Bell City Council
February 9, 2022

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• City-owned property previously acquired for park/school construction (Florence/Walker)
• Underutilized civic spaces (e.g., underutilized park space, aging library facilities)
• City-owned housing which is underutilized, derelict or vacant

Housing Prices
Housing prices (rents and sales prices) that are lower than in other regions of Southern California make new development in Bell more difficult to achieve. Based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) for Single Family Residential properties, accessed June 2021, the average value of a ‘typical home’
12 in the City of Bell is estimated at around
$528,000 for April 2021. This is compared to $757,000 in Los Angeles County as a whole.

As shown in Figure B 9, single -family home prices in Bell are comparable to those in the Northwest Gateway Cities market area.

Prices have increased substantially over the last two years (almost 9.8% between 2020-2021, and 7.6% the year prior), exacerbating the affordability crisis but also potentially spurring new development potential as renting and purchase of multifamily housing types become more attractive as alternatives.

12 A ‘typical home’ is a statistical construct (a hedonic construct) that assigns price values to specific attributes of properties based on transaction information, including physical, locational and amenities characteristics, and then applies these component price values to the target area housing stock by property type, segment and location.

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Single Family Home Price Trends
Average Price in Current Year Dollars
TYPICAL HOME VALUES13 PERCENT CHANGE April 2019
October
2019 April 2020 October 2020 April 2021
April
2019-20
April
2020-21
Bell $447,204 $456,596 $481,180 $506,121 $528,452 7.6% 9.8% Bell Gardens $482,470 $486,519 $512,980 $534,613 $551,664 6.3% 7.5% Commerce $462,711 $472,295 $496,137 $514,721 $534,261 7.2% 7.7% Cudahy $460,540 $471,259 $493,840 $517,208 $541,081 7.2% 9.6% East Los
Angeles $477,663 $485,853 $514,513 $538,861 $561,710 7.7% 9.2% Florence-
Graham $392,565 $405,515 $425,703 $447,076 $475,825 8.4% 11.8% Huntington
Park $445,204 $460,179 $485,006 $510,976 $546,999 8.9% 12.8% Lynwood $438,246 $455,426 $478,907 $500,745 $531,519 9.3% 11.0% Maywood $433,372 $444,821 $468,237 $487,937 $510,309 8.0% 9.0% South Gate $455,603 $468,318 $492,029 $513,546 $541,828 8.0% 10.1% MARKET
AREA14 $449,558 $460,678 $484,853 $507,180 $532,365 7.9% 9.8% Figure B-9
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. Zillow Housing Value Index (ZHVI) -- Single Family Homes.

Similarly, based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) for Condo/Co- op properties, the average value of a typical ownership apartment in the City of Bell is estimated at around $436,000 for April 2021, as shown in figure B-10. This value was lower compared to the Northwest Gateway Cities market area with an estimated typical home value of $489,000 for April 2021. Condo/Co-op values ranged from $430,000 in Huntington Park to $557,000 in Maywood. The market for such properties appears to be underdeveloped in Bell. Creating a multifamily

13 Home values taken from the Zillow Home Value Index for Single Family Residential (SFR), as of 6/7/2021. representing the price of a 'typical' home in the area. 14 Market Area for this analysis is defined as the Northwest Gateway Cities (NWGC), including the cities listed above.

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ownership asset base may require improvements to local conditions and amenities that would increase the City’s locational appeal.

Condo/Co-op Price Trends
Average Price in Current Year Dollars
TYPICAL HOME VALUES15 PERCENT CHANGE
April 2019
October
2019 April 2020
October
2020 April 2021 April 2019-20
April
2020-21
Bell $375,810 $391,488 $403,160 $419,331 $435,849 7.3% 8.1% Bell Gardens $373,454 $377,754 $387,902 $409,764 $433,697 3.9% 11.8% Commerce $427,833 $434,332 $450,169 $471,375 $496,220 5.2% 10.2% Cudahy $410,147 $417,838 $434,393 $460,453 $495,896 5.9% 14.2% East Los
Angeles $450,043 $454,049 $482,584 $508,783 $528,882 7.2% 9.6% Florence-
Graham $433,195 $441,764 $471,277 $511,542 $530,019 8.8% 12.5% Huntington
Park $347,622 $364,550 $386,621 $405,635 $430,394 11.2% 11.3% Lynwood $431,977 $445,376 $455,918 $479,729 $507,616 5.5% 11.3% Maywood $462,689 $463,870 $485,246 $519,388 $557,159 4.9% 14.8% South Gate $407,943 $416,061 $433,210 $449,985 $476,000 6.2% 9.9% MARKET
AREA16 $412,071 $420,708 $439,048 $463,599 $489,173 6.5% 11.4% Figure B-10
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) - Condo/Co-op Market.

Recent townhome sales are summarized in Figure B-11. Based on a total sample of 49 townhome sales transactions recorded by Redfin for May 2020-21, the average townhome sale price for the NWGC market area is estimated at around $567,000 for the one-year time period.

Despite possessing less land area than single-family homes, townhomes appear to have a higher value than single-family homes throughout the market area because of their larger sizes (1,595 square feet), as well as

15 Home values taken from the Zillow Home Value Index for Condos, as of 6/7/2021. Representing the price of a ‘typical’ home in the area.
16 Market Area for this analysis is defined as the Northwest Gateway Cities (NWGC), including the cities listed above.

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possibly their more recent construction. The townhome market is not well-established in Bell, with only three sales in the last year; however, it does appear to be a growth opportunity for the City.

Recent Sales - Townhomes
City Recent Sales17 Average Price
Price per
Square Foot
Bell 1 725,000 388
Cudahy 1 585,000 366
East Los Angeles 3 781,667 493
Huntington Park 1 450,000 355
Los Angeles 3 608,000 333
South Gate 3 616,667 348
Market Area18 12 648,250 386
Figure B-11
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. Redfin, 3-months Sales Activity.

Market data was also reviewed for the apartment market within the 5- mile radius around Bell City Hall. The results are summarized in Figure B-12. The market is tight with a vacancy rate of 3.0% and an average overall monthly rent of $1,386. The 12-month net absorption rate is 446 in June 2021, or about a 0.86% increase in total inventory.

17 As reported by Redfin by each city in the market area in the last three months, as of 6/7/2021. 18 Market Area for this analysis is defined as the Northwest Gateway Cities (NWGC), including the cities listed above.

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Key Apartment Market Indicators: 5-Mile Market Area
Key Indicators19 June 2020 June 2021 Change
Inventory (Units) 51,366 51,725 0.7%
Under Construction 1,060 943 -11.0% 12-Mo Absorption Rate 92 446 384.8%
Vacancy Rate 3.2% 3.0% -0.2 PP
Market Rent/Unit $1,361 $1,386 1.8%
Market Sale Price/Unit $254,000 $263,000 3.5%
Market Cap Rate 4.60% 4.60% No Change
Figure B-12
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. CoStar Data obtained by Waronzof Associates.

Figure B-13 shows the distribution of unit sizes in the market area. Units are small, with a strong majority (66%) being studio or 1-bedroom apartments despite the very large household sizes in the region. This situation creates the majority of the overcrowding and extreme overcrowding experienced in the City. Most apartment housing is owned by private (non-institutional) owners.

19 Data reported as of 6/2/2021.

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Figure B-13
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. CoStar Data obtained by Waronzof Associates.

Figure B-14 shows effective rent trends within the 5-mile market area.

According to CoStar, the average studio and 1-bedroom apartments both rent for about $1,200 per month, while the average 2-bedroom apartment rents for about $1,600 per month. Based on searches of current listings, rent for the average single-family home ranges about $2,500 per month. CoStar forecasts strong rent growth of roughly 3-4% per year over the next five years.

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Figure B-14

Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. CoStar Data obtained by Waronzof Associates.

Since residential market performance in Bell is similar to the Northwest Gateway Cities market area, with similar land prices and construction costs, we can learn from development trends in the market area to highlight opportunities and constraints for Bell. Overall, the market area has slow housing production, and population has been stable or declining in many cities. However, a comparison of Annual Progress Report information submitted by jurisdictions (Figure B-15) indicates that there is wide variation in new permitting and construction rates.

While Bell has one of the highest rates of new housing, the City of South Gate clearly stands out above the rest. South Gate in 2015 adopted a form-based Comprehensive Zoning Code (CZC) which permitted multistory residential or mixed-use development on most commercial corridors, as well as a few other commercial and light industrial areas.

Transit-oriented development is being encouraged through three Specific Plans. As a result, the City has had several new larger projects which have been completed and others which are proposed. These projects have generally consisted of 4-5 story buildings consisting of market-rate rental apartments and a first-floor parking podium. Retail, if incorporated, is often located in a separate building/area of the site from residential development.

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Thus, it would seem that the market presents the following opportunities for new privately-financed housing in Bell:
• Townhomes
• Accessory dwelling units on already-developed residential parcels
• Low-rise multifamily residential or mixed-use development on vacant or underutilized commercial sites, provided that there are favorable development standards
Annual Progress Report data (2013-2020)
Units Permitted

Population
Per 1,000
Pop.

Bell 152 36319 4.2
Bell Gardens 29 42233 0.7
Cudahy 12 23750 0.5
Commerce 0 12792 0.0
Huntington Park 124 58937 2.1
Lynwood 31 69880 0.4
Maywood 21 27670 0.8
South Gate 966 96553 10.0
Figure B-15
Source: Stanley R. Hoffman Associates, Inc. Obtained from California Department of Housing and Community Development Annual Progress Report Dashboard, 2021. California Department of Finance Population Estimates, 2021.

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Construction Costs
The cost of building housing in the Los Angeles metro area is high. Hard costs make up more than 60% of total development costs for your average project. Hard costs include labor and materials. The hard cost price (per square foot) of constructing multifamily housing in the State climbed 25% over the decade from 2008 to 2018. In the State, the average hard cost per square foot rose by $45 from $177 in 2008 to $222 in 2018, after adjusting for inflation. This hard cost increase has been driven by the increased price of labor and certain building materials, such as wood, plastics, and composites. Between 2010 and 2020, the price of wood, plastics, and composites rose by 110%, after accounting for inflation ; it then subsequently spiked during the pandemic.

Soft costs make up the second largest component of total development costs. These costs include fees, financing, consulting, tax, title, and insurance. Soft costs differ from hard costs because soft costs are not involved in physical construction. Fees in the City of Bell are discussed in the “Processing Fees” section of this Appendix. Financing costs are associated with obtaining equity and debt, as well as a developer fee.

Consulting includes costs associated with professional services such as architects, engineers, plumbers, accounting, legal, and much more.

Last, tax, title, and insurance costs account for the price of liability and builder’s risk, as well as property taxes.

In California it is common for affordable housing projects to cost more on average than market-rate or mixed-income developments. Prevailing wage requirements are associated with the higher cost of building labor.

Wages for construction occupations in California rose by 29% from 2006 to 2018.

As construction costs rise, the rental price of new rental units increases.

For example, a multifamily unit that costs $800,000 to build will require a $4,000 per month rent, without subsidy, in order for the developer to make ends meet. Due to lower housing prices in the City of Bell, it is important that construction costs remain as low as possible.

Unfortunately, if construction costs run too high these costs can render housing projects infeasible.

Financing
As of early 2021, interest rates are at historic lows for mortgage seekers.

However, lending criteria remain significantly stricter than prior to the 2007 housing crisis, and many Bell residents are unable to qualify. With

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rent burdens high, saving for a down payment could present the largest barrier to low- and moderate-income residents becoming homeowners.

Commercial lending for residential development, particularly dense multifamily development, is currently slow as the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear.

Although private financing is generally available at market rates, low- and moderate-income households may need below market rate financing to enable them to repair existing homes or purchase resale or new housing units. Also, all potential developers of housing projects are provided information on the various Los Angeles County financing programs available for low-income rental construction or rehabilitation projects. Additionally, a survey of local banking institutions completed as part of the previous Housing Element’s preparation revealed that redlining does not appear to be occurring in Bell. In fact, a number of banks have established programs to encourage lower-income residents to purchase homes, and to improve homes that they already own.

Constraints for People with Disabilities
Housing element law requires an analysis of government constraints to the development of housing for people with disabilities. People with disabilities have specific housing needs related to accessibility of dwelling units; access to transportation; employment, and commercial services; and alternative living arrangements that include on-site or nearby supportive services.

Building Codes
The City of Bell requires that all new residential developments comply with California building standards (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) and Federal requirements for accessibility. The City of Bell has adopted the 2019 California Building Code (Part 2 of Title 24) as published by the California Building Standards Commission.

Procedures for Ensuring Reasonable Accommodations
The State requires all cities to maintain a “reasonable accommodation ordinance” to ensure that a city’s zoning and development requirements do not hinder the implementation of housing improvements that aid disabled persons. Not all of the disability categories require physical alterations to the housing unit to better accommodate the disabled resident. However, many residents will benefit from specific improvements that would better accommodate a disabled person. These improvements may include ramps, wider

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doorways, handrails, etc. This housing element includes a Reasonable Accommodation Program. Under this program, the City will adopt a reasonable accommodation ordinance to provide exception in zoning and land-use regulations for housing for persons with disabilities. The procedures related to the program’s implementation will be ministerial in nature with minimal or no processing fee. Improvements may be approved by the Community Development Director as long as a number of findings may be made. First, the request for reasonable accommodation must be used by an individual with a disability protected under fair housing laws. Second, the requested accommodation is necessary to make housing available to an individual with a disability protected under fair housing laws. Third, the requested accommodation would not impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the City. Finally, the requested accommodation would not require a fundamental alteration in the nature of the City's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.

Information Regarding Accommodation for Zoning, Permit
Processing, and Building Codes
The City provides information to all interested parties regarding accommodations in zoning, permit processes, and application of building codes for housing for persons with disabilities.

Zoning and Land Use Policies and Practices
The City of Bell has not identified any zoning or other land-use regulatory practices that could discriminate against persons with disabilities and impede the availability of such housing for these individuals.

Examples of the ways in which the City facilitates housing for persons with disabilities through its regulatory and permitting processes are:

• The City of Bell permits residential care facilities in the R-1, R - 2, and R-3 residential zones. The City is not allowed to approve or deny residential care facilities of six or fewer residents, as these uses are permitted by right. Residential care facilities of six or fewer residents must only be compliant with building code requirements.
• The City does not restrict occupancy of unrelated individuals in residential care facilities.
• The City does permit housing for special needs groups, including for individuals with disabilities, without regard to

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distances between such uses or the number of uses in any part of the City.

Permit and Processing Procedures
State law requires that residential care facilities with six or fewer residents be permitted by-right in residential zones. Therefore, the City of Bell does not require conditional use permits for the permitting of licensed residential care facilities with six or fewer residents in the R-1, R-2, R-3, and C-3R zones. The City does require conditional use permits for the permitting of licensed, residential care facilities with seven or more residents in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones. These residential care facilities serve the disabled population in the City. A conditional use permit takes about two to three months as it requires a planning hearing before the planning commission. The City of Bell does not impose additional zoning, building code, or permitting procedures other than those allowed by State law. There are no constraints on housing for persons with disabilities caused or controlled by the City.

The City does not impose special permit procedures or requirements that could impede the retrofitting of homes for accessibility. The City allows residential retrofitting to increase the suitability of homes for persons with disabilities in compliance with accessibility requirements.

The process for requesting an accessibility retrofitting includes a zone clearance approval from the Planning Division, which takes about two weeks, and a building permit which takes ten working days. The City’s requirements for building permits and inspections are the same as for other residential projects and are straightforward and not burdensome.

In addition, the City works with applicants who need special accommodations in their homes to ensure that application of building code requirements does not create a constraint.

Efforts to Remove Regulatory Constraints for Persons with Disabilities State law removed any City discretion for review of small residential care facilities for persons with disabilities (six or fewer residents). The City does not impose additional zoning, building code, or permitting procedures other than those allowed by State law. There are no City initiated constraints on housing for persons with disabilities caused or controlled by the City. The City also allows residential retrofitting to increase the suitability of homes for persons with disabilities in compliance with accessibility requirements.

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Universal Design Element
The City of Bell has not adopted a universal design ordinance governing construction or modification of homes using design principles that allow individuals to remain in those homes as their physical needs and capabilities change.

Environmental Constraints
The City of Bell is a 2.62 square-mile urban jurisdiction in Los Angeles County with a population of 36,317 people as of January 2021. The City’s housing stock includes 9,298 dwelling units, 51.2 percent of which are single-family detached homes. The vast majority of privately- owned parcels in the City are currently developed.

