Villa Park’s 2021–2029 Housing Element is the City’s plan for accommodating housing needs across all income levels during California’s 6th housing cycle. Villa Park received a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 296 total housing units. This does not mean the City must build 296 affordable homes; RHNA requires the City to plan for sufficient housing capacity and maintain land-use policies and programs that can accommodate its assigned need.
Current status: The City adopted its 6th Cycle Housing Element on June 28, 2022 and continued revisions and state review afterward. The City’s current Housing Element records include an HCD Substantial Approval Letter dated December 11, 2025.
Villa Park’s 2021–2029 Housing Element
A Housing Element is a required part of a city’s General Plan. It evaluates housing needs for residents at different income levels, identifies sites and zoning capacity that could accommodate housing, and establishes programs intended to address those needs. California cities periodically update their Housing Elements and submit them to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review.
Villa Park’s current Housing Element covers the 2021–2029 planning period. The City’s housing strategy has evolved substantially since the preliminary alternatives discussed at public meetings in 2020 and 2021, so those early proposals should not be confused with the adopted plan.
What Is RHNA?
RHNA stands for Regional Housing Needs Allocation. It is the process used to distribute projected regional housing needs among cities and counties by income category. For Villa Park, the 6th Cycle RHNA totals 296 housing units.
RHNA is primarily a planning requirement. The City does not itself have to construct the assigned number of homes, and inclusion of a property in a Housing Element does not mean a housing project has been approved or will necessarily be built. The City must, however, demonstrate adequate sites, zoning and programs to accommodate its allocation consistent with state law.
Villa Park’s 296-Unit RHNA Allocation
| Income Category | RHNA Units |
|---|---|
| Very Low Income | 93 |
| Low Income | 60 |
| Moderate Income | 61 |
| Above Moderate Income | 82 |
| Total | 296 |
The distinction matters: all 296 units are not low-income or affordable-housing units. The very-low- and low-income categories together account for 153 of Villa Park’s 296-unit allocation, with the balance assigned to moderate- and above-moderate-income categories.
How Villa Park Plans for Housing
Villa Park has very little vacant developable land and is largely built out with low-density single-family neighborhoods. The Housing Element therefore relies on several strategies for demonstrating housing capacity rather than assuming construction of one large housing project.
Key strategies in the adopted Housing Element include multifamily or mixed-use opportunities in and around the Villa Park Town Center, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and housing-site planning involving land at Smith Basin. Actual development remains subject to ownership, environmental conditions, infrastructure, applicable law and the development-review process.
Town Center, ADUs & Smith Basin
Villa Park Town Center
The Housing Element identifies multifamily and mixed-use housing opportunities associated with the Town Center area. Zoning capacity does not require existing commercial property owners to redevelop their properties, nor does it mean a particular housing project has been approved.
Accessory Dwelling Units
ADUs and junior ADUs can contribute toward housing production and RHNA progress. Villa Park’s adopted Housing Element includes ADUs as part of its housing strategy and quantified objectives. Whether an ADU can be built on a particular property depends on current state law, local standards and site conditions.
Smith Basin
Smith Basin, along Villa Park Road and Santiago Creek, is part of the City’s adopted housing-sites strategy. The area has a complex history involving water recharge, former sand-and-gravel activity, habitat, flood-control considerations and public-agency ownership. Inclusion in the Housing Element establishes planning capacity; it should not be interpreted as approval of a specific development. Learn more about the area’s history on our Santiago Creek Recharge Basins page.
Housing Element Timeline
- 2020–2021: Villa Park conducts workshops and public meetings while preparing its 6th Cycle Housing Element.
- 2021: Villa Park’s final 6th Cycle RHNA allocation is 296 units across four income categories.
- January 6, 2022: HCD issues a review letter regarding the City’s Housing Element.
- June 28, 2022: Villa Park adopts its Housing Element.
- 2022–2025: The City continues revisions, environmental review and coordination with HCD.
- December 11, 2025: The City’s Housing Element page lists an HCD Substantial Approval Letter.
Affordable Housing & Rental Assistance
People searching for affordable housing or rental assistance in Villa Park generally need to use regional resources because the City does not operate its own housing authority. The City’s current Housing Element resources direct residents to Orange County-area housing and fair-housing programs.
- Orange County Housing Authority
- Anaheim Housing Authority
- Garden Grove Housing Authority
- Santa Ana Housing Authority
- Orange County affordable-rental housing resources
- Fair Housing Council of Orange County
- 2-1-1 Orange County for housing and rent-assistance referrals
Program availability, income limits, waiting lists and eligibility requirements change. Residents should confirm current information directly with the applicable housing agency or assistance program.
2021 Housing Element Discussions & Documents
During the 2021 planning process, the City publicly considered a much broader range of potential approaches, including additional Town Center density, ADUs, underutilized residential parcels, school-district property, Wanda Road/Fitschen Ranch Road and Smith Basin. These were preliminary alternatives discussed while the Housing Element was being developed; they should not be treated as a list of currently approved housing projects.
For historical reference, the April 13, 2021 Housing Element presentation documents this earlier stage of the planning process.
Current Villa Park Housing Element Resources
For current official documents, HCD correspondence, environmental-review materials and housing-assistance links, visit the City of Villa Park Housing Element page.
Villa Park Housing FAQ
Does Villa Park have to build 296 affordable housing units?
No. The 296-unit figure is Villa Park’s total RHNA allocation across very-low-, low-, moderate- and above-moderate-income categories. RHNA requires the City to plan for housing capacity; it does not require the City itself to construct 296 homes.
How many lower-income units are in Villa Park’s RHNA?
The very-low- and low-income categories total 153 units: 93 very-low-income units and 60 low-income units.
Does RHNA mean 296 new homes will actually be built?
No. RHNA is a housing-planning allocation. Actual construction depends on property owners, development proposals, financing, market conditions, applicable laws and project approvals.
Where does Villa Park plan to accommodate housing?
The adopted Housing Element uses multiple strategies, including Town Center multifamily/mixed-use capacity, ADUs and housing-site planning involving Smith Basin.
Do ADUs count toward RHNA?
Yes. Accessory dwelling units can count toward housing production and are part of Villa Park’s Housing Element strategy.
Where can I find affordable-housing assistance?
The City of Villa Park Housing Element page provides links to regional housing authorities, affordable-rental resources, fair-housing assistance and other Orange County programs.