Housing Element

2024-2029 Housing Element Update

HCD INITIAL REVIEW DRAFT COMMENT LETTER (dated 11.14.25) - the state notes the draft element addresses many statutory requirements; however, revisions will be necessary to comply with State Housing Element Law (Government Code Sec. 65580 et seq). The appendix to the letter describes the revisions needed to comply.  

PRESS RELEASE 8.14.25
HCD INITITAL REVIEW DRAFT 8.14.25 (PDF - 77MG - complete document)

INDIVIDUAL FILES:
CH 1. - Introduction
CH 2. - Public Participation
CH 3. - Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
CH 4. Housing Vision, Goals, Policies, and Programs
CH 5. Quantified Objectives
CH 6. Evaluation of the Previous Housing Element Program Implementation, Regional Housing Needs Assessment, and Quantified Objectives
CH 7. Community Profile
CH 8. Housing Resources and Opportunities
CH 9. Constraints on the Development of Housing
CH 10. Residential Energy Conservation
Appendix A: Public Participation
Appendix B: Vacant and Underutilized Land Inventory
Appendix C: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
Appendix D: Accessory Dwelling Unit Pre-Approved Plans Program
Appendix E: Planning Commission Resolution
Appendix F: Board of Supervisors Resolution

HCD COVER 8.14.25 LETTER
HOUSING ELEMENT COMPLETENESS CHECKLIST 
The purpose of the completeness checklist is to assist local governments in the preparation of their housing element. It includes the statutory requirements of Government Code section 65580 – 65588. Completion of this checklist is not an indication of statutory compliance but is intended to provide a check to ensure that relevant requirements are included in the housing element prior to submittal to the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to Government Code section 65585(b). For purposes of the Checklist the term “analysis” is defined as a description and evaluation of specific needs, characteristics, and resources available to address identified needs. For technical assistance on each section visit California Housing and Community Development Building Blocks.

PRESS RELEASE
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT 6.27.2025

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 7.15.25 PRESENTATION
PLANNING COMMISSION 7.17.25 PRESENTATION
PLUMAS HOUSING COUNCIL 7.30.25 PRESENTATION

The Plumas County 2024-2029 Housing Element (7^th cycle planning period beginning June 30, 2024, and ending June 30, 2029) is a comprehensive assessment of existing and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the County and provides clear policy direction for decision making.

2024-2029 DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT VISION

Adequate supply of safe and livable housing types with opportunities for individual choices that accommodate all socioeconomic segments of the unincorporated County area, leading to housing possibilities that meet the needs, protect the environment, and are consistent with a jobs-housing balance based on future population and economic conditions.

State law (Government Code Sections 65580 through 65589) mandates the content of the Housing Element and requires an analysis of the following, which helps to develop an understanding of the existing and projected housing needs within Plumas County:

• An assessment of existing and projected local housing needs and an inventory of resources and constraints that are relevant to the meeting of these needs;
• A statement of the community’s goals, quantified objectives, and policies relative to affirmatively furthering fair housing and to the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing for all economic segments of the population; and
• A program that sets forth a schedule of actions during the planning period, each with a timeline for implementation, that may recognize that certain programs are ongoing.

The 2024-2029 Plumas County Housing Element is subject to mandatory review by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This reflects the statutory recognition that the availability of housing is a matter of statewide and local importance and that cooperation and direct involvement between all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector is critical to attainment of the State and County’s housing goals.

SCHEDULE

Plumas County anticipates the following schedule to achieve compliance with 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element Law:

1. Prepare administrative draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element
   --Planning Department and GIS Division staff started in January 2024 and completed June 2025 - DONE
2. AB 215 30-day public comment circulation of public review draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element
   --June 27, 2025 through July 28, 2025 - DONE
3. AB 215 10 business days to consider and incorporate public comments of the public review draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element
   --July 28, 2025 through August 13, 2025 - DONE
4. Submit initial HCD review draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element to HCD for 90-day review
   --August 14, 2025 - SUBMITTED
5. Receive HCD comments on initial HCD review draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element
   --November 12, 2025
6. Review and revise HCD draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element and post draft revisions to website at least 7 days before submitting draft revisions to HCD
   --circa November and December 2025, continuing into January 2026 (submit revised HCD draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element to HCD for 60-day review and receive conditional letter from HCD that revised HCD draft 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element meets State Housing Element Law, pending adoption)
7. Board of Supervisors adopts 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element and County submits Adopted 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element to HCD for 60-day review
   --circa February 2026
8. Obtain compliance letter from HCD that Adopted 7^th cycle 2024-2029 Housing Element meets State Housing Element Law
   --circa April 2026

REGIONAL HOUSING NEED ALLOCATION

FINAL REGIONAL HOUSING NEED DETERMINATION AND PLAN - LETTER FROM HCD 6.2.23

The Regional Housing Needs Plan (RHNP) is mandated by the State of California (Government Code Section 65584) and requires regions to address housing issues and needs based on future growth projections for the area. HCD acts as the County Council of Governments and allocates the regional housing needs numbers for Plumas County. 

