SCH Number 2023110037

Project Info

Title

Tulare County Housing Element 2023-2031 Update (GPA 22-005)

Description

The Housing Element is a comprehensive assessment of current and future housing needs for all segments of the County’s population living in unincorporated areas, as well as a program for meeting those needs. In previous decades, significant economic and demographic changes in Tulare County have challenged the ability of local jurisdictions and the private sector to construct adequate and affordable housing. Rapidly rising home prices and continued population growth have contributed to the scarcity of affordable housing. The housing market has recovered from the collapse in the late 2000’s with home prices currently reaching all-time highs during the 2023-2031 planning period for this Housing Element. Providing adequate housing—especially extremely low- and low-income housing—remains a significant challenge to both local governments and the private sector. The Tulare County Housing Element serves as a policy guide to address these issues, as well as the comprehensive housing needs of the unincorporated areas of Tulare County during the 2023 to 2031 planning period and beyond. The provision of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for current and future residents of the unincorporated areas of Tulare County is the primary focus of the Housing Element. Additionally, the Housing Element places special emphasis on certain segments of the population, such as the elderly, the disabled, single-parent households, teenage parents, large families, farmworkers, overcrowded households, residents of group quarters, ethnic or racial minorities, veterans, and the homeless; as these groups may have more difficulty in finding decent and affordable housing due to their special needs and the challenges presented by living in disadvantaged communities for many of those residents. Overall, and in summary, the purpose of the Housing Element is to: ? Determine the existing and projected housing needs of residents of the unincorporated areas; ? Establish goals, objectives, policies, and programs that guide decision-making to address housing needs; and ? Implement actions that encourage the private sector to build housing, while ensuring that governmental policies do not serve as a constraint to housing production. There are no proposed projects or proposed developments associated with updating the Housing element; the action is to merely to comply with applicable State housing planning requirements.

2 documents in project