After nearly three years, these Bay Area cities still lack a state-approved housing plan

"Nearly three years after the state's deadline, a Bay Area county and three cities across the region still haven't finalized their state-mandated housing plans, leaving them vulnerable to fines, loss of grant funding and the dreaded "builder's remedy," which can cost them control over land use decisions. San Mateo County and the cities of Half Moon Bay, Belvedere and Clayton have yet to secure state approval for their plans, which were due by Jan. 31, 2023."

"In total, the Bay Area's 110 local governments are responsible for adding 441,000 new homes between 2023 and 2031, up from 187,990 in the previous eight-year cycle. So far, the region is far behind schedule in meeting the ambitious new goal, in part because of high interest rates and other market forces. Despite the threat of stricter penalties, housing advocates say the few remaining municipalities without completed housing elements appear to lack a sense of urgency in obtaining the state's sign-off."

""They're mostly small and wealthy jurisdictions that probably feel they don't have any obligation and that they can hire enough lawyers to get out of whatever obligation the state imposes on them," said Matt Regan, a housing policy expert with the Bay Area Council, a pro-business group. Some local officials rejected the claim, saying they've worked closely with regulators to finalize the complex plans, which are typically hundreds of pages and outline a broad range of housing policies and practices."

San Mateo County and the cities of Half Moon Bay, Belvedere and Clayton still lack state approval for required housing elements that were due Jan. 31, 2023. Housing elements are eight-year plans that map how jurisdictions will permit specified numbers of homes across affordability levels. The Bay Area must add 441,000 homes between 2023 and 2031, a large increase from the prior cycle, and the region is far behind due to high interest rates and market forces. Missing approvals expose jurisdictions to fines, funding losses and the builder's remedy, and some observers say small, wealthy locales show limited urgency.

Read at The Mercury News