Through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, the City of Gonzales is updating its housing element to accommodate the 6th cycle housing allocation.

• The Housing Element was updated by the City of Gonzales.

• The City released a Draft Housing Element in January 2024 for RHNA’s 6th cycle.

LandWatch engages in the public process in a variety of ways. For this project, here is a list of our engagement strategies.

• Letter: LandWatch Gives Feedback on Housing Element Update from May (193K PDF)
  LandWatch Monterey County opposes Gonzales’ reliance on the unapproved Vista Lucia Specific Plan for its Housing Element, urging the City to identify already available infill sites for higher-density affordable housing instead. They emphasize that Vista Lucia lacks necessary approvals, infrastructure plans, and environmental reviews, making it unsuitable to meet the City’s RHNA obligations. (05.21.24)
• Letter: LandWatch on Gonzales Draft Housing Element Update (2.2M PDF)
  LandWatch supports Gonzales’ draft Housing Element but recommends expanding development standards and local density bonuses. They oppose reliance on the Vista Lucia Specific Plan, urging consideration of other vacant sites for affordable housing. Emphasizing the need for long-term planning, they criticize the approval of single-family homes and stress the demand for affordable multifamily rentals. (01.23.24)