Housing Plan Update

Housing Plan update landing page slideshow

At a glance

Since 1969, California law has required that all cities and counties demonstrate how they will meet the housing needs of everyone in the community.
Every eight years, the state, via our regional association of governments, tells cities how many homes they must plan for to accommodate people of varying income levels.
The state approved Carlsbad's housing plan, known as the housing element in July 2021, which details how Carlsbad will accommodate projected housing needs through 2029.
In addition to updating city housing policies, Carlsbad was required to designate space for about 3,900 new housing units, of which about 2,100 units need to be affordable for people with lower incomes.
On Jan. 30, 2024 the City Council voted to approve the rezoning of 16 properties around Carlsbad to meet state requirements. This action will help the city maintain control over where future housing could be built in the city and at what density.
The City Council's action did not approve any specific projects and the city does not build housing. Property owners would decide whether to build housing on these sites and when.

Sites approved for new zoning

On Jan. 30, 2024, the City Council approved 16 properties for rezoning based on input from the community, including people who own and live near the properties, along with a City Council-appointed citizens advisory committee and the Planning Commission.

View the final map of the approved sites.

In February 2022, the City Council directed staff to study the environmental impacts of of 18 properties.

Environmental impact report

On Jan. 30, the City Council certified the final environmental impact report, which studied the overall environmental impacts of rezoning 18 properties to accommodate future housing. Ultimately, the City Council only approved the rezoning of 16 properties, and removed sites 5 and 18 from the map.

The draft environmental impact report for potential new housing sites in Carlsbad was available for public review from July 14 to Aug. 28, 2023. The city's Planning Commission held a public hearing on Oct. 18, 2023 and recommended City Council approval of the final environmental impact report and rezoning all 18 sites for future housing.

View the final environment impact report

View the draft documents
Notice of Availability
Notice of Completion
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Draft Supplemental EIR
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Appendix A Notice of Preparation & Comments
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Appendix B Air Quality and GHG
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Appendix C Previous Historical Resources
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Appendix D Noise Measurement and Modeling
Housing and Public Safety Element Update - Appendix E Vehicle Miles Traveled Analysis

Next steps

Previous public input opportunities

Potential sites selection

In fall 2021, the city gathered input on 18 potential locations where new housing units could be built in Carlsbad to satisfy the state requirement that cities accommodate their fair share of the region’s housing needs, including homes for people of all income levels and stages of life.

View the public input summary report

View online map of the potential sites input was gathered on

All feedback gathered through the workshops, online survey and public comments was presented to the City Council on Feb. 15, 2022, when the council chose sites to move forward with for environmental review and rezoning.

Workshop videos

In addition to an online survey, the city held two virtual public workshops in September 2021 to gather community input on potential locations for future housing in Carlsbad to meet state requirements.

Sept. 15, 2021 workshop

Sept. 22, 2021 workshop

Environmental analysis

In fall 2022, the city gathered input on what environmental impacts should be evaluated in a study on the potential properties that could be rezoned to accommodate future housing.

Public comments were gathered via mail and email and at three environmental scoping meetings held Sept. 26 (in person), Sept. 28 (virtual) and Oct. 17 (in person). View the Oct. 17 s coping meeting presentation.

The input was used to prepare a supplemental environmental impact report to the environmental impact report for the city's General Plan, approved in 2015. The report was then available for public review from July 14 to Aug. 28, 2023.

As part of a Housing Element Update and to comply with state law, the state also requires all cities analyze and update portions of their Public Safety Element, a separate chapter of the General Plan that focuses on citywide topics including climate resiliency, wildfire hazards and evacuation routes. Updates proposed respond to requirements of new state legislation related to these topics.

View the 2022 official public notice for the preparation of the supplement environmental impact report for more details.

Why this matters

Providing housing to meet the needs of all income levels is critical to the social and economic health of a city.
It can be challenging for coastal cities like Carlsbad to attract teachers, police officers and other middle-income professionals because of the high cost of housing.
Children who grow up in Carlsbad have a hard time staying here due to housing affordability.
Like cities throughout California, Carlsbad has seen an increase in homelessness and the cost associated with managing the effects on the community.
Having an approved housing plan makes Carlsbad eligible for state grants to help fund infrastructure improvements and affordable housing.
Without an approved housing plan, the risk of housing-related lawsuits increases.

Background information

On July 13, 2021, the state approved the city's new housing plan policy document, which provides an analysis of the city’s housing needs for all income levels, and strategies and programs that will be implemented to respond to and provide for those housing needs through 2029. As part of the policy document, the city was required to submit a list of potential properties that could accommodate the number of future housing units required by the state. This list does not authorize the city to rezone those properties for housing.

Based on public input gathered in 2020, input from a citizens advisory committee and direction from the City Council, the city narrowed down the list to 18 potential sites for future housing. Additional community input was gathered on these sites in fall 2021 through an online survey, two public workshops and public comments submitted via mail and email. Environmental analysis of the sites is now complete.

Per state law, the Housing Element has two main purposes:

To provide an assessment of both current and future housing needs and constraints in meeting these needs
To provide a strategy that establishes housing goals, policies, and programs.

The city's Housing Element is an eight-year plan for the 2021-2029 period, which differs from the city’s other General Plan elements that cover a much longer period. The Housing Element serves as an integrated part of the General Plan, but is updated more frequently to ensure its relevancy and accuracy.

The Housing Element identifies strategies and programs that focus on:

Conserving and improving existing affordable housing
Maximizing housing opportunities throughout the community
Assisting in the provision of affordable housing
Removing governmental and other constraints to housing investment; and
Promoting fair and equal housing opportunities

Housing reference maps

Welcome to our city's interactive GIS platform, where we have implemented key housing element programs by creating user-friendly, interactive maps for public.

The following Housing Plan Update program information is available within these maps:

Housing element inventory sites map (Program 1.1.h and 1.1.i): Integrate 6th-cycle housing sites into the city's GIS for residents to use.

Evaluation of constraints map (Program 1.1.j): Post the evaluation of constraints, including, Fire Hazard Severity Zones, Utilities, hazards, and vacant, and underutilized lands.

Vacant and underutilized program map (Program 1.4.a): The city will continue to make available an inventory of vacant and underutilized properties to interested developers.

Lot consolidation opportunities map (Program 1.4.b): The city will identify sites where potential consolidation can happen based on current site usage and ownership. Possibilities for what can be considered "current site usage": vacant properties, complementary uses on different lots (parking lot serving and adjacent use, same or different ownership), and others.

Mixed use development opportunities map (Program 1.8.b): Periodically identify, as part of a semi-annual zoning code update review, areas, and properties with potential for mixed-use development and provide information to interested developers on an ongoing basis

The maps can be found following this link: Housing Reference Maps. Additional information about the various Housing Element Programs can be found here.

If you have any questions please contact City of Carlsbad Planning Department (760-602-4610 or planning@carlsbadca.gov).

Documents and resources

Approved Housing Element

Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report

Regional Housing Needs Assessment

Housing Accountability and Affordability Act (SB 35)

Accessory Dwelling Units

Housing Element Advisory Committee

Housing Element Annual Reports

Guidelines for where new housing can go

Carlsbad's Housing Element brochure

2020 public input survey summary report

Housing Element Update video

California Department of Housing & Community Development

Post Date:03/24/2023

The City of Carlsbad is on track to complete all the steps identified in its state-approved plan to increase access to affordable housing in the city over the next eight years. City staff provided details in an annual report presented to the City Council Tuesday.

The City of Carlsbad worked with the community a few years ago to develop an updated housing plan.

All California cities are required to create a plan that shows how they will meet projected housing needs.
The latest update was the first since new state laws and court decisions made voter-imposed limits on the total number of homes in Carlsbad unenforceable.

Some of the changes in state law that are included in the city’s housing plan include:

Streamlined permitting for accessory dwelling units, which include garage apartments and stand-alone housing on lots with single family homes.
The city recently sought input from the community on a new permit program for these types of units and developed four sets of building plans that will be made available to residents in the coming months. Each plan features an architectural style that will blend in well with existing neighborhoods.
Zoning changes that will allow more housing to be built in Carlsbad. Sites were identified based on community input and are now undergoing an environmental analysis.
Increasing the fees paid by developers who do not include affordable housing as part of their projects. The city uses these fees to create its own affordable housing programs.

The city is also completing a project to develop design standards that will help ensure new apartment and condo projects built in the city meet objective criteria for architectural style and other design features. These objective design standards will help protect the community’s character as more affordable housing projects are built. The state identifies several different levels of affordable housing, based on household income. To achieve the level of affordability required, most of these projects are apartments and condos.

More information
General Plan and Housing Element Progress Report
City of Carlsbad General Plan

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