According to the Housing and Community Development Regional Housing Needs Allocation, Gridley must plan for 345 new housing units. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com

 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley City Council unanimously adopted the city’s 6th Cycle Housing Element during a special meeting Dec. 2, fulfilling a critical state mandate aimed at addressing local housing needs over the next eight years.

The plan, previously approved by the Gridley Planning Commission, outlines how the city will meet housing requirements set by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

Principal Planner Christopher Smith opened the presentation, noting that the Housing Element was past due and emphasized the need for council action to bring the city into compliance. Consultant Cynthia Walsh, who has guided the update from the beginning, followed with an overview of the Housing Element, which covers the planning period from June 2022 through June 2030.

“The Housing Element is an eight‑year plan that identifies the city’s housing needs across income levels and ensures adequate land is available for future development,” Walsh said. “It includes goals, policies and programs designed to promote affordable, safe housing and complies with state law.”

The updated document expands on the city’s previous housing programs and incorporates new sections addressing fair housing issues, including segregation, housing disparities, and enforcement of fair housing laws. It also evaluates constraints such as zoning and infrastructure and includes a realistic inventory of vacant land suitable for residential development.

According to the Housing and Community Development Regional Housing Needs Allocation, Gridley must plan for 345 new housing units. The requirement includes 161 units for very low‑income households, 93 units for low‑income households, and 91 units for moderate‑income households, with no units assigned to the above moderate category. Walsh reported that Gridley already has a surplus of approved and constructed units, exceeding the state requirement.

Walsh also said public engagement shaped the document, with surveys and community meetings used to gather input on housing priorities. During those discussions, residents voiced concerns about affordability, fair housing access, and the pace of new development, which were incorporated into the final plan. The Housing Element highlights community challenges such as households spending more than 30 percent of income on housing costs, vacancy rates, and the age of existing housing stock. These findings point to the need for rehabilitation programs and infrastructure improvements. The plan notes that many of Gridley’s homes were built decades ago, making maintenance and modernization a priority.

At their special meeting, council members raised questions about permit processing timelines and data discrepancies between census information and recent construction figures. Walsh explained that annual monitoring of approval timelines is now a required program to ensure projects are completed on schedule.

As part of the procedure, the council adopted a California Environmental Quality Act exemption for the Housing Element, noting that the plan functions as a policy document without direct land use changes.

Following discussion, the council voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 225-R028, approving the Housing Element, and directed staff to submit the final document to Housing and Community Development for final certification by the Feb. 3, 2026, deadline.