California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a statement following a settlement agreement between the City of Goleta and the Shelby Family Partnership over an affordable housing project in Santa Barbara County. The agreement comes after legal action from Bonta, who filed an amicus brief supporting the project in December 2024, challenging Goleta’s refusal to process a preliminary application for new affordable homes.
Goleta faces a significant housing shortage, with about three-quarters of lower-income renters and nearly two-thirds of lower-income homeowners spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The dispute centered on Goleta’s decision not to accept and process the Shelby Family Partnership’s application under California’s Builder’s Remedy provision.
On February 26, 2025, the Santa Barbara County Superior Court ruled in favor of Bonta’s position, determining that Goleta was required to allow the application to proceed. Following this ruling, the city agreed to process the project application and related environmental documents without delay. The settlement could lead to approval for up to 56 single-family homes by August 30, 2026, with nearly one-fifth designated as affordable for lower-income households.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the outcome: “The settlement agreement is good news for Goleta, its surrounding communities, and all of California. There is simply no denying that we need more affordable housing up and down our state — every new unit that we can bring online matters,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The settlement agreement is also good news for the rule of law. My office argued that Goleta acted unlawfully by refusing to process the application for this Builder’s Remedy project, the Santa Barbara County Superior Court agreed with us, and now, the application is finally moving forward. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Bonta recently issued a legal alert aimed at helping local officials understand their responsibilities under California’s Housing Accountability Act regarding timely processing of Builder’s Remedy applications.
Details about the settlement agreement and court order are available through official channels.
