Housing and Community Investment Study

Recent News

Summer 2023:

  • July 19, 2023: City Council Approves the EVSP
    • The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-85, certifying the Program Environmental Impact Report prepared for the East Valley Specific Plan, and adopted Ordinance No. 2023-10, approving the East Valley Specific Plan with exception of the following:
      • Allow for drive-thru facilities to continue operating as a conditional use, and;
      • Strike the following:
        • Section 2.2.2 (1.1)
        • the last sentence of 1.4
        • the following words from Section 2.2.4 (1.4): "increase the number of people who use transit" and replace with "other viable transit options"
        • Section 3.2
    • APPROVED East Valley Specific Plan
  • July 6, 2023: Continued Planning Commission review of the EVSP
  • June 27, 2023: Continued Planning Commission review of the EVSP
  • June 20, 2023: Continued Planning Commission review of the EVSP
    • The Planning Commission meeting on June 13th was continued to a special meeting on June 20th. The East Valley Specific Plan will be brought before the Planning Commission at that meeting for further review and input from the Planning Commission. Meeting documents can be found below:
  • June 13, 2023: Planning Commission Meeting for review of EVSP
    • The East Valley Specific Plan will be brought before the Planning Commission on June 13th at the regularly scheduled meeting for review and input from the Planning Commission. Meeting documents can be found below:
    • Should you have any questions or wish to provide a written public comment, please send them to afinestone@escondido.org. Public comment may be made in-person as well. Planning Commission is held at City Hall, beginning at 7 PM: 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025.

Spring 2023:

  • May 24, 2023: Dept. of Housing and Community Development (HCD) -- Housing Element Review Letter
    • On May 24th, the City received a subsequent review letter from HCD regarding the March 22nd adopted housing element that was submitted to HCD for their compliance review. The letter can be found here. 
  • March 30, 2023: Public Review of the EVSP PEIR
    • The East Valley Specific Plan (EVSP) is the final step in securing certification of the recently adopted Housing Element by HCD. This is because the Housing Element identified a significant number of housing units that can be accommodated on parcels within the East Valley Specific Plan area. A Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) has been prepared for the EVSP to address potentially significant impacts resulting from the implementation of the specific plan. The draft PEIR is being released for a 45-day pubic review period beginning March 30, 2023 and running through May 15, 2023. 
    • The public is invited to review and comment on the draft PEIR. Comments may be mailed or submitted via email (afinestone@escondido.org), and should be addressed to:
      • Adam Finestone, AICP
        City Planner
        Planning Division
        City of Escondido
        201 N. Broadway
        Escondido, CA 92025
         
  • March 22, 2023: The Planning Commission's Feb. 28th recommendation will be presented to the City Council for final action at March 22nd's regularly scheduled City Council meeting.  The staff report and agenda will be available a minimum of 72 hours prior to the Mar., 22nd date at this webpage.
    • Should you have any questions or wish to provide a written public comment, please send them to vmorones@escondido.org or you may submit them at the City's webpage. You may also call directly at 760-839-4548. Public comment may be made in-person as well. City Council is held at City Hall: 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025.

Winter 2022/2023:

  • February 28, 2023: Draft revisions from October 3, 2022 will be presented to the City's Planning Commission at the Feb., 28th regularly scheduled public hearing for review and recommendation to the City Council. The staff report and agenda will be available a minimum of 72 hours prior to the Feb., 28th date at this webpage.
  • December 8, 2022: The City received a review letter from HCD, dated Dec. 8, 2022 for the City's October 3rd draft revisions to the 2021-2029 General Plan Housing Element. HCD states, "[t]he draft revisions to the element meet the statutory requirements described in HCD's August 2, 2022 review." However, the City's draft revised housing element may not be found in full compliance until the City adopts rezoning efforts pursuant to Gov. Code section 65585. The City's rezoning efforts are currently underway through the East Valley Specific Plan project.  

Fall 2022:

  • October 3, 2022: Draft revisions to the 2021-2029 General Plan Housing Element (shown in srtrikethrough/red) are available for a 14-calendar day review period before transmittal to HCD for review and certification. The September 2022 revisions are in addition to those revisions submitted to HCD in June 2022, and are in direct response to the August 2, 2022 comment letter received from HCD (see below).  ​​​​​​
  • August 2, 2022: City staff received HCD's 60-day review comment letter. HCD's comment letter of the draft revisions to the 2021-2029 General Plan Housing Element can be found here.  

