Skip to main content

Departments

  • Agriculture, Weights and Measures
  • Assessor, County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Officer
  • Board of Supervisors
  • Child Support Services
  • Controller
  • Coroner
  • County Counsel
  • County Managers Office/Clerk of the Board
  • Court
  • District Attorney
  • Fire Protection Services
  • Housing (Department of Housing)
  • Human Resources Department
  • Human Services Agency
  • Information Services Department
  • Office of Community Affairs
  • Parks Department
  • Planning and Building
  • Private Defender Program
  • Probation
  • Project Development Unit
  • Public Safety Communications
  • Public Works
  • Revenue Services
  • SamCERA (Retirement)
  • San Mateo County Health
  • San Mateo County Library
  • Sheriff's Office
  • Sustainability Office
  • Tax Collector
  • Treasurer
County of San Mateo

County of San Mateo

Planning and Building

  • Our Department
    • Contact Info
    • News
    • Planning & Building Org Chart
  • Planning
    • Find My Zoning District
    • Planning Regulations
    • Planning Permits
    • How do I . . . ?
    • Contacts
    • Forms
    • Maps
  • Building
    • Building Permits
    • Flood Hazard Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Alternative Water Sources
    • Encroachment Permit
    • Accessory Dwelling Units
  • Stormwater
    • Surface Water Drainage Review
    • Stormwater Treatment Requirements
    • Constructed Private Stormwater Treatment Measures
    • Erosion and Sediment Control
    • Areas of Special Biological Significance
  • Code Compliance
    • North Fair Oaks Code Enforcement Guide
    • Code Violation Complaint Form
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • North Fair Oaks Resources for Property Clean-up
  • Projects
    • Major Projects
    • Permit Center
    • CEQA Documents
  • Public Meetings
    • Board of Supervisors
    • Planning Commission
    • Zoning Hearing Officer
    • Design Review
    • Business License Board
    • Agricultural Advisory Committee
    • Historic Resources Advisory Board

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • Career
  • Departments
  • Translate

You are here

Home

San Mateo County Housing Element Update 2023-2031

View More

Update

Countywide Community Meeting
Let's Talk Housing

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 6–7:30pm

Learn about the Housing Element Update process, how to participate and join your community in a breakout session to discuss housing needs.

Register

Learn more:

  • Let's Talk Housing Website
  • Meeting Flyer

San Mateo County is updating the County’s Housing Element. The Housing Element is a required component of the County’s General Plan, and must be updated every eight years. The updated Housing Element will include assessments of the County’s housing need over the next eight years, policies and programs to address that need, and identification of available locations for housing development. View the County’s current Housing Element.

The Housing Element update process is just beginning. Information on the Housing Element update, opportunities for participation and input, draft documents, and other information will be posted here as the update proceeds. Sign up using the form on this page to receive notifications of important steps in the process, including meetings and other public forums. More information on the County Housing Element and the update process is available through the links below. 

Email Updates

To sign up for project updates, please enter your email address below.

What is the Housing Element?

The Housing Element is a component of the County’s General Plan, which establishes the goals and policies for the future development of the unincorporated County. The Housing Element is a required component of the General Plan, mandated by State Law, and the Housing Element must be periodically updated, on a schedule established by State law.

The Housing Element is the primary document that assesses the County’s housing needs, and establishes policies and programs to address those needs, for the next eight years, from 2023 to 2031.

The Housing Element must also demonstrate that the unincorporated County has sufficient developable or redevelopable sites to meet the County’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation, the amount of housing that the State of California and the regional Association of Bay Area Governments determines is needed over the next eight years. 

The County’s Housing Element only covers unincorporated portions of the County; each City within the County also has its own Housing Element, which must be updated on the same schedule. 

Once the Housing Element is updated, it must be reviewed by the County Planning Commission, adopted by the Board of Supervisors, and submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review and approval. 

More information on the requirement for the Housing Element, the update process, and other elements of State law are available at the HCD website.

What is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)?

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) determines the amount of housing needed for the Bay Area as a whole, over the eight year period covered by the Housing Element. The Association of Bay Area Governments then allocates this total housing need among all the jurisdictions in the Bay Area, including each city and county. Each jurisdiction’s amount is its Regional Housing Need Allocation, or RHNA. The total RHNA for each jurisdiction is also divided by income level, showing the amount of housing needed for various income categories. 

The RHNA process is described in more detail on HCD’s website, and the allocations for Bay Area jurisdictions are available on ABAG’s website, as well as a description of the process for creating the allocations, and other information on the RHNA process.

A key component of the County’s Housing Element will be an inventory of sites available for development of housing at appropriate income levels, demonstrating that there is sufficiently available land to meet the County’s RHNA.

What is the Process for Updating the Housing Element?

The Housing Element update is in its early stages. The process will include information gathering and data collection on current housing conditions and housing needs, challenges, and barriers; analysis of available sites for housing development; public outreach, input, and engagement, including various public workshops and forums; creation and assessment of housing policies and programs; draft documents; Planning Commission review, Board of Supervisors approval, and ultimately submittal to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review and approval. A proposed schedule and information on these steps will be posted here as the update proceeds.

Opportunities for Input

The Housing Update will be based on community input, and there will be a variety of opportunities to participate in public forums and hearings, and to provide direct input by other means. Input opportunities will be posted to this page as the update proceeds. To receive email updates, please sign up using the form on this page.

COVID-19 Info
County of San Mateo
  • County Home
  • Board of Supervisors
  • A-Z Services
  • Departments
  • Open Data
  • Careers
  • Visiting County Center
  • Email Updates
  • Media Contacts
  • SMC Alert
  • Feedback
  • Browser Compatibility
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Endorsement Disclaimers
Connect with the County!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Nextdoor
  • YouTube
Main: (650) 363-4000
Back to Top