Project Overview

Safety Element: An Overview 

The Safety Element is a required element (or chapter) of the general plan. The Safety Element provides the City's policy and planning framework to help protect La Habra against natural, environmental, and human-caused threats to public health and safety. The California Government Code has been amended since the general plan was adopted and requires this update. 

The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and the Health and Environmental Justice Assessment will support this effort. 

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment 

The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) is a detailed analysis on how climate change may harm the city, and how elements of the community (people, infrastructure, buildings, economic drivers, ecological resources, etc.) may be vulnerable to climate-related hazards. The CCVA will take a closer look at specific climate-related hazards, like air quality, drought, extreme heat, extreme storms, geologic hazards, human health hazards, flooding, and wildfire, and how these hazards affect us now and in the future. The CCVA identifies which groups of people face the greatest threat. The CCVA will support the Safety Element and help protect our city and meet State requirements. 

Health and Environmental Justice Assessment 

The Safety Element will also be supported by a Health and Environmental Justice Assessment. This assessment will identify neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by pollution and other hazards that contribute to negative health effects, exposure, and environmental degradation. This information will guide policies within the Safety Element to reduce unique and compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement, and prioritize programs that address the needs of these communities. Also covered will be an assessment of features of the city (e.g., access to parks, grocery stores, bicycle routs) that affect the health and well-being of residents.

Safety Element Components

The current Safety Element addresses natural and human-caused threats to public health and safety. New state mandates require that climate change, environmental justice, and public health be addressed in the General Plan. Therefore, the City of La Habra has identified the following objectives for the safety element update.

• Update data, goals, policies, and action for consistency with recent state law changes that include, but are not limited to, climate change, wildfire safety, and environmental justice.
• Build upon and maintain consistency with the 2014 La Habra General Plan, Climate Action Plan, and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
• Reflect contemporary community concerns,  such as safe and secure housing, community health and pandemics, power safety shut-offs, and other concerns raised by residents and stakeholders.

Implementation Program

The Safety Element will include goals that envision the outcome that Safety Element and policies for how to get there. The implementation program will provide specific actions for the City to achieve the Safety Element's policies and goals.