Housing Element Update Background
What is a Housing Element?
The City of Santa Ana has completed its update to the Housing Element of the General Plan for the eight-year planning period of 2021-2029 and was certified by HCD on Friday, September 16, 2022. The updated element builds on the effective goals, policies, and programs of the existing Housing Element (2014-2021), supplemented by new data and aligned with the City's goals and vision.
State law requires the Housing Element be updated every eight years to remain relevant and reflective of the community's changing housing needs. HCD identifies the statewide housing need, and this need is then allocated to each California city or local jurisdiction through a Regional Housing Needs Assessment or "RHNA." Essentially, a RHNA allocation is the total number of housing units a city must plan to accommodate over the next eight years. The Housing Element is required to identify potential sites and provide policies and programs that will facilitate the production of housing.
For the the eight-year planning period of 2021-2029, Santa Ana's RHNA allocation is 3,095 housing units with the following income breakdown:
| Income Level Category (AMI=Area Median Income) | Number of Housing Units | Percent of Total |
| Very Low (< 50% of AMI) | 586 | 18.9% |
| Low (50% to 80% of AMI) | 362 | 11.7% |
| Moderate (80% to 120% of AMI) | 523 | 16.9% |
| Above Moderate (> 120% of AMI) | 1,624 | 52.5% |
| Total: | 3,095 | 100% |
Housing Element Drafts
- Housing Element Draft — July 2022
- Housing Element Draft - February 2022
- Housing Element Draft - October 2021
HCD Comment Letters
- Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) - Comment Letter (April 25, 2021)
- Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) - Comment Letter(December 20, 2021)
Additional Documents
- Addendum to General Plan Update Program EIR
- Recorded Notice of Determination (NOD)
- Housing Element Community Survey Results Summary
- SCAG Local Housing Data for City of Santa Ana - April 2021
- Local Housing Solutions Santa Ana Housing Needs Assessment Report, May 19, 2021
The following videos were created in collaboration with the Orange County Council of Governments to help the public learn about housing-related topics.