Butte County releases draft housing element
OROVILLE » Butte County released its draft housing element for public review Saturday for a 30-day period leading up to a discussion among the Board of Supervisors in July.
The housing element is one piece of the county’s larger general plan that breaks down longterm growth within Butte County from 2022 to 2030. It functions as a series of goals and plans for residential space in unincorporated parts of the county.
Early on in the document is a series of concepts for plans and how they are expected to work in conjunction with making the expansion of housing an easier process.
The list of goals is as follows:
• Provide for the county’s share of housing for all income brackets.
• Encourage affordable housing.
• Partner with land owners to preserve and rehabilitate housing already built.
• Collaborate with service providers for special housing needs of homeless people, large families, disabled people, farm workers and the elderly.
• Help with the rebuilding of areas destroyed by wildfires.
• Create equal opportunity housing.
• Promote energy conservation.
According to the draft housing plan, the county is hoping to start by expanding infrastructure to bring services to areas where housing can be built.
“The county shall work with the incorporated cities and utility service districts to overcome constraints to water and sewer service for housing, prioritizing improvements for lower-income housing and in low-resource areas to further place-based revitalization efforts, and expand the supply of developable land, particularly for multifamily housing projects within each city’s sphere of influence,” the housing element reads.
This includes applying for federal funding and, as specified later in the document, identifying countyowned land that could be used for housing development.
A written policy is also being planned for the board to approve that would allow for housing development streamlining in accordance with Senate Bill 35 which will include improving upon procedures for processing permits.
The county is looking at multi-family housing in areas adjacent to places of employment, services and transportation.
“In addition, the county shall offer density bonuses, assist interested developers in acquiring surplus government land suitable for multifamily development and expedite permit processing for housing units affordable to lower-income households,” the document said. “The level of project assistance shall be commensurate with the amount of affordable housing provided as well as the level of affordability.”
The passage goes on to say the county will meet with developers interested in going this route on a “case-by-case basis to discuss project possibilities.”
Based on the draft plan, Butte County will be promoting accessory dwelling units as another element of affordable housing. Accessory dwelling units, sometimes referred to as ADUs, refer to additional housing space on a property such as small apartments and secondary units.
Other things pushed in the plan are first-time homebuyer and mortgage credit programs, mobile home availability monitoring, abatements and housing for the homeless.
Public comment on the draft plan is encouraged by the county. Written comments can be submitted to Senior Planner Mark Michelena via email at mmichelena@buttecounty.net.
Additional information can be found at buttecounty.net/dds/generalplanupdate.