and would make every effort to do so. None of the other cities responded to requests for comment.
There are local governments in the Bay Area that appear to have correctly interpreted the deadline: Alameda, example, has already had the final version of its housing element approved by the state.There are other penalties associated with missing the deadline for Housing Element adoption, but HCD says the most immediate is the builder's remedy.
Projects submitted under the builder's remedy are not guaranteed approval. Zisser said cities subject to the builder's remedy are still able to reject or approve projects based on matters such as compliance with environmental laws. Among the other consequences cities could face for missing the adoption deadline: risk of losing state funding for things like affordable housing and transportation. Many state-funded grant programs require cities to have a compliant housing element in order to receive a funding award.