Jenny Thompson was introduced during the staff report.