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After being out of compliance for nearly two years, Hollister released its latest draft Housing Element for review on Dec. 8.
The public may submit comments on the state-required document through Dec. 15.
Send comments via email to houslingelement@hollister.ca.us or by U.S. mail to City of Hollister, Planning Division, 339 Fifth Street, Hollister, CA, 95023.
After considering public comments, the city will submit the document to the state for review, according to the city website.
Under California law, cities and counties must update their Housing Element every eight years to show how they will meet future housing needs.
Remaining out of compliance means certain residential projects won’t be required to meet local land use policies under a state rule known as “builder’s remedy.” It also makes certain state funding unavailable to the city.
Hollister, San Juan Bautista and San Benito County are among the 73 of 539 jurisdictions that are out of compliance with the state, according to the state’s Housing Element Compliance Report.
The county is set to consider its latest draft Housing Element on Dec. 16.
The initial documents submitted by the three jurisdictions were not certified by the state and were sent back with directions to address the state’s comments.
According to the Department of Housing and Community Development, Hollister submitted its Housing Element for review on March 2024 and December 2024.
Hollister has been assigned to plan for 4,163 residential units through 2031. Of those, 22.2% are to be very low income, 17.8% low income, 18.9% moderate income and 41.1% above moderate income.
According to the draft Housing Element, Hollister has 11,736 residential units, of which 57% are occupied by married couples. It also states the city’s population is projected to increase by 11.6% between 2020 and 2040.
The Housing Element also addresses topics such as demographics, transportation, water, land use and governmental policies on land use.
According to the Department of Housing and Community Development, its review of the document once it’s submitted will take up to 60 days.
The Housing Element is part of a jurisdiction’s general plan, which serves as a blueprint for future growth.
Though the latest iteration of Hollister’s General Plan, including a revised Housing Element, was approved by the outgoing Hollister City Council in December 2024, the new council rescinded it in March 2025 after a group of community members initiated a successful referendum petition against it. A majority of the council members said they were following the will of the people to put the brakes on growth rather than submit the petition to a vote.
The petition collected valid signatures from about 10% of the city’s registered voters.
The City Council could have also placed the item in the 2026 primary election, which would have cost $50,000, or called for a special election, which would have cost $450,000.
The draft Housing Element is here.
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