Supporting Resources
Every eight years, jurisdictions throughout California update their Housing Element. The Housing Element is a chapter of the City's Vista 2035 General Plan and contains a plan for meeting the City's housing production target (Regional Housing Needs Assessment, or RHNA) and housing policies and programs for meeting the community's housing needs. The Housing Element update was a multi-year community process. The Housing Element update takes place in parallel with each new RHNA cycle, a timeframe that starts when jurisdictions receive their state-mandated RHNA allocation. To view the City's previous 2015–2023 Housing Element (for the RHNA 5 cycle), click here. The new RHNA cycle, RHNA Cycle 6, began in 2023.
The following resources provide background information and a general orientation to preparing a Housing Element:
- City Council Staff report - 21 Elements Presentation and RHNA Introduction
- What Is a Housing Element, and How Does It Work?
- ¿Qué es el Elemento de Vivienda y Cómo Funciona? (en español)
- Housing Needs Data Report for East Palo Alto prepared by ABAG/MTC
- Survey Results - San Mateo County Fair Housing
- Let's Talk Housing held a 4-part webinar series in San Mateo County
- Let's Talk Housing (en español)
