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Kingsburg updates housing element; state review expected by Aug. 25
Summary
Community Development Director Holly Owen told the City Council July 16 that Kingsburg has resubmitted an amended housing element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and is awaiting a final findings letter by Aug. 25, 2025.
Good evening, Mayor Purcell and members of the Kingsburg City Council: Holly Owen, the city's community development director, reviewed the status of the city's housing element update during the July 16 meeting and said the city has resubmitted an amended housing element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Owen said the housing element work began as part of a 13-city, multi-jurisdictional effort coordinated by the Fresno Council of Governments in 2022 and described the housing element as "an 8 year mandated policy. So, the clock starts and then you are done more or less, for another 7 years." She said the element identifies current and projected housing needs, shows where housing can be built and sets goals and programs to meet those needs.
The council previously adopted required tax-zone amendments in December 2024 but declined to adopt housing overlay zones for four parcels. Council directed staff to work with HCD and the city's housing consultants to develop alternatives that would meet the Regional Housing Needs Allocation without upzoning those four sites. Owen said a virtual meeting on May 23 with Pritchard consultants and Paul McDougall, manager of housing policy at HCD, confirmed the city could proceed with the resubmittal using much of the prior submittal's data.
Owen summarized recent procedural steps: the proposed housing element was posted on the city's website, sent to more than 100 stakeholders involved in the original process, and received no comments during a seven-day notice period. The amended housing element was submitted to HCD on June 26, 2025; HCD acknowledged the submittal in a July 2 response and indicated a "final findings response letter would be delivered by 08/25/2025." Owen said staff compiled a voluminous packet of attachments; she pointed council members to specific materials in the packet, including a redline showing the elimination of the four parcels (page 94), a list of the 30–32 programs the city must self-evaluate annually (page 108), and a correction to unit counts in a senior housing project recently resubmitted (page 126).
There were no public speakers on this item. After brief council questions and no public comment, the council filed the informational report.
HCD will deliver the final findings letter, and staff said any required changes will be addressed after that review.
