Housing goals and policies shown below are included here for the convenience of the reader; however, the full text and all related technical data are located in the previously-adopted 1992 Housing Element prepared for the County and the cities by the Kings County Regional Planning Agency. The portions of that document which are specific to the unincorporated territory of Kings County are incorporated into this General Plan by reference.

The intent of the Housing Element is to direct residential development and residential renewal in ways that are consistent with the achievement of the State goal of accommodating the housing needs of Californians at all economic levels.

The Housing Element is Kings County's official response to findings by the State Legislature that the availability of decent housing and a suitable living environment for every Californian are urgent public priorities. By identifying local housing needs and adopting appropriate goals, policies, and programs to meet them, local government will be as effective as possible in dealing with the housing needs of its residents.

The Housing Element is consistent with the Land Use Element of the General Plan. While the Housing Element identifies numbers of housing units needed by jurisdiction, the Land Use Element specifies the location and acreage of land available for future housing construction. This acreage is converted to maximum numbers of dwelling units and maximum numbers of persons that could be accommodated in each jurisdiction if every available residentially-designated parcel were developed at permitted densities and at average numbers of persons per household. Thus, the Housing and Land Use Elements correlate permitted building intensity to projected population density.

Housing Element policies are also consistent with the other elements of the General Plan in that all elements use the same population, housing, and employment projections.

The housing policies in this element pertain only to the unincorporated portion of Kings County. The policies are taken from a separate source document, the 1992 Housing Element prepared by the Kings County Regional Planning Agency (KCRPA), which contains housing policies for four of the five KCRPA member jurisdictions--the County of Kings and the cities of Avenal, Corcoran, and Hanford (the City of Lemoore adopted a separate housing element). Readers should refer to the 1992 Housing Element for actual enforceable Housing Element content.

The 1992 Housing Element was adopted by the Kings County Board of Supervisors after separate review and approval by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

The 1992 Housing Element prepared on behalf of each of the five KCRPA member jurisdictions contains information based on the U.S. Census, the previously-adopted Regional Housing Needs Plan, and local surveys. Included are recent changes in population characteristics, progress toward attainment of previous housing goals, projected future housing need, and constraints to housing development.

GOAL 30: Ensure an adequate supply of new housing sites.

Objective 30.1: The County shall promote the orderly growth of housing along public utility lines, and encourage the infilling of vacant bypassed land within the urban areas in preference to outward expansion.

Kings County has reserved land for future residential development in the unincorporated fringes of the cities of Hanford, Lemoore and Corcoran, and adjacent to the communities of Armona, Kettleman City, and Stratford. This land is zoned either Limited Agriculture, with a minimum parcel size of 10 acres, or Urban Reserve, with the minimum parcel size being that of the underlying land use as designated in the General Plan. In the latter case, the minimum parcel size could be as high as 20 acres for land designated General Agriculture.

These large parcel sizes will facilitate future development; zoning will preclude uses incompatible with urban development. These reserved areas constitute the major inventory of sites for future housing for the cities of Hanford, Lemoore and Corcoran, and the communities of Armona, Kettleman City, and Stratford. It is intended that these areas annex to the cities and communities before urban development occurs.

Policy 30a: Require annexation of urban fringe areas to cities or community services districts as a prerequisite to development.

Policy 30b: Prepare and maintain a land use plan and update it at least once every five years. Designate sufficient land area to meet future residential needs in two five-year phases. Reserve land in excess of projected needs in 1997 (the end of the first five-year phase) in order to allow developers sufficient land choice.

GOAL 31: Assist in the provision of an adequate supply of affordable housing for very low, low, and moderate income households.

Objective 31.1: The County shall encourage the Kings County Housing Authority, or other public agencies and private enterprises, to provide a variety of affordable housing units in the County.

Policy 31a: Encourage the Kings County Housing Authority to develop up to 40 units throughout the south county, south of Kansas Avenue.

Policy 31b: Provide brochures to all persons requesting permits to demolish rental units where displacement of lower income tenants may result. The brochures will provide the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of housing referral agencies which can provide information to displaced tenants regarding replacement housing.

Policy 31c: Support attempts by the Housing Authority to create 100 new conventional housing units and operate 100 new Section 8 housing units, using Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 203 and other federal funding sources.

Policy 31d: In cooperation with the Housing Authority, prepare a plan to ensure that all public housing units in the unincorporated area which are at risk of conversion to fair market rental rates are either conserved at a rent affordable to low income families or replaced with other low income units.

Policy 31e: Encourage the Housing Authority and other nonprofit housing entities to provide at least 40 additional rental units for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Process requests for farm labor housing in a timely manner.

