State certifies Sunnyvale’s Housing Element

Calls for 12,000 new housing units in city by 2031.

Housing Element certified

The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on March 6 certified Sunnyvale’s 2023-31 Housing Element. A requirement of the city’s General Plan, the Housing Element shows how Sunnyvale will meet the housing needs of the community.

Staff submitted four public drafts of the Housing Element and conducted over 20 public meetings. With HCD certification, the Housing Element update process is now complete.

The certified Housing Element shows how the city can accommodate nearly 12,000 new housing units during the 2023-31 planning period and puts in place the necessary zoning, policies and programs to ensure the units can be built. The document includes 45 implementation programs designed to increase housing capacity, create more affordable housing and serve unhoused residents.

For more information, visit https://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/business-and-development/projects-in-sunnyvale and click on “long-range planning initiatives.”

Earth Day Festival

Sunnyvale is combining the grand opening of its new civic center with an Earth Day Festival on April 20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The event will feature family-friendly, sustainability-focused activities and information from local organizations, including sustainable arts and crafts for kids, a cooking demonstration by Zero-Waste Chef Anne-Marie Bonneau, live entertainment in the Redwood Grove and zero-emissions cars at an electric vehicle display. Tree experts will lead guided urban canopy tours, and master composters will provide instruction on how to start a home compost.

For more information, email green@sunnyvale.ca.gov or call 408-730-7717.