Visalia 2023-2031 Housing Element Update

Mintier Harnish led the 6th Cycle Housing Element and General Plan Update for the City of Visalia, including a new Environmental Justice Element. The updated Housing Element responds to new State laws, addresses housing needs of current and future Visalia residents, and promotes fair housing options for all. Key aspects of this Update included the addition of a new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) chapter, updating the Sites Inventory to meet the RHNA, and programs to support the sites inventory and create meaningful actions to address fair housing.

The City’s 6th cycle RHNA totaled over 10,000 units and the default density for lower income capacity is 30 du/ac. In order to meet and exceed the RHNA, the sites inventory included pipeline projects, ADU credits, vacant sites, non-vacant sites, City owned sites, and annexation sites. The final sites inventory identified capacity for more 5,260 lower income units in high density zones and a total of 11,663 units.

Jim Harnish, Project Director
Brent Gibbons, General Plan Update Project Manager
Ryan Lester, Housing Element Task Lead

Mintier Harnish
Rincon Consultants

Paul Bernal, Community Development Director
Brandon Smith, Principal Planner

• Project logo/branding
• Project website (housevisalia.com)
• Stakeholder interviews
• Community workshops
• Study sessions and public hearings with the Planning Commission and City Council
• Facilitation of Housing Technical Advisory Committee meetings
• Newsletters
• Eblasts
• Surveys
• Online mapping tool