7th Cycle Housing Element Update

The City of Atascadero is seeking a qualified consultant to update its certified Housing Element for the 2028–2036 reporting period, known as the 7th Cycle, in compliance with California state law and alignment with the Draft 2045 General Plan. The project requires comprehensive planning activities including evaluating the previous housing element, conducting a full housing needs assessment with an Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) analysis, performing a housing sites inventory, and coordinating extensively with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to ensure a streamlined certification process. The consultant must manage all aspects of the project, including community outreach, agency coordination with regional entities like San Luis Obispo County and the City of Paso Robles, and producing a final HCD-certified Housing Element document. Optional regional affordability studies, potentially cost-shared through SLOCOG grants, may be included to enhance efficiency. The consultant must demonstrate significant experience with similar municipal housing element updates, provide detailed resumes of key personnel—particularly a designated Project Manager—and show an ability to deliver the work on schedule, with final submissions due no later than January 15, 2029. Proposals must be submitted physically by September 7, 2026, through hand delivery or mail to the City’s Community Development Department and cannot be submitted electronically. The evaluation is based on several non-weighted factors, including demonstrated experience, technical approach, completeness of the proposal, project management capability, and proposed cost, with a preference for regional coordination efforts. The City reserves the right to select based on overall best value using a trade-off process rather than on lowest price. Contracts will be awarded following evaluation, and the selected consultant must execute a written agreement within 14 days, maintain $2 million in professional liability insurance and $1 million in general liability insurance with the City named as additional insured, and comply with the Political Reform Act regarding financial interest disclosures. No formal FAR clauses, federal accounting codes, or electronic invoicing systems are referenced, and while the procurement does not require UEI, CAGE codes, or socioeconomic certifications, the work must align with state regulatory frameworks including AB 686 and prior regional housing studies.