To help address the region’s housing crisis, the Southern California Association of Governments has called for the City to produce 229 more dwelling units over the next eight years at a variety of affordability levels.

Given the urban nature of the jurisdiction, nearly all of this growth will be infill development that will need to contend with environmental concerns that currently affect the City. These are issues that adversely affect existing residents and could affect future residents based on the location of new housing.

Based on a statewide analysis, the City has worse housing conditions than 98.9 percent of cities statewide. This Healthy Places Index (HPI) reflects the cumulative conditions for severe housing cost burden, homeownership, housing habitability, and crowding.

In addition, overall environmental conditions Citywide are poorer than most jurisdictions in the region and the State. This does not include social, economic, education, and transportation conditions. Key environmental concerns for the City of Bell are illustrated by the following:
• Poor overall community health conditions. According to the Healthy Places Index (HPI), the City’s overall Health Index is lower than 87.6 percent of cities in California (HPI). This includes health care access than is worse than 95.9 percent of cities statewide.
20 • Poor environmental conditions. The City has worse
environmental conditions than 76.1 percent of cities across the state (HPI). According to the CalEnviroScreen database, the City is located in the 80-100
th percentile, which means the area

20 California Healthy Places Index, https://healthyplacesindex.org/ accessed May 7, 2021.

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has an overall pollution burden higher than up 80 percent of other communities within California.21
• Poor overall air quality. Ambient air quality is poor, with fine particulate levels (PM 2.5) worse than 83.4 percent of cities statewide and diesel particulate matter (indicator of cancer risk) worse than 93 percent of California jurisdictions. These poor air quality conditions are primarily due to the immediate proximity of the I-710 freeway and the heavy-duty truck traffic to and from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, as well as diesel locomotives using the Union Pacific Los Angeles
subdivision and BNSF right-of-way Los Angeles Junction
subdivision.
• High risk of cancer. Based on the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) MATES IV database, the
estimated risk of cancer ranges from 1,258 to 1,671 in a million throughout the City.
22 MATES IV found that the cancer risk in
the region from carcinogenic air pollutants ranges from about 320 to 480 in a million, though OEHHA methodologies place average basinwide risk at approximately 897 in a million. These levels are higher than the average risk for cancer in the air basin. • Poor water quality. Drinking water quality is worse than 53.4 percent of local jurisdictions (HPI), with groundwater threats higher than 97 percent of cities (CalEnviroScreen). These indicators reflect chemical and bacterial contaminants in drinking water.
• Poor hazardous waste conditions (worse than 95 percent of cities) that reflect the presence of contaminated air, water, and soil near waste generators that are harmful to human health.

The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) identifies one facility in the City (Custom Building Products, Salt Lake Avenue) as a hazardous waste site.
• Solid waste conditions (worse than 99 percent of cities) (CalEnviroScreen) that reflect sites where waste collection, treatment, or storage exposes people to hazardous chemicals.

The industrial nature of portions of the City, particularly the Cheli neighborhood, have resulted in a heavy concentration of industry.

According to the SCAQMD’s Facility Information Detail (FIND) database, there are 1,276 regulated facilities required to have air

21 Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, CalEnviroScreen 3.0 MAP, https://oehha.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4560cfbce7c745c299b2d0cbb0704 4f5, accessed May 7, 2021.
22 South Coast Air Quality Management District’s MATES IV database, https://scaqmd- online.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=470c30bc6daf4ef6a43f0082973ff45f accessed May 7, 2021.

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quality permits. These range from dry cleaners and gas stations to manufacturing and industrial plants and are a general indicator of the preponderance of air pollution sources.

According to the California Environmental Protection Agency’s (CalEPA) Cortese list database, there is one facility in Bell that is identified as a high emitter by the Department of Toxic Substance Control. The site is the former D.L. Gin Cleaners and Laundry at 4032 Gage Avenue, where restaurants currently operate.

Within the City, environmental conditions further vary. Of the seven Census tracts represented within the City of Bell, overall community health conditions are worse than 78 to 92.3 percent of cities statewide.

Conditions in central Bell are generally worse than 78.0 to 83.9 percent of cities. Within the Cheli area, 3,987 persons are exposed to community health conditions worse than 80 percent of the State.

In evaluating thirteen potential sites that represent opportunities for future housing development, environmental conditions were generally poor. CalEnviroScreen pollution burden estimates range from 82 to 100 percent of the worst possible environmental conditions. As for the HPI indices, overall healthy community scores were only higher than 16.1 to

22.0 percent of other Census tracts across California. Similarly, Bell tracts were only higher than 29.1 to 34.6 of California tracts when considering a healthy environment.

These poor environmental conditions produce health outcomes that are predictable. Exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM) may be a health hazard, particularly to children whose lungs are still developing and the elderly who may have other serious health problems. DPM levels and resultant potential health effects may be higher in close proximity to heavily traveled roadways with substantial truck traffic or near industrial facilities. According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), DPM exposure may lead to the following adverse health effects:
(1) aggravated asthma; (2) chronic bronchitis; (3) increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations; (4) decreased lung function in children; (5) lung cancer; and (6) premature deaths for people with heart or lung disease.
23,
As a result, asthma rates are worse than 65 percent of cities, while cardiovascular disease and low birth rate also poor (worse than 77 and 60 percent, respectively).

23 CARB, Overview: Diesel Exhaust and Health, www.arb.ca.gov/research/diesel/diesel-health.htm.

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Environmental Implications for Housing Policy
The poor environmental setting within the City make it a challenge to site future housing that could increase exposure of more persons to these adverse conditions. There is guidance from regulatory agencies that caution the siting of residences and other “sensitive land uses” that could be adversely affected by environmental pollution.

In April 2005, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) published the Air Quality and Land Use Handbook to serve as a general guide for considering health effects associated with siting sensitive receptors proximate to sources of toxic air contaminant (TAC) emissions. The recommendations are voluntary and do not constitute a requirement or mandate for either land use agencies or local air districts. The goal of the guidance document is to protect sensitive recepto rs, such as children, the elderly, acutely ill, and chronically ill persons, from exposure to TAC emissions. Some examples of CARB’s siting recommendations include the following: (1) avoid siting sensitive receptors within 500 feet of a freeway, urban road with 100,000 vehicles per day, or rural roads with 50,000 vehicles per day; (2) avoid siting sensitive receptors within 1,000 feet of a distribution center (that accommodates more than 100 trucks per day, more than 40 trucks with operating transport refrigeration units per day, or where transport refrigeration unit operations exceed 300 hours per week); and (3) avoid siting sensitive receptors within 300 feet of any dry cleaning operation using perchloroethylene and within 500 feet of operations with two o r more machines.

The environmental setting in Bell and CARB guidance on siting of residences pose challenges on two levels. First, substantial infrastructure investments will be needed to help improve the livability of neighborhoods that accommodate more housing. For example, reducing local exposure to diesel truck traffic would help reduce localized exposure to DPM, while increasing a tree canopy will improve the livability of neighborhoods. Second, building design will be helpful in reducing exposure to negative environmental effects, particularly air quality. Installing high efficiency filters in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment will help reduce exposure of residents to indoor air pollution. Orienting development away from freeways, distribution centers, and other sources of air pollution and toxic emissions can help reduce exposure as well.

The City should consult with air pollution regulators in siting new housing and other related land uses important for residential neighborhoods (e.g., health care, schools, churches) to ensure that risks to human health are understood and managed. The City must also

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address Environmental Justice concerns and issues relating to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing goals to ensure equity for current and future residents in the City of Bell.

Environmental Constraints to Development
The poor environmental conditions throughout the City of Bell pose real constraints to the viability of housing development. To examine environmental constraints, the consultant team analyzed thirteen potential development sites. All but one represented a site where there is currently development. Figure B-14 summarizes how each site compares to U.S. Census tracts across California based on four criteria:
• HPI Score. This represents the Healthy Places Index’s (HPI) cumulative estimate of how healthy the Census tract rates compared to all other Census tracts in California. This overall index considers economic, education, transportation, social, neighborhood, healthcare access, housing, and clean
environment issues. Higher is better (an HPI score of 20.0 means the tract has healthier conditions than just 20 percent of other tracts statewide).
• HPI Clean Environment. This represents HPI’s estimate of how clean the environment in this Census tract is when compared to other California tracts. This index considers the availability of safe drinking water, ozone air pollution levels, PM2.5 air pollution levels, and diesel particulate matter levels. Higher is better (an HPI score of 20.0 means the tract has healthier environmental conditions than just 20 percent of other tracts statewide).
• CalEnviroScreen 3.0 Percentile. This represents CalEPA’s estimate of how clean the environment is based on its
CalEnviroScreen 3.0 screening tool. This represents the Pollution Burden and Population Characteristics scores from its database. Lower is better (a percentile of 95 means that it has an environmental burden that is 95 percent of the worst possible burden).
• CalEnviroScreen Pollution Burden Percentile. This represents the exposure of residents to polluted air, water, pesticide use, toxic releases from facilities, and traffic density. It also considered environmental effects from cleanup sites,
groundwater threats, hazardous waste, impaired water bodies, and solid waste sites and facilities. Lower is better (a percentile of 95 means that it has pollution burden that is 95 percent of the worst possible pollution burden).

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As shown in Figure B-16, all of the sites are impacted by environmental concerns that must be considered in any future housing entitlement decisions. Most sites have an overall environmental burden percentile of 95-100, the worst possible scores in the CalEnviroScreen model.

Similarly, CalEnviroScreen pollution burden estimates range from 82 to 100 percent of the worst possible environmental conditions. As for the HPI indices, overall healthy community scores were only higher than

16.1 to 22.0 percent of other Census tracts across California. Similarly, Bell tracts were only higher than 29.1 to 34.6 of California tracts when considering a healthy environment.

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Environmental Scores of Selected Potential Housing Sites in Bell Site HPI
Score24
HPI Clean
Environment
CalEnviroScree
n Percentile25
CalEnviroScreen
Pollution Burden
Percentile

1. Florence and Walker NE Corner
(Pritchard Field) (Housing Element
Site #1)

17.5 32.8 95-100 97

2. Cheli/Salvation Army K St and
Mansfield Way Triangle (Housing
Element Site #5)

20.0 29.1 95-100 100

3. Cheli/Salvation Army Warehouse
1A (Housing Element Site #4)

20.0 29.1 95-100 100

4. Florence and Wilcox NE Corner 17.5 32.8 95-100 97

5. 4333 Florence Avenue 18.1 34.6 95-100 94

6. Florence and Atlantic NE Corner 16.1 32.8 85-90 83

7. Gage and Wilcox SW Corner 22.0 32.9 90-95 82

8. Gage and Atlantic NW Corner 22.0 32.9 90-95 82

9. Gage and Woodward East Side
(Housing Element Site #6)

16.1 32.8 85-90 83

10. Florence and Bear West, Near
New Metro Station

18.1 34.6 95-100 94

11. Florence and California West,
Near New Metro Station

18.1 34.6 95-100 94

12. Florence and San Luis West, Near
New Metro Station

18.1 34.6 95-100 94

13. Florence and San Luis East, New
Metro Station

18.1 34.6 95-100 94

14. Gage and Atlantic SE Corner
(Housing Element Site #2)

16.1 32.8 85-90 83

15. Gage and Pine North Side
(Housing Element Site #3)

13.5 33.7 90-95 93
Figure B-16
Source: The Arroyo Group, May 2021.

While these data highlight environmental challenges that must be factored into any future housing land use decisions, they will not preclude development of these thirteen sites over the planning period.

Instead, they will call on the City to address specific environmental conditions when demonstrating site suitability and the realistic buildout capacity of each site. These considerations include the following:
• Cheli area. While CalEnviroScreen indicators show this is the most polluted area in the City, minimizing housing designed for certain demographics sensitive to air pollution (e.g., seniors, children, the infirmed) would reduce overall risk. This is important given the

24 Percentile of all U.S. Census tracts in California. Higher is better. 25 Percentile of all U.S. Census tracts in California. Lower is better.

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proximity of freight distribution centers that are a hotspot of diesel truck activity and toxic emissions. As such, another siting consideration could include locating housing upwind of
distribution centers.

• Florence Avenue and Gage Avenue Corridors. Both HPI and CalEnviroScreen identify these east-west corridors as slightly healthier and cleaner environments for housing than Cheli, especially near Atlantic and Wilcox. Reducing truck traffic on these arterials, for example, would help to further reduce exposure of future residents to adverse environmental conditions. It should be noted that the State identifies two parcels along Gage Avenue as potential locations for contaminated soils. For example, elevating residences above the ground floor at Gage Avenue and Woodward Avenue can reduce exposure to any contaminated soils at this brownfield location.

Indeed, further land use planning should consider these environmental factors using tools like a Specific Plan. As noted in this Housing Element, recommended Specific Plans for the Cheli area and the Atlantic Avenue corridor can develop more guidance on how residences can be sited while mitigating exposure to environmental concerns.

These more targeted plans can focus on specific sites and help streamline future housing entitlements by environmentally clearing them through the CEQA process. Outside these potential Specific Plan study areas, the City should ensure that the environmental clearance process addresses these concerns when making siting decisions.

Infrastructure Availability and Needs
There are a number of environmental constraints that can be addressed with infrastructure investments that can in turn reduce the costs and risk to human health for future residents. These include air pollution and toxic air contaminants, water quality, and hazardous waste. As such, the City should work with both internal and external stakeholders to advocate and program funding for capital and programmatic investments that help reduce environmental problems in the City of Bell.

Any siting of housing in environmentally challenged areas should follow investments in infrastructure that can both address concerns and reduce exposure. Potential infrastructure investments would vary by environmental issue, including but not limited to the following:
§ Air quality. While regional pollutants like ozone are linked to pollutants sources over the entire South Coast Air Basin (e.g.,

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vehicles, industry), localized pollutants that affect localized air quality ( i.e., PM 2.5, diesel particulates) are heavily influenced by local sources, such as truck traffic on the I -710 freeway, diesel freight and Metrolink locomotives on the BNSF and UP rights-of- way, and freight distribution centers along the I-710 corridor (e.g., Cheli).

Existing and future infrastructure needs

§ Clean Air Truck Fleet. Heavy-duty trucks using these routes largely use diesel fuel that generates substantial diesel particulate emissions that afflict the City of Bell. The California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, and other entities are using regulation and incentives to accelerate the phase- out of diesel fueled trucks that generate substantial local air pollution in the City of Bell.

Recommendation 1: The City should actively work with local operators of diesel trucks to develop a clean trucks strategy in Bell and pursue grant funding to replace trucks fueled by diesel with those fueled by electricity or other fuels that reduce particulates.

Consider using AQMD Fund 103 revenues to provide local match leverage to increase potential for additional funding.

§ Local truck routes. The City’s local truck routes are defined by the City’s traffic engineer (BMC Section 10.20.010) and govern movement of vehicles weighing more than three tons. Diesel truck traffic on these roads often travel to the Cheli district and destinations in neighboring cities. These truck routes include the following roadways (BMC Section 10.20.030):

• Atlantic Avenue
• Bandini Boulevard
• Eastern Avenue
• Florence Avenue
• Gage Avenue
• Maywood Avenue
• Salt Lake Avenue
• Slauson Avenue

Heavy-duty trucks using these routes largely use diesel fuel that generates substantial diesel particulate emissions that afflict the City of Bell. The California Air Resources Board (CARB), South

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Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), and other entities are using regulation and incentives to accelerate the phase- out of diesel fueled trucks that generate substantial local air pollution in the City of Bell. Focusing future housing on streets that do not have direct access to the I-710 (e.g., Gage Avenue) could help reduce residential exposure to local truck traffic as well.

Recommendation 2: The City Traffic Engineer should evaluate the truck route network and its impact on existing and future residences. Any potential shifts of truck routes in the Atlantic Avenue corridor and Cheli neighborhood should be considered during the development of proposed Specific Plans for these areas.

Freeways. The I -710 freeway accommodates 224,000 average daily vehicles at Florence Avenue (Caltrans Traffic Volumes 2016), thereby streamlining the movement of freight and passengers along this corridor. While this diverts truck traffic from arterials, it intensifies PM and diesel particulate emissions along the freeway corridor that elevate health risks. CARB, SCAQMD, MSRC, and other entities use regulation and incentives to accelerate the phase-out of diesel fueled trucks that travel the I-710. While the City does not control use of the freeway through Bell, it can consider land use siting and design solutions that reduce exposure to emissions from trucks on this regional freeway.

Recommendation 3: The City should site future housing upwind of the I-710 freeway where possible and require that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment use higher efficiency air filters (e.g., MERV-13 or higher) for residences near the I-710 freeway.

