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ABAG Frequently Asked Questions about RHNA (July 2020) 12 <br />By law, the RHNA Plan is required to be consistent with the development pattern from Plan Bay <br />Area 2050. These two planning processes seek to address the Bay Area’s housing needs over <br />different time horizons: Plan Bay Area 2050 has a planning horizon of 2050, while the 6th cycle of <br />RHNA addresses the need to address short-term housing needs, from 2023 to 2031. To achieve <br />the required consistency, both the overall housing growth for the region, as well as housing <br />growth on a more localized level, must be greater in the long-range plan than over the eight- <br />year RHNA cycle. <br /> <br />Is Plan Bay Area 2050 used as part of the RHNA process? <br />In past RHNA cycles, ABAG used its long-range housing, population, and job forecast as an <br />input into the RHNA methodology. However, this approach is not required by Housing Element <br />Law. For the 6th cycle of RHNA, the Housing Methodology Committee (HMC) is still considering <br />whether or not to incorporate data from the Plan Bay Area 2050 Blueprint into the RHNA <br />methodology. Some of the options the HMC has discussed are: <br />1. Using the forecasted development pattern from the Blueprint as a baseline input into the <br />RHNA methodology <br />2. Using a hybrid approach that uses the forecasted development pattern from the <br />Blueprint along with additional factors to represent policy goals that are <br />underrepresented in the Blueprint to direct RHNA allocations <br />3. Not using forecasted data from the Blueprint, but include factors that align with the <br />policies and strategies in the Blueprint to direct RHNA allocations. <br /> <br />HMC members expressed interest and some concerns in considering use of the Plan in the <br />methodology. While the strategies integrated into the Draft Blueprint were adopted in February <br />2020, the Draft Blueprint forecasted outcomes were released in July 2020. The HMC continued <br />to consider the potential role of the Blueprint, if any, in achieving consistency with Plan Bay Area <br />2050 in summer 2020. If the Blueprint is not directly integrated, the HMC may need to adjust <br />factors and weights to achieve consistency under Option 3 above. <br /> <br />RHNA SUBREGIONS <br />What is a subregion? <br />Housing Element Law allows two or more jurisdictions to form a “subregion” to conduct a <br />parallel RHNA process to allocate the subregion’s housing need among its members. The <br />subregion process allows for greater collaboration among jurisdictions, potentially enabling <br />RHNA allocations that are more tailored to the local context as well as greater coordination of <br />local housing policy implementation. A subregion is responsible for conducting its own RHNA <br />process that meets all of the statutory requirements related to process and outcomes, including <br />developing its own RHNA methodology, allocating a share of need to each member jurisdiction, <br />819