Housing Plans

Legislation implementation work is ongoing. Please check back regularly for updates.

Subject Jurisdictions

Applicability of this law to different local governments varies by requirement:

• Housing needs assessments are required of the following local governments (except if they have experienced a 1% negative population change in the most recent decennial census):
  • Municipalities with more than 1,000 residents, 
  • Counties with more than 1,000 residents
• Housing action plans are required of local governments (except if they have experienced a 1% negative population change in the most recent decennial census):
  • With populations of 5,000 or more
  • With populations of 1,000 or more that participated in regional assessment; or
  • Deemed “rural resort communities” (as of January 1, 2024)
• Water supply and strategic growth elements are required in all local government master/comprehensive plans except:
  • Municipalities, counties, and regions are not required to include a strategic growth element if they have not received funding to do so and are:
    • Municipalities with a population of 20,000 or less and have experienced 1% negative population change or with a population of 2,000 or less
    • Counties with population of 20,000 or less and have experienced 1% negative population change or have a population of 5,000 or less in the county’s unincorporated territory

Components

Housing Needs Assessments

• Housing needs assessments must conform to DOLA’s methodology and requirements in statute, which will be posted online by DOLA by December 31, 2024.
• Subject jurisdictions must develop a local housing needs assessment or participate in a regional housing needs assessment and submit these plans to DOLA by December 31, 2026 and at least every 6 years thereafter.

Housing Action Plans 

• DOLA will produce guidance for housing action plans as part of the housing needs assessment methodologies, which will include the requirements for  inclusive public engagement and baseline components described in statute 
• Housing action plans are subject to the approval by the governing body of a local government following a public hearing
• Housing action plan posted locally and submitted to DOLA by January 1, 2028 (and at least every 6 years thereafter)

Grant Program 

• This law establishes the Housing Needs Planning Technical Assistance Fund for housing needs assessments and other related uses specified in statute.

Technical Assistance 

• DOLA will provide technical assistance to support local governments in implementing the requirements of this law, which will include materials, training, tools, templates, and functioning as a clearing house.

Directory

• DOLA will produce a directory of affordability strategies and displacement mitigation strategies by June 30, 2025.

Reports

• DOLA will lead and publish a statewide Strategic Growth Report (by October 31, 2025) and a Natural Lands and Agricultural Interjurisdictional Opportunities Report (by December 31, 2025) in consultation with a variety of stakeholders as directed under this law.

State Grants Criteria

• Specific state agencies are required under this law to update their grants criteria to consider whether projects are in or supporting neighborhood centers and prioritize projects from those local governments that are compliant with the requirements of this law (including housing needs assessments, housing action plans, and updated comprehensive plans with water supply element and strategic growth elements).

Comprehensive Plans 

• Local governments must include a strategic growth element and a water supply element in comprehensive plans no later than December 31, 2026 and must update these elements on no less than a 5-year basis.

Flexibility 

Local governments can choose to participate in a Regional Housing Needs Assessment. Local governments choose from a list of standard affordability, long-term affordability, and displacement mitigation strategies for their housing action plans. 

Key Dates

December 31, 2024: DOLA publishes methodologies for state, regional, and local housing needs assessments and displacement risk assessment guidance

June 30, 2025: DOLA publishes affordability menus, displacement mitigation strategy directory, and neighborhood center criteria

October 31, 2025: DOLA publishes statewide Strategic Growth Report

December 31, 2025: DOLA publishes Natural Land and Agricultural Interjurisdictional Opportunities report

December 31, 2026: DOLA updates grant award criteria to consider neighborhood centers

December 31, 2026: Local housing needs assessments due (and at least every six years thereafter)

December 31, 2026: Local comprehensive plans must include a water supply element and strategic growth element (and update these on at least a 5-year basis)

November 30, 2027: DOLA publishes statewide housing needs assessments, report on all housing needs assessments, and updates grant program criteria

January 1, 2028: Housing action plan posted locally and submitted to DOLA (and at least every 6 years thereafter)

Ongoing status reporting