Policy 31f: Support efforts by the Housing Authority to encourage occupants of public housing developments to maintain their own housing units, thereby keeping rents as low as possible.

Objective 31.2 The County shall promote the construction of multi-family and manufactured housing units by the Kings County Housing Authority.

Policy 31g: Promote the development by the Housing Authority of 100 units of multi-family housing for very low, low, and moderate income families.

Policy 31h: Provide adequate public information to ensure that the public and developers are aware that mobile homes are permitted by the County Zoning Ordinance.

Policy 31i: Assist very low income residents living in mobile homes by providing health and safety inspections and possible repairs to their homes. If Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is available, assist in the repair of up to 24 units.

Objective 31.3: The County shall encourage the development of housing which is affordable to median to moderate income first time homebuyers.

Policy 31j: Through 1993, when the pertinent agreement terminates, encourage the development of at least 20 new housing units through joint involvement with the cities in the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program.

GOAL 32: Remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing.

Objective 32.1: Kings County shall encourage the construction of energy efficient housing.

Policy 32a: Make low cost plans for energy efficient housing available to the public for the cost of duplication.

Policy 32b: Make the latest technical information on energy efficient housing and energy codes available to the public.

Objective 32.2: The County shall survey neighborhoods on a periodic basis to assess the condition of public infrastructure, and shall incorporate the information collected in capital outlay and assistance programs.

Policy 32c: In an attempt to eliminate health hazards, establish programs of community water and sewer infrastructure construction, repair, or modernization, using available federal, state, and County funds.

Objective 32.3: The County shall encourage the public to participate in federal and state housing assistance programs intended to meet the needs of County residents, especially those of low income.

Policy 32d: Publicize the availability of various federal and state housing programs to private enterprise.

Policy 32e: Attempt to eliminate any possible duplication of local efforts to provide low income housing by arranging annual study sessions with the Housing Authority, self-help groups, and residents.

GOAL 33: Conserve and improve the condition of existing housing and neighborhoods.

Objective 33.1: The County shall continue to encourage improvement of the existing housing stock.

Policy 33a: Prioritize areas targeted to receive CDBG housing rehabilitation funds by identifying neighborhoods with the largest stock of substandard units.

Owners of substandard units in targeted areas would be notified to upgrade their housing units. One possible source of funding would be CDBG grants or low interest rehabilitation loans offered by the Kings County Planning Agency. Owners selected to receive rehabilitation loans would be required to sign an agreement to repair their homes within a specific period of time or risk triggering local Building Code compliance requirements and possible notification of the State Franchise Tax Board.

Policy 33b: Rehabilitate jointly with the cities of Corcoran, Hanford, and Lemoore approximately 15 housing units in city fringe areas, subject to available funding.

Objective 33.2: The County shall encourage programs of housing conservation and rehabilitation in deteriorating rural areas.

Policy 33c: Assist up to 15 units of existing housing stock per year, subject to receipt of CDBG funding.

Objective 33.3: The County shall administer the Building Code to assure that health and safety deficiencies are corrected in accordance with construction standards in effect at the time the structure was built.

GOAL 34: Ensure the implementation of the Housing Element, and monitor progress toward the attainment of housing goals.

Objective 34.1: The County shall conduct an annual evaluation of its progress toward implementation of all Housing Element programs.

Policy 34a: Report annually on the status of Housing Element program implementation to the Board of Supervisors.

GOAL 35: Promote equal housing opportunity.

Objective 35.1: Support actions that expand housing opportunities for lower income residents.

Policy 35a: Attempt to determine the amount, location, and type of farmworker housing needs in all parts of the County through discussion with the Employment Development Department, self-help, and agricultural workers' groups.

Policy 35b: During the site review process, offer density bonuses to developers submitting tract maps showing a percentage of the development devoted to low-income housing.

Policy 35c: Support the activities of the HumanRights/Fair Housing Commission, provide information on fair housing laws, and refer complaints of housing discrimination to the appropriate state or federal agencies.

Objective 35.2: Encourage the Housing Authority to construct housing which accommodates the special needs of senior citizens, handicapped persons, large families, migrant farmworkers, and families with female heads of household.

Policy 35d: Encourage the Housing Authority to modify its new public housing units to make them accessible to the physically handicapped.

Policy 35e: Encourage the Housing Authority to develop up to 50 units for the elderly and the handicapped which are near transportation lines and which provide access to medical services.

Policy 35f: Encourage the Housing Authority to keep a current list of landlords who rent units accessible to the handicapped.

Continue present efforts at substandard dwelling improvement and community cleanup, with emphasis on urban fringe areas.

Monitor housing development and housing rehabilitation to determine whether income/affordability goals are being met.

Monitor supplies of residentially-designated land as a means of keeping housing costs down.