Railroad rights-of-way. The BNSF right-of-way Los Angeles Junction subdivision accommodates diesel freight locomotives while the Union Pacific Los Angeles subdivision accommodates both freight and passenger locomotives that elevate PM and diesel particulates levels near these rights-of-way. CARB, SCAQMD, MSRC, and other entities use regulation and incentives to accelerate the phase-out of diesel fueled locomotives. While the City does not control use of these railroad rights-of-way through Bell, it can consider land use siting and design solutions that reduce exposure to emissions from diesel locomotives.

Recommendation 4: The City should site future housing upwind of the BNSF Los Angeles Junction subdivision and Union Pacific Los

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Angeles Subdivision where possible and require that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment use higher efficiency air filters (e.g., MERV-13 or higher) f or residences near these rights-of-way.

§ Freight distribution centers. The concentration of these facilities, particularly in the Cheli neighborhood, result in significant diesel truck traffic and idling as freight is distributed to and from these facilities. While this freight infrastructure’s centralization reduces exposure in other areas, it elevates environmental risk near these facilities. CARB, SCAQMD, MSRC, and other entities use regulation and incentives to accelerate the phase-out of diesel fueled trucks that use these distribution centers.

Recommendation 5: The City should actively work with local operators of diesel trucks to develop a clean trucks strategy in Bell and pursue grant funding to replace trucks fueled by diesel with those fueled by electricity or other fuels that reduce particulates.

§ Water quality. The City of Bell is served by five water companies.

This housing element will be shared with all water companies immediately upon adoption. These five companies include:

a. Golden State Water Company (GSWC) delivers water via the Bell-Bell Gardens System. This water supply comes from a blend of groundwater from the Central Groundwater Basin and imported water from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project. The distribution system consists of a grid of 4-inch cast iron pipes that connect to a 12-inch main water line in Bell Avenue (west of Otis Avenue). There are also 8-inch lines in both sides of Atlantic Avenue, Bell Avenue and Gage Avenue. The 12-inch main line on Bell Avenue connects to a water reservoir tank on Bissell Street. Other main water lines are found on major roadways and connect to the water lines in Bell Gardens and Cudahy. The company operates five wells in Bell, six wells in Bell Gardens, and one well in Cudahy. This system also maintains direct connections to the MWD. The GSWC is responsible for maintaining local water infrastructure, including pipeline, service lines, fire hydrants, and pumps that convey water.
b. The Tri-City Mutual Water Company (Maywood Mutual Water Company Number 3) serves 790 Bell customers in the
northeastern section of Central City. The Maywood Mutual Water Company's water system consists of 6-inch cast iron water lines on north -south streets and 6-inch, 8 -inch and 10-

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inch lines in east-west streets. Local water supplies come from three wells, with supplemental supply from the MWD through a 12-inch connector. There is an emergency connection to the Golden State Water Company at Atlantic Avenue.
c. The Tract 349 Mutual Water Company has 610 customers in Bell and Cudahy, with 75 residential and commercial
customers in the southeastern section of Bell (west of A tlantic Avenue). Two wells provide the water supply for the system.

Water lines consist of 6-inch cast iron pipes within the grid and 8- to 12-inch lines along major streets. Emergency connections with the Golden State Water Company are also available. d. The Tract 180 Mutual Water Company serves 790 customers in Cudahy and Bell, with 52 customers in the southwestern section (east of Atlantic Avenue) of Bell. The water lines include 6- and 8-inch pipes located within easements on both sides of the east-west streets within its service area. In addition, 6- to 14-inch main lines connect to the Florence Avenue plant, which has three wells, three booster pump stations, and six reservoirs. Emergency connections with the Golden State Water Company are also available.
e. The California Water Service Company, East Los Angeles District serves the Cheli Industrial area of the City. The water system within the Federal property in Bell includes 4-inch lines connecting to a 14 -inch main line of the California Water Service Company. Water mains, 10- to 14-inches in diameter, are located in the major streets in the area. The land between the I-710 Freeway and the Los Angeles River is also within the California Water Service Company's service boundaries
although no development or water lines are found in this area.

The City of Bell does not have direct authority over controlling water quality, relying on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other entities to regulate water quality. Aside from the conveyance and use of regional and Statewide water, the City can control over groundwater threats from land uses and toxic sources within its jurisdiction.

Recommendation 6: The City should work with all water companies listed above to comply with AB 685 to accelerate investments that ensure water is treated as a basic human right. This includes accelerating infrastructure investments that would help reduce water contamination for Bell residents.

Recommendation 7: The City should ensure that threats to local groundwater supply (e.g., storage tanks, hazardous waste sites,

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landfills) are programmed for remediation before siting of residential uses.

Recommendation 8: The City should work with external
stakeholders to accelerate infrastructure investments that reduce water contamination from urban runoff. Consider programming SB 1 (Fund 105), Measure M (Fund 650), Measure R (Fund 670), Prop C (Fund 680), Prop A (Fund 700) revenue to include water quality infrastructure.

§ Hazardous Waste. There are about 141 establishments in Bell listed in the California Facility Inventory Database of the California Environmental Protection Agency Hazardous Materials Data Management Program as hazardous material users and generators.

These common uses include gas stations, auto repair shops, printers, dry cleaners, and other commercial and industrial land uses. While each facility must submit a business plan and an inventory of hazardous substances and acutely hazardous materials to the Bell Police Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department annually, the use of these materials poses environmental challenges for residents, as these are toxic, ignitable, flammable, or reactive and/or corrosive.

The I-710 Freeway is a major truck route from Los Angeles and Long Beach and presents a potential for hazardous material accidents and spills during transport. In addition, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (AT&SF), Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), and the Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) rail lines transport hazardous materials from time to time. Trains on the SPRR railroad line parallel to Randolph Street, in the northern section of the Central City area (that portion of Bell located to the west of the Los Angeles River), on the UPRR line along the west side, and on the AT&SF railroad in the Cheli industrial area, also carry hazardous cargoes. The City has no jurisdiction or control over the transport of hazardous materials on freeways and railroads. The California Highway Patrol is in charge of spills that occur on the local freeways along with Caltrans.

A Chevron high pressure crude oil pipeline extends along River Drive in the City. This line transports crude oil from Montebello to El Segundo. Transmission lines also extend along the Los Angeles River (east of the Central City) and west of the UPRR tracks (west of the Central City). A natural gas transmission line and Arco pipelines also extend along the UPRR tracks on the western end of the City.

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Recommendation 9: The City should remediate hazardous wastes at sites considered for housing development.

Recommendation 10: The City should ensure that siting of hazardous waste generators and facilities are not disproportionately located in or near the City of Bell.

§ Sewers. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District (LACSD) No. 1 and 2 provide sewer service to the City. This housing element will be immediately shared with LACSD following its adoption. The sewer lateral lines are owned and maintained by the City and the three trunk lines located in Bell are maintained by the LACSD.

Wastewater collected by the LACSD is conveyed to the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant located at 24501 Figueroa Street in Carson.

This treatment plant has a design capacity of 385 million gallo ns per day (mgd) and currently treats 330 mgd. Thus, a remaining capacity of 55 mgd is available for future development in the region.

The Central City portion is located within the service area of Sanitation District No. 1. Main sewer trunks serving this area include: the Wilcox Avenue Trunk Sewer (a 15-inch diameter line located in Alamo Street between Gage Avenue and Randolph Street); the Wilcox Avenue Extension Trunk Sewer No. 1 (a 15-inch diameter line in Wilcox Avenue from Gage Avenue to south of Florence); the Wright Road Trunk Sewer (a 24-inch diameter line in Atlantic Avenue); the Vernon Extension Trunk Sewer (a 24-inch diameter line in Salt Lake Avenue); and the Joint Outfall H Trunk Sewer Unit 1F (a 36- to 42-inch diameter line located along in Salt Lake Avenue). The Cheli area is located within the Los Angeles County Sanitation District No.2 service area.

Opportunities for Energy Conservation:

City Initiatives
The City will review the City’s Zoning Ordinance and subdivision requirements, as well as other applicable codes, to promote energy conservation in housing rehabilitation and in the construction of new housing. This program will supplement existing City efforts in the enforcement of the State’s construction codes requiring energy efficiency in new construction. The City of Bell will adopt a “Green City” ordinance in conformance to current State requirements. This program will ensure that developers and/or architects incorporate certain State-

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mandated energy and water conserving equipment in any new development. The City’s website will be expanded to include a “Green City” section that will refer users to a wide range of initiatives from other energy and water providers that will be effective in helping to conserve these resources. The programs will include rebates from other energy providers for energy conserving refrigerators, water heaters, and other household appliances.

State Regulations and Programs
Title 24 of the California Administrative Code establishes energy conservation standards that must be applied to all new residential buildings. The regulations specify energy saving design for walls, ceilings, and floor installations, as well as heating and cooling equipment and systems, gas cooling devices, conservation standards and the use of non-depleting energy sources, such as solar energy or wind power. Compliance with the energy standards is achieved by satisfying certain conservation requirements and an energy budget.

Among the alternative ways to meeting the energy standards are the following:
• Alternative 1: The passive solar approach which requires proper solar orientation, appropriate levels of thermal mass, south facing windows, and moderate insulation levels.
• Alternative 2: Generally requires higher levels of insulation than Alternative 1, but has no thermal mass or window orientation requirements.
• Alternative 3: Also, is without passive solar design but requires active solar water heating in exchange for less stringent insulation and/or glazing requirements.

Residential developers must comply with these standards while localities are responsible for enforcing the energy conservation regulations.

The California Department of Community Services and Development (CDCSD) in partnership with the network of local community services agencies that assist lower -income households, administers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Energy Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE-LIWAP). LIHEAP provides financial assistance to lower-income households to offset the costs of heating and/or cooling their residences. DOELIWAP provides installation and weatherization measures that increase energy efficiency of existing residential and multi-family dwellings occupied by lower-income persons. Eligible weatherization services include a wide variety of energy efficiency measures that encompass the building

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envelope, its heating and cooling systems, its electrical system, and electricity consuming appliances.

Private Sector Programs
The following private sector energy conservation programs are available to housing developers and Bell residents:
• California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE): Lower-income customers enrolled in the CARE program receive a 20 percent discount on their electric and natural gas bills. CARE is funded through a rate surcharge paid by all other utility customers. • Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR): Includes a one-year electric rate reduction home energy audit, free compact fluorescent lights, and replacement of inefficient refrigerators.

Income qualification and enrollment by Red Cross.
• Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA): This program was developed for families whose household income slightly exceeds the threshold for assistance in other energy program allowances. Qualifying households have some of their electricity usage billed at a lower rate.
• Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEE): The LIEE program provides no-cost weatherization services to lower income households who meet the CARE guidelines. Services provided include attic insulation, energy efficient refrigerators, energy efficient furnaces, weather stripping, caulking, low-flow showerheads, water heater blankets, and door and building envelop repairs that reduce air infiltration.

Investments in infrastructure are needed to address environmental concerns throughout the City. For example, even the western portion of the City furthest away from the I-710 freeway has high pollution levels (CalEnviroScreen). (Figure B-17). As such, a combination of reducing the sources of existing pollution, investing in infrastructure to manage pollution, and proper siting of residences will be needed to minimize exposure of residents to environmental concerns.

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CalEnviroScreen Percentiles.

Figure B-17

However, the Cheli area poses additional challenges due to the proximity of a number of sources of pollution, including freeways, railroad corridors, freight distribution centers, and a history of manufacturing, warehousing, and other uses often not compatible with housing. Any housing located here would have to contend with the environmental concerns and corresponding infrastructure improvements identified above.

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In addition, the current state of the Cheli area will require additional infrastructure investments not directly tied to environmental concerns, but important nonetheless to promoting residential quality of life. As noted by the California Healthy Places Index, this includes, but is not limited to, the following infrastructure investments:

§ Tree Canopy. The Census tract that includes the Cheli neighborhood has a lower tree canopy than 70.9 percent of cities in California.
§ Supermarket Access. Access to nutritious foods is lower than

89.2 percent of cities in California.
§ Park Access. Future residents of Cheli would have access to parks within walking distance lower than 60.1 percent of California cities.
§ Schools, Healthcare, and Churches. Due to the existing and historic zoning of the area, the Cheli neighborhood lacks the institutional infrastructure that supports residences.

Specifically, there are no school s, health care facilities, or churches in the Cheli neighborhood. Local schools such as Rosewood Park School in Commerce are 3,280 feet away from the Cheli neighborhood. Other institutional uses are further away, often west of the I-710 freeway and Los Angeles River.

The lack of such infrastructure would substantially reduce the standard of living and quality of life for existing and future Cheli residents.

However, it is also worth noting that the Cheli area, as a result of the Bell Shelter, has very good access to supportive services that are particularly relevant to the population that is transitioning out of homelessness, such as case management, substance abuse treatment and food supports.

As a result, while the area presents many challenges for housing for the general population, continued expansion of the Bell Shelter and its shelter, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing seems appropriate. Long-term planning through a Specific Plan will also help to identify a capital infrastructure plan and appropriate siting of uses that will create the best health and environmental outcomes for future residents.

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Appendix C: Housing Resources
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Appendix C: Housing Resources

Planning, financing, developing, and operating housing requires resources, land, financial, human, and other. This Appendix summarizes the City’s requirement for adding housing within the City of Bell, identifies sites on which that requirement can be accommodated, identifies resources to financing new housing, recognizes City policies and programs that will impact housing development, and discusses opportunities for energy conservation.

Future Housing Needs
State law requires that each community build a certain number of new housing units to keep up with the region’s housing need. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 6
th Housing Element
Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the City of Bell is 229 units. This section discusses the City of Bell’s ability to accommodate their RHNA during the eight-year planning period.

RHNA Requirement
The RHNA covers the planning period from June 30, 2021, through October 15, 2029. The City of Bell must identify adequate land with appropriate zoning and development standards to accommodate its allocation of the regional housing need.

The City of Bell’s 229 RHNA units are split across four income levels, very low, low, moderate, and above moderate as seen in Figure C-1. AMI stands for Area Median Income.

City of Bell 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation Units Very-Low Income (<50% of AMI) 43
Low-Income (50 to 80% of AMI) 24
Moderate-Income (80 to 120% of AMI) 29
Above Moderate Income (>120% of AMI) 133
Total 229
Figure C-1

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Credits toward the RHNA
Housing units built, under construction, or approved starting on June 30, 2021, and onward can be credited towards meeting the City’s RHNA.

Units Approved
The City has not entitled any housing units after the June 30, 2021 beginning of the 6
th Cycle RHNA Period.

Units Pending Approval
As of June 21, 2021, a total of 294 units were at various stages of review and approval. This includes 86 very low-income units, 0 low-income units, 25 moderate income units, and 183 above moderate-income units. 238 of these units are multi-family while 56 are townhomes.

Remaining Housing Need to be Accommodated
After accounting for units approved and pending approval, the City of Bell’s 229-unit RHNA is fulfilled. However, further capacity is identified in the sites inventory. Figure C-2 includes each pending development along with anticipated ADUs and anticipated developments in comparison to the City of Bell’s RHNA.

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RHNA Site Inventory
Unit Type Very Low Low Moderate
Above
Moderate Total
RHNA 43 24 29 133 229
Units Pending Approval
with Developer Intent
5209 Florence Avenue MF 29 123 152
4500 Gage Avenue Townhomes 24 24
4375 Gage Avenue
Townhomes/
Apartments 4 32 36
5600 Rickenbacker Road MF 34 34
5600 K Street MF 48 48
Units Anticipated
4570 Gage Avenue MF 22 22 44
4333 Florence Avenue MF 13 14 27
ADUs ADU 6 11 7 24
Total 127 47 29 186 389
Figure C-2

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
New State laws have relaxed development procedures and standards for the construction of ADUs. The production of ADUs in Bell has increased since the implementation of these new laws and it remains a popular program with residents. The City of Bell saw 11 ADU applications in 2018, 18 applications in 2019, 21 applications in 2020, and 17 applications in the first five and a half months of 2021. However, City records only register 12 Certificates of Occupancy over the same period.

For the purpose of RHNA credits, the City of Bell assumes at least 3 ADUs annually for a total of 24 ADUs over the eight-year planning period. Using SCAG’s Regional Accessory Dwelling Unit Affordability Analysis, based on the “Los Angeles County II Combined Affordability Assumption for Rented ADUs”, 6 anticipated ADUs will be very low- income, 11 will be low-income, and 7 will be above moderate income.

