Planning commission recommends submitting 2025 housing element progress report to state agencies

The Waterford Planning Commission on Feb. 24 voted to recommend that the City Council direct staff to submit the city’s 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

Assistant Planner Jayla Smith reviewed the annual reporting requirement and summarized the city’s 2025 housing activity. “Last year the city received four new housing development application and across the four applications there is a total of 550 units proposed,” Jayla Smith said. She said the city approved three housing projects totaling 233 units and issued 47 building permits for housing units in 2025: 22 single-family detached units, 12 units in two-to-four unit structures, and 13 accessory dwelling units.

Staff also noted the city has issued 57 building permits for the current housing element cycle that began in 2023 and that, of an allocation of 557 units, the city has approximately 500 units remaining to permit under the cycle’s RHNA allocation. Jayla Smith told commissioners staff plans to present the housing element update to the City Council on March 5, 2026.

The commission adopted resolution 2026-11 to forward the annual progress report to the state agencies; the motion was made, seconded and carried during the meeting’s roll call.

Because the annual progress report is a status update on implementation, staff indicated it is not considered a CEQA project and does not require environmental review.