Ione council accepts 2024 housing element annual progress report

The Ione City Council on March 18 accepted the city's 2024 annual progress report for the housing element, a document the city must file each year with the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

City planner Susan Peters, appearing by Zoom, told the council the annual report documents how many housing units were built or occupied during the year and tracks progress on implementation measures in the housing element. "The annual housing report is a report that's required by the California Department of Housing and Community Development on an annual basis," Peters said.

Peters said the report includes a required compliance table known as Table D, which lists implementation measures and whether the city has met them. The housing element update the council accepted was certified by state housing officials this year after being adopted in 2023, and Peters said the city has begun implementing several of the element's policies, including participating in a countywide housing workforce group and reviewing accessory dwelling unit rules, water-efficiency landscaping standards and growth projections tied to the Amador County water agency master plan.

During public comment, resident Larry Rhodes said he was concerned about language in the plan referring to creating beds for people experiencing homelessness and asked who would pay for operations; Peters and the council did not add a change to the document on that point at the meeting.

A council member made a motion to accept the 2024 progress report; the motion passed by voice vote and council directed staff to file the report with the state by the April 1 deadline.

The accepted report will be submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development as required by state regulation.