St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update

Mintier Harnish recently led the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update for the City of St. Helena, including a technical update of the Public Health, Safety, and Noise Element Update and environmental documentation. The Project began in February 2021 with initial community outreach and engagement and moved through the housing needs and constraints analyses and site selection process. Issues addressed in the Housing Element include limited housing stock, high home prices, diversity of housing, and incentivizing affordable housing development. The Housing Element addresses each of these issues, and also includes programs to address new State laws involving Fair Housing and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, accessory dwelling units, SB 35 streamlining, governmental constraints, employee housing, and low barrier navigation centers. The Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element was submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) was adopted on May 8, 2023, and certified by HCD September 25, 2023.

Between the 5th and 6th cycles, the City’s RHNA increased by more than 900 percent. The City addressed a shortfall in lower income capacity through proposed rezoning efforts.

Following the Housing Element Update, the City contracted with Mintier Harnish to complete an alternative sites analysis related to the proposed rezone sites. The report evaluated all vacant and underutilized sites in higher resource areas for potential capacity for higher density residential uses.

Jim Harnish, Project Director
Ryan Lester, Project Manager

Mintier Harnish
Rincon Consultants

Maya DeRosa, Community Development Director
Aaron Hecock, Senior Planner

• Project logo/branding
• Project website (sthelenahousing.com)
• Three community workshops
• Focus groups
• Study sessions and public hearings with the Planning Commission and City Council
• Newsletters
• Eblasts
• Interactive online mapping exercises