The Humboldt County Association of Governments board voted Dec. 18 to adopt a final methodology for allocating its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the next cycle, selecting the staff‑presented Alternative 2 and directing staff to provide notice to member agencies and to submit the methodology to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the required 30‑day review and appeal period.

Staff summarized three updated alternatives designed to better address RHNA's statutory Objective 5 on affirmatively furthering fair housing. Alternative 1 would add HCD’s opportunity score as a 10% factor; Alternative 2 keeps step 1 (total units) based 50% on jobs and 50% on population, then distributes below‑moderate (low‑income) units 30% by mapped opportunity score and 70% by work‑based vehicle‑miles traveled (VMT); Alternative 3 is like Alternative 2 but adds an income‑parity factor as a third variable with equal weighting.

Public commenters and several nonprofit organizations urged consideration of Alternative 2. Rebecca Smith, managing attorney at Legal Services of Northern California’s Redwood Regional Office, said Alternative 2’s emphasis on VMT recognizes transportation costs as a major barrier to housing access in the region and argued that VMT weighting better advances fair housing goals in Humboldt. Environmental Protection Information Center climate attorney Matt Simmons also recommended Alternative 2 to reduce sprawl and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions.

Board members discussed tradeoffs between opportunity mapping, VMT and income parity. Staff noted that HCD had provided preliminary comments earlier in the process and that any adopted methodology will undergo HCD review; if appeals or HCD exceptions occur, the process can add several months to the timeline. Supervisor McDonough moved to adopt Resolution 25‑25 approving Alternative 2 as the final methodology, the motion was seconded, and the board carried the motion.

Next steps: staff will post the adopted methodology, notify member agencies and submit the package to HCD, opening the 30‑day review and appeal window. If no appeals are filed and HCD does not take exception, staff expects to finalize the regional housing needs plan and return a final plan to the board in the spring.