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Housing Element 3rd Version Availability + 1/24 Adoption Hearing

Published on January 21, 2022

The City of Culver City City Council will consider the 2021-2029 Housing Element for adoption on Monday, January 24th at their regularly scheduled 7 PM meeting.

The City prepared the 2021 – 2029 Housing Element Update as part of the General Plan Update (GPU) project. Every eight years, the State of California requires local governments to update their housing elements to plan for the housing needs of everyone in the community. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviews every local government’s housing element to determine whether it complies with State law. Under HCD’s guidelines, the Housing Element process involves the following steps for jurisdictions to follow:

Update previous housing element (Complete)
Submit draft to HCD for review (Complete)
Revise and adopt (In Progress)
Submit adopted housing element to HCD (To be Completed)

City Council’s adoption of the Housing Element would complete Step 3 of the Housing Element Update process. The sections below summarize the City’s progress during each step.

Step 1. Update previous Housing Element (Complete)

After the Housing Element Update process kicked off at the May 12, 2021, Planning Commission meeting, the GPU team began receiving input on and updating the Housing Element. After drafting an updated Housing Element, the City sought input on the plan from community members and the City’s Commissions, Boards, and Committees.

The City posted a First Draft of the Housing Element on the GPU project website for public review on July 19, 2021, and accepted comments through October 1, 2021. The public comments on the first draft are available to review on the GPU project website’s Draft Housing Element page. During the public review period, the City also presented and discussed the Draft Housing Element with the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) on July 22, 2021; the Housing Technical Advisory Committee on July 28, 2021; the Planning Commission on July 28, 2021; and the Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ACOHH) on August 16, 2021.

Step 2. Submit draft to HCD for review (Complete)

After receiving preliminary feedback on the First Draft of the Housing Element from the public, GPAC, TAC, the Planning Commission, and ACOHH, the GPU team evaluated the comments and made corresponding changes, resulting in the Second Draft of the Housing Element, where feasible. The City submitted the Second Draft for HCD’s 60-day review on September 13, 2021. The Second Draft was posted on the GPU project website for public review and comments while the City continued to accept comments on the First Draft. The public comments on the second draft are available to review on the GPU project website’s Draft Housing Element page. The GPU team provided an update on the City’s progress with the Housing Element to the City Council on September 27, 2021.

Step 3. Revise and adopt (In Progress)

On October 1, 2021, the public comment period for the Draft Housing Element ended, while HCD’s 60-day review period of the Second Draft ended on November 9, 2021. HCD's pre-submittal comment letter is available to review on the GPU project website’s Draft Housing Element page. The City presented and discussed the Draft Housing Element, HCD’s comment letter, the IS/ND, and related public comments with the City Council on December 10, 2021, and the Planning Commission on November 30, 2021, and January 6, 2022. The Planning Commission recommended adoption of the Housing Element and IS/ND at their January 6 meeting. The City reviewed public comments, HCD’s comment letter, City Council and Planning Commission’s comments, and revised the document, resulting in this Third Version of the 2021-2029 Housing Element for the City Council to consider for adoption at their January 24, 2022, 7 PM meeting. You can also review the redlined Third version of the Housing Element to see the changes made since the Second Draft.

Before the City can approve the Housing Element, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that the City study the plan's potential impacts on the environment. The GPU’s environmental consultant, ESA, conducted an environmental review of the Housing Element through an Initial Study and Negative Declaration (IS/ND) and found the plan would not result in significant environmental impacts since it is a policy document that will not result in physical development at this time. A full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared for the entire GPU, including the updated Housing Element, to evaluate the environmental impacts the future development contemplated by the GPU will have on Culver City.

The City followed requirements under Assembly Bill 52 and Senate Bill 18 regarding tribal consultation and opened the public comment period for the IS/ND from October 7, 2021, through November 8, 2021. The City reviewed the comments received during the comment period and prepared responses.

Step 4. Submit adopted Housing Element to HCD (To be Completed)

After City Council adopts the Housing Element, the City will submit the adopted Housing Element to HCD for certification (“certification” means that HCD finds the Housing Element to be in substantial compliance with the State’s legal requirements).

Ways to Participate in the GPU

Join us at the January 24, 2022, 7 PM City Council meeting discussed above. Look out for information on the GPU EIR’s scoping meeting coming up shortly. Further information on future and past meetings is online. If you haven’t already, sign up for project alerts.

Meet with City Staff

The Advance Planning Division in the Community Development Department leads the GPU process. Advance Planning staff and the City’s consultants are updating the General Plan to plan for Culver City’s future and help improve daily life for all. If you or a group of friends and neighbors want to meet virtually one-on-one or in small groups to learn more, contact advance.planning@culvercity.org or (310) 253-5740.