Goleta Housing Element Posted for One-Week Public Review Period

The City of Goleta released the latest update of the city’s Housing Element on Thursday, which includes the parcels that caused dozens of residents to write and speak in person to object to the potential overcrowding and a handful to praise the housing concepts. Time is short for public comment on the revised document, only until August 17, before the city files it again with the state Housing and Community Development department.

In brief, Goleta found itself needing to add 637 units after the last comment letter from the state put into doubt some of the parcels targeted for rezones to higher-density housing, which translates to lower-income housing in the state’s eyes. City planning staff has succeeded in fulfilling the needed number with a surplus should any fail to be built to the maximum the zoning allows, an outcome expected for some parcels. Already in Goleta’s planning pipeline are at least two lower-income housing projects that cannot be added into this Housing Element for various reasons, but they are expected to deliver several hundred new lower-income apartments.

While working to fulfill the state’s demands for much-needed housing, the city can only zone for sufficient housing. Like other jurisdictions writing Housing Elements, Goleta cannot make any landowner build. During the three meetings the city held on this draft version, some landowners stated that they appreciated the rezone but intended to build to the city’s 20 percent inclusionary standard for lower- and moderate-income housing, not 100 percent lower income.