How RHNA Numbers Work and Compliance Requirements

California’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is an 8‑year planning process that determines how many housing units each city and county must plan for, broken down by income level (very low, low, moderate, and above moderate) www.legislaide.com. The state does not build the housing — instead, it requires local governments to zone enough land and update their Housing Elements to accommodate the allocation www.legislaide.com+1. For the 6th current RHNA cycle ending in 2031, San Ramon is required to plan for 5,111 units. That plan is illustrated in our Housing Element. The development along the city core is helping us meet those state-mandated requirements without urban sprawl to protect our open spaces.

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How RHNA Numbers Are Determined

1. Statewide Determination – The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) calculates the total housing need for each region based on population growth, household trends, and housing conditions California Department of Housing and Community Development.

2. Regional Allocation – Each region’s Council of Governments (COG) receives a share of the statewide need and develops a Regional Housing Need Allocation Plan (RHNA Plan) to distribute it among member cities and counties California Department of Housing and Community Development+1.

3. Local Allocation – Cities/counties receive their RHNA target, which is the number of units they must plan for in their Housing Element. This target is based on factors like jobs‑housing balance, transit access, and environmental constraints www.legislaide.com.

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What’s Required of Cities

• Update the Housing Element in the General Plan to show specific sites where the RHNA allocation can be accommodated www.sacog.ca.gov.

• Demonstrate developability — prove the sites are realistically buildable and that the allocation is feasible www.legislaide.com.

• Remove regulatory barriers — update zoning and permitting rules to make housing development easier www.legislaide.com.

• Meet statutory objectives — the allocation methodology must align with RHNA’s five statutory goals, such as affordability and equity California Department of Housing and Community Development.

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Consequences if Cities Don’t Follow the Law

• HCD Reviews – HCD certifies Housing Elements; if they find non‑compliance, the element is not certified California Department of Housing and Community Development.

• Enforcement Actions – Non‑compliant Housing Elements can trigger HCD enforcement remedies, including the builder’s remedy, which allows HCD to issue a building permit for a project that meets the RHNA allocation www.legislaide.com. Recent case nearby: Judge rules against Danville in builder’s remedy case - Livermore Vine

• Compliance Risk – Failing to meet RHNA obligations is one of the most serious compliance risks in California municipal law www.legislaide.com.​​

In short, RHNA numbers are planning targets that cities must meet through zoning and housing element updates. If they fail, HCD can step in to build or permit projects to fulfill the requirement, ensuring the state’s housing goals are met.​

Source: Copilot Search - "Explain how CA RHNA numbers work, what's required of cities, and what happens if cities do not follow the law."​

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:​

Have CA cities been penalized? Yes, many. 

California Cities Facing Legal Action for Housing Noncompliance

As of mid‑2026, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have taken legal action against several cities for repeatedly failing to comply with the state’s Housing Element Law, which requires all cities and counties to plan for their share of regional and statewide housing needs.

Cities already sued
On July 16, 2026, the state filed lawsuits against five cities for being at least two and a half years past their compliance deadlines:

• Calexico

• Costa Mesa

• Half Moon Bay

• Ridgecrest

• Turlock California Governor+2

Cities facing final warnings and possible lawsuits
Earlier in March 2026, the state issued final warnings to 15 cities and counties that remain non‑compliant and are more than 60 days from securing a certified housing element. If they fail to respond within 30 days, they will face lawsuits. The 15 include:

• Atwater

• Avenal

• California City

• Corcoran

• Escalon

• Half Moon Bay

• Hanford

• Kings County

• Lemoore

• Merced County

• Montclair

• Oakdale

• Patterson

• Ridgecrest

• Turlock California Governor+1

Key points

• All actions stem from the state’s sixth housing planning cycle, which requires jurisdictions to plan for about 2.5 million additional homes statewide.

• The Housing Element Law mandates that every city and county update its housing plan every eight years to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation.

• The state has given these jurisdictions multiple opportunities to comply before escalating to legal action oag.ca.gov.

If you need the most current list, the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the Attorney General’s Office update their enforcement notices regularly. Additional source: Accountability | accountability.ca.gov

Source: Copilot Search - "CA cities who have been or are being penalized or sued for housing noncompliance."​

Why is development centered in the City Core? Planning for the City Core began nearly two decades ago, and planned changes will span 30 years. 

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Complete List of Approved Developments - Many under construction today were approved before my tenure. We have implemented some objective design standards since then to ensure greater setbacks from the sidewalk and more walkable green paths within the developments themselves.