LIVE COVERAGE Housing and Land Use Committee Meeting of October 20, 2026

The Salinas Housing and Land Use Committee met on October 20, 2026. The committee approved the September 8 meeting minutes and voted to postpone approval of the proposed 2027 meeting calendar until its next meeting so staff can incorporate pending topic requests and assess whether additional meetings are needed. Staff reported that Economic and Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS) has been engaged to analyze the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance; no action was requested. Members urged broader public outreach and representation in forming the technical advisory committee, with a draft ordinance expected in about six months.

Staff provided an update on four projects with conditional FY 2025–26 multifamily NOFA funding commitments, totaling approximately $8.46 million: Vista La Terraza ($960,000), St. George ($2.3 million), Constantine Street Family Apartments ($3.8 million), and Republic Cafe (about $1.2 million). The projects remain subject to documentation, environmental review, financing, and other steps; no new funding or contract awards were approved at this meeting. For Republic Cafe, staff plans to issue an RFP by year-end to select a development partner; phase-one stabilization also needs additional funding and a contractor. Construction on that phase is contingent on funding and contractor procurement.