City Government » Hot Topics

City of Sausalito Adopted Amended 2023-2031 Housing Element

Font Size: + -
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Print

Housing Element Overview

Under State law, every city and county in California is required to update its Housing Element to address specific requirements and submit the element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). In 2024, the City of Sausalito began the process of amending the City’s Adopted Sixth-Cycle Housing Element (2023-2031).

In May of 2025, the City of Sausalito adopted its amended sixth-cycle Housing Element. The City received a letter of Substantial Compliance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in connection with its adopted amended Housing Element on May 22, 2025. 

Amended Housing Element Adopted May 27, 2025

HE Map

The Housing Element serves as Sausalito’s blueprint for meeting the housing needs of our residents, at all economic levels and addressing segments of the population with special housing needs. The Housing Element includes:

  • Assessment of the unique characteristics of Sausalito’s population and households
  • Inventory of sites suitable for residential development
  • Assessment of financial and programmatic resources
  • Analysis of constraints to housing production
  • Affirmatively furthering fair housing analysis
  • Comprehensive set of goals, policies, and programs to address current and projected housing needs

Program 4: List of Alternative Sites in the Case of No Net Loss Scenario

The No Net Loss Requirement codified in Government Code Section 65863 requires Cities to maintain an inventory of Housing Element sites adequate to accommodate the City’s RHNA throughout the planning period. A No Net Loss scenario may occur if development on an opportunity and/or inventory sites results in fewer units or different income levels than assumed in the Housing Element.

The City of Sausalito received a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 724 units for the 2023-2031 planning period. As stipulated in Program 4 of the City’s Housing Element, if there is a shortage to accommodate the RHNA, to address No Net Loss, the City will identify additional sites to be rezoned to accommodate the RHNA in accordance with Government Code Section 65583.2(h,i). Sites to be initially considered shall include sites that are: 1) City-controlled or 2) a minimum of 0.5-acres and either vacant or meet the methodology and criteria for nonvacant sites (see Housing Element page HBR-116).

The table below contains an initial list of sites which will be considered and evaluated for rezoning if there is a shortage to accommodate the City’s RHNA:

As a part of this process, the City has evaluated potential site constraints such as sites which are listed as protected sites in the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) and in the California Conservation Easement Database (CCED). To learn more about CPAD and CCED, please visit: https://calands.org/. 

Sausalito's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)

  • Fundamental to the Housing Element Update is how the City addresses its assigned fair-share of regional housing needs. This fair-share is determined through a regional housing needs allocation process. HCD, with input from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), determines the region’s total housing need for the 2023-2031 period. ABAG then determines the housing allocation for each Bay Area city and county through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation. The Housing Element Update must identify enough potentially developable land zoned for residential use to accommodate the City’s new RHNA allocation.
  • Sausalito needs to plan for 724 new homes (draft allocation) in the next 8 years. Sausalito’s RHNA of 724 units is an 816% increase from the 2014-2022 RHNA of 79 units. The 2023-2031 RHNA is broken down by income group as shown in the table below.
Income Group % of Median Household Income Income Range (4-person household) Proposed RHNA Allocation (Housing Units) 
Very Low Income  < 50% $0 - $91,350   200
Low Income  51% - 80% $91,351 - $146,350   115
Moderate Income  81% - 120% $146,351 - $179,500   114
Above Moderate Income (Market Rate)  120%+ $179,500+   295
 Total      724
 Source: Regional Housing Needs Allocation Draft Methodology: San Francisco Bay Area, 2023-2031, Association of Bay Area Governments, February 2021
  • To read more about the RHNA allocation methodology and process, visit ABAG’s RHNA & Housing page.

Housing Element History:

For a more detailed summary of the timeline and process associated with the City’s initially adopted Housing Element, as well as the amended Housing Element, please visit our Housing Element archive page at the following link.

Public Comment on the Amended Housing Element Project

Please see below for all public comment received pertaining to the Amended Housing Element Project:

Prior to February 25, 2025 City Council Public Hearing:

Prior to February 19, 2025 City Council Public Hearing:

Prior to February 4, 2025 City Council Study Session:

Prior to January 15, 2025 Planning Commission Study Session:

Prior to October 23, 2024 Planning Commission Study Session:

Prior to October 1, 2024 City Council Study Session: