7th Cycle Housing Element Update (2029 – 2036)

The City of Grover Beach is seeking a qualified consulting firm to prepare its 7th Cycle Housing Element Update for the 2029–2036 planning period, with the goal of achieving certification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development by December 2028. The consultant will lead comprehensive technical analyses including a housing needs assessment, an Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing analysis, and a housing sites inventory to meet the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, while also identifying constraints to housing production. The work must align with the City’s General Plan and Local Coastal Program, and require close coordination with the California Coastal Commission and HCD. Key deliverables include draft and final Housing Element documents, CEQA environmental documentation, public participation materials, and a certification package. The consultant must demonstrate proven experience with California housing laws such as the Housing Accountability Act, Housing Crisis Act, and Density Bonus Law, as well as a record of successfully navigating HCD review and achieving certification. Proposal evaluation will be based on a holistic assessment of technical qualifications, past performance on similar projects, understanding of local regulatory constraints, quality of proposed approach, staffing capabilities, and overall cost value, with no formal scoring weights but using a trade-off process to select the best overall value. The contract requires the consultant to maintain professional licensing and insurance with A.M. Best-rated carriers of at least A-, provide primary and noncontributing coverage to the City, and include waiver of subrogation and 30-day cancellation notices. All subcontractors must comply with the same requirements, including organizational conflict of interest restrictions that prohibit employment of current City personnel and require written approval for any involvement in other related projects. The consultant must submit detailed monthly invoices and adhere to strict confidentiality obligations, including prohibitions on public dissemination of project information. Ownership of all deliverables vests in the City, though the consultant retains attribution rights unless waived. Performance will be conducted in Grover Beach, California, with acceptance by the City serving as final approval but not releasing the consultant from ongoing legal or professional liabilities. The agreement operates under a fixed scope with a proposed completion date of December 2028, no defined contract value or pricing details are provided, and submission of proposals is required by August 15, 2026. The City will review proposals based on the demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality, legally compliant, and community-inclusive housing documentation under tight deadlines, with no participation in federal socioeconomic or small business set-aside programs.