Residential Sites Inventory
For this 6
th cycle Housing Element, the City identified seven sites that will accommodate Bell’s future housing need. (Figure C-3). The text below describes each site in detail and discloses any site environmental

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constraints known at this time. Enviroscreen and Healthy Places Index information for each site is given in Table B-16.

Map of Residential Sites Inventory

Figure C-3

Site #1: 5209 Florence Ave
The City of Bell owns a 2.4-acre vacant site zoned C3R, which allows multi-family residential uses with a conditional use permit (CUP). The City has received a proposal from a developer to build at least 152 one- and two- bedroom multi-family units on the parcel, 29 for moderate income households and 123 for above-moderate income households.

The 29 moderate income units represent a portion of the planned development’s 2-bedroom units. As discussed in the Housing Needs Assessment, rents for new 2-bedroom units are generally affordable to families of four with moderate incomes (120% AMI) at $2,300 per month. Therefore, the City of Bell is able to count 29 of these units as moderate income. Project completion is expected in 2025.

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Site #2: 4500 Gage Ave
The City of Bell owns an additional 2.2-acre site zoned C3 and C3R. The site is underutilized with commercial buildings no longer in use and is ready for redevelopment. The C3R zone allows multi-family residential uses with a CUP, while the C3 “Heavy Commercial Zone” will require a rezoning from the City to allow residential uses. However, the site is within the Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan area (Program 21) and will be rezoned for mixed use. The City has received a proposal from a developer to develop 24 above moderate-income residential townhomes on this 2.2-acre site in addition to commercial uses. Project completion is expected in 2027.

Site #3: 4375 Gage Ave
Additionally, the City of Bell and Bell Community Housing Authority (BCHA) own a series of three separate sites on a single block. One site , owned by the City, is an underutilized futsal field while the other two sites, owned by the BCHA, host residential units, more than half of which are currently vacant. These three sites combined are 1.61 acres and are zoned multi-family residential, C3R and R3. The R3 zone allows multi-family without a CUP while the C3R zone requires a CUP for residential uses. The City has received a proposal from a developer regarding these three sites which are expected to yield a total of 4 very low-income units and 32 above moderate-income townhomes. Project completion is expected in 2026.

The BCHA portion of this site includes two BCHA developments located at 6303 Pine Avenue and 6317 Pine Avenue. The 6303 Pine Avenue site features one single -family unit which rents at an affordable rate, $1,000 per month. This single-family unit is occupied and will have to be replaced as part of a new development. The 6317 Pine Avenue site features eight units, three of which are occupied and five of which have been vacant since at least January 2015 (most have been vacant since 2011). Since these five units have been vacant for over six years at the latest, these five units are not required to be replaced as part of the new development. However, the three occupied units at 6317 Pine Avenue, which rent at affordable rates from $750 to $1,200 per month, must be replaced as part of covenant restrictions on a new development. These four occupied BCHA units rent at rates which can be afforded by very low-income households can afford.

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Site #4: 5600 Rickenbacker Rd
Site #5: 5600 K St
Last, two sites identified in the City of Bell’s site inventory are owned by the Bell Salvation Army. The first site, located on the Bell Salvation Army campus, is approximately 1.02 acres and is zoned CM or commercial manufacturing zone. While residential uses are not permitted in the CM zone, Bell Salvation Army recently built a 64-unit permanent supportive housing development called the Bell Oasis Apartments on their campus.

Building more permanent supportive housing on this 1.02-acre site will require a zone change. The City of Bell is amendable to the Salvation Army building more permanent supportive housing on and surrounding their campus and will prepare a Cheli Specific Plan (Housing Element Program 22) which will make it possible for residential uses to be built in the Cheli Area. The Salvation Army owns the 1.02-acre site and is in talks with the City of Bell to adaptively reuse an existing industrial building into 48 lower-income permanent supportive multi-family units.

This site is part of the Bell Salvation Army’s emergency shelter that they are wanting to transition into permanent supportive housing.

The second site, also located on the Bell Salvation Army campus, is approximately 0.6 acres, vacant, and is also zoned CM, which will require a zone change for residential use. Again, the Cheli Specific Plan will entitle this development on The Salvation Army campus. The Salvation Army owns this 0.6-acre site and has presented plans to the City of Bell to build 34 lower-income permanent supportive multi-family units. While the Bell Salvation Army has yet to submit formal applications for either site, the Salvation Army has expressed very strong intent to the City to develop permanent supportive housing on these two sites. It has submitted preliminary plans for these two sites to the City.

It should be noted that these two sites have aging and possibly under capacity water and wastewater distribution infrastructure. However, the Salvation Army was able to develop this infrastructure in the Cheli area for their permanent supportive housing project, the Oasis Apartm ents.

The Cheli Specific Plan (Program #22) will identify an implementation strategy to construct this required infrastructure for housing on Sites 4 and 5. It will also establish a plan to bring K Street up to City standards.

Site #6: 4570 Gage Ave
This site consists of two vacant parcels on the southeast corner of the Gage Avenue and Woodward Avenue intersection. Parcel
#6326004900 is 0.18 acres and is owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Bell. Parcel #6326004022 is 0.81

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acres and is owned by a private property owner. Both parcels combined are 0.99 acres. This site is zoned C3R, which allows multi-family residential uses with a conditional use permit (CUP) and is located within the expected planning area of the Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan (Program 21). This site will be rezoned for by-right residential use as part of the Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan. Averaging the densities of the two types of currently proposed multifamily developments in the C3R zone (high-density multifamily, Site #1 and townhome, Site #3), we come to a density of 45 dwelling units per acre.

The uses on the site are a sizeable vacant lot behind an abandoned commercial building with a surface parking lot. Based on the size of the site and the standards of the C3R zone this site will accommodate 44 lower-income units, split between very low-income and low-income households. This site is uniquely suited for lower-income housing as it is one block removed from one of the most highly resourced intersections in Bell, the intersection of Gage and Atlantic. These resources include a walkable shopping center, high quality bus transit, a pharmacy, medical offices, financial institutions, parks, an elementary school, and more.

The City knows of environmental contamination in the soil; however, multifamily residential use on this site can be built with podium parking.

In addition, the private owner has expressed interest in developing housing on the site in the past.

Site #7: 4333 Florence Ave
This site, which is currently for sale, is currently occupied by a shuttered restaurant and surface parking lot. The site, parcel #6325025008, is a total of 0.6 acres. The site is zoned C-3R, which allows multi-family residential uses with a conditional use permit (CUP). This site will be rezoned for by-right residential use as part of the Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan. Averaging the densities of the two types of currently proposed multifamily developments in the C3R zone (high-density multifamily, Site #1 and townhome, Site #3), we come to a density of 45 dwelling units per acre.

Based on the size of the site and the standards of the C3R zone this site will accommodate 27 lower-income units, split between very low- income and low-income households. This site is uniquely suited for lower-income housing as it is located 0.1 miles west of one of the most highly resourced intersections in Bell, the intersection of Florence and Atlantic. These resources include the shopping center, high quality bus transit, a pharmacy, medical offices, financial institutions, a high school, and more.

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Realistic Development Capacity Assumptions
The first five sites reflect live development proposals that have been deemed feasible by their property owners. Densities vary in accordance with the specific building type being proposed by the owner.

The two apartment sites have the highest density. The 2.4-acre, 154- unit vacant site in the C3R zone (5209 Florence Ave) will have a density of approximately 64 dwelling units per acre. The C3R zone does not have a maximum allowable density, and the project meets the zone height limit and other development standards. The 0.6-acre Salvation Army site will have a density of approximately 57 dwelling units per acre.

These densities are typical for four to five story housing projects with significant open space or detached parking garages.

The two townhome sites have densities of 20-30 units per acre. The

1.61-acre site (4375 Gage Ave) will average 22 units per acre, which is below the R3 zone maximum of 30 dwelling units per acre. The proposal is also far below zoning capacity on the C3R zoned portion of the site.

The 2.2-acre site (4500 Gage Ave) is within the C3R and C3 zones and has an overall density of 10 units per acre. However, much of the site will be taken up with commercial uses, leaving the townhome portion of the site with typical densities.

As discussed, the C3R zone has no maximum density; however, a conservative 45 units per acre has been assumed. The parcels included in sites 6 and 7, which will accommodate part of the very low and low income RHNA, were not included in the City of Bell’s 5
th cycle Housing
Element. In accordance with Government Code section 65583.2(c)(3) these sites must allow for more than 30 units per acre. Additionally, both sites are larger than 0.5 acres and smaller than 10 acres. Site #6 is currently vacant and underutilized making it a great development opportunity for lower-income housing, especially as the private property owner has expressed interest in developing housing and the other adjacent property owner is the City of Bell. Site #7 is currently for sale and the existing uses are a shuttered restaurant and surface parking lot.

There have been no recent ground-up commercial projects in the C3R zone, indicating that the sites’ availability for residential development is likely to be maintained throughout the 6
th Cycle period.

Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types
The City of Bell’s housing element must identify and analyze sites with appropriate zoning that will encourage and facilitate a variety of housing types.

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Emergency Shelters
Emergency shelters are permitted in the Cheli Area, which is the area of the 23.7 acre Bell Salvation Army Campus, which already hosts an emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and provides extensive transitional and supportive services to unhoused residents such as medical services, case management, and substance rehabilitation. The Cheli area is a decommissioned United States Air Force (USAF) air base which as part of the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994 established a procedure for unhoused service providers to receive base property at no cost, such as the Bell Salvation Army. Therefore, future housing development in the Cheli area must be restricted to transitional and permanent supportive housing for the formerly unhoused.

The Cheli Area is particularly suited for additional emergency shelters as it is more highly resourced than any other area in Bell in terms of services for the unhoused. Though the Cheli Area is located across the Los Angeles River and the 710 freeway from the rest of Bell, services provided there include free meals, mental and physical health, and case management services.

The City of Bell’s housing element includes an Emergency Shelter Program which ensures that the City’s Community Development Department cooperates with the Salvation Army and other emergency shelter providers in the helping sustain existing services and in the development of new emergency housing. Emergency shelter development standards in the Cheli Area with be established in the Cheli Specific Plan.

According to the LAHSA 2020 count, there are 24 unsheltered individuals and 469 sheltered individuals in Bell. The Bell Salvation Army typically provides transitional housing for 500 individuals; however, this capacity has been reduced to 250 individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Salvation Army’s capacity is expected to increase as the COVID-19 pandemic lessens. At full capacity, the Salvation Army is able to house the entirety of Bell’s 2020 unhoused population. However, the Bell Salvation Army remains committed to providing more capacity, in the way of permanent supportive housing, in the Cheli Area of Bell. The Bell Salvation Army has already expressed its intention to the City of Bell to develop two developments for lower - income households in Bell, which are Sites 4 and 5 in the Sites Inventory.

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Transitional and Supportive Housing
According to State Government Code Section 65583(a)(4 & 5) transitional and supportive housing is considered a residential use and subject to only those restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone. The City of Bell’s housing element includes a Transitional and Supportive Housing Program wherein the City’s Community Development Department will ensure the appropriate Zoning Ordinance sections related to transitional and supportive housing are updated so that they conform to State Law. This includes allowing transitional and permanent supportive housing in all residential zones.

Farmworker and Employee Housing
The City of Bell does not have a significant farmworker population; therefore, sites do not need to be identified. The City does encourage and facilitate multi-family housing and ADUs which will support the few farmworkers that live in Bell.

The California Legislature enacted the Employee Housing Act (EHA) to provide protection for persons living in privately owned and operated employee housing. The EHA is specifically designed to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of these residents and to provide them a decent living environment. The EHA also provides protection for the general public which may be impacted by conditions in and around employee housing. Any employee housing that has qualified, or is intended to qualify, for a permit to operate pursuant to the EHA, may invoke the following provisions:
● Any employee housing providing accommodations for six or fewer employees shall be deemed a single-family structure with a residential land use designation. Employee housing shall not be included within the definition of a boarding house, rooming house, hotel, dormitory, or other similar term that implies that the employee housing is a business run for profit or differs in any other way from a family dwelling.
● No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required of employee housing that serves six or fewer employees that is not required of a family dwelling of the same type in the same zone. According to the State Housing law, employee housing for six or fewer persons must be treated as regular housing.

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● The use of a family dwelling for purposes of employee housing serving six or fewer persons, shall not constitute a change of occupancy pursuant to any local building codes.
● Employee housing that serves six or fewer employees shall not be subject to any business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees, or other fees to which other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone are not likewise subject.
● For the purposes of any contract, deed, or covenant for the transfer of real property, employee housing which serves six or fewer employees shall be considered a residential use of property and a use of property by a single household.
● Each county and city shall permit and encourage the
development and use of sufficient numbers and types of
employee housing facilities as are commensurate with local needs. This section shall apply equally to any charter city, general law city, county, city and county, district, and any other local public entity.

Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing
Manufactured homes are permitted in all residential zones except in the C-3R zone.

Multi-family Rental Housing
Multi-family rental complexes with 2 to 4 dwelling units are permitted in the R-2 and R-3 zones which comprise over 80% of the City’s residential zones. Multi-family residential complexes are also permitted in the C3R zone with a conditional use permit. Mu lti-family rental complexes with 5 plus dwelling units are permitted in the R-3 zone in addition to in the C3R zone with a conditional use permit. A policy in Bell that encourages and facilitates the development of multi-family housing is the City’s Density Bonus Program.

Single-Room Occupancy Units (SROs)
SROs are not currently permitted in any residential zones in the City of Bell. However, the Housing Element includes a Single Room Occupancy Housing Program which will permit SRO development in the C3R zone with a conditional use permit.

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Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
ADUs and JADUs are permitted in all residential zones, including in the C3R zone without a conditional use permit. The City of Bell’s housing element includes an Accessory Dwelling Unit Program which continues to implement the ADU Ordinance in accordance with State Law. The program will also evaluate incentives for creating affordable ADUs, JADUs, and legalizing any existing unpermitted ADUs.

Public Resources and Infrastructure Availability
All of the housing sites identified in the Sites Inventory have basic utility services including water, sewer, storm drain, electrical service, gas, and broadband internet. The City is unaware of any utility infrastructure deficits which would prevent the construction of housing in these areas.

In the Cheli and Atlantic Avenue areas, Specific Plans will be prepared by 2023 which address all infrastructure needs and lay out a strategy to remedying any deficits which are found.

For a greater discussion on environmental infrastructure and constraints, please see the Constraints Analysis.

Financial Resources for Housing
With the dissolution of the Bell Redevelopment Agency pursuant to State law and continued local fiscal constraints, the City of Bell must prioritize its limited funding to address the most critical housing needs while it explores opportunities to raise additional local revenues for affordable housing. For the 2021-2029 Housing Element planning period, the City anticipates funding available from the following programs:

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
CDBG funds are grants awarded to local jurisdictions on a formula basis for housing and community development activities. Eligible activities include:
• Acquisition
• Rehabilitation
• Public Improvement
• Economic Development
• Assistance to unhoused individuals
• Public Services
Bell is a participating City under the LA Urban County Community Development Block Grant program. Therefore, the County of Los

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Angeles prepares the Consolidated Plans and One-Year Action Plans which outline the distribution of CDBG funds in coordination with the City of Bell. In the Draft 2021-2022 One-Year Action Plan, the following allocation is proposed:
• $266,819 for the Housing Rehabilitation Program (HE
Program 5)
• $264,403 for Code Compliance Program (HE Program 1)
• $150,000 for Commercial Rehabilitation, including façade improvements
• $95,589 for graffiti removal

Tenant-Based Subsidies
There are a wide variety of tenant-based subsidies that are available from government agencies to support tenants in the payment of rent for apartments on the open market. While these subsidies are not administered by the City of Bell, opportunities exist for the City to collaborate in improving the utilization of these subsidies for Bell residents and in Bell housing units. Studies have shown that many voucher holders are unable to use their housing vouchers because many private landlords do not accept them. Below are a few of the most important tenant-based subsidies:
• The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8) provides rental assistance payments to owners of private market rate units on behalf of extremely low-income tenants. The City Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles administers the Section 8 program in the City of Bell.
• The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program combines Housing Choice Vouchers with rental assistance for unhoused veterans. The Bell Oasis Apartments currently provide housing for 32 households with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers.
• The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) Shelter Plus Care grant provides subsidized housing and supportive services for individuals and families that meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s
definition of homelessness.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
The workhorse of funding for affordable rental housing in the United States, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program gives State and local LIHTC-allocating agencies the equivalent of

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approximately $8 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households. In California, these credits are distributed by the Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC), which awards projects funding in the Senior and Family categories. Income levels generally range from 30% to 60% AMI.

Tax credits come in the 9% and 4% variety. The more valuable 9% tax credits have always been subject to a competitive process; however, the 4% tax credits have recently become competitive in recent years. Thus, in order for a project to be competitive, there are certain characteristics that projects must have:

1. Projects must generally include a minimum of 40 to 50 units, and a maximum of 100 to 150 units, to ensure that the
affordable housing developer can earn a sufficient developer fee to make the project worth its while.

2. Most projects need a local match. The match may be in-kind (land) or financial. In the case of Bell, local financial matches would currently need to be provided by the County due to a lack of City funds available for this purpose.

3. Locational and other scoring criteria must be met. This includes proximity to services and public transit. Most areas within the Central City would meet these criteria.

In Bell, the construction of the Bell Oasis Apartments was funded in large part with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.

State Grant Programs
There are many state grant programs which have a relationship to housing; below are a few of the most relevant ones:
• Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC).

Funded through cap-and-trade funds, the AHSC program
provides large grants and loans to projects that will achieve GHG emission reductions and benefit disadvantaged
communities. Cities and affordable housing developers apply jointly and can receive awards of $20-30 million per project. Of the amount, 25% or up to $10 million can be used for
transportation improvements such as new buses or trains, streetscape improvements and protected bike lanes. The
program is highly competitive; however, for the City of Bell, a high-density affordable housing project near the future Metro station coupled with active transportation improvements on

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Florence Avenue or local bus improvements could score very well.
• Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG). This program is similar to AHSC but is more targeted at the infrastructure improvements necessary for residential or mixed-use infill development. • CalHOME. The CalHome Program is a competitive application process that provides funds to local public agencies and non- profit organizations for deferred-payment mortgage assistance loans for low-income first-time homebuyers, owner-occupied rehabilitation, or development of new affordable ownership housing. In 2020, $57 million was awarded to jurisdictions across the state from a total application pool of $155 million.

The City of Bell Gardens received $4.5 million for a first-time homebuyer program and owner-occupied rehabilitation
program. The City of Pomona received $720,000 for an
Accessory Dwelling Unit Program.

Private Financing
Most housing in Bell is privately owned, and development is also conducted privately with traditional equity and debt sources, as well as family investments. Bell has not attracted the attention of large market- rate development firms or institutional equity partners; market information shows that only 5% of apartment valuation in the five-mile radius around Bell is owned by private equi ty, REITs or other publicly traded investment vehicles, or institutional investors. In comparison, 13% of apartment valuation is owned by owner-occupants (for example, an owner-occupant of a fourplex).

Private capital is also being channeled into the development of affordable housing in new and creative ways. Sometimes this is done through social equity offshoots of larger companies or smaller, mission- based development firms. Private capital can create affordable housing in a number of different modalities, including:
• Constructing new development that is low-cost due to building type and unit size, and renting it for affordable rents • Acquiring multifamily properties in vulnerable neighborhoods and moderating rent increases
• Often, such projects will request property tax abatement of the City in return for covenants establishing the affordability level of these projects
• Building inclusionary housing, where affordable units constitute a portion of a market-rate development

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Community land trusts are another private actor that can act to establish permanent affordable housing in a community. The County of Los Angeles has a Pilot Community Land Trust Partnership Program to help transfer tax-defaulted properties into five community land trusts throughout the County.

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Appendix D: Program Evaluation
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Appendix D: Program Evaluation

State Government Code (GC) Section 65588 calls on a local government to “…review its housing element as frequently as appropriate to evaluate all of the following: (1) The appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives, and policies in contributing to the attainment of the state housing goal. (2) The effectiveness of the housing element in attainment of the community's housing goals and objectives. (3) The progress of the city, county, or city and county in implementation of the housing element.”

The development of the 2021-2029 Housing Element included an evaluation of how the City has implemented policies from past Housing Elements. This includes the Mid-Cycle 2017-2021 Housing Element and its programs. This plan included a number of programs geared for new housing development, housing rehabilitation, and the provision of affordable housing. The tables on the following pages summarize the status, effectiveness, and appropriateness of current housing policy programs, as well as any barriers to implementation:

Table D-1 summarizes the City’s progress in implementing the 26 policies in the Mid-Cycle 2017-2021 Housing Element that guide the City’s housing initiatives. It also offers a direction for each policy in the 6th Cycle Housing Element.

The Housing Element also had 18 programs with short-term objectives designed to measure the City’s progress toward meeting its housing goals. These are summarized below in Table 2.

Overall observations include:

Appropriateness of the Element - The policies and programs of the Housing Element remain largely appropriate to the State’s housing goals and the City of Bell’s current situation. Additional policies and programs are added in the 6th Cycle Housing Element to reflect current needs and opportunities and additional community outreach.

Effectiveness and Progress of the Element - Since the adoption of the Mid-Cycle Housing Element on June 30, 2020, the City has continued to implement policies and programs that have evolved since the adoption of the 2013-2021 Housing Element. Over the past year, these efforts have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions that have affected the planning and implementation of some housing policies and

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programs from both the City and its private sector and non-profit partners.

Special Needs and Fair Housing Programs – While the City has made advances in the areas of special needs housing, including ensuring fair housing for members of the community with special needs, the City’s outreach and enforcement capacities are limited. The City will therefore address these issues from a regulatory standpoint, but also strengthen partnerships with outside organizations to provide and protect housing for households with special needs. Relevant programs in the 2021-2019 Housing Element include Programs 4 (Equal Housing Program), 7 (Review and Removal of Governmental and Nongovernmental Constraints), 8 (Transitional and Supportive Housing Program), 11 (Reasonable Accommodation Housing Program), and 16 (Extremely Low, Very Low, and Low-Income Housing Program).

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Status of Housing Element Policies (Mid-Cycle Housing Element Update) Housing Element Policy Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/ Delete
Housing Element Policy 1. The City of Bell
shall promote the maintenance of the existing
housing units throughout the City. The City
shall proactively seek grants that may be
made available to residents to maintain and
rehabilitate their housing units. The City shall
establish a residential code compliance task
force.

The City continues to provide financial
assistance for homeowners and mobile home
parks with the support of CDBG. The
Community Development Department ran the
Housing Rehabilitation Program which
encompasses the Handy Worker Program.

This program ended in 2015.

Mostly successful. Residents and
property owners continue to have access
to financial assistance to help maintain
and rehabilitate housing units. The
Residential Code Compliance Task Force
has not met since 2016.

The City will continue to
promote maintenance
of existing housing
stock and seek
additional funding to
support financial
incentives. The City
should consider
restarting the
Residential Code
Compliance Task
Force.

Housing Element Policy 2. The City of Bell
shall encourage property owners to maintain
their housing, so the units are maintained in a
safe, healthful, and aesthetically pleasing
condition. The Community Development
Department staff shall encourage residents to
maintain their properties and or/residences in
good condition through Code Enforcement
and Community outreach and education.

The City continues to provide financial
assistance for homeowners and mobile home
parks with the support of CDBG. The
Community Development Department now
runs the Housing Rehabilitation Program
which encompassed the Handy Worker
Program. The City has maintained 2019
staffing levels for its Code Enforcement
program and conducted at least ten site
inspections weekly prior to the COVID-19
pandemic.

Mostly successful. Residents and
property owners continue to have access
to financial assistance to help maintain
and rehabilitate housing units.

The Community
Development
Department will
continue to promote
proper maintenance of
housing in safe,
healthful, and
aesthetically pleasing
condition.

Housing Element Policy 3. The City of Bell
shall encourage the investment of both public
and private resources to reverse
neighborhood deterioration and to prevent
the unnecessary demolition of housing units.

The City shall accomplish this by using
existing housing program(s) and encouraging
reinvestment into the community. In
addition, housing rehabilitation, instead of
demolition, should be encouraged.

The City’s 18 programs from the Mid-Cycle
Housing Element have been implemented to
protect the supply of existing housing stock,
encouraging maintenance and rehabilitation
of those units, and promoting new
development at all levels of affordability.

Successful. The City has been able to
meet and exceed its 5th Cycle RHNA
goals for all income levels. This includes
the development of 59 market-rate units.

The City will continue to
protect the supply of
existing housing stock,
encourage
maintenance and
rehabilitation of those
units, and promote new
development at all
levels of affordability.

Housing Element Policy 4. The City of Bell
shall minimize housing displacement and
require expeditious and equitable relocation
The City continues to monitor the status of at-
risk units at two locations:

Successful. The City has identified
strategies to preserve any future at-risk
projects, including:

The City will continue to
work with property
owners and developers

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Status of Housing Element Policies (Mid-Cycle Housing Element Update) Housing Element Policy Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/ Delete
in the event units are demolished. The City
may explore establishing a Housing
Relocation Plan prior to any demolition of
housing.
• The Bell Woodward Townhomes is a 4-
unit affordable housing community
located at 6719 Woodward).
• Murray Place has a total of 72 units, 71
of which are Section 8 assisted living
units.

In December 2020, the City also approved a
Relocation Impact Report to mitigate the
effects of any potential sale of the Bell Mobile
Home Park and Florence Village Mobile Home
& RV Park. The Relocation Impact Report and
Council’s approval action require any
prospective purchaser to provide twelve
months’ notice before park closure, adequate
compensation for movable and immovable
mobile homes, and a $500 per month rent
subsidy for one year at the mobile home
owners’ new location.

• Transfer of ownership to nonprofit
developers and housing
organizations;
• Providing rental assistance to
renters through other funding
sources;
• Purchase affordability covenants;
and,
• Refinance mortgage revenue bonds.

to minimize
displacement of
existing housing and
implement the
Relocation Impact
Report and related
Council amendments
for Bell Mobile Home
Park and Florence
Village Mobile Home &
RV Park in the event of
any sale of the
property.

Housing Element Policy 5. The City of Bell
shall encourage an adequate supply of
dwelling units to meet the needs of all income
groups consistent with the General Plan’s
land use policy. The City shall strive to attract
housing developers to provide new owner-
occupied and rental housing to meet the
needs for all income groups in the City.

The City’s 18 programs from the Mid-Cycle
Housing Element have been implemented to
protect the supply of existing housing stock,
encouraging maintenance and rehabilitation
of those units, and promoting new
development at all levels of affordability.

Successful. The City has been able to
meet and exceed its 5th Cycle RHNA
goals for all income levels. This includes
the development of 59 market-rate units.

The City will continue to
protect the supply of
existing housing stock,
encourage
maintenance and
rehabilitation of those
units, and promote new
development at all
levels of affordability.

Housing Element Policy 6. The City of Bell
shall strive to ensure that all persons with
special housing needs, such as the elderly
and handicapped, have an adequate choice
of suitable dwelling units. All new and
rehabilitated housing units must conform to
ADA regulations. The City shall also direct
seniors and individuals with special needs to
available county, State, and private programs.

The City’s Program #12 includes promoting
housing for those with special needs related
to a developmental disability. The City has
worked with the State’s Department of
Developmental Services Eastern LA Regions
Center.

Mostly successful. All new and
rehabilitated housing units during the 5th
cycle conformed to ADA regulations.

There were 45 ADUs approved in the 5 th
Cycle, though it’s unclear whether any of
these were dedicated for disabled
individuals needing affordable housing.

The City will work with the Eastern LA
Regions Center to implement an outreach
The City will continue to
ensure those with
special housing needs
are accommodated in
its programs and
funding pursuits.

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Status of Housing Element Policies (Mid-Cycle Housing Element Update) Housing Element Policy Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/ Delete
The City shall also develop a City program to
assist persons with special housing needs.
program that informs families regarding
housing and services that are available
for persons with developmental
disabilities. Th is could include an
informational brochure, including
information on services on the City’s
website, and providing housing -related
training for individuals/families through
workshops. The City will identify funding
sources that can address the housing
needs of developmentally disabled
persons and implement the Transitional
and Supportive Housing Program
(Program 9) that will facilitate the
development in Bell.

Housing Element Policy 7. The City of Bell
shall minimize displacement in future
development activities, while at the same
time, promote the expeditious and equitable
housing replacement. New residential
projects involving displacement must assist in
the relocation of displaced residents.

The City continues to monitor the status of at-
risk units at two locations:
• The Bell Woodward Townhomes is a 4-
unit affordable housing community
located at 6719 Woodward).
● Murray Place has a total of 72 units, 71
of which are Section 8 assisted living
units.

In December 2020, the City also approved a
Relocation Impact Report to mitigate the
effects of any potential sale of the Bell Mobile
Home Park and Florence Village Mobile Home
& RV Park. The Relocation Impact Report and
Council’s approval action require any
prospective purchaser to provide twelve
months’ notice before park closure, adequate
compensation for movable and immovable
mobile homes, and a $500 per month rent
subsidy for one year at the mobile home
owners’ new location.

Successful. The City has identified
strategies to preserve any future at-risk
projects, including:

• Transfer of ownership to nonprofit
developers and housing
organizations;
• Providing rental assistance to
renters through other funding
sources;
• Purchase affordability covenants;
and,
• Refinance mortgage revenue bonds.

The City will continue to
work with property
owners and developers
to minimize
displacement of
existing housing and
implement the
Relocation Impact
Report and related
Council amendments
for Bell Mobile Home
Park and Florence
Village Mobile Home &
RV Park in the event of
any sale of the
property.

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Status of Housing Element Policies (Mid-Cycle Housing Element Update) Housing Element Policy Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/ Delete
Housing Element Policy 8. The City of Bell
shall oppose any public agency initiative that
would result in the removal of existing housing
units without the provision of replacement
housing. Any agency looking into
development with removal of residential units
shall be required to provide either relocation
or replacement housing prior to the
development’s implementation.

The City continues to monitor any proposals
to not replace existing housing.

Successful. There has not been any
redevelopment of housing development
without replacement units.

The City will continue to
monitor proposals to
redevelop housing
developments to
ensure replacement of
housing stock and
relocation of existing
tenants.

Housing Element Policy 9. The City of Bell
shall work with property owners to bring any
illegal additions or building construction up to
the current Building Code and other health
and safety code requirements. New and
existing structures shall comply with current
building and safety codes. Prior to the
approval of housing rehabilitation plans,
building permits will only be issued following
inspection of the units for compliance with
current codes.

The City has maintained 2019 staffing levels
for its Code Enforcement program and
conducted at least ten site inspections weekly
prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mostly successful. The City has
maintained 2019 staffing levels for its
Code Enforcement program and
conducted at least ten site inspections
weekly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inspections declined during the
pandemic but are expected to resume
their historic rates in Spring 2021.

The City will resume its
pre-pandemic level of
effort in enforcing
safety code
requirements.

Housing Element Policy 10. The City of Bell
shall protect the existing residential
neighborhoods from the intrusion of
incompatible uses. The City shall ensure the
Zoning Code and the Municipal Code are
enforced.

The City has continued to ensure that
incompatible uses have not been entitled in
residential neighborhoods.

Mostly successful. The City continues to
not approve incompatible land uses in
residential neighborhoods, instead
encouraging residential uses in select
commercially-zoned areas compatible
with housing. The City has maintained
2019 staffing levels for its Code
Enforcement program and conducted at
least ten site inspections weekly prior to
the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspections
declined during the pandemic but are
expected to resume their historic rates in
Spring 2021.

The City will continue to
protect the integrity of
residentially zoned
neighborhoods.

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Status of Housing Element Policies (Mid-Cycle Housing Element Update) Housing Element Policy Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/ Delete
Housing Element Policy 11. The City of Bell
shall continue to cooperate with other public
agencies and non-government organizations
(NGOs) as a means to maintain and preserve
the existing emergency and transitional
housing in the Cheli area of the City. The City
shall explore other sites for emergency
shelters within the City that would be located
near services and employment. Finally, the
City shall cooperate with other agencies and
NGOs involved in the provision of emergency,
transitional, and supportive housing.

The Salvation Army continues to operate its
facility in the Cheli District. The City continues
to permit the Bell Shelter and its transitional
housing, which is now permitted in all
residential zones in the City. Supportive
housing is also now permitted in all residential
zones.

Successful. As required by SB-2, the City
has continued to provide an emergency
shelter program and inform them of grant
opportunities.

The City will continue to
build off its zoning
amendments
permitting transitional
and supportive housing
and work with NGOs to
enhance these housing
options.

Housing Element Policy 12. The City of Bell
shall assist developers in the identification of
land suitable for new housing developments
for all incomes. The City shall continue to
provide developers with information
concerning potential development sites.

The Community Development Department
continues to solicit development potential
and promote housing proposals. The City
adopted Ordinance No. 1266 on October 28,
2020 to align the City’s residential density
bonus ordinance. This includes a maximum
50% density bonus with increased
affordability options (15% very low income,
24% low income, or 44% moderate income)
Mostly successful. The City continues to
publicize the Density Bonus Program and
updated its Zoning Ordinance to ensure
consistency with State regulations. This
provides more certainty for residential
developers looking to streamline the
entitlement process. Response from the
development community has not
produced substantial results yet.

