Council to consider approval for General Plan Housing Element

CARP

Continued from Page A1 academic lives.”

The couple, the resolution states, “have made remarkable contributions and been tireless advocates for the Carpinteria Valley Community,” noting that “their generosity and commitment to lead and serve (and) inspire others to participate make a difference in their communities.

“The City Council hereby commends and congratulates Gregg and Geri Ann Carty as the ‘2022 Carpinterians of the Year,’ for their vital contributions to cherished Carpinteria events and programs that will positively impact the community far into the future.”

“I will treasure this forever,” Mr. Carty said at the awards ceremony. Added Geri Ann Carty, “I really have no words. I’m so overwhelmed by this beautiful and generous award.”

Councilmember and former Mayor Wade Nomura and his wife, Debbie, nominated the Cartys for the honor, noting in their application letter that “this dynamic couple has had a major impact on people, as well as the Carpinteria Valley and all it offers.”

In other business, the council will be asked to adopt a resolution approving the 20232031 Housing Element of the

Carpinteria General Plan as revised to address comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and other interested parties.

Staff is recommending that the council receive its presentation and public testimony; find the proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, adopt the resolution and direct the city manager to submit the Housing Element to HCD for review.

“State requirements for this Housing Element update are far more challenging than any prior update,” staff said. “The State Legislature has declared a ‘housing crisis’ in California, and local government zoning and permit review procedures are viewed as a major cause of the crisis.”

As a result, “the state is requiring cities to facilitate a significant increase in housing production, particularly higher-density multi-family housing,” staff said. “The draft Housing Element addresses these requirements and includes revised policies and programs to create significant additional opportunities for housing development consistent with recent State legislation.” email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

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(The Center Square) - Eleven more communities have been named by California

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday as “Prohousing” communities.

This designation allows local governments to apply for new grant funding and priority processing or funding points when applying for several funding programs as part of a $26 million state investment from the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund.

Emeryville, Fresno, Needles, Rancho Cordova, Redwood City, Riverside, Salinas, Stockton, and Ukiah, and the counties of San Diego and Yuba join 10 other regions recognized in February as “Prohousing” communities.

“It is very encouraging that so many jurisdictions are demonstrating their firm commitment to addressing housing availability and affordability in California,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

Gov. Newsom established the program which is part of a vision to build 2.5 million new homes in the coming eight years and presented it in his 2019-2020 budget.

“California’s most vexing issue is also its most shameful: the large and rising number of residents who lack a safe place to call home. In a state with vast amounts of wealth, more than 160,000 of its residents sleep in shelters, cars, or on the street,” Cal Matters reports.

Along with whole-care services which address drug addiction, lack of access, health concerns, affordability and other contributors to homelessness, it all comes down to housing.

“By taking advantage of the tools, technical assistance, funding opportunities, and incentives available to them through HCD, Prohousing communities can scale up their efforts to make a real difference in the work to address a housing crisis many decades in the making,” Mr. Valasquez said.

But building housing as an act of crisis management is not without its impact.

Riverside County has seen large swatches of land previously used as grazing fields for sheep and cattle, and agricultural fields become housing communities. More housing, less food grown locally.

“Instead of making excuses, these jurisdictions are rising to the challenge, making difficult choices and ensuring that Californians have access to needed housing,” Gov. Newsom said.

Streamlining multifamily housing developments, creating homes near jobs and transportation, building affordable homes for people of color and low-income earners with all construction being climate-smart, are all requirements for “Prohousing” designation.

Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez stated, “We are proud to work with these jurisdictions to create a healthy housing market that offers stability and opportunity to help teachers, mechanics, home health aides and many others find a place to live within a reasonable distance from their jobs and improve their quality of life.”

Accountability measures and incentives like the “Prohousing” Designation are a critical part of Newsom’s multipronged approach to address the state’s housing crisis.

“Remarkably, in just a few weeks since our last announcement, the number of Prohousing Designations has doubled, a testament to the growing number of communities taking responsibility and committing to building their fair share of housing,” the governor said. Not all is going according to plan. Last month Attorney General Rob Bonta announced “he would sue the city of Huntington Beach for not following state housing laws,” according to the Associated Press.

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