Project Overview

What’s Happening

The 2022 Housing Element will serve as the City of Napa’s housing plan for the next 8 years (2023-2031). It guides future decisions on housing preservation, protection, and production and reflects the community’s vision of equity and inclusion. California law requires that cities and counties update the housing chapter (“element”) of their General Plan every 8 years. The City of Napa last updated its Housing Element in 2015 and is now required to update it by January 31, 2023 for the period covering 2023-2031. Specifically, the housing element will outline the City’s strategy over the next eight years in the following areas:

Encourage the development of new housing for a range of income levels and diverse household needs

Identify sites to accommodate required housing units allocated for the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)

Remove undue constraints on new housing development, including affordable housing development

Protect existing housing

Housing Element FAQ’s

News and Events

Outreach Strategy

Community engagement is essential to the success of a Housing Element update. While the final document must address specific state requirements, it is ultimately a local plan and should reflect the priority of the community. The ideas, feedback, and needs shared by Napa residents and community members during the outreach process will help guide the development of goals, policies, and programs that ensure safe and accessible housing in the City of Napa. Public outreach is embedded throughout all stages of the planning process; our goal is to cast as wide a net as possible in order to accurately capture the needs of the community across ranges of age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, tenure type (renters vs. homeowners), and household styles.

Below is a timeline and description of the different components of the outreach strategy:

Balancing Act Survey (Virtual)

Balancing Act is an interactive tool that enables residents to run different “scenarios” of housing allocation and provide input. The results of the Balancing Act survey will be used to guide the development of the Draft Element.

Learn More

Housing Week (In Person)

July 25 – 31st is Housing Week! In-person events will take place throughout the week at various locations throughout the City, with Spanish translation services available at each event. The purpose of these pop-up events is to increase awareness and understanding of the Housing Element update process, as well as facilitate meaningful conversations about housing challenges and solutions in Napa.

Key Stakeholder Interviews

As we work to prepare the draft update, the project team will conduct detailed interviews with stakeholders who bring different experiences and expertise related to housing in the City of Napa. Interviewees will include diverse groups of residents, workers, businesses, property owners, developers, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and public agencies.

Public Draft Release

Prior to submission to HCD and adoption by the City Council, the draft will be made available for members of the public to review and submit comments and feedback.