TERMS/ACRONYMS/definitions

Terms not below can be found at link above, at the official Plan Bay Area site

Regional Housing Needs Allocation. Since 1969, California has required that all localities adequately plan to meet the future housing needs of their community. Localities create adopting housing plans as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). In order to create a housing plan (aka housing element) showing it could meet the local housing needs, a jurisdiction must first know how much housing it must plan for (and estimate how much will be needed at a variety of affordability levels in order to match the needs of the people who will live there). This is determined by a process called the regional housing needs assessment. CURRENT RHNA numbers so exponentially higher than past numbers that they have been appealed across the state and are now under STATE AUDIT.

California Department of Housing and Community Development mission is increasing the Supply of Affordable Places to Live in California — By administering programs that provide grants and loans (from both state and federal housing programs), HCD creates rental and homeownership opportunities for Californians from all walks of life. Also produces the eight-year RHNA cycle, which projects future housing needs in California. This is the sixth RHNA cycle, 2023-2031. Newly created department inside HCD for certifying enforcing housing element compliance and punishing noncompliance.

ABAG stands for the Association of Bay Area Governments. They distribute the RHNA allocations in the Bay Area; this cycle the number is 441,000 housing unit. Over 14,000 units were assigned to Marin County, to be built by 2031. 

California Environmental Quality Act. Landmark California legislation requires public agencies to “look before they leap” and consider the environmental consequences of their discretionary actions. CEQA is intended to inform government decisionmakers and the public about the potential environmental effects of proposed activities and to prevent significant, avoidable environmental damage. CEQA IS ERODED BY THE NEW HOUSING BILLS. 

Required. In this case it means the number of mandated units allotted to a locality that must be built by 2031.

Allows a property owner (who owns land outright or has permission of mortgage lender) to spilt a parcel into two equal parcels. Housing and ADUs can be built on each, creating more density in a neighborhood. New laws SB 9 and SB 10 overruled standing local ordinances and restrictions to make this possible, even for smaller lots. They are a part of the residential infill and densification sought by the CHD. 

Accessory Dwelling Unit, often called a "mother-in-law unit." Its either a free-standing building on the property or a smaller one (Jr ADU) adjoining the main residence. New laws SB 9 and SB 10 overruled standing local ordinances and restrictions to make these easier to add. They are a part of the residential infill and densification sought by the HCD. 

not densely filling space in present usage

Cities are required, once every eight-year cycle, to put a list of sites together that can be built into enough housing to fulfill their mandates

A process of checking numbers to see if they accurately reflect critera 

The Wildland Urban Interface is the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development. It is the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. It is a high fire risk area and where most loss of homes and lives have occurred in California. There are strong cautions against building or rebuilding in the WUI, as they are areas where repeat fires can occur, but the mandates will force housing into those areas.  

The route you would take to escape a fire. Because of the old, narrow, and windy roads of many Marin areas, evacuations will be dangerous, and the routes will be clogged. Adding more housing in or below these areas heightens risk to evacuees. Many Marin roads are not wide enough for a car and firetruck to pass.

A way that ordinary citizens can change or make laws in California by writing the text of the   initiative, and gathering enough signatures. The initiative is placed on the regular ballot and can be approved by a simple majority, and become state law.

rhna

4 levels, high in marin

an area with good schools, parks, etc

Allowed usage of land. Property can be zoned commercial, residential, agricultural, etc. The new state laws are forcing localities to rezone land against city planning to create more residential and mixed-use zoned areas. 

A place to live suitable for at least one person.

A map of hazardous areas (fire, flooding) that can be laid over a housing site-selection map to show the sites falling into hazardous areas. In Marin, it will not be possible to avoid those area to meet the RHNA numbers due to lack of suitable land. This is already acknowledged in the Board of Supervisors' unincorporated area site selection Housing Element.