The Salinas Housing and Land Use Committee on Sept. 30 asked city staff to return with a prioritized calendar of presentations and information to support committee oversight of housing policy. Committee members said they want actionable briefings on tenant resources and rent-stabilization navigation, permit-streamlining and permitting oversight, zoning reform options (including density, accessory dwelling units and parking minimums), development feasibility, and regional coordination with Monterey County.
The request came during a discussion item on development of future committee agenda topics. Vincent Montgomery, planning manager for the City of Salinas Housing and Community Development Department, told the committee staff will draft a calendar for the next year and incorporate committee priorities within roughly a month to six weeks. Committee members asked staff to propose ways the group might prioritize topics once that list is shared.
Committee members asked for more public-facing presentations from programs such as Eco Housing and the Housing Resource Center to explain available resources and the process for filing tenant complaints and petitions, including where to go when there are questions about landlord charges or utility billing. Members also asked staff to present a proposal for a resident community housing advisory committee or permitting oversight group to monitor permitting workflows and recommend streamlining measures.
Members discussed zoning reform topics they want to see analyzed: density definitions and impacts on neighborhood character, potential reductions in parking minimums, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) requirements and common barriers homeowners face when seeking to build ADUs, lot-size impacts on duplex and townhome feasibility, and tools such as value-capture zoning and development opportunity reserves to trade density for community benefits.
Several members asked for presentations that include market and financial feasibility analyses — how rising material costs affect project viability, and whether projects intended as affordable housing remain financially feasible. Members requested staff invite local stakeholders to provide practical perspectives and to compare Salinas to peer cities with similar size and demographics.
During the same agenda item, public commenters asked the city to inventory city-owned properties that could be used for transitional shelter and to consider incentives for landlords to rent to nonprofits. Jessica Macias, CEO of YWCA Monterey County, described interest from nonprofits in operating shelter sites and asked how agencies can learn which city-owned properties might be available. A committee member said several city property acquisitions (single-family homes and hotels) will be brought to the Housing and Land Use Committee for consideration.
Chair Barajas and staff noted countywide issues — including mention of saltwater intrusion in parts of North Monterey County — as a reason to coordinate regional planning. The committee did not take formal votes on policy changes; staff were directed to return with a proposed schedule and to coordinate with leadership on priorities.