Community Development News

Join a virtual Regional Action Plan meeting on March 10, 2023, from 10-11 am, hosted by the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation, which brings together area stakeholders and City staff to discuss homelessness and develop…

For the first time ever, the City will have the presence of a homeless outreach team during the evening and weekend hours in the Downtown Corridor and along the Waterfront. The City will also be continuing its commitment to provide…

The City of Santa Barbara, through a grant from the California Office of Historic Preservation, has developed a Draft Santa Barbara African American and Black Historic Context Statement that explores the themes, events, people, and places…

Local Housing Elements Come learn about the Housing Element process, regional needs, and local challenges. You will have the opportunity to discuss solutions to South Coast housing challenges with local representatives. This event will…

The City of Santa Barbara’s Housing Element Update is underway and community involvement is encouraged. The City’s 2023 Housing Element will include goals and actions to create new housing opportunities, prioritize affordable housing,…

Capacity charges are one-time fees imposed for new or expanded water and wastewater connections to reimburse existing customers for the investments they have made in the assets of the respective systems. The City last completed a capacity…

The City of Santa Barbara will be the Lead Agency and will prepare a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Housing Element and Climate Action Plan Updates. The Notice of Preparation began a 30-day public comment period on the…

Community Development Long Range Planning staff is starting the process to update the 2015 Housing Element for the City of Santa Barbara. You're invited to be a part of the update process. The Housing…

Virtual counter services remain available Monday to Thursday and alternate Fridays from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. New Feature! Choose a specific topic to match your questions with the most appropriate staff; 24-hour advanced…

In-person counter services have resumed at 630 Garden Street for walk-in customers during modified hours. No appointment required. Walk-ins welcome Monday - Thursday, between 8:30 a.m. and…

Eight firms submitted proposals to the City for the State Street Master Plan project by close of the request for proposals response period on March 24. Staff will analyze the responses to determine the most appropriate proposal that…

Eight firms submitted proposals to the City for the State Street Master Plan project by close of the request for proposals response period on March 24. Staff will analyze the responses to determine the most appropriate proposal that…

On April 12, 2022, Staff provided an update to Council on efforts to address homelessness and it's related impacts in the City of Santa Barbara. The meeting materials are found below:

The third Work Group meeting will be held on February 11, 2022 via Zoom. The meeting materials are found on the project website here.

The existing conditions report has been released. For more information, click here.

Effective December 15, 2021 In an effort to simplify the Online Building Permit submittal process the Application Submittal Fee will no long be collected. The Application Fee varies depending on the scope of the project, $100 to $1,000.…

The second Work Group meeting will be held on November 19, 2021 via GoToWebinar. The meeting materials are found on the project website here.

On November 9, 2020 the Community Development Department deployed an On-Demand permitting process for simple reroofing building permits. We are happy to announce the types of On-Demand permits available has been expanded! Applicants are…

The first Work Group meeting will be held on September 10, 2021 via GoToWebinar. The meeting materials are found on the project website here.

The City Council has adopted an ordinance that prohibits the installation of natural gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings as part of its effort to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Existing buildings are generally not…