Housing Element Update

Current Status (updated October 21, 2025):  

The City of Pacifica’s 2023-2031 Housing Element was revised and adopted by the City Council on March 24, 2025, and formally certified by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), effective September 19, 2025.  

The Housing Element sets the planning and land use framework for more than 1,892 additional units of housing over the 2023-2031 planning period and includes many commitments to encourage the production of new housing units and promote fair access to housing.  

HCD’s certification of the element means that HCD has found that the City is “substantially compliant” with state law and prevents developers from bypassing certain zoning restrictions (also known as Builder’s Remedy). Certification also means the City is eligible for, or may rank higher in, many federal, state, and regional funding.  

Many of the programs and commitments made in the 2023-2031 Housing Element are in progress and will continue through 2031. Some have already been implemented. On August 11, 2025, the City updated the text and maps of the City’s General Plan and zoning code to provide additional zoning capacity for new housing.  

Pacifica’s 2023-2031 Housing Element, certification letter, and associated California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation can be found can be found under “Housing Element Update” at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs. 

ABOUT THE HOUSING ELEMENT

The Housing Element is a major part of Pacifica's General Plan. The other eight elements of the Pacifica General Plan were updated in 2022 and, together with the Housing Element, the General Plan comprises a policy document mandated by State law to address issues related to physical development and conservation of resources. 

The Housing Element will serve as the Pacifica’s housing plan from 2023 to 2031. The update provided an important opportunity for community members to assess housing needs, identify policy and resource priorities, and find solutions to implement a wide range of housing options. The plan contains goals, policies, and programs that will guide the City’s decision-making around the development and rehabilitation of housing. 

PROJECT HISTORY

The Housing Element is mandated by State law to be updated every eight years and certified by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Each jurisdiction in California receives a target number of homes to plan for called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. On December 16, 2021, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Board adopted the Final RHNA Plan. The total Regional Housing Needs Determination for the Bay Area in the 2023-2031 period is 441,176 units. Pacifica’s RHNA for the 2023-2031 period is 1,892 residential units. 

The 2023-2031 Housing Element update process was initiated in 2022 and included multiple surveys and community meetings. Results of these activities, along with prior drafts of the Housing Element can be found under “Housing Element Update” at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs    

The City Council adopted an earlier draft of 2023-2031 Housing Element on January 22, 2024. The draft incorporated significant revisions to reflect direction from the City Council and Planning Commission, respond to comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and incorporate community member feedback.  

HCD provided multiple rounds of formal written comments listing changes needed for HCD to deem the Housing Element compliant. The also City proactively coordinated with HCD staff on draft refinements required for certification and incorporated revisions to the Housing Element draft that was considered and adopted on March 24, 2025. 

Additionally, the City Council updated the text and maps of the City’s General Plan and zoning code to meet Pacifica’s RHNA zoning capacity obligation on August 11, 2025. This followed HCD’s previous determination that the updated Housing Element met the statutory requirements of state law and would be certified pending the formal adoption of the Housing Element and completion of the zoning and General Plan amendments. 

An Environmental Impact Report was also prepared to evaluate the proposed zoning and General Plan amendments under the requirements of the. More information on the zoning and General Plan amendments and associated CEQA documents are available under “Housing Element Targeted General Plan Amendments, Rezoning, and Objective Development Standards Program” at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs.