The Equitable Land Use Alliance (ELUA) grew out of a local grassroots effort to save Carlsbad Village Plaza in 2024. This shopping center houses many vital services for the Carlsbad Village community, including a Smart & Final grocery store, a local pharmacy, a hardware store and a thrift store. No other similar services exist in the Village, making these businesses vital to the wellbeing of the community.
A Los Angeles developer purchased the shopping center and submitted plans to replace it with a high-density apartment complex, a large parking structure and a small amount of boutique shopping. The density will be higher and the buildings will be taller than development standards allow, And the architecture will be completely out of character with the rest of the Village. We organized to urge the city to retain the existing shops and reduce the residential density. Although our combined pressure on the Carlsbad City Council led to several provisions that will mitigate the negative impacts of the project, our efforts to retain the existing shops were unsuccessful.
Recent state housing laws make it impossible for local governments or communities to regulate these types of projects, so our efforts were doomed from the beginning. This was a big blow to the community. But it was also a wake-up call to the fact that state laws have replaced local control of housing policy with an authoritarian approach that greatly favors high-density residential projects throughout the state. This one-size-fits-all approach fails to consider unique local needs. In fact, it’s actually doing irreparable harm to neighborhoods like Carlsbad Village.
We could see that the loss of Carlsbad Village Plaza was just the beginning. The fact that this project sailed through with impunity would embolden ever bigger developments, destroying the character of our community, displacing longtime residents and making home ownership ever more elusive.
Something had to be done. So, we decided to fight back by creating ELUA, a 510(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organization. Although we are a nonpartisan organization, we have the flexibility to engage in political advocacy and lobbying activities. Although our focus is on fighting for Carlsbad, we also work with statewide efforts to repeal state housing laws and restore local control.
Local control has been eroding for years. The trend is accelerating, fueled by the political influence of the building industry. The laws need to change. Perhaps the lawmakers need to change as well.
We are not against progress. However, we believe it should be done in a thoughtful, deliberate manner that aligns with local needs. We believe that housing policy should be a local matter, not a state mandate.
Help us turn the tide of runaway development in Carlsbad before it’s too late. Join us in our effort to reform state housing laws and keep our local housing officials accountable.