SCAG mandates 4,845* new dwellings
to satisfy RHNA in Newport Beach.
And thousands more dwellings for other Orange County coastal corridor cities.
Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) revised its 6th Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA … pronounced Reehna) allocation methodology and mandated that Newport Beach initially plan for 4,832 more dwelling units by 2021. And Newport Beach’s General Plan Housing and Circulation Elements will need to be updated to formally reflect this change.
*SCAG recently updated the requirement to 4,845 residential dwellings for Newport Beach. In order to achieve the required number of affordable units in that allocation, City staff estimates that more than 9,000 units in total will need to be built.
Newport Beach isn’t alone. SCAG’s revised RHNA impacts all Orange County coastal corridor cities, making the cumulative increase of dwellings untenable in coastal areas noted for their fragile and limited resources and with populations that already increase dramatically most weekends and holidays.
The City has written letters to the State and its housing agencies, and has established a new Housing Element Advisory Committee, composed of citizen advisors and a city-retained consultant who are studying the issues related to this mandate. This Committee’s charter also includes significant public outreach, and they are conducting a number of workshops that provide information, education and a feedback opportunities.
For more information about what this Committee is doing, and for a schedule of upcoming Housing and Circulation/Traffic workshops, visit the links noted below.