The City will continue to
promote housing
development using the
density bonus and
other incentives
recently incorporated
into the zoning
ordinance.

Housing Element Policy 13. The City of Bell
shall use available Federal and State
assistance programs, including CDBG
programs, to promote the development of an
adequate supply of affordable housing. The
City shall also use BCHA funds to purchase
new units in order to provide an adequate
supply of affordable housing. Finally, the City
shall seek new grant opportunities and inform
residents of the available program(s).

The City continues to seek federal and State
funding for housing development and funding
support.

Somewhat successful. While efforts to
seek funding assistance have continued,
the City has not been able to purchase
new affordable units.

The City will continue to
seek funding and
develop partnerships
with the development
community or NGOs to
fund more housing
development.

Housing Element Policy 14. The City of Bell
shall encourage the development of new
housing for all households including lower-
income households. The City shall promote
Bell as a friendly place for all income levels
through the City’s website, media, etc.

The City has been able to meet and exceed its
5th Cycle RHNA goals for all income levels.

This includes the development of 59 market-
rate units. The Bell Community Housing
Authority continues to promote its scope of
services to the public.

Mostly successful. The online marketing
of the City on its website and social
media could be enhanced. Meanwhile,
the City continues to encourage
development of all income levels that
meets and exceeds the RHNA targets.

The City could increase
its marketing of the City
as a livable city for
families of all income
levels on its website
and social media.

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Housing Element Policy 15. The City of Bell
shall require quality design and sound
construction of new rental housing. The
Community Development Department shall
continue to use current applicable codes in its
review of new development or housing
rehabilitation.

The City continues to update its regulations to
be consistent with energy conservation
mandates and publicizes incentives for
property owners and tenants.

Successful. The City promotes energy
conservation programs for developers
and residents.

The City should
continue to promote
green and sustainable
features in
developments that
meet and exceed Title
24 and Green Building
codes and develop
design guidelines that
improve the design of
new projects.

Housing Element Policy 16. The City of Bell
shall require the design of new residential
developments to foster a secure and
sustainable living environment. All new
residential developments shall implement all
pertinent requirements so as to implement
sustainability objectives. These objectives
will be addressed during the plan check
phase.

The City continues to update its regulations to
be consistent with energy conservation
mandates and publicizes incentives for
property owners and tenants. The City has a
website that informs the public of available
energy conservation programs
(https://www.cityofbell.org/?NavID=167).

Successful. The City promotes energy
conservation programs for developers
and residents.

The City should
continue to promote
green and sustainable
features in
developments that
meet and exceed Title
24 and Green Building
codes.

Housing Element Policy 17. The City shall
sponsor workshops that provide training
related to sustainable and low impact
development. The City shall also control over
watering of landscaping and promoting
xeriscape landscape designs. Finally, the City
shall encourage solar panel installations, limit
lawn watering, and promote drought tolerant
landscapes.

The City continues to update its regulations to
be consistent with energy conservation
mandates and publicizes incentives for
property owners and tenants. The City has a
website that informs the public of available
energy conservation programs
(https://www.cityofbell.org/?NavID=167).

Mostly successful. The City promotes
energy conservation programs for
developers and residents. However,
workshops on sustainable development
have not been schedule during the
pandemic.

The City should
schedule sustainability
workshops in 2021. Housing Element Policy 18. The City of Bell shall seek to develop underutilized housing
sites that could accommodate future
affordable housing needs as well as other
types of potential infill development.

The City has modified the zoning ordinance to
promote more infill housing development on
underutilized sites.

Somewhat successful. While the City
promotes redevelopment of underutilized
sites, there has not been substantial
developer response.

The City should use the
Housing Element
update as an
opportunity to promote
more infill
development.

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Housing Element Policy 19. The City of Bell
shall ensure that housing provided for lower-
income level households are not concentrated
in any single area or neighborhood of the City.

The Bell Community Housing Authority shall
promote the development of affordable
housing throughout the City of Bell.

Through the development of Specific Plans
and its ongoing review of opportunities
throughout the City, the zoning ordinance has
been amended to promote affordable housing
throughout the City, including commercially
zoned parcels.

Successful. The City’s initiatives have
improved the potential for more
affordable housing throughout the City,
including commercially zoned C-3
parcels and ADUs on single-family lots.

The City will continue to
find and promote
opportunities to
increase housing
distribution throughout
the City.

Housing Element Policy 20. The City of Bell
shall explore opportunities for new residential
development within those areas of the City
occupied by vacant, obsolete commercial and
industrial uses. The City shall undertake a
comprehensive citywide survey to identify
such sites.

Through the development of Specific Plans
and its ongoing review of opportunities
throughout the City, the zoning ordinance has
been amended to make affordable housing a
permitted use by right in several zoning
classifications. The City will include a
comprehensive citywide survey through the
Housing Element update.

Successful. Initiatives like the City’s
approved Zone Text and Map
Amendment No. 2020-01 on May 6,
2020 that created a mixed-use overlay
zone from 7020-7030 Atlantic Avenue
that were previously zoned C-3 will allow
for higher density residential uses by
right by allowing at least 30 units per
acre.

The City will continue to
find and promote
opportunities to
increase housing
density, distribution,
and supply throughout
the City.

Housing Element Policy 21. The City of Bell
shall work to ensure that potential sites for
residential development, located in those
areas that were previously occupied by non-
residential land uses, are investigated to
determine whether or not previous on-site
uses present potential health risks. This will
be accomplished through soils studies, soils
and site assessment, soils testing, and where
appropriate, as part of the CEQA review of
new developments.

The CEQA process should identify any
potential on-site health risks from previous
uses (Phase 1 or 2 studies).

Somewhat successful. The CEQA process
should include a Phase 1 evaluation of
potential contamination from previous
uses on potential housing sites.

The City should
continue to evaluate
potential risks on
potential housing sites
based on previous land
uses.

Housing Element Policy 22. The City of Bell
shall review and streamline administrative
procedures for processing residential
development permits to minimize time, costs,
and uncertainty. The City shall implement a
Planning Commission that will make the
discretionary approval process more efficient,
providing development applications on-line,
and will indicate development regulations and
the Zoning Code online.

The City adopted Ordinance No. 1266 on
October 28, 2020 to align the City’s ADU
ordinance with recent changes to State law
governing the streamlined permitting of these
housing units. This includes standards for
junior ADUs and elimination of parking
requirements for ADUs built on properties
proximate to public transit. These will provide
additional opportunities for property owners
to build and financially pencil out ADU
Successful. Over the past year, the City’s
Zoning Ordinance has streamlined the
siting of ADUs, housing in commercial
overlay zones, and other housing
opportunities for transitional and
supportive housing.

The City should
continue to regularly
evaluate the General
Plan and Zoning
Ordinance to minimize
obstacles to the
development of
affordable housing.

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development, as well as locate junior ADUs
within existing homes. The City publicizes the
State’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook
released December 2020.

Housing Element Policy 23. The City of Bell
shall periodically review and update codes
and standards to facilitate housing
development and rehabilitation. The City
shall review the existing Codes to identify
what requires revision. The City shall adopt
new standards for both new development
and/or rehabilitation as soon as possible.

The City adopted several updates to the
Zoning Ordinance to streamline the
development process for ADUs, housing in
commercial zones, and transitional and
supportive housing in all residential zones.

Successful. The City has met all State
deadlines for Zoning Ordinance updates
and continues to monitor the need for
future updates.

The City should
continue to meet State
mandates for zoning
code updates.

Housing Element Policy 24. The City of Bell
shall ensure that new higher-density
residential projects are compatible in design
with adjacent residential areas. This will be
achieved through the continued review of
development projects by the Planning
Commission, through the Building and
Planning Division’s plan reviews, and through
Plan Checks.

The City continues to use the Zoning Code
and General Plan to evaluate the design of
higher-density residential projects through
the entitlement processes.

Successful. The City’s entitlement
process has not resulted in higher-
density housing projects that are
incompatible with their environment or
the Zoning Ordinance or General Plan.

The city should
continue to ensure
higher-density housing
projects are consistent
with design and other
standards in the
General Plan and
Zoning Ordinance. The
General Plan and
Zoning Ordinance can
be supplemented with
new design guidelines.

Housing Element Policy 25. The City of Bell
shall explore new land use designations, such
as mixed-use, for key areas of the City that
could accommodate such development. New
commercial development located along Gage
Avenue, Atlantic Boulevard, and Florence
Avenue shall be encouraged to explore mixed-
use development that includes residential
uses within the development.

The City’s approved Zone Text and Map
Amendment No. 2020-01 on May 6, 2020
that created a mixed-use overlay zone from
7020-7030 Atlantic Avenue that were
previously zoned C-3 will allow for higher
density residential uses by right by allowing at
least 30 units per acre.

Initiatives like the City’s mixed-use
overlay zone from 7020-7030 Atlantic
Avenue are incentives for more mixed-
use development. The Housing Element
update will provide additional
opportunities to explore new land use
designations.

The City should use the
Housing Element
update to identify any
new land use
designations to
encourage mixed-use
development.

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Housing Element Policy 26. The City of Bell
shall ensure adequate housing services are
provided for all persons, regardless of income,
age, race, sex, marital status, or ethnic
background. The City shall continue to
enforce equal housing opportunity protection
laws through the Bell Community Housing
Authority and implement its Equal Housing
Program.

The City continues to enforce the Equal
Housing Program at historic levels of service.

The CD Department updated information on
the kiosk in late 2020.The City cooperates in
the Housing Rights Center based in Los
Angeles and continues to provide literature on
the Equal Housing Program at the Bell City
Hall, Chamber of Commerce, Library, City of
Bell website, and other areas that the
community gathers information. This is also
done as part of the CDBG action plan.

Mostly successful. The City’s promotion
of equal housing rights has been effective
in minimizing claims. The program’s
enforcement was affected by the
pandemic but should return to pre-
pandemic levels in 2021.

The City should resume
full enforcement of
equal housing
protections. Figure D-1

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1. Bell Code
Enforcement
Program.

The City will maintain the
current (2019) staffing levels
for the entire planning period.

A minimum of ten site
inspections will be completed
on a weekly basis.

The City has maintained 2019
staffing levels for its Code
Enforcement program and
conducted at least ten site
inspections weekly prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic.

Mostly successful.

Enforcement was affected
by the COVID-19
pandemic, as inspections
were reduced. However,
this commitment is
expected to return to pre-
pandemic levels by Spring
2021.

The City should
resume pre-pandemic
levels of code
enforcement.
2, Emergency
Shelter Program.

The Community Development
Department will cooperate
with the Salvation Army and
other emergency shelter
providers in the development
of new emergency housing.

The City has maintained
appropriate zoning for the Salvation
Army Shelter and lessened parking
requirements for the Bell Oasis
Apartments. Future emergency
shelters are now permitted by right
in the Emergency Shelter Overlay
Zone, which is formally in the Land
Use and Sustainability Element.

Successful. The City has
made changes to its
regulations to make
emergency shelters
permitted by right in the
Emergency Shelter Overlay
Zone. This will reduce risk
for potential siting of new
facilities.

The City should
continue to support
the Salvation Army
Shelter and look for
other opportunities to
promote emergency
shelters.

3. Low Barrier
Housing Program

The Community Development
Department will cooperate
with the Salvation Army and
other emergency shelter
providers in the development
of low barrier housing
resources.

The Salvation Army has a low
barrier housing program as a part of
their campus.

Mostly successful. The City should work
with NGOs to provide
and promote low
barrier housing and
shelters.

4. Equal Housing
Program.

The Community Development
Department will update the
information kiosk on an
annual basis beginning in the
1 st Quarter of 2020. The
referral service will be
maintained over the entire 5
th
Cycle planning period.

The City continues to enforce the
Equal Housing Program at historic
levels of service. The CD
Department updated information
on the kiosk in late 2020.The City
cooperates in the Housing Rights
Center based in Los Angeles and
continues to provide literature on
Mostly successful. The
City’s promotion of equal
housing rights has been
effective in minimizing
claims. The program’s
enforcement was affected
by the pandemic but
The City should
resume full
enforcement of equal
housing protections.

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the Equal Housing Program at the
Bell City Hall, Chamber of
Commerce, Library, City of Bell
website, and other areas that the
community gathers information.

This is also done as part of the
CDBG action plan,
should return to pre-
pandemic levels in 2021.

5. Housing
Rehabilitation
Program.

The Community Development
Department will provide
assistance for up to 20
households on an annual
basis.

The City continues to provide
financial assistance for households
and mobile home owners with the
support of CDBG. The Community
Development Department now runs
the Housing Rehabilitation Program
which encompassed the Handy
Worker Program.

Mostly successful.

Residents and property
owners continue to have
access to financial
assistance to help maintain
and rehabilitate housing
units. The Residential Code
Compliance Task Force has
not met since 2016.

The City will continue
to promote
maintenance of
existing housing stock
and seek additional
funding to support
financial incentives.

The City should
consider restarting
the Residential Code
Compliance Task
Force.

6. Handy-worker
Program.

The Community Development
Department provided
assistance for up to 20
households on an annual
basis.

The handy-worker program ended
in June 2015. Instead, the program
was integrated into the Housing
Rehabilitation Program (see
program #5), with City staff doing
minor work that did not require
permits.

Successful. The program’s
integration into the
Housing Rehabilitation
Program helps streamline
the program.

The City should
continue to provide
assistance to
residences that need
permitted and non-
permitted
improvements.

7. Land Use and
Zoning Conformity
Program.

The Community Development
Department will complete its
revision to the Zoning
Ordinance by the end of the
1 st Quarter of 2020. The City
will then continue on annual
basis for the duration of the 5
th
Cycle planning period. The
findings of this review will be
documented in an annual
report that will be submitted
The City continues to update the
Zoning ordinance and other
regulations as needed to ensure
conformity. The City adopted
Ordinance No. 1266 on October
28, 2020 to align the City’s ADU
ordinance with recent changes to
State law governing the streamlined
permitting of these housing units.

Successful. The City
completed its revisions to
the Zoning Ordinance.

The City should
evaluate other
opportunities to
update the Zoning
Ordinance in concert
with the Housing
Element update.

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to the State Office of Planning
Research.

8. Review of
Governmental
Constraints and the
Zoning Ordinance.

The Zoning Ordinance is being
updated. Following the
updating of the Zoning
Ordinance, the Community
Development Department will
review and, and if necessary,
revise the Zoning Ordinance
on an annual basis to ensure
that no additional housing
constraints are associated
with the implementation of the
Zoning Ordinance.

The City continues to review any
governmental constraints to enable
efficient implementation of the
Housing Element. The City adopted
Ordinance No. 1266 on October
28, 2020 to align the City’s
residential density bonus ordinance
with recent changes to State law
and recommendations from the
Californians for Homeownership.

Successful. The City will
evaluate any governmental
constraints in the Housing
Element update.

The City should
address any
governmental
constraints in concert
with the Housing
Element update.

9. Transitional
Housing Program.

The City of Bell Community
Development Department will
ensure the appropriate Zoning
Ordinance sections related to
transitional and supportive
housing are updated so that
they conform to State Law.

The Salvation Army continues to
operate its facility in the Cheli
District. The City continues to
permit the Bell Shelter and its
transitional housing, which is now
permitted in all residential zones in
the City. Supportive housing is also
now permitted in all residential
zones.

Successful. As required by
SB-2, the City has
continued to provide an
emergency shelter program
and inform them of grant
opportunities.

The City will continue
to build off its zoning
amendments
permitting transitional
and supportive
housing and work with
NGOs to enhance
these housing
options.
10, Accessory
(Second) Unit
Ordinance Program.

The City of Bell Community
Development Department will
continue to implement the
ADU Ordinance in accordance
with State Law.

The City adopted Ordinance No.
1266 on October 28, 2020 to align
the City’s ADU ordinance with
recent changes to State law
governing the streamlined
permitting of these housing units.

This includes standards for junior
ADUs and elimination of parking
requirements for ADUs built on
properties proximate to public
transit. These will provide
additional opportunities for
property owners to build and
Successful. The City has
met the State’s
requirements to streamline
the Zoning Ordinance
consistent with State law.

The City should
continue to help
homeowners process
ADU and Junior ADU
entitlement requests.

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financially pencil out ADU
development, as well as locate
junior ADUs within existing homes.

