This page includes all the RHTA resources on draft Housing Elements and HCD comments. 

• HCD AFFH sample analyses. 
• The RHTA Program has created CommentBot (C-Bot), a tool to help Bay Area jurisdictions address HCD's comments in their next Housing Element draft. C-Bot provides suggestions and links to RHTA and HCD resources to help jurisdictions address common concerns that HCD has raised in past comment letters.
• ABAG staff and consultants have reviewed Housing Element comment letters for Bay Area jurisdictions as HCD has released them. A total of six jurisdictions have received comment letters as of September 15, 2022. This document summarizes key findings from the comments.
• Learning from Southern California and Sacramento: Analysis of HCD comment letters and lessons for Bay Area jurisdictions as they prepare their 6th cycle Housing Elements.
• Responding to HCD Comments for Certification: These case studies summarize how four cities in Southern California and the Sacramento region responded to challenging HCD comments related to sites inventory, AFFH and other Housing Element topics. The documents present important strategies that cities in the ABAG region can use to prepare their Housing Elements for certification. 

Webinar Recordings

How to Address HCD Comments for Certification

Submitting your Housing Element is just the start. Addressing HCD’s comments to get it certified is the next step. The webinar How to Address HCD Comments for Certification featured a conversation with jurisdictions from Southern California and the Sacramento region to learn how they responded to and worked with HCD to get across the real finish line. 

Keep Calm and Certify On: Tips from Early Adopters

The Keep Calm and Certify On: Tips from Early Adopters presentation and roundtable conversation covered the new state requirements for 6th cycle housing elements and perspectives from HCD and jurisdictions who have successfully submitted their housing elements.