City Council Adopts the 2023-2031 Housing Element
On Tuesday December 12, 2023, the Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously to adopt the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element. City Council considered the policies and programs and adopted the 2023-2031 Housing Element as a General Plan amendment with minor edits to the Glossary and Executive Summary. The City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element analysis shows that the City has the capacity to accommodate its share of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation without the need to rezone parcels for higher density.
Mayor Randy Rowse commented, “I am pleased to be part of the unanimous council vote to approve our updated Housing Element. This document is the product of an exemplary effort by our planning staff and represents our desire to participate in alleviating the housing shortage that exists statewide. Staff had to balance an extraordinary workload while executing the Housing element, due to a very active development atmosphere in Santa Barbara. We look forward to a cooperative future in implementing our housing development goals.”
Prior to Council action on December 12, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended adoption of the Housing Element on November 16 and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) informed the City that the proposed 2023-2031 Housing Element met all statutory requirements to comply with State Housing Law.
The final adopted Housing Element can be viewed on the Housing Element Update page. Public review is open until December 20, 2023 and then the Housing Element will be submitted to HCD for final approval and certification. The City looks forward to implementing the essential programs to meet the community’s housing needs throughout this cycle of the Housing Element.
Contact: Rosie Dyste, Project Planner
Phone: (805) 564-5470 x4599
Email: RDyste@SantaBarbaraCA.gov