Santa Barbara City Council Unanimously Adopts Housing Element

Plan Lays Out How Santa Barbara Could Accommodate 8,001 Units Over the Next Eight Years

| Credit: Paul Wellman (file)

The city of Santa Barbara’s Housing Element plan is wrapped and ready to go after a long planning process, with the city council adopting the final draft in a unanimous 7-0 decision on December 12. Both the city of Goleta and Santa Barbara county adopted their housing element drafts a week earlier, on December 5.

The Housing Element proves to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) that the city could feasibly accommodate the state’s regional allocation of 8,001 new units over the next eight years. In the council’s final meeting before the Christmas break, councilmembers applauded city staff for working with state officials to finalize the plan, which was approved with minor edits and will be sent for state approval after a seven-day public review period on December 20.

“I am pleased to be part of the unanimous council vote to approve our updated Housing Element,” said Mayor Randy Rowse. “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.”

While the adoption of the final draft marks the end of an arduous planning period, the city is still technically out of compliance until the plan is approved by HCD, which leaves the door open for potential last minute “builder’s remedy” projects, or developments that are allowed a fast-pass through the city review system. HCD has up to 90 days, or until March 19, to determine whether the adopted element substantially complies with state housing element law.

The 2023-2031 Housing Element Update, over 450 pages long, can be viewed in full on the city website.