Placer County is updating the Housing Element of the county General Plan. The Housing Element sets out the goals, policies and implementation programs for the planning and development of housing throughout the county. Once adopted, the revised Housing Element will be in effect until 2013. California law requires that the Element be completed by the county and reviewed and certified by the state by June, 2008.

The Placer County Planning Department and will oversee the Element’s updating. To give the public and other interested parties an opportunity to offer input and review the draft background report, there will be two public workshops to assess the housing needs in the unincorporated areas of the county. The county will gather input from these workshops and incorporate it into the final version of the Housing Element.

"The updating of the county’s Housing Element provides a great opportunity for residents to get involved in shaping how the county meets its ongoing housing demands," said Placer County Planning Director Michael Johnson.

Because public input on housing issues and strategies is critical to the update, there will be a workshop on both the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and in Auburn. At those workshops, Planning Department staff will explain the update process, discuss the completed housing needs assessment and housing constraint analysis, and take public comment.

The workshops will be:

• April 8, 2008, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the North Tahoe Conference Center, 8318 North Lake Boulevard, Kings Beach; and

• April 10, 2008, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Community Development Resource Center, 3091 County Center Drive, DeWitt Center, Auburn.

The draft Background Report for the Housing Element is now available online for review by clicking on the following link: Housing Element.

For additional information about the workshops, please contact:

Ann Baker, Principal Planner (530) 745-3136 abaker@placer.ca.gov

Jen Dzakowic, Senior Planner (530) 745-3008 jdzakowi@placer.ca.gov