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County says it's largely on track with RHNA but lags on very low‑income housing
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Summary
Staff told the Board the county has exceeded several RHNA categories (low, moderate, above‑moderate) but has reached only 28% of its very low‑income unit goal; the Board accepted the 2025 General Plan and Housing Element annual progress report and continued work on zoning and programmatic fixes.
County planning staff presented the 2025 General Plan and Housing Element annual progress report, which updates the board on housing production, permit activity and RHNA progress over the previous year.
Staff reported that the county had exceeded goals in the low, moderate and above‑moderate categories, but that production of very low‑income housing remains a challenge: the county has achieved about 28% of its required allocation for the very low‑income category to date. Staff provided counts of approved projects, building permits and newly completed units, and described a pipeline of additional applications and ongoing initiatives to address zoning barriers.
Heather and other staff reviewed that 932 housing units were issued building permits during 2025 and that 943 units completed construction and were ready for move‑in; regionally the county has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in affordable housing during the RHNA cycle. Presentations summarized recent investments and listed several county programs and zoning reforms under way, including ADU ordinance changes and a multistep "housing unlocked" effort.
Speakers from the board praised staff coordination and emphasized continued work on land trusts, program design and protections to preserve affordability. A public speaker raised concerns that some housing projects and property managers were increasing rents after occupancy; supervisors asked staff to consider stronger parameters on county‑provided land to protect tenants.
The board accepted the annual progress report and found the item not subject to CEQA.
Next steps: staff will continue pipeline work, zoning amendments, and will return with additional housing‑related ordinance changes (including ADU ownership and inclusionary housing amendments) through 2027.
