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Planners report steady ADU permitting and note remaining affordable-housing gap
Summary
On Feb. 26 planners told the commission El Segundo issued 25 ADU permits in 2025, bringing total new-unit permits to 122 in the current RHNA cycle, but the city remains short of its 521-unit RHNA allocation with roughly 400 affordable units still needed; staff will file the annual reports to the state before April 1.
City planning staff presented the 2025 annual general-plan and housing-element implementation reports to the Planning Commission on Feb. 26, summarizing permitting activity, code changes and progress on programs intended to meet the city's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
Principal planner Paul Samaras told commissioners the Community Development Department processed roughly 1,000 counter assists and nearly 1,000 building permits in the past year, conducted about 6,000 inspections and opened 343 new code-compliance cases in 2025. Samaras said the department received 20 planning-entitlement applications and the commission held 16 meetings addressing roughly 19 entitlement items.
On accessory dwelling units (ADUs), staff said the city issued 25 ADU permits in 2025 and launched a pre-approved ADU plans program intended to streamline construction and reduce costs for property owners. "We expect to receive drafts from our consultant within the next few weeks" on the comprehensive land-use update (Vision 2050), Samaras said, noting the new land-use element adoption process is anticipated in early 2027.
Progress on affordable-housing programs was more mixed. Staff noted that the city has permitted 122 new units so far in the eight-year planning period, with nearly all permitted units at market rates. The city's RHNA target is 521 units for the period, meaning roughly 400 units in lower-income categories remain to be facilitated. Major pipeline projects include the Pacific Coast Commons development (approved in 2022 for 263 units, 32 of them affordable) and a 79-unit proposal at the former Stickenstein site that would include four affordable units; staff confirmed several projects remain on hold or in early application stages amid market and financing challenges.
Staff summarized completed actions called for in the housing element: a suite of zoning and code amendments (including 12 zoning-text amendments completed by 2025), an ADU fee calculator and pre-approved plans, an affordable-housing strategic plan with prioritized actions, and a temporary deferral policy for impact fees to encourage housing production. Samaras said the city will submit the two state-mandated reports (general-plan implementation and housing-element implementation) before the April 1 deadline.
The commission received and filed the report by consensus.
