Planning Commission unanimously recommends City Council approve mid-cycle housing element update

The Planning Commission of the City of Desert Hot Springs unanimously voted Sept. 9 to recommend that City Council approve a mid-cycle amendment to the housing element (GPA 25-2) and to find the update categorically exempt from CEQA under section 15061(b)(3).

Travis Clark, the community development staff member who presented the item, called the housing element “the city's roadmap for providing housing for all residents in the city” and told commissioners the state assigned Desert Hot Springs a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 3,873 units for the sixth cycle. “You'll notice that the majority of those units, close to 2,700, more than 2,700 are moderate or above moderate,” Clark said, adding that the RHNA also includes “a total of 1,104 affordable housing units, from the low income, very low income, and extremely low incomes.”

Clark told the commission the city has nearly 700 permitted units in the current cycle — about 18% of the RHNA — and reported 186 permits so far in 2025, a pace he said is faster than prior years. He listed major market projects in the pipeline (Skybourne, Rancho Descanso, Mighty Homes, Aventura Palms, Eagle Pointe) and said there are roughly 1,000 additional entitled units awaiting development. For affordable housing, Clark cited three significant entitled projects: Green Day Village (220 units), The Crossings at Camino Campanero (64 units) and Park Lane Homes (167 units).

On financing, Clark said the city is pursuing state grant and loan funding in partnership with Abode Communities for Park Lane Homes, has received preliminary scoring and filed an appeal; he said the city expects award decisions by December. He also noted a county partnership with Riverside Housing and Workforce Solutions that delivered programmatic wins, including first-time homebuyer assistance and home-enhancement assistance to a small number of households.

Clark described local policy steps meant to facilitate housing: City Council eliminated ADU impact fees and the city offers preapproved ADU plans on its website; staff said ADU construction has increased and that many ADUs appear to serve lower-income households, though he cautioned that state rules require a formal study before ADUs can be credited as RHNA-affordable units. He also described a recent Title 17 zoning overhaul, a 25% fee reduction in the older "discount" zone, and an emphasis on pre-application meetings and a 10-day initial plan-review turnaround to speed permitting.

Commissioners asked questions about program details and state policy. Clark said the home-enhancement program was run through county partners and that the specific grant amounts were not finalized in the presentation; his numbers for program participants were 13 households in the first-time homebuyer program and eight households in the home-enhancement program. A figure mentioned in the presentation regarding families assisted through the Housing Choice (voucher) program is unclear in the transcript (spoken as “3 39 families”) and is reported here as not specified.

A commissioner asked whether a statewide eviction moratorium remains in effect; Clark said he was not aware of any current moratorium. Commissioners also asked whether the city had ever used condemnation for residential properties; Clark said the city has in some cases "red-tagged" properties and worked with owners on repairs, and in very deteriorated cases has pursued condemnation.

After the public hearing was opened and no members of the public offered comments, a commissioner moved and another seconded a recommendation that City Council approve GPA 25-2 and find the project categorically exempt under CEQA §15061(b)(3). The commission voted unanimously to forward the housing element update and the CEQA exemption recommendation to City Council.

In a separate report, Clark provided updates on upcoming public projects and project timelines: Eagles Sports Park (street work and park construction to be awarded separately, with anticipated awards in Oct.–Nov. and construction starts Dec.–Jan., subject to contractor and utility coordination), Furby Pool rehabilitation (construction awarded; work expected to start in Sept.), Reflection Park (expected Sept. start), Wardman Park shade structures (expected Oct. 2025 start), Hosseyan Avenue phase 1 (under construction) with a planned phase 2, Palm Drive South improvements (RFP in Nov., bids in Dec., award in Jan.–Feb.), and a nearly complete fire station with a temporary certificate of occupancy.

The Planning Commission adjourned after the Community Development Director's updates. The Planning Commission's recommendation now goes to City Council for final action.