Lompoc Unified School District

Our staff is an invaluable resource, and housing is a major recruitment and retention barrier for incoming and existing staff. In the spring 2024 survey of LUSD employees, 81% of the 532 LUSD respondents agreed that “The high cost of housing negatively impacts the district’s ability to retain and recruit  employees.” The need for affordable housing in general, and for district employees, is an increasing need across the State. New state legislation reduces planning and zoning barriers for school districts to develop employee housing. This has spurred even more public school districts to pursue employee housing. We believe that this investment is necessary for our staff, students, families, and our community. 

A public-private partnership. We will rely on public-private partnerships to develop, maintain, and run LUSD employee housing. We had the chance to visit several other public school district employee housing projects, and we’ve been inspired by the quality of the housing, the positive impact on recruitment and retention and the community. We’ve also had a chance to see how other districts have financed their employee housing projects, most commonly with the use of a General Obligation bond and Certificates of Participation. Lompoc plans to use a public-private partnerships to fund our project.  We will not use any bond or general funds. 

Yes. We are committed to developing employee housing that is safe, high-quality, and below market. In the spring 2024 LUSD Employee Housing Survey, staff identified safety as a high priority for employee housing. We agree. We will do everything we can to ensure that safety is central to the housing project. 

Yes! We understand that tenant satisfaction is essential in any housing development to sustain long-term viability. Still, it is particularly important with employee housing because the district has an ongoing relationship with its employees, and dissatisfaction could affect staff morale. We are committed to offering LUSD employees quality housing options at below-market rates. In our discovery phase, we had a chance to visit employee housing projects in other school districts in Northern and Southern California, all of which were high-quality. We saw what was possible, and our intention is to build high-quality housing for LUSD employees. 

Developing employee housing is a long-term project. It takes at least four to five years to move through the development process to become fully operational, assuming minimal challenges. Measured from when the school board took up discussion of employee housing to the day staff moved in, previously completed projects in California took an average of 7.5 years to complete. At the very earliest, we expect to be ready to house employees in the 2027-2028 school year. 

Acknowledging the range of needs identified by staff in the survey in spring 2024, we anticipate offering a variety of housing options (e.g., studios, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units). We will be soliciting more information from staff in another survey in late spring 2025.

We will be seeking input from staff about amenities through a staff survey in late spring 2025. Once we have a compiled list, we will share staff input with the developer. Some interior amenities we have seen at other employee housing projects include:  various community spaces, laundry facilities, child-friendly areas, and storage spaces.  Exterior amenities we have seen at other employee housing projects include:  walking paths, BBQ areas, playgrounds, and areas for dogs.

Our goal is to develop high-quality housing for LUSD employees. Recognizing that the need for below-market housing will likely exceed what we are able to offer, there will be a set of criteria to determine eligibility for the housing. Our initial thinking is to mirror the population of certificated and classified staff in LUSD to the certificated and classified staff population in the housing. Currently, those percentages are about 55% (certificated) and 45% (classified).  We have also seen several projects that had a set-aside percentage of homes for new employees, which serve as an effective recruitment tool.

We are hoping to offer LUSD employees more than 100 below-marketing housing opportunities. The selection process will be handled by an external agency that will be responsible for running our employee housing. The governance structure and process, including the selection of tenants, will be determined in the future by this external agency. Recognizing that the need for below-market housing will likely exceed what we are able to offer, there will need to be a transparent, fair, and equitable process. 

We are committed to providing below-market housing for LUSD employees. At this time, we do not have information about the cost. This will come later in the process. 

We are continuing to evaluate district properties that could provide LUSD employees with safe, high-quality, and below-market housing designed to meet a variety of family needs.

The 4010 Jupiter Avenue property, where Maple High School is currently located, has emerged as a very promising site based on the results of the recent feasibility study. The district is now exploring next steps to determine how to move forward with this location.

A second site, 320 North J Street, which is home to Mission Valley Independent Study School, Dr. Bob Forniash Community Day School, and the Lompoc Adult School and Career Center, also remains under review as part of the planning process.

These evaluations will help guide future decisions and ensure that the chosen site best supports our staff and strengthens the Lompoc community.

LUSD partnered with the Regional Economic Action Coalition (REACH) to guide the process. Through a competitive selection, RRM Design Group was chosen for its expertise in housing design, legislation, and public engagement.

The studies conducted by RRM Design Group found that building a workforce housing community of approximately 150 to 200 units on the Jupiter Avenue site is highly feasible and promising.

The analysis included:

• A market study confirming strong demand for affordable employee housing.
• Environmental and traffic assessments showing no major barriers.
• Reviews of biological and cultural resources confirming site suitability.
• A site-planning evaluation identifying layout options that would fit well with the neighborhood.

Overall, the findings support moving forward with the next steps in planning and community engagement.

New state laws such as AB 2295, AB 1021, and AB 130 streamline the development of multi-family housing on school-owned property and simplify environmental review, making projects like this more achievable for districts across California.

Supporting Maple High School students and staff remains one of our highest priorities. While the Jupiter Avenue site is being considered for the Workforce Housing project, no final decisions have been made about relocation.

If the project moves forward, the district is exploring several options to ensure Maple continues to thrive in a safe, supportive, and well-equipped learning environment. One option under consideration includes the use of classroom space at Allan Hancock College’s Lompoc campus, which could create exciting opportunities for Maple students to access college resources and courses.

LUSD is committed to engaging with Maple staff, students, and families throughout this process. Their voices, needs, and ideas will guide every step as plans continue to develop.