2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update

POD: 22-004

Project Contact: Ben Larson | PDS.LongRangePlanning@sdcounty.ca.gov | (858) 505-6677

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Overview

The purpose of this update was to align the County’s zoning regulations with new state housing laws intended to make housing more affordable and accessible. The update addressed changes in state housing laws for the following topics:

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADUs are attached or detached residential dwelling units that provide complete independent living facilities for one or more people and are located on a lots with proposed or existing primary residences. The update aligned with the following bills: AB 68 (Ting), AB 345 (Quirk-Silva), AB 587 (Friedman), AB 881 (Bloom), and SB 13 (Wieckowski), AB 916 (Salas), SB 897 (Wieckowski), and AB 2221 (Quirk-Silva).
Supportive Housing. Supportive housing is housing with no limit on length of stay, occupied by homeless individuals, and linked to onsite or offsite services. These services assist the residents in retaining housing, improving their health status, and maximizing their ability to live and work in the community. The update aligned with: AB 2162 (Chiu).
Low Barrier Navigation Centers. A low barrier navigation center is an accessible, temporary, service-enriched shelter that helps homeless individuals and families to quickly obtain permanent housing elsewhere in the community. The update aligned with AB 101 (Committee on Budget).
Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing. An emergency shelter is housing or temporary shelter for persons experiencing homelessness. The update aligned with AB 139 (Quirk-Silva).
Affordable Housing Development Incentives. State law provides incentives for the development of affordable housing units. The update aligned with the following bills: SB 290 (Skinner), SB 1227 (Skinner), AB 1763 (Chiu), and AB 2345 (Gonzalez), AB 2334 (Wicks), SB 330 (Skinner), AB 491 (Ward), and AB 1851 (Wicks).
Other Housing Related Laws. These laws facilitate the construction of housing for middle-income families. The update aligned with AB 803 (Boerner Horvath), and SB 478 (Wiener).

The update also addressed the following Housing Element (available here) implementation items:

Housing Unit Replacement Requirement (3.1.1.I). Any affordable housing units torn down as a result of redevelopment must be replaced by equally affordable units on the same property.
Accessory Dwelling Units (3.1.4.A). Facilitates the development of ADUs by reducing regulatory barriers and complying with new state laws.
Density Bonus Ordinance Update (3.2.1.A). Update the Zoning Ordinance to create additional incentives for the development of affordable housing.
Facilitate Shelter Development (3.3.1.B). Update regulations to facilitate the development of housing for homeless individuals, including emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing.

Board of Supervisors Hearing

The Board of Supervisors of the County of San Diego adopted the Housing Zoning Ordinance Update on July 19, 2023. The supporting materials for this hearing can be found under Item #8 at the following link: Board of Supervisors Meeting Agendas

Click here to view the recording of the hearing

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission of the County of San Diego met on February 17, 2023, in the County Operations Center (COC) Hearing Room to discuss the 2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update and vote on their recommendation for the Board of Supervisors.

The Planning Commission recommended the Update by majority vote: 5 Yes, 1 No, 1 Absent

Click here to view the recording of the hearing

Previous Public Meetings

The County hosted a series of public meetings for the purpose of providing essential information to residents, property owners, and community stakeholders regarding the 2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update.

The previously scheduled Update presentation at the May 3, 2023 Board of Supervisors hearing did not take place as anticipated and County staff will be taking this opportunity to conduct additional outreach to clarify changes related to housing for people experiencing homelessness, including emergency shelters, supportive housing, and low barrier navigation centers. The Update is expected to return to the Board July 19, 2023.

These public meetings served as a platform for sharing information, facilitating discussion, and addressing any questions or concerns related to the proposed changes included in the Update. During the meetings, County staff provided greater clarity related to scope of the Update, housing efforts underway, and provided an overview of the legislative process.

Public Meeting #1 (Options for Virtual and In Person): Central County

· When: Tuesday, June 13, 10:00 AM

· Address for Attending in Person: County Operations Center (COC) Hearing Room, 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123 

Watch the recording of this meeting

Public Meeting #2 (In Person) : South County

· When: Wednesday, June 14, 6:30 PM

· Address: Bonita-Sunnyside Library Community Room, 4375 Bonita Road. Bonita, CA 91902 

Public Meeting #3 (In Person): East County

· When: Thursday. June 15, 6:30 PM

· Address: Alpine Library Community Room, 1752 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901

Public Meeting #4 (In Person): North County

· When: Tuesday, June 20, 6:30 PM

· Address: Fallbrook Library Community Room, 124 South Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028  

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission of the County of San Diego met on February 17, 2023, in the COC Conference Center Hearing Room to discuss the 2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update and vote on their recommendation for the Board of Supervisors.

The Planning Commission recommended the Update by majority vote: 5 Yes, 1 No, 1 Absent

Click here to view the recording of the hearing

Public Review

The 2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update was under Public Review for a 30-day period from January 13, 2023 until February 13, 2023. The County hosted public outreach events during this public review period to collect feedback and incorporate input from members of the public.

Documents Available for Public Review:

2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update, Summary Table

2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update, Ordinance

2023 Housing Zoning Ordinance Update, Environmental Document

To submit your comments, please email Ben Larson at PDS.LongRangePlanning@sdcounty.ca.gov or call (858) 505-6677

Past Webinars and Engagement

The success of the Update requires extensive community input and engagement. There have been multiple opportunities to participate throughout the Update process and members of the public are encouraged to submit their comments to the Board of Supervisors. Please see below for information related to our previous outreach events.

Past Workshops

Public Meeting #1: November 3, 2022

The first public meeting to discuss the Housing Zoning Ordinance Update was hosted by the County online as a webinar through Zoom before the public review period began. This webinar covered the project’s background and objectives and provided an interactive forum to collect the public’s initial thoughts on the Update. A video recording of the meeting is available below.

Public Workshop #2: February 2, 2023

The second public meeting was held during the public review period to go into detail about the specific proposed changes in the Housing Zoning Ordinance Update. Members of the public had an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts on the Update. A video recording of the meeting is available below

Public Workshop #3: February 9, 2023

The third public meeting was held during the public review period to go into detail again about the specific proposed changes in the Housing Zoning Ordinance Update and the feedback staff had heard from members of the public and stakeholders so far. Members of the public had an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts on the Update. A video recording of the meeting is available below

Click below to watch a video of the meeting:

Video Recording of Public Workshop #1