AB 2011 and SB 6 State Law

AB 2011 (Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022) and SB 6 (Middle Class Housing Act of 2022) were signed into law on September 28, 2022, and became effective on July 1, 2023. Both laws allow multifamily and mixed use residential development as a permitted use in zones where office, retail, or parking are principally permitted uses. These laws are designed to facilitate the development of affordable and middle-class housing on commercially zoned sites. By repurposing underutilized commercial spaces for residential use, AB 2011 and SB 6 aim to streamline the approval process for housing projects while ensuring fair labor practices and addressing the urgent need for more housing in California. AB 2243 was signed into law September 19, 2024, which amends both AB 2011 and SB 6  that allow additional residential developments in commercial zones and further limit local discretion to review, condition, and deny them.

AB 2011, also known as the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, is a law that facilitates development of affordable housing on sites zoned for commercial use. AB 2011 allows a by-right ministerial approval process for either a 100% Affordable or Mixed-Income project. The streamlined review process is for projects with 150 units or less to be processed within 90 days of submittal, or projects with over 150 units to be processed within 180 days.

A 100% Affordable project requires the entire development to be dedicated to lower-income (80% AMI) households, and must meet the City's zoning regulations for the site it is to be developed on. Whereas a Mixed-Income project prescribes specific density, height, and setback requirements. In addition, Mixed-Income projects are required to front a commercial corridor, which is defined as a street that is 70 to 150 feet in width.

SB 6, also known as the Middle Class Housing Act of 2022, encourages residential development on commercial sites. SB 6 projects must follow existing approval processes, and the law also allows for two types of projects: Residential Only and Mixed-Use. Mixed-Use projects are required to designate 50% of the square footage as residential. In addition, SB 6 projects are not required to include affordable housing, but are required to comply with the City's local inclusionary housing regulations found in Chapter 30.41. However, SB 6 does require more prescriptive labor standards than AB 2011, and SB 6 projects are subject to both CEQA and the Coastal Act. 

AB 2011 and SB 6 Ordinance and Objective Design Standards for the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans

The City applied for and received a SANDAG HAP Cycle 2 grant funded by HCD’S REAP 2.0 program. A portion of the grant funds are being utilized to hire a consultant that will develop amendments to the Encinitas Municipal Code, Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan, and North 101 Corridor Specific Plan to implement AB 2011 and SB 6.

On June 21, 2023 the City Council and Planning Commission held a Joint Special Meeting to receive a report and discuss AB 2011 and SB 6 housing legislative bills.

At the August 16, 2023 City Council Meeting, the City Council executed Resolution No. 2023-98 to initiate the amendments to the Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program (LCP) to implement these new housing bills. 

At the September 25, 2024 City Council Meeting, the City Council executed a professional services agreement with Ascent Environmental Inc. to help update Municipal Code to comply with state law, and amendments to establish clear and objective design standards for the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans. 

AB 2011 and SB 6 Ordinance: Workshop 1

The first public workshop was hosted by the City and Ascent Environmental Consulting on April 15, 2025, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at City Hall in the Poinsettia Room. At this workshop we provided an overview of Assembly Bill 2011 - Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022 (AB 2011) and Senate Bill 6 - Middle Class Housing Act of 2022 (SB 6) which allow residential and mixed-use projects in zones where office, retail, or parking are permitted as a primary use.

The City will be developing a local implementing ordinance for AB 2011 and SB 6 and creating objective design standards to establish maximum allowed local control over the design of development projects utilizing State laws. If adopted, the objective design standards would be incorporated into the Encinitas Municipal Code and the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans. 

Powerpoint Presentation

Meeting Recording (Audio Only)

Meeting Minutes

Specific Plan Interactive Workshop Maps

Objective Design Standards (ODS) Interactive Workshop Board

Workshop 2 and 3: Objective Design Standards for the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans

The City of Encinitas hosted two public workshops focusing on creating objective design standards (ODS) for future multifamily and mixed-use development projects within the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans. The purpose of creating these ODS is to establish maximum allowed local control over the design of multifamily and mixed-use development projects utilizing State laws. The goal of these focused workshops is to receive feedback from the community on what design elements are most important to the community to help preserve the community character within the specific plans to the extent feasible. These workshops, and development of the ODS, are associated with the work effort of AB 2011 and SB 6 ordinance. Below is information regarding the two workshops.

Workshop No. 2

North 101 Corridor Specific Plan- ODS Workshop

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 (6:00 – 8:00 PM) in the Poinsettia Room at City Hall.

Powerpoint Presentation

Meeting Recording (Audio Only)

Meeting Minutes

Specific Plan Interactive Workshop Maps

Objective Design Standards (ODS) Interactive Workshop Board

Comment Card & Comment Card (Open Feedback) - Feedback is strongly encouraged. Please email to Sara Cadona or drop off at the Planning front counter.

Workshop No. 3

Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan- ODS Workshop

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 (6:00 – 8:00 PM) in the Poinsettia Room at City Hall.

Powerpoint Presentation

Meeting Recording (Audio Only)

Meeting Minutes

Specific Plan Interactive Workshop Maps

Objective Design Standards (ODS) Interactive Workshop Board

Comment Card (Prompt Questions) & Comment Card (Open Feedback) - Feedback is strongly encouraged. Please email to Sara Cadona or drop off at the Planning front counter.

Joint Planning Commission and City Council Workshop

The City of Encinitas would like to invite you to attend a joint City Council and Planning Commission public workshop, on October 29, 2025 starting at 6:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers, for a presentation on the draft AB 2011 and SB 6 implementing ordinance, key development standards, and new objective design standards proposed for the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans. These new objective standards would  apply to AB 2011 and SB 6 projects and all multifamily and mixed-use projects within these specific plan areas. The City is taking a proactive approach to establish maximum allowed local control over these types of development projects to help preserve community character.

Meeting Materials:

AB 2011 and SB 6 Reference Guide

Workshop Report

Meeting PowerPoint Presentation

AB 2011 (100% Affordable) Potentially Qualifying Parcels Map

AB 2011 (Mixed Income) Potentially Qualifying Parcels Map

SB 6 Potentially Qualifying Parcels Map

DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW

The public comment and review period for the following three (3) documents starts October 15 through November 19, 2025. We welcome your participation and input during the public comment period.

• Draft AB 2011 and SB 6 Implementing Ordinance

• Draft Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan Objective Design Standards

• Draft North 101 Corridor Specific Plan Objective Design Standards

Comments may be submitted by:

• Email Comment Cards to Sara Cadona at scadona@encinitasca.gov. 
• Drop off Comment Cards to Planning Division front counter at City Hall (505 S. Vulcan Ave, Encinitas CA 92024)
• Mail Comment Cards to City Hall (505 S. Vulcan Ave, Encinitas CA 92024)
• Provide public comment during the in-person workshop (October 29- Council Chambers)

AB 2011 and SB 6 Implementation Screening Map

The City of Encinitas created the following map as a tool to screen for potential eligible sites that may be developed under AB 2011 or S 6 below. This tool is provided for general reference only. Please consult with City of Encinitas staff for questions or to verify the accuracy of the information contained therein.