Housing ElementPlanning for Housing in Lafayette

 
Cities and counties in California are required to adopt a plan for housing to meet the existing and future housing needs for all kinds of households in the community. This housing plan is called the “Housing Element” and is one chapter of a larger, citywide document called the General Plan. The Housing Element must be updated every eight years and approved by the State. Lafayette started updating its plan in December 2020, which has been guided by a group of eleven community volunteers called the General Plan Advisory Committee. Visit planlafayette.org for more information on the Housing Element, General Plan, and the General Plan Advisory Committee.
 
Draft Report Now Available on Environmental Impacts of City’s Proposed Housing Element
The City and a group of residents and volunteers have been working for over a year on a policy document that will guide the development of new housing in Lafayette over the next 8 years. This policy document is called the Housing Element and is required by the State to be updated every 8 years. Additionally, the City hired a consultant to evaluate potential environmental impacts of implementing the proposed updated Housing Element. The draft of the consultant’s report, called an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), is now available for public review on the City’s website at www.lovelafayette.org/ceqa. A document summarizing the EIR is also available at that web address.
  • Members of the public are encouraged to review the Draft EIR, which is intended to inform both decision-makers and the general public of potentially significant effects and ways to avoid or mitigate the environmental consequences that may result from implementation of the proposed updated Housing Element.
  • You are invited to email comments on the Draft EIR to GeneralPlan@LoveLafayette.org by Monday, April 4, 2022. Comments received by that date will be incorporated into the final document.
 
Please visit PlanLafayette.org to learn more about planning for Lafayette’s future, including how to engage with the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC)!
 
Tuesday, March 1, 6 PM – Planning for Housing
The General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) is a group of 11 volunteers and residents working to update the City’s plan for housing, called the Housing Element. The Housing Element is the chapter (or “element”) of the General Plan focused on how the city can achieve an adequate supply of safe, decent housing for residents.
 
On Tuesday evening, the GPAC will continue discussions about what makes a good location for housing and where the City should plan for new housing. The meeting will not cover specific housing development proposals, but will be focused on the future of housing in the City and how Lafayette can meet the housing needs of all current and future residents. To learn more about this process, visit planlafayette.org/rhna.
 
Monday, March 7, 7 PM – Planning Commission Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report
The Lafayette Planning Commission will be holding a formal public hearing for members of the public to comment on the draft report. While written public comments are accepted by e-mail at generalplan@lovelafayette.org from February 18 – April 4th, March 7th is an opportunity to provide comments in a public hearing setting.
 
Thursday, March 17 & Saturday, March 19 – March Workshops on Housing Discrimination
This March, the City will be holding public workshops on Thursday, March 17 and Saturday, March 19 to understand barriers to accessing housing and housing discrimination in Lafayette. Keep an eye out for a postcard in your mailbox soon with more information. During the online sessions, staff will be providing information on what housing discrimination looks like and hearing ideas for solutions. The public input gathered at these sessions may be incorporated into the City’s plan to address housing needs in our community. Keep an eye out for the postcard announcing these events, which were mailed out last week. Visit https://planlafayette.org/fair-housing to register to attend.
 
Get Involved in the Housing Element
  • Just getting started? Visit planlafayette.org for background information and additional resources!
  • For a complete list of upcoming and past meetings, visit www.planlafayette.org/get-involved
  • Sign up for e-notifications! You can get emails alerting you when items surrounding the General Plan and Housing Element update are being discussed by visiting lovelafayette.org/e-notifications and selecting “General Plan Update”.
 
 
 
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