Spring 2022:

  • May 3, 2022: Draft revisions to the 2021-2029 General Plan Housing Element (shown in Tracked Changes srtrikethrough/underlined) are available for a 30-day review period before transmittal to HCD for review and certification. Response to comments received throughout the Housing Element Update and to HCD's August 10, 2021 comment letter can be found here. 
  • May 10, 2022: A public meeting will be held at the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting to provide an overview of the draft revisions made to the 2021 - 2029 General Plan Housing Element and allow for public comment. A link to the agenda can be found here. 

The City of Escondido envisions itself as a sustainable community through various environmental, economic, health, and social equity initiatives.  And the ability to increase housing production and preservation is a key factor to a sustainable future.  Housing is a central component of livability and the need for people of various incomes and physical ability to find safe, decent, and attainable housing.  The City was recently awarded grant funding to develop three different housing studies and plans: a Housing Element Update, a Sector Feasibility Study, and an East Valley Specific Plan.  These three housing studies and plans have been linked together, through a common work program theme, called the “Housing and Community Investment Study.”  The City is currently soliciting public review and comment on the Draft East Valley Specific Plan.  The Sector Feasibility Study was completed in June, 2021, in support of the other two documents. 

Components of the Housing and Community Investment Study:

The Housing and Community Investment Study identifies the City’s housing needs and establishes clear goals and objectives to inform future housing decisions. This important effort will guide Escondido’s future housing policy creation and implementation.  It will address things like how best to increase or accommodate affordability, substandard housing rehabilitation, existing demand for new housing, eliminating housing development constraints, and fair housing.

1. The Housing Element Update identifies:

2. The Sector Feasibility Study identifies:

  • Information and assess if, and to what degree, housing development is financially/economically feasible under rising construction, land, and regulatory costs.
  • Sector Feasibility Study (June 3, 2021) 

3. The East Valley Specific Plan identifies:

  • A comprehensive planning and zoning scheme for an area just east of the former, downtown hospital campus.
  • Opportunity sites ready for development.  The area map shows the location of potential re-visioning.
  • New ways to accommodate streamlined housing with community-supported solutions.
  • DRAFT East Valley Specific Plan available for public review (posted March 18, 2021)
  • FINAL East Valley Specific Plan available for public review (posted March 30, 2023, subsequently modified by City Council on July 19, 2023)
  • APPROVED East Valley Specific Plan

Actions:

Public Participation:

A goal of the Housing and Community Investment Study is to ensure that the future housing accommodation strategies embrace the distinct identity and character of Escondido where one can live their entire life with housing for all ages, incomes and abilities.  For that purpose, a Public Participation Plan was developed to help street outreach engagement activities.  During the course of the Study, the City will work with development experts, community-based interest groups, stakeholders, and the community at large to achieve the best plan possible through engagement tools including meetings, community workshops, and online engagement.  As of this writing, the City is focusing on collecting additional input on the draft Housing Element.  Please refer to the outreach flyer that was created to help promote the different ways a resident, business, or other community member can provide comments.

Information about the first phase and second phase of outreach is available and provided on this webpage below.  

The work program schedule anticipates completion by summer 2021.  Since the Study will allow the various plans/studies to be reviewed by the public and considered by the Planning Commission and City Council in a timely manner, the please utilize this website as a source of the latest information.  It will be updated as needed to make sure that the public has access to all of the information.  Please check back soon, and frequently, to provide input on new housing policies and programs to address the issues most important to Escondido.

Project Material and Information:

First Phase of Outreach:

Escondido is dedicated to creating a sustainable and livable community for all. To achieve this, the City of Escondido is preparing a city-wide housing plan, called a “Housing Element.” The City is exploring a strategy to develop more housing in important areas to meet state housing requirements and to meet our own goals for maintaining community character and strong neighborhoods. The East Valley is one of those target areas.  The first phase of outreach of the Housing Investment Community Study is focused on developing background information and feedback on overarching housing issues and concerns.  We ask for your input on the future of housing in Escondido and we will talk about key opportunities and constraints for East Valley.

Second Phase of Outreach:

With most of the first phase of outreach complete, the City is moving into the second phase to collect input on where new housing should go in the East Valley Specific Plan area.  The City is exploring different strategies to develop more housing to meet state housing requirements and to meet our own goals for maintaining community identity.  Public feedback in the second phase of outreach will be utilized to determine the locations and densities of new housing options.   

Environmental Review:

February 11, 2021: The City released a Notice of Preparation to advertise the forthcoming work and solicit feedback on the scope of the environmental study.   

East Valley Specific Plan Comment Form (Comments, Suggestions, Concerns, Ideas)