Welcome!
The City of Lompoc is excited to announce that it is conducting a technical update to the City of Lompoc 2030 General Plan and preparing the 6th Cycle Update to the Housing Element. This technical update includes updating the existing Safety and Circulation Element, including the development of a new Environmental Justice Element (as required by State Law). The City initiated this update to refine the existing goals and policies of these Elements to address changes to State law and consider changing community needs and opportunities. This effort will enable the City to implement best practices to ensure the goals and policies in the 2030 General Plan meet the needs of the community now, and in the future.
The success of this planning effort will depend in part on input from the community to fully identify the city’s needs and expectations for this update. There will be many opportunities to participate in this update process as the project progresses. This webpage will be your primary source for information related to the project, including project documents, scheduling, news on upcoming meetings, and public outreach opportunities.
Preliminary HCD Questions on the Draft Housing Element
In June 2023, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reached out to the Project Team with a list of preliminary questions on the Draft Housing Element. The Team met with HCD to discuss their questions, and were given an opportunity to provide revisions, where necessary, within the review period.
The City has provided a response to each of HCD's questions. Please use the button below to download a document outlining the questions and the City's response.
In response to HCD's questions, the City made a number of revisions to the HCD Draft Housing Element. Please use the button below to download the HCD Draft Housing Element with revisions shown in track changes.
HCD Review Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Available Now
Following the 30-day public review period (March 17, 2023 to April 17, 2023), the City took at least 10 business days to consider comments and revise the document, as required by State law. The HCD Review Draft Housing Element was submitted to HCD on Thursday, May 11, 2023 for initial (90-day) review. Please use the button below to download the HCD Review Draft Housing Element.
Next Steps:
At the end of the comment period, HCD will provide a letter outlining necessary changes to achieve certification. The City will revise the Housing Element to address each comment and submit the Revised HCD Review Draft to the Planning Commission and City Council through public hearings.
What is a Housing Element?
The purpose of the housing element is to identify and analyze existing and projected housing needs in order to support housing preservation, improvement, and development for all economic segments of the community.
The State of California requires each City and County to plan for its fair share of the regional housing need. This fair share is determined through a process called the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA). Once a local government has received its RHNA, it must revise its housing element to show how it plans to accommodate its portion of the region’s housing need.
What is a General Plan?
Every city, town, and county in California must have a general plan, which is the local government’s long-term framework or “constitution” for future growth and development. The general plan represents the community’s aspiration for its future and intentions for community development. The general plan also contains the goals and policies upon which the City Council and Planning Commission will base their land use decisions. Typically, a general plan is designed to address the issues facing the city for the next 20 years.
The general plan is made up of a collection of “elements,” or topic categories. The State currently lists nine elements as mandatory: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, environmental justice, and air quality. As part of this Update, the City is updating the existing Land Use, Housing, Safety, and Circulation Elements.
