SOLEDAD — The City of Soledad is the first South Monterey County community to adopt the 2023-2031 Housing Element, a document that will ensure Soledad adequately plans to meet the housing needs of all community members.
The previous Housing Element for the City of Soledad expired on Dec. 31, 2023. The process for updating the Housing Element began in January 2023 when City of Soledad staff contracted with Placeworks.
A series of public outreach activities followed from March until August 2023. The City of Soledad heard from hundreds of residents through community workshops, event pop-ups and digital marketing.
The Housing Element establishes the City’s official housing policies and objectives and identifies available housing sites to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
The City of Soledad’s RHNA goal for the planning period of 2023-2031 is 724 units. Of those, the City needs to allocate 100 units for very low-income (less than 50% of the area median income), 65 for low-income (50-80%), 183 moderate-income (81-120%) and 376 for above moderate-income (more than 120%).
“After extensive community feedback, I’m excited the City Council approved the submittal of the Housing Element to the State for approval,” said Soledad Mayor Anna Velazquez. “The comprehensive plan identifies the City’s current and projected housing needs for the next eight years and outlines a pragmatic strategy to improve and develop housing opportunities that meet the needs of all income levels in our community. The plan reflects our commitment to developing housing for future generations.”
The City of Soledad is currently working with developers on several housing projects that will help meet or surpass the City’s RHNA goal. These include the Miramote Specific Plan and the 540 Gabilan development, which will bring an estimated 100 affordable apartment units.
