Thursday, September 12, 2013

The Housing Element is coming, the Housing Element is coming!

We need your help on a very short and sweet survey.  We’ll be the first to admit that the Housing Element may not be the most exciting or glamorous topic, but it addresses the very important issue of the community’s future housing needs.  The Housing Element is part of a City’s General Plan which is Monrovia’s long range blueprint to guide current decisions to achieve the established goals of the community.  There are seven required sections or “elements” of the General Plan: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Noise, Safety, Open Space and Conservation.

Generally speaking, the General Plan is a long range planning document typically looking forward about 20 years.  There is no mandatory timeframe to update or adopt elements with the exception of the Housing Element.  State law requires that local jurisdictions update their Housing Element on a regular basis.  The current cycle of Housing Element will be for the planning period 2014-2021.  The purpose of the Housing Element is to establish policies and programs specifically to address Monrovia’s existing and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community.

The first step in this process is to ask you, a resident of Monrovia, what you see as the community’s most important housing needs.
More housing options for seniors?
Affordable housing to allow your children to stay in Monrovia?
Programs to assist property owners on limited incomes to maintain their homes?

Additionally, the Planning Commission will be holding a special study session to provide their input and to give any interested people the opportunity to provide further input.  The meeting will be held on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room at the Monrovia Public Library, 323 South Myrtle Avenue.

If you would like additional information, feel free to contact Planning Division Manager Craig Jimenez at cjimenez@ci.monrovia.ca.us.