Annual Progress Reports
Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community, at all income levels. California’s local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans (a.k.a. housing elements) as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). A general plan serves as a local government’s blueprint for how the city and/or county will grow and develop and includes seven elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing.
Each jurisdiction (city council or board of supervisors) must prepare an annual progress report (APR) on the jurisdiction’s status and progress in implementing its housing element using forms and definitions adopted by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). (Government Code Section 65400.)
Each jurisdiction’s APR must be submitted to HCD and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) by April 1 of each year covering the previous calendar year (CY).
One primary function of the housing element APR data is for HCD to track each local government’s progress towards meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) each year and over the 5 or 8 year planning cycle. The key benchmark for tracking RHNA progress is issued building permits.
APR form and instructions - for CY 2018 through 2024
- APR form for CY 2018-2024 (XLS)
- APR instructions for CY 2018-2024 (PDF)
- APR Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- HCD Connect User Portal Guides
To submit an APR form to HCD and OPR:
HCD Connect: Jurisdictions can upload an APR directly into HCD’s online portal, HCD Connect. This data management system allows jurisdictions to submit Housing Elements, Sites Inventories and APRs on one platform. To use the online system, you must register with your email at the link above to create a new account.
If you are experiencing issues creating or logging into your jurisdiction’s account, please review HCD Connect User Portal Guides or email HCDConnectHPD@hcd.ca.gov, for support getting login information for your jurisdiction.
Please note: using the online portal only provides the information to HCD. The APR must still be submitted to OPR through OPR.APR@opr.ca.gov.
- Email Option: Jurisdictions can also email the APR form to APR@hcd.ca.gov and to OPR.APR@opr.ca.gov. When using the email method, send the electronic version as an Excel workbook attachment. Do not send a scanned copy of the form. Sending APRs via email will count as a submittal. Please note: Government Code section 65400 also requires the submittal of a General Plan Annual Progress Report to both OPR and HCD. These can be emailed as above.
If you have any questions regarding the APR form or instructions, please contact HCD at APR@hcd.ca.gov.
For guidance on how to submit the General Plan APR to OPR, please reference OPR’s separate guidance and submittal requirements.
APR Form Covering CY 2017 and prior
For APRs covering CY 2017 and prior years, please email HCD at APR@hcd.ca.gov to request the prior form and instructions.
To submit the prior APR form to HCD and OPR:
Email Option: Jurisdictions can email the prior APR form to APR@hcd.ca.gov and to OPR.APR@opr.ca.gov. When using the email method, send the electronic version as an Excel workbook attachment. Do not send a scanned copy of the form. Sending APRs via email will count as a submittal.
- Webinar — Recorded December 3, 2024. Topics include: overview of HCD Connect, how to submit, and updates to the form.
- Affordability Calculator (XLS) — 2024 Update coming soon.
- Table F Checklist (PDF)
Housing and Local Land Development Opportunities
The Department of General Services (DGS) in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) released an interactive public map of property identified by local governments to help developers find land for housing development. The Housing and Local Land Development Opportunity Map shows potential development sites identified in local housing elements (housing plans) adopted on or after January 1, 2021, and local surplus and excess sites as reported through the housing element annual progress reports.
Annual Progress Reports - Data Dashboard and Downloads | California Department of Housing and Community Development — This interactive dashboard displays data submitted on the APR.
Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR) Data by Jurisdiction and Year - Datasets - California Open Data — Downloadable APR data in .csv format hosted on the California Open Data Portal.
View all APR data in one place and reformatted as easy-to-use graphs and charts with built-in filters for information customization. Raw data from APRs submitted since 2018 is also available for download.
Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process (SMAP) SB 423 Implementation
Please see Statutory Determinations for Limiting Jurisdictions’ Abilities to Restrict Development for the SMAP determination and related documents.
SB 35 Implementation
Please see Statutory Determinations for Limiting Jurisdictions’ Abilities to Restrict Development for the SB 35 determination and related documents.