Pacifica staff to update inclusionary housing, density bonus rules after HEART presentation on state law and financing

Pacifica city staff and consultants recommended a package of updates to the city’s inclusionary housing and density bonus ordinances during a joint City Council and Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 6, 2025. The presentation from the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County (HEART) and city staff outlined state and federal housing laws that affect local practice, options to deepen affordability, and next steps including an upcoming county nexus/feasibility study.

The recommendations aim to modernize Pacifica’s rules so they align with state law and regional best practices, update the city’s out‑of‑date 2007 in‑lieu fee schedule for inflation, and add clearer procedures for monitoring and enforcing affordable units. "Congratulations. We have a certified housing element, and an approved rezoning program," Samantha Updegrave, Pacifica’s community development director, said at the start of the presentation, noting the city is now positioned to move into implementation.

Why it matters: the city’s inclusionary ordinance, adopted in 2007, has not been substantially amended since. HEART staff said that California law has changed repeatedly in recent decades — including the Housing Accountability Act, SB 330 (the Housing Crisis Act of 2019), state density bonus law and other statutes — and those changes affect what local rules can require or allow. HEART…