Poway Seeks Input on
Draft Housing Element Update

You are cordially invited to participate in the update of the City of Poway’s Housing Element of the General Plan. We value your feedback and want to hear from you!

Poway residents, businesses, and community stakeholders have a unique opportunity to take part in an important discussion on the future of housing in Poway. Participation is open to the public.

The City has prepared a draft update to the Housing Element section of its General Plan for 20-day review. This is an early draft and will be revised based on public input and City Council direction. Comments may be submitted up to end of day May 4. Late submittals will be accepted prior to adoption by the City Council, but may not be considered in the review by HCD. The update to the Public Safety Element is scheduled for Fall/Winter 2021-2022. A subsequent workshop about public safety will be held after the draft Public Safety Element update is released.

The second virtual workshop will be held Thursday, April 29, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and moderated by Poway City Planners. To participate, first register at poway.org/hpse at lease 24 hours in advance, then go to poway.org/workshop and join using "Computer Audio." The link will be accessible at the time of the workshop.

Every City is required to have a General Plan. It provides a vision for a City's future and identifies the community's land use, transportation, environmental, economic, and social goals and policies as they relate to land use and development. The California Supreme Court called the General Plan the “constitution for future development." 

The chapters of a General Plan are called "elements." The Housing Element is one of seven mandatory elements required by the state (Learn more about the Poway General Plan).

 Previous outreach included:  

• A brief survey online. On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the Planning Division released an online public survey regarding housing and public safety in Poway. This survey was available through November 30, 2020. There were 529 survey respondents. 
• Virtual Housing & Public Safety Element Update Workshop. The first of two virtual workshops was held Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020 and moderated by Poway City Planners, Poway Fire Marshal, and the Sheriff’s Poway Station Crime Prevention Specialist. At least 16 persons were in attendance. Several attendees were proud of the City being safe and many attendees felt that more affordable housing opportunities would be a good change for the City. Comments included, but were not limited to, retaining the City’s rural character/motto, preserving open space, providing housing within the urban core and more ADA accessible, multigenerational, and affordable housing, providing diverse designs compatible with surrounding areas and with the City’s rural character, promoting walking, biking, and other outdoor opportunities, reducing risks from wildfires and providing more education, enforcing defensible space regulations, reducing traffic speeds, and increasing pedestrian lighting. The Poway Chieftain newspaper also published an article summarizing the workshop.

For more information, an overview of the Update, and to sign up for email updates, visit our dedicated webpage at poway.org/hpse. It also may be helpful to read through the “Additional Resources” section on the Housing and Public Safety Elements Update Webpage (scroll to the end of the page).

Para poder participar en comunicados actualizados de alojamiento favor de comunicarse con Hector Salgado, planificador, al 858-668-4659.