As part of the required public participation process.  The City's efforts include outreach and education by conducting various engagement methods that educate on housing issues.  The City's three main outreach and education objectives are:

  • Engage - Provide opportunities for participation from various stakeholders and demonstrate transparency through consistent interactions with the community; and 
  • Educate - Educate and inform the community about the Housing Element, regional housing needs allocation (RHNA), and various housing types and densities;
  • Inform - Use the information that is given and received from the community to inform the development of the Housing Element.

To ensure the Housing Element reflects identified community needs, the law requires that community engagement be an integral part in the planning process and focuses on overall needs and people in the greatest need, including lower-income households, seniors, disabled persons, and large families. In response, a variety of public engagement activities and strategies on housing issues of concern and opportunities, including but not limited to; Pop-Up events, workshops, a housing-focused website, a digital engagement campaign, and youth activities.  Below are some activities conducted thus far: 

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  • Community Workshop 3
  • Community Workshop 2
  • Community Workshop 1
  • Housing Survey

Housing FAQ

The Housing Element is one of the nine mandatory chapters, or elements, required by State law to be included in a city’s General Plan. The Housing Element sets forth goals, policies, and actions that help the City plan for the housing needs for all segments of the City’s population and that expresses community housing goals. The Housing Element must be updated every eight years and is reviewed by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for compliance with State law. Most critically, the Housing Element identifies strategies to meet the existing and projected housing needs of people of all ages and incomes.

The City's previous Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on February 11, 2014 per Resolution No. 14-05. 

Because the Housing Element is updated frequently, the previous element provides a foundation for this update. This update gives us the opportunity to evaluate the previous element and determine which parts have been effective and which should be improved.

The Housing Element must cover the following topics:

  • An analysis of the City’s demographic and housing characteristics and trends, including the number of people living in overcrowded housing, people paying more for their homes than they can sustainably afford, people with special housing needs, and affordable units at risk of converting to market rate.
  • A review of market, governmental, and environmental constraints to meeting the City’s housing needs
  • An evaluation of resources available to address Azusa’s “fair share” of regional housing (see discussion below of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment)
  • An evaluation of progress implementing programs in the previous Housing Element
  • A Housing Plan that includes housing goals, policies, and programs that the City will adopt to assist development of housing for different income and special needs groups, ensure equal housing opportunity, and preserve and improve the existing housing stock
Every General Plan must contain a Housing Element that makes "adequate provision for the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community."  The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) assigns growth allocations to regional governments, and those regional bodies in turn distribute “fair share” housing goals, or construction targets, to local cities and counties.  As noted above, SCAG is the regional agency that develops these goals for cities in Southern California. The 2021-2029 RHNA for La Mirada is 1,926 residential units, divided into four categories of income and affordability.

6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation for La Mirada

Very Low Income

Low Income

Moderate Income

Above Moderate Income

Total

634

342

320

666

1,962

While cities do not build housing – that is the function of private developers – they do adopt plans, regulations, and programs that establish the rules for how and where housing can be built. An example of an adopted plan is the General Plan, which through its Housing Element provides housing programs and the Development Code, which provides the rules for where and at what densities housing can be built. The RHNA is a construction target – each city and county must have plans and development standards in place to accommodate housing to meet the RHNA. A RHNA 101 webinar was presented by SCAG to provide an overview of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment process.
If La Mirada does not adopt a Housing Element by the October 15, 2021 deadline, the city would need to prepare a new Housing Element in just four years (instead of eight) and could face fines per month until it approves a plan. A Housing Element can also be considered out of compliance if it does not meet the requirements of Housing Element law.  In addition, without an approved housing plan, the risk of housing-related lawsuits and challenges to the city’s entire General Plan increase. Having an approved housing plan avoids these significant problems, helps maintain local control over land use decisions, and makes the City eligible for state grants to help fund infrastructure improvements.
The City of La Mirada prepares the Housing Element, but it must be certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This certification creates a presumption that the Element is compliant with State law.
The City will be conducting outreach activities throughout the Housing Element update process. Check back at this page for upcoming events. Sign up for email updates at the top of this page.

Missing Middle Housing

Missing Middle Housing is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units-compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes located in a neighborhood. 


Missing Middle Housing
Below are some housing types that can potentially be integrated in the City of La Mirada:
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  • Single Family Housing
  • Accessory Dwelling Units and SB 9 Units Housing
  • Duplex, Triplex, Fourplex Housing
  • Courtyard Housing
  • Cottage Housing
  • Townhouse and Condo Housing
  • Multi Family Housing
  • Mixed Use and Live Work Units Housing