Essential Housing Program

in Santee, California

The Essential Housing Program was adopted on August 25, 2021 by Ordinance 592 to boost housing production and improve housing affordability. It addresses the current housing crisis by expediting and incentivizing the construction of new housing over a five-year period.

The Essential Housing Program allows certain residential housing projects that meet specific criteria to be determined “Essential Housing Projects”. Such a project would be deemed in compliance with the City’s General Plan and therefore not subject to General Plan and Zone Base District Amendments in order to move forward with entitlements. Such a project would still remain subject to all other discretionary permit requirements. The determination as to whether a project qualifies as an Essential Housing Project would be a ministerial one made by the Director of Planning & Building based upon objective criteria set forth in a Checklist.

ESSENTIAL HOUSING PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Essential Housing Program allows certain residential housing projects that meet specific criteria to be determined “Essential Housing Projects”. Such a project would be deemed in compliance with the City’s General Plan and therefore not subject to General Plan and Zone Base District Amendments in order to move forward with entitlements. Such a project would still remain subject to all other discretionary permit requirements. The determination as to whether a project qualifies as an Essential Housing Project would be a ministerial one made by the Director of Development Services based upon objective criteria set forth in a Checklist.

ESSENTIAL HOUSING PROGRAM – APPLICATION, GUIDE AND CHECKLIST

The Director’s review of an Essential Housing Project Application is based solely on the objective criteria set forth in the City of Santee Essential Housing Project Credits Assessment Guide (Attachment 1 to the Application). The number of credits achieved by a project is indicated on the completed City of Santee Essential Housing Project Credits Assessment Checklist (Attachment 2 to the Application) submitted with the application.

An Essential Housing Project Application is applicable to a housing development project consisting of residential units only or mixed-use development consisting of residential and nonresidential uses, including live/work spaces, with at least two-thirds of the square footage designated for residential use. A project is not an Essential Housing Project if any of the following statements apply:

The development footprint is within a floodway as defined in Santee Municipal Code Chapter 11.36.
The development footprint is proposed in an area which is permanently protected by one or more conservation easements.
The General Plan land use designation or zoning classification of the project site does not currently allow for residential uses and the project site is not identified in the
Residential Sites Inventory of the Housing Element.
The project site is not on existing or planned (identified in the General Plan) prime arterial, major arterial, parkway or collector.
The project site is within Safety Zone 1,2, or 5 of the Gillespie Field Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.

REVIEW CRITERIA

An Essential Housing Project is a Housing Development Project that is certified by the Director as having achieved at least 50 credits across eight categories based on objective criteria described in the City of Santee Essential Housing Project Credits Assessment Guide (Attachment 1 to the Application). Categories consist of Land Use, Housing, Mobility, Open Space and Conservation, Sustainability, Trails and Sidewalks, Safety, and Parks and Recreation. Achieving 50 credits, with 10 required credits in the Housing category, ensures a project’s consistency with the General Plan.

AUTHORITY

The Director has up to 30 days to review an Essential Housing Application and to render a determination to an applicant. If a project achieves 50 credits, the Director will certify the project as Essential Housing Project. This determination is final and cannot be appealed to the City Council. Upon receipt of a signed certification from the Director, the applicant would have 120 days to submit a formal development application and all required information. If the applicant fails to submit the formal development application within the 120-day period, the Essential Housing Project certification expires, unless it is extended by the mutual written consent of the Director and applicant.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

The Director’s determination is based on objective criteria and therefore is considered a ministerial action under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is not subject to CEQA. A certification of a project as an Essential Housing Project does not authorize, entitle, or otherwise permit a development project. Upon certifying a project as an Essential Housing Project, a Notice of Exemption would be filed with the San Diego County Recorder’s Office.

The Essential Housing Project itself would still be subject to applicable CEQA requirements. Notices of environmental exemption are listed as follows: