In 2017 and 2018 the California Legislature passed two packages of bills aiming to address the state’s massive housing shortage. The bills focus on the state’s housing element law and Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) system. These two mechanisms were created to require cities to plan for their long-term housing growth and to ensure cities built their fair share of housing. This Note will give an overview of these bills and the systems they amend. It will then analyze historic issues and possible fixes for the systems. Historically these systems have lacked enforcement mechanisms and have perpetuated economic and racial disparity in housing development. This paper looks at how the recent changes might address those issues, and what further improvements might still be necessary.
Because Housing Is What? Fundamental. California’s RHNA System as a Tool for Equitable Housing Growth
