Housing Elements Checklist for Supportive Housing May 2015, Publication #CM58.01 Section 1: Introduction Disability Rights California’s publication, Everyone’s Backyard: Addressing “Not in My Backyard” Opposition to Supportive Housing for People with Mental Health Disabilities (“Everyone’s Backyard”), discusses the important role of land use and planning in promoting supportive housing for people with mental health disabilities. In California, the principal planning document for this purpose is the housing element of a local government’s general plan. The housing element is designed to make “adequate provision for the housing needs of all economic segments of the community.” Housing elements must be reviewed and approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”). Section 2 of this publication contains a checklist that is designed to help advocates and land use planners ensure that their housing elements adequately plan for supportive housing. The checklist includes references to HCD’s housing elements technical assistance materials. Everyone’s Backyard contains additional information and resources for housing elements as they apply to supportive housing. These resources include the following: - HCD, Housing Element Update Guidance - HCD Memorandum, Senate Bill 2 – Legislation Effective January 1, 2008: Local Planning and Approval for Emergency Shelters and Transitional and Supportive Housing (May 7, 2008) (“HCD SB 2 Memo”) - HCD Memorandum, Transitional and Supportive Housing: re SB 745: Chapter 183, Statutes of 2013 (SB 745) (April 14, 2014) (“HCD SB 745 Memo”) - California Affordable Housing Law Project, Public Interest Law Project, California Housing Element Manual and Appendices
Sites inventory and analysis Needs Assessment: People with Disabilities Requisite analysis of each special needs group, including quantification of each group, quantification and qualitative description of need, and identification of potential program or policy options; Additional analysis of special housing needs for people with disabilities, including people with developmental, physical, sensory and mental health disabilities. Analysis includes resources for housing and services, identification of housing types that can accommodate people with disabilities and any zoning issues, and programs or strategies to address these needs. (7),(9); HCD Building Blocks: Persons with Disabilities HCD Memo, Persons with Disabilities: SB 812 (Ashburn), Chapter 507, Statutes of 2010 (June 21, 2012)
- Address and, where appropriate and legally possible, remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing for persons with disabilities; - Remove constraints to, and provide reasonable accommodations or housing designed for, intended for occupancy by, or with supportive services for, persons with disabilities; - Promote housing opportunities for all persons, regardless of certain personal characteristics of the tenants, including disability. Review and Revise: Appropriateness, Effectiveness and Progress Appropriateness of goals, objectives, policies and programs; Effectiveness of the element; Progress in implementation. HCD Building Blocks: Review and Revise Public Participation Description of diligent effort to include all economic segments of the community and/or their representatives in the development and update of the housing element. This should include people with disabilities HCD Building Blocks: Public Participation
and disability organizations in the public participation process. Other Requirements General plan consistency; demolition, construction and conversion of affordable housing; energy conservation; water and sewer priority; flood hazard and land management; disadvantaged communities; etc. 65583(c) (7) 65588 HCD Building Blocks: Other Requirements HCD Building Blocks: Opportunities for Energy Conservation