The City of San Diego is asking residents for their input on a draft document outlining the City’s future housing policies, goals, and activities. City planners are looking for general comments on the document, as well as input on innovative ideas to incentivize homeowners to build companion units, how to help our elderly residents and other ways to engage residents about housing.
“As San Diego continues to grow and change, this document will serve as a policy framework intended to guide housing strategy citywide and identifies actions to help meet housing goals,” said Mike Hansen, the City’s planning director. “It’s important we include the public’s ideas as we move toward the completion of the document.”
This input opportunity is part of an effort to refresh San Diego’s housing blueprint, also known as the Housing Element, of the City’s General Plan. The Housing Element, updated every eight years, considers the City’s needs regarding housing access, inventory, affordability, and quality. For this cycle, the City will need to plan for approximately 108,000 new housing units serving all income groups by 2029.
While some of the City’s draft housing goals remain the same, such as facilitating the construction of quality housing, improving the existing housing stock and providing new affordable housing, City planners want to make sure the updated plan also enhances the quality of life for all citizens and is a model of sustainable development and growth.
Before crafting the Housing Element draft, City planners held six public workshops, conducted an online survey and attended other events to gather public input. Now, comments on that draft will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 20. To submit comments, visit the General Plan Housing Element Update website. After public review, staff will prepare the final draft document. Ultimately, the updated Housing Element will be submitted to the City Council for adoption.