The City publicizes the State’s
Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook
released December 2020

11. Density Bonus
Program.

The City will advertise this
program through handout
materials and communication
with developers (4th quarter of
2019).

The City continues to publicize the
Density Bonus Program and
updated its Zoning Ordinance to
ensure consistency with State
regulations. The City adopted
Ordinance No. 1266 on October
28, 2020 to align the City’s
residential density bonus ordinance
with recent changes to State law
and recommendations from the
Californians for Homeownership.

This includes a maximum 50%
density bonus with increased
affordability options (15% very low
income, 24% low income, or 44%
moderate income)
Mostly successful. The City
continues to publicize the
Density Bonus Program
and updated its Zoning
Ordinance to ensure
consistency with State
regulations. This provides
more certainty for
residential developers
looking to streamline the
entitlement process.

Response from the
development community
has not produced
substantial results yet.

The City will continue
to promote housing
development using
the density bonus and
other incentives
recently incorporated
into the zoning
ordinance.

12. Reasonable
Accommodation
Housing Program.

Facilitate the development,
maintenance, and
improvement of housing for
persons with disabilities;
reduce processing time for
reasonable accommodation
requests by 50%. In addition,
the Housing Division will
publish a brochure that will be
provided at the Planning
Counter and the Community
Center that will advertise this
program in the City’s
newsletter, website, and Civic
Center TVs. The outreach will
The City has worked with the
State’s Department of
Developmental Services Eastern LA
Regions Center. However, other
objectives are still pending.

Partially successful. There
were 16 ADUs approved in
the 5th Cycle prior to 2020,
though it’s unclear whether
any of these were
dedicated for disabled
individuals needing
affordable housing. The
City will work with the
Eastern LA Regions Center
to implement an outreach
program that informs
families regarding housing
and services that are
available for persons with
The City will continue
to ensure those with
special housing needs
are accommodated in
its programs and
funding pursuits and
publicize these in
print and electronic
media.

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commence during the 4th
quarter of 2019.
developmental disabilities.

This could include an
informational brochure,
including information on
services on the City’s
website, and providing
housing-related training for
individuals/families through
workshops. The City will
identify funding sources
that can address the
housing needs of
developmentally disabled
persons and implement the
Transitional and Supportive
Housing Program (Program
9) that will facilitate the
development in Bell.

13. Energy
Conservation
Program.

The City of Bell Community
Development Department will
ensure the appropriate Zoning
Ordinance section related to
energy conservation
requirements are updated so
they conform to State Law.

The City will be proactive in
advertising energy
conservation programs
through handout materials
that will be available at the
public counter through the
City's web page and through
periodic advertisements in the
City newsletter.

The City continues to update its
regulations to be consistent with
energy conservation mandates and
publicizes incentives for property
owners and tenants. The City has a
website that informs the public of
available energy conservation
programs
(https://www.cityofbell.org/?NavID=
167).

Mostly successful. The City
promotes energy
conservation programs for
developers and residents.

However, workshops on
sustainable development
have not been scheduled
during the pandemic.

The City should
schedule
sustainability
workshops in 2021.

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14. Single Room
Occupancy Housing
Program.

The City of Bell Community
Development Department will
ensure the appropriate Zoning
Ordinance section related to
SRO housing are updated so
they conform to State Law.

The City updated its zoning
ordinance and other regulations to
ensure consistency with State SRO
requirements.

Successful. The City should
promote SRO housing
opportunities with
developers and NGOs.

15. Mobile Home
Program.

The City will ensure that the
existing mobile home parks in
the City are preserved in the
5 th Cycle planning period.

The City continues to preserve
mobile home parks, will explore
opportunities to provide relocation
opportunities for mobile home park
residents, and plans to revisit the
Mobile Home Park overlay zone as
part of the 6
th cycle Housing
Element update.

Successful. The existing
mobile home parks have
not been adversely
affected.

The City should
consider the Mobile
Home Park overlay
zone as part of the
Housing Element
update.

16. Preservation of
At-Risk Housing
The City will ensure that the
existing affordable, at risk
units are preserved in the 5
th
Cycle planning period. The
City will annually monitor the
status of the existing
affordable housing units that
are at risk of converting to
market-rate during the 2014-
2021 Housing Element
planning period. The City will
also monitor Section 8
legislation and provide
technical assistance to
nonprofit property owners as
necessary and will pursue
partnership opportunities with
non-profits to preserve and
expand affordable housing in
the City. Finally, the City will
actively pursue opportunities
for the funding of replacement
housing.

There are two affordable housing
developments that are Low-Income
Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and
HUD-funded properties at risk at
conversion to market rate housing
in the coming years. The three
properties include the following:
● The Bell Woodward Townhomes
is a 4-unit affordable housing
community located at 6719
Woodward). This development
is at High Risk for conversion
since the HUD database shows
that the Section 8 contract
expired for that property in June
of 2016 however Section 8
vouchers are still being
accepted.
● Murray Place has 72 units, 71 of
which are Section 8 assisted
living units. All Section 8
assisted units on this property
consist of one-bedroom. This
Successful. The City has
identified strategies to
preserve any future at-risk
projects, including:

• Transfer of ownership
to nonprofit
developers and
housing organizations;
• Providing rental
assistance to renters
through other funding
sources;
• Purchase affordability
covenants; and,
• Refinance mortgage
revenue bonds.

The City will continue
to work with property
owners and
developers to
minimize
displacement of
existing housing.

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affordable housing development
is reserved for elderly persons
and is located at 4324 Florence
Avenue. The risk for conversion
to market rate is Low Risk
because more than ten years of
restrictions are remaining.

17. Extremely Low-
Income, Very Low-
Income, and Low-
Income Housing
Program.

City will proactively continue
to pursue available funding
sources to assist in the
development of lower income,
including extremely low-
income housing. The City will
continue to apply for State
and Federal assistance
including, but not limited to,
CDBG and Home funding.

Other funding sources will
continue to be explored
including Prop 1-C, and a
Regional and Local Housing
Trust Fund. The City will
conduct an annual seminar to
discuss available funding
sources to assist in the
development of lower income,
including extremely low-
income housing.

The City continues to:
• Apply for State and Federal
assistance, Prop 1 -C, and a
Regional and Local Housing
Trust Funds.
• The City continues to conduct
an annual seminar to discuss
funding sources to assist in
development of lower income,
including extremely low -
income housing.
• Apply for financial incentives
through Los Angeles County
Development Authority HOME
funds
• Market the sale and
development o f City -owned
parcels
• Work with SRO housing
developers to promote density
bonuses.

• Prioritize use of Section 8
vouchers for extremely low -
income residents.
• Identify regulat ory incentives,
including density bonuses and
flexible development
standards, to private
developers to increase the
Somewhat successful.

While efforts to seek
funding assistance have
continued, the City has not
been able to purchase new
affordable units.

The City will continue
to seek funding and
develop partnerships
with the development
community or NGOs
to fund more housing
development.

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Status of Housing Element Programs
Housing Element
Program
2017-2021 Program
Objective
Result Evaluation Continue/Modify/
Delete
supply of affordable housing.

18. Rezone Housing
Opportunity
Program.

The City will complete the
rezoning of Site #6 by the end
of the first quarter of 2020.

The City approved Zone Text and
Map Amendment No. 2020-01 on
May 6, 2020 that created a mixed-
use overlay zone from 7020-7030
Atlantic Avenue that were
previously zoned C-3. This will allow
for higher density residential uses
by right by allowing at least 30 units
per acre.

Successful. The 2020
rezoning of Site #6 will
pave the way for
redevelopment of the site.

The City should work
with the
redevelopment of Site
#6.

Figure D-2

Appendix D: Program Evaluation

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Quantitative Objectives Progress
The 2014-2021 Housing Element identified overall objectives for housing production, rehabilitation, conservation, and preservation. (Figure D-3). The following table summarizes actual accomplishments during the Plan period for production of new units. As of Summer 2020, the City had met and exceeded its housing production objectives as determined by the 5
th cycle RHNA process. The City nearly tripled its
production of BMR housing, primarily in the extremely low and very-low income categories, as well as the above moderate-income category primarily through the production of ADUs.

2014-2021 Housing Element Objectives
Income Category
New
Construction
Objective
(Units)
New Housing
ADUs
(assumed
affordability)
Total
Outcome
Extremely Low Income 026 64 0 64
Very-Low Income 11 0 7 7
Low-Income 7 7 36 43
Moderate-income 8 0 2 2
Above Moderate-income 21 59 23 82
Total 47 130 68 197
Figure D-3

26 The extremely low-income RHNA and very-low income RHNA total was 11 units. Extremely low-income RHNA listed as zero in Figure D-3 to prevent double counting.

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 179

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

The programs that will be effective in the implementation of the Housing Element policies are described in the sections that follow.

Program 1: Bell Code Enforcement Program.
• Detail. The City will continue proactive enforcement of existing Municipal Code provisions relating to the appropriate use, development of properties, and habitability (in the case of housing units) throughout the City. The Code Enforcement Program is designed to bring properties up to City Code requirements and to clean up and improve unsightly, unsafe, or uninhabitable properties.

The majority of the Code violations in the City are related to property maintenance and outdoor storage. Through maintenance of appropriate records, the City will identify any patterns of violations, such as tracking more serious violations and repeat violators. Under this program, City Code Enforcement personnel will continue to refer property owners cited for Code violations to the housing rehabilitation assistance programs as a means to provide financial assistance to qualifying households. No additional funding and/or staffing will be required or are anticipated with this program’s continued implementation. Under this Housing Element, the program will be continued over the entire planning period applicable to this Housing Element update. The City will work with property owners and tenants to identify repairs on unsafe and unsightly units, prioritizing repairs that can be done without displacing tenants. In the event that tenants must be removed and a unit must be labeled uninhabitable, the City will refer said tenants to StayHousing LA which will conn ect them to a caseworker who will connect them to affordable housing or transitional housing.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Code Enforcement Division is a component of the Community Development. The responsible is shared with the Bell Chief of Police and the Community
Development Director to oversee the Division. The day-to-day oversight of the program is under the direction of the Community Development Director. It is planned that the Code Enforcement Division will be transferred back to the Community Development Department in near future.
• Source of Funding. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other local funds.

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• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will maintain historic staffing levels for the entire planning period. A minimum of ten site inspections will be completed on a weekly basis.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Code Enforcement Division of the City of Bell. Responsible is shared with the Bell Chief of Police and the Community Development Director to oversee the Division.
• Implementation Schedule. The Code Enforcement Division’s responsibilities will continue to implement the program at historic funding and staffing levels over the 6th Cycle planning period.

\

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Program 2: Emergency Shelter Program.
• Detail. As required by SB-2, the City will continue to provide for an Emergency Shelter Program. The City will collaborate with the Salvation Army, which provides shelter to approximately 500 unhoused individuals, to ensure its continued success. The Police Department will collaborate with the Salvation Army to ensure proper operations and support for the Emergency Shelter Program.

The City will oppose infrastructure projects which could require the taking of existing shelters in the area. The City will maintain the appropriate zoning to allow the continued operation of the Salvation Army Shelter in the Cheli district. In addition, all future emergency shelter facilities are permitted by right within the Emergency Shelter Overlay Zone, which is a land use designation included in the Land Use and Sustainability Element. With the implementation of Program 22 (Cheli Specific Plan), by-right zoning standards will be set in place which reduce barriers to any expansion of the Salvation Army Shelter or establishment of new shelters in the area. The City will continue to inform those special service agencies and organizations of the grants through mailing and brochures. The implementation strategy is summarized below:
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Community Development Department is responsible for the review and, and if required, updating the Zoning Ordinance. The responsible party is the Community Development Director. The Police Department also needs to collaborate with the Salvation Army.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The Bell Shelter will be maintained through the duration of the 6
th cycle planning period. The
Community Development Department will cooperate with the Salvation Army and other emergency shelter providers in the development of new emergency housing as opportunities arise. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Community
Development Department is the responsible lead agency. The responsible party is the Community Development Director. • Implementation Schedule. City staff will meet with the Bell Salvation Army representatives on a bi-annual basis.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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Program 3: Low Barrier Housing Program.
• Detail. Per AB 101 (2019) the City will review its zoning ordinance and make revisions if necessary to allow low barrier navigation centers for the unhoused per Government Code 65660-65668. • City’s Role in Implementation. Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The Community Development Department will cooperate with the Salvation Army and other emergency shelter providers in the development of low barrier housing resources.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Community
Development Department is the responsible lead agency. The responsible party is the Community Development Director. • Implementation Schedule. Review zoning ordinance and amend if needed, by Spring 2022.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Program 4: Equal Housing Program.
• Detail. The City shall take meaningful actions to address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, color, familial status, or disability, and other characteristics protected by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2), Section 65008, and any other state and federal fair housing and planning law. Specific actions will include:
• Adopt an equal housing ordinance which also establishes fair housing-compliant local preference policies for City-assisted affordable housing developments;
• Conduct a biennial meeting with community groups and service providers which are concerned with fair housing and special needs households. Pursue partnerships to increase capacity to address issues in the community.
• Publish on the City’s website clear information warning entities that would potentially discriminate about the enforcement of fair housing law;
• Disseminate widely information about fair housing protections in a similar fashion as tenants’ and homeowners’ rights (Program 24); • Provide dedicated staff that refers housing related complaints to the Fair Housing Council of Los Angeles County,
• Work with the Fair Housing Council of Los Angeles County to facilitate public education and outreach by creating informational flyers on fair housing that the City will make available at public counters, libraries, and on the City’s website and social media outlets. City Council meetings will include a fair housing presentation at least once per year.
• Actively recruit underrepresented groups, such as renters and residents of the Cheli area to serve or participate on boards, committees, and other local government bodies.
• Ensure environmental hazards are not disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities of color pursuant to the 2021 Environmental Justice Element of the General Plan. • Work with Fair Housing Council to explore offering training to property owners and managers regarding responsible management of environmental hazards. Explore working with a community-based organization to assist in outreach to tenants to inform them of their

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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rights to live in habitable housing regardless of income, race, or immigration status.
• Develop a proactive code enforcement program that holds property owners accountable and proactively plans for resident relocation, when necessary.

Equal housing-related complaints will be referred to the Fair Housing Council of Los Angeles County which acts as an independent third- party to discrimination complaints. The City will make available literature on the Program at City Hall, Chamber of Commerce, Library, City of Bell website, and other areas that the community gathers information. This program will be continued over the entire planning period applicable to this element. The City will continue to provide these services to Bell residents and will advertise the availability of this program through brochures. Brochures describing the services of Fair Housing are available in the Community Development Department. Further marketing of the services available from Fair Housing will occur through informational pieces in the citywide newsletter and through information provided on the City’s official website.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Community Development Department is responsible for the implementation of this program.

The responsible party is the Community Development Director. • Source of Funding. General Fund and other eligible funding sources. • 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The Community Development Department will update the information kiosk on an annual basis.

The referral service will be maintained over the 6th Cycle planning period. An equal housing ordinance will be adopted.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Community
Development Department. Responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The program is done on an ongoing basis throughout the planning period. The ordinance will be adopted by City Council by Spring 2022. Distribute educational materials every two years. Produce public service announcements two times a year.

Implement on an ongoing basis.

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Program 5: Housing Rehabilitation Program.
• Detail. The Community Development Department will continue this CDBG-funded program which provides grants to low-and moderate- income homeowners to assist with their property maintenance. The single-family residential homeowners who qualify can receive a maximum of $18,000 for eligible improvements and mobile homeowners may be granted a maximum of $11,000. This program enables homeowners to make repairs, improve the value of their property, and improve the overall character of the neighborhood. • City’s Role in Implementation. The Community Development Department is responsible for the ongoing implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). • 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The Community Development Department will provide assistance for up to 20 households on an annual basis.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Community Services Department. Responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The program will continue over the 6th Cycle Planning Period.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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Program 6: General Plan and Zoning Conformity Program.
• Detail. The City of Bell will continue to review the Zoning Ordinance over the course of the 6 th Cycle to ensure that the development standards are consistent with changes in State law or new local policies that govern housing. As such the City will initiate appropriate changes to the Zoning Map, Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Element to ensure conformity between all three documents.