Plumas County (unincorporated) Future Housing Needs, 2024–2029

Source: HCD, Final Regional Housing Need Determination, Letter to Plumas County Planning Department dated June 2, 2023; and Plumas County, August 2025.
¹ Acutely Low-Income RHNA is included in the Very Low Income Category and is assumed to be approximately 5% of the Very Low Income RHNA or 2 units based on Table 9 of this Housing Element, 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, Table DP03 household income trends.

² Extremely Low-Income RHNA is included in the Very Low Income Category and is assumed to be approximately 20% of the Very Low Income RHNA or 8 units based on Table 9 of this Housing Element, 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, Table DP03 household income trends.

Quantified Objectives, 2024–2029

Source: Plumas County, August 2025.

(1) New construction objectives are based on the 154-unit 2024-2029 RHNA, for acutely low (2) and extremely low (8), very low (28), and low (24) with an assumption of the Extremely Low Income RHNA being approximately one-quarter (25%) of the Very Low Income RHNA based on Table 9 of this Housing Element, with an exception to increase the Moderate (29) and Above Moderate (63) income categories RHNA to the new construction objective based on average actual permits issued over the 6^th Cycle planning period (December 31, 2018 – August 31, 2024) for Moderate (123) and Above Moderate (192) income categories.

(2) Program HE 3.1 (Housing Rehabilitation Program Opportunities) directs the County to refer interested lower income homeowners, including senior households, to the USDA Single Family Housing Rehabilitation Program (Section 504 Home Repair Program) for financial assistance to rehabilitate existing substandard housing.

(3) Conservation/preservation assumptions are based on the historical annual average number of clients (i.e., 51 in 2023 and 49 in 2024) served by PCCDC through their weatherization programs. County staff has indicated that there are zero affordable units at-risk of converting to market-rate housing through 2034 based upon available information as of July 2024, from the California Housing Partnership Preservation Database; however, Quincy Garden Apartments at 20 East Central Avenue has 28 units subsidized by the USDA’s Rural Housing Service, and this property’s subsidy is scheduled to end 10 years from now in 2035. Government Code Section 65583(c)(6) then requires the County to create a program (H 2.3) for preserving subsidized units that, like Quincy Garden Apartments, will become eligible within 10 years to end their low-income housing program and become market rate housing.

Comparison of RHNA and Realistic Capacity of Vacant and Underutilized Residentially Zoned Sites

Source: Plumas County, August 2025.

¹ Acutely Low- and Extremely Low-Income RHNA is included in the Very Low Income Category and Acutely Low-Income is assumed to be approximately 5% of the Very Low Income RHNA or 2 units and Extremely Low-Income is assumed to be approximately 20% of the Very Low Income RHNA or 8 units based on Table 9 of this Housing Element, 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, Table DP03 household income trends.

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2019-2024 Housing Element

The Housing Element is one of the seven state-mandated elements of the Plumas County General Plan and provides the framework to address the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the unincorporated area of Plumas County. Under state law, the Housing Element must address the County’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation and analyze the needs and issues of housing availability and affordability, among others. The Housing Element then sets forth goals, policies, and programs to address the identified needs and issues.

On October 15, 2019, the Board of Supervisors formally accepted the 2019-2024 General Plan Housing Element CEQA Addendum to the 2009-2014 Housing Element Initial Study/Negative Declaration Number 646 and adopted the 2019-2024 General Plan Housing Element (Resolution No. 19-8443).

Adopted Housing Element
Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 19-8443
CEQA Addendum

HCD Review Letter

Upon review of the Housing Element and pursuant to Government Code section 65585 subdivision (b) HCD provided a REVIEW LETTER to the County on September 16, 2019, that stated the draft Housing Element with revisions meets the statutory requirements of state Housing Element law. 

HCD Certification

The adopted Housing Element was submitted to HCD on October 25, 2019, for review and certification. On December 5, 2019, HCD sent Plumas County a CERTIFICATION LETTER stating HCD's findings that the County's adopted Housing Element is in full compliance with state Housing Element law (Article 10.6 of the Government Code).