Seven candidates running for Monterey mayor and City Council faced housing-focused questions at a forum Monday, Oct. 5, at Monterey High School.

YIMBY Monterey Peninsula organized the free event, the first housing-focused candidate forum of the election cycle. The forum put all seven candidates on stage to discuss the city's obligation to permit 3,654 new housing units by 2031. Kent Glenzer, a co-lead of the group, told KAZU the housing challenge warranted deeper answers from candidates than a general forum allows.

"This question of housing — it's a citywide issue, and it's gonna demand collaboration between all the districts," Glenzer said.

Three questions were distributed to candidates in advance.

The specific questions have not been made public.

The Nov. 3 general municipal election includes three races, according to the city clerk's elections page. Mayor Tyller Williamson faces retired business owner Vince Malfitano in the at-large mayoral race, a two-year seat. In District 1, Councilmember Kim Barber is running against Tom Reeves, a retired city engineer. District 2 has a three-way contest among Jeff Whitmoyer, a fiduciary investment manager; Vicki Nohrden, a nonprofit director; and Alec Manas, a housing project manager.

The housing mandate looming over the races is substantial. The Monterey City Council adopted its Sixth Cycle Housing Element in July 2024, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development certified it in October 2024. The plan sets a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goal of 3,654 units through 2031, a figure established by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

The city has already taken initial steps. In December 2024, the council adopted zoning amendments including a multifamily residential overlay expansion, specific plan updates for the North Fremont, Downtown and Lighthouse areas, and a revised density bonus ordinance, according to the city's Monterey 2031 implementation page. The full Housing Action Plan includes 53 programs, many requiring future council action.

Monday's forum was the second candidate event this cycle. The League of Women Voters and several neighborhood associations hosted a broader forum Sept. 21 at the same school.

No post-forum coverage detailing candidate responses was available as of Wednesday, Oct. 7. The general municipal election is Nov. 3.