1.3 Regional Housing Need Allocation

The Plan Bay Area 2050 Final Blueprint forecasts that the nine-county Bay Area will add 1.4 million new households between 2015 and 2050. For the eight-year time frame covered by this Housing Element Update, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has identified the region’s housing need as 441,176 units. The total number of housing units assigned by HCD is separated into four income categories that cover housing types for all income levels, from very low-income households to market rate housing. This calculation is based on population projections produced by the California Department of Finance as well as adjustments that incorporate the region’s existing housing need. Almost all jurisdictions in the Bay Area received a larger Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) this cycle compared to the last cycle, primarily due to changes in state law that led to a considerably higher RHNA compared to previous cycles.

On January 12, 2022, the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG’s) adopted RHNA Methodology, was approved by HCD. For Belvedere, the RHNA to be planned for this cycle is 160 units, a slated increase from the last cycle. Table 1-1, Regional Housing Needs Allocation, shows the RHNA for Belvedere for the period 2023 through 2031.