This will include the preparation of the Cheli Specific Plan (Program 22) which will address the Land Use Element’s identification of an Emergency Shelter Overlay Zone. No additional funding and/or staffing will be required or are anticipated with this program’s continued implementation.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the ongoing review and implementation of the General Plan.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The Community Development Department will continue to monitor changes in State law or new local policies that govern housing for the duration of the 6 th Cycle
planning period. The findings of this review will be documented in an annual report that will be submitted to the State Office of Planning Research.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The Community Development
Department will review and, and if necessary, revise the Zoning Ordinance as needed.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Program 7: Review and Removal of Governmental and
Nongovernmental Constraints.
• Detail. This program is an existing program that will be continued through the 2021-2029 Planning Period. This program involves the continued comprehensive review of the City’s Zoning Ordinance to identify undue constraints to the production of housing. In the event a constraint is identified, the zoning requirements will be revised, including ensuring that they conform to the Density Bonus requirements outlined in Government Code Section 65915. Specific tasks include:
- Review parking requirements and associated standards. - Reduce requirements for projects in proximity to transit. - Create more flexible open space standards. For example, allow flexibility in providing common or private open
space, and upper-floor open spaces (balconies) in
keeping with the design standards program (Program 17)
- Reduce R-3 zone minimum unit sizes for affordable
housing projects.
- Add studio/bachelor unit size standards to all zones. - Allow residential care facilities of over 7 beds in the R-3 and Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan (Program 23) zones.
- Increase the threshold for Planning Commission Site Plan Review to five units.

In addition, the City will make required updates of the zoning code, many of which have been established
through State law out of concern that they created
constraints for housing production or fair housing. These updates include:
- Eliminate the definition of “family” as part of the zoning code
- Allow for single room occupancy (SRO) housing in C-3R zone
- Permit supportive housing in all multifamily residential zones (Program 8)

The City will also adopt an SB 35 Streamlined Ministerial Approval Procedure into its zoning code to process
applications using this State law.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the review and update of the City of Bell Zoning Ordinance.
• Source of Funding. General Fund and other eligible funding source. • 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell will adopt ordinances modifying the zoning ordinance to remove the constraints and State law inconformities addressed above. The City will additionally review conformity of the zoning ordinance with the General Plan and State law on an annual basis as part of its annual General Plan implementation report required in Government Code section 65400.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. State law required code updates will be made by Spring 2022. Development standard review and
modifications will be conducted concurrently with Program 17 (Design Standards Program). The Zoning Ordinance will then be reviewed on an annual basis.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Program 8: Transitional and Supportive Housing Program. • Detail. Transitional housing is a type of supportive housing used to facilitate the movement of unhoused individuals and families to permanent housing. A person may live in a transitional housing unit for up to two years while receiving supportive services that enable independent living. The City intends to comply with State law regarding the provision of transitional housing. The existing Bell Salvation Army Shelter located in the City includes a transitional housing facility . The City will continue to permit the existing Bell Shelter, which includes a transitional housing facility, to operate.

The State also requires all cities to update their zoning ordinances to provide for supportive housing and low-barrier shelters. Supportive housing refers to permanent rental housing that also provides a wide array of support services that are designed to enable residents to maintain stable housing and lead more productive lives. Supportive housing is most often targeted to persons that have greater risk factors such as mental illness or drug dependence that could ultimately lead to prolonged homelessness. The types of support services that may be provided include medical and mental health care, vocational and employment training, substance abuse counseling, childcare, and independent living skills training. Most supportive housing is constructed and managed by non-profit housing developers in partnership with non-profit service providers.

Supportive housing must be allowed as a permitted use, without discretionary review, in zones where multifamily and mixed uses are permitted, including nonresidential zones permitting multifamily uses.

Low-barrier navigation centers, on the other hand, refer to shelters that do not impose conditions on entry, such as getting rid of possessions or pets, or being dependent on drugs or alcohol, and focus on moving people into permanent housing.

The State requires that local governments take a proactive role in facilitating the review and approval process and will address other specific provisions, including the following:
• The City is required to notify the developer whether the application is complete within 30 days of receipt of an application to develop supportive housing.

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• After the application is complete, the City shall complete its review of the application within 60 days for smaller projects (50 or fewer units) and 120 days for larger project (more than 50 units).
• The City shall not impose any minimum parking requirements for units occupied by supportive housing residents if the development is located with ½ mile of a public transit stop. • City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the review and, and if required, updating the City of Bell Zoning Ordinance to allow for transitional and supportive housing units.
• Source of Funding. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other eligible source of funds.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell Community Development Department will ensure the appropriate Zoning Ordinance sections related to transitional and supportive housing are updated so that they conform to State Law.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. Required zoning ordinance updates will take place by Spring 2022. The remainder of the program will be implemented throughout the 6th Cycle planning period.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Program 9: Accessory Dwelling Unit Program.
• Detail. The City’s Zoning Ordinance was amended in 2018 and 2020 to ensure the City’s ADU Ordinance was in conformance with State law and encourage accessory dwelling unit construction. The changes will be advertised on the City’s website and printed handouts will be prepared and provided at the Planning Division counter.

The City will continue to administer the ADU Ordinance. The City will also monitor the production, affordability, and accessibility of ADUs in the City through regular communication with property owners.

This will begin with a windshield tour and phone call to each property owner who submitted an ADU application but did not follow through on the permitting process until Certificate of Occupancy. The results of this research will inform further actions that can be undertaken to address physical, financial, or informational boundaries in the ADU process.

Additionally, if local funds for housing are made available, the City will evaluate providing low-cost loans to lower -income homeowners to build new ADUs or legalize unpermitted ADUs and rent them to lower-income households. As a stipulation of the funding, the units will be subject to an affordability covenant for an approximate period of five to ten years, with appropriate income verification procedures to be established.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department reviews plans for accessory dwelling units in order to grant permits. The Bell Community Housing Authority would manage the low-cost loan program.
• Source of Funding. General Fund (zoning implementation), Community Development Block Grant, Housing Trust Fund (financial assistance) and other eligible funding sources.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell Community Development Department will continue to implement the ADU Ordinance in accordance with State Law. It will also evaluate incentives for creating affordable ADUs, JADUs, and legalizing any existing unpermitted ADUs.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. Zoning - The Community

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Development Department. Responsible party is the Community Development Director; Financial Assistance – Bell Community Housing Authority.
• Implementation Schedule. The ADU Ordinance will be amended to comply with State Law as needed over the 6th Cycle planning period.

The evaluation of an affordable ADU strategy will be completed by the end of 2023.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Program 10: Density Bonus Program.
• Detail. This program provides for the incorporation of density bonuses and other incentives in the City’s Zoning Ordinance to developers who construct projects with qualifying percentages of affordable housing units. The Density Bonus Law is a State mandate, and the City adopted provisions into its zoning code in 2020 applying the relevant sections of state Government Code (65915—65918) into the mandate. The Bell code amendment refers to State Government Code as amended, thereby ensuring that the City will always be up to date with any forthcoming changes to state Density Bonus law.

The City will place informational materials about state density bonus law at the Planning counter/information kiosk. In discussions, City staff will also notify developers of the potential to use state density bonus law in order to gain additional affordable and market-rate units.

Recent development in R-3 and C-3R zones has generally been more oriented toward smaller households. In order to address this imbalance, the City will also consider a local density bonus ordinance or other zoning incentive program to encourage the development of larger residential units that can support larger families and reduce overcrowding.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the review and, and if required, updating the City of Bell Zoning Ordinance related to the application of the density bonus.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will advertise this program through handout materials and communication with developers. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. Density bonus informational materials will be posted in the planning division prior to the end of FY 2022.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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Program 11: Reasonable Accommodation Housing Program.
• Detail. The State requires all cities to maintain a “reasonable accommodation ordinance” to ensure that a city’s zoning and development requirements do not hinder the implementation of housing improvements that aid disabled persons. These
improvements may include ramps, wider doorways, handrails, etc.

Although the City of Bell is unaware of any such constraints, this commitment needs to be established through an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance that addresses reasonable accommodation. Not all disability categories require physical alterations to the housing unit to better accommodate the disabled resident. However, many residents will benefit from specific improvements that would better accommodate a disabled person. Under this program, the City will adopt a reasonable accommodation ordinance to provide
exceptions in zoning and land-use regulations for housing for persons with disabilities. The procedures related to the program’s implementation will be ministerial in nature with minimal or no processing fee. Improvements may be approved by the Community Development Director as long as a number of findings may be made.

First, the request for reasonable accommodation must be used by an individual with a disability protected under fair housing laws.

Second, the requested accommodation is necessary to make housing available to an individual with a disability protected under fair housing laws. Third, the requested accommodation would not impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the City.

Finally, the requested accommodation would not require a fundamental alteration in the nature of the City's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the review. The Zoning Ordinance amendment will be completed by the 1
st Quarter of
2022.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.

• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. Facilitate the development, maintenance, and improvement of housing for persons with disabilities. In addition, the Housing Division will publish a brochure that will be provided at the Planning Counter and the Community Center that will advertise this program in the City’s newsletter, social media outlets, website, and Civic Center TVs.

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• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Community
Development Department. Responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The program will be implemented throughout the 6th Cycle planning period.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

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Program 12: Energy Conservation Program.
• Detail. The City will review the City’s Zoning Ordinance and subdivision requirements, as well as other applicable codes, to promote energy conservation in housing rehabilitation and in the construction of new housing. This program will supplement existing City efforts in the enforcement of the State’s construction codes requiring energy efficiency in new construction. The City of Bell will adopt a “Green City” ordinance in conformance to current State requirements. This program will ensure that developers and/or architects incorporate certain State-mandated energy and water conserving equipment in any new development. The City’s website will be expanded to include a “Green City” section that will refer users to a wide range of initiatives from other energy and wate r providers that will be effective in helping to conserve these resources. The programs will include rebates from other energy providers for energy conserving refrigerators, water heaters, and other household appliances. The key elements of this program include the following:

• The City will encourage and support cost-effective energy technologies (passive solar space heating and cooling and water conservation) in the review of new residential development. The City shall permit the installation of photovoltaic/solar and solar water heating systems on new residential construction.
• The City will establish an information kiosk in Civic Center near the planning counter that will include brochures and handouts promoting energy conservation from local utility providers. In addition, the City’s website will be updated to publicize the availability of the various rebate programs and tax incentives that will reduce the cost of installing energy-saving devices. • City of Bell will update the Zoning Ordinance and subdivision requirements and other applicable codes to promote energy conservation in housing rehabilitation and in the construction of new housing.
• The City shall support ongoing programs from SCE and Sempra Energy that promote energy conservation. The programs
sponsored by the utility providers include rebates for energy conserving refrigerators, water heaters, and other household appliances.
• The City will review the Zoning Ordinance to ensure that there are no requirements that are overly restrictive concerning the installation of solar panels. The City will then amend the Zoning

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
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Ordinance to ensure that solar panels are permitted in all Zone Districts.
• Title 24 of the California Building Code requires phasing out older, less energy efficient toilets by replacing them with toilets that use only 1.6 gallons per flush. The City will continue to ensure that this requirement is being implemented.

The City shall promote water conservation (drought-tolerant landscaping, water conserving plumbing fixtures, etc.) in the review of new development. No additional funding and/or staffing will be required or are anticipated with this program’s continued implementation.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell Community Development Department will ensure the appropriate Zoning Ordinance section related to energy conservation requirements are updated so they conform to State Law. The City will be proactive in advertising energy conservation programs through handout materials that will be available at the public counter through the City's web page, social media outlets, and through periodic advertisements in the City newsletter.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The program will be implemented during by the end of 2027.

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Program 13: Single Room Occupancy Housing Program.
• Detail. The State requires all cities to update their zoning ordinances to provide for SRO housing. A single -room occupancy (SRO) development may serve as an important source of affordable housing for lower -income individuals, seniors, and persons with disabilities. SROs contain individual bedrooms/living spaces, and often individual bathrooms, but do not have full individual kitchen facilities. A SRO unit usually is small, ranging in size from 200 square feet to 350 square feet, or significantly less than the City’s minimum unit sizes. Many of the older SROs have been lost due to deterioration, hotel conversions, and demolition. A primary purpose of this program is to establish appropriate regulations in the City’s Zoning Ordinance that would permit SRO development in the C-3R Zone with a conditional use permit.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Bell Community Development Department is solely responsible for the review and, and if required, updating the City of Bell Zoning Ordinance to allow for SRO units. • Source of Funding. General Fund (for the rezoning).
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The Lead Agency for the program’s implementation is the Community Development
Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell Community Development Department will adopt an ordinance to permit SRO housing in the C-3R zone subject to a conditional use permit. • Implementation Schedule. Required code updates will be made by Spring 2022. The remainder of the program will be implemented over the duration of the 6th Cycle planning period.

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Program 14: Mobile Home Program.
• Detail. The Mobile Home Program relates to the 122-space Bell Mobile Home Park (4874 Gage Avenue) and the 152-space Florence Village Mobile Home Park (5162 Florence Avenue), both of which are owned and operated by the City. The City does not rent mobile homes at either location. Rather, mobile home sites are rented to mobile home owner occupants.

Both parks have been operating at a deficit for years. The combination of the loss of redevelopment funding in 2012, below market rents, and the on-going costs for maintenance and repair have resulted in a substantial decrease in reserves for the mobile home parks. The City has a $1.3 million annual bond payment, a requirement to keep $1.3 million as a reserve, and the parks need $4 million in deferred maintenance. Doing all these things would require the City to divert money from the City’s general fund reserves, risking all other City operations.

In January 2021, the City Council approved protections for current residents of the parks in the event of a sale, which include relocation payments, an assurance that any new park owner will provide residents a 12-month notice of park closure, and that income qualified residents will receive a rental assistance and relocation benefits by the new property owner.

The City is analyzing options to help address the various issues with owning the mobile home parks. The mobile home parks together occupy 17.78 acres of land and could supply approximately 533 units at a theoretical density of 30 units per acre. Given that such a redevelopment would be subject to the Surplus Land Act, it is likely that many of these units would be affordable. Redevelopment of the parks may be one of the options, but at this time the City has not recommended or proposed a plan.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority administers the park. Any future redevelopment would be managed by City Administration and the Community Development Department.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell will agree upon and

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execute a plan to preserve fiscal solvency and maximize affordable housing at the sites of the two City-owned mobile home parks. Any agreements shall ensure that existing residents are adequately protected or compensated as appropriate.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies include City Administration, the City of Bell Community Housing Authority, and the Community Development Department. The responsible party is the City Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The Bell Community Housing Authority is currently evaluating options for the ongoing operations and maintenance of the properties.

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Program 15: Preservation of At-Risk Housing.
• Detail. There are two affordable housing developments that are Low- Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and HUD-funded properties that might be at risk at conversion to market rate housing in the coming years. The properties include the following:
• The Bell Woodward Townhomes is a 4-unit affordable housing community located at 6719 Woodward). This development is at High Risk for conversion since the HUD database shows that the Section 8 contract expired for that property in June of 2016 however Section 8 vouchers are still being accepted.
• Murray Place has a total of 72 units, 71 of which are Section 8 assisted living units. All Section 8 assisted units on this property consist of one -bedroom. This affordable housing development is reserved for elderly persons and is located at 4324 Florence Avenue. The risk for conversion to market rate is Low Risk because more than ten years of restrictions are remaining.

Because the developments are owned and operated by non-profit organizations, they have a small, but not negligible, risk of converting to market rate. Under this program, the City of Bell will continue to monitor Section 8 legislation and all units considered at risk of conversion to market rate units. The City of Bell will also assist property owners in maintaining the affordability of these units through grants and other means. Finally, the City will require the timely notification of tenants in the event the owners intend to convert the affordable units to market-rate units.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department are
responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will ensure that the existing affordable, at risk units are preserved in the 6th Cycle planning period. The City will annually monitor the status of the existing affordable housing units that are at risk of converting to market-rate during the 2021-2029 Housing Element planning period. The City will also monitor Section 8 legislation and provide technical assistance to nonprofit property owners as necessary and will pursue partnership opportunities with non-profits to preserve and expand affordable housing in the City. Finally, the City will

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actively pursue opportunities for the funding of replacement housing.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies include the City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department. The responsible parties include the Community Development Director and the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The program is implemented on an annual basis.

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Program 16: Extremely Low-Income, Very Low-Income, and Low- Income Housing Program.
• Detail. This program targets both “for-profit” and “non-profit” developers so they may play a larger role in the provision of affordable housing in Bell. Their role is especially crucial following the elimination of redevelopment. The City provides land, regulatory incentives, and financial assistance to developers to complete both ownership and rental housing for very low-, low-, and moderate- income households. Under this program, the City intends to maximize the density potential of limited land resources by promoting residential densities that achieve the highest allowable density for specific properties; to maintain, on an ongoing basis, a vacant and underutilized residential sites inventory and provide sites information to interested developers; and to provide technical assistance and information on available City-owned parcels for lower-income developments to housing providers. The City will continue to apply for financial incentives through HOME funds (which are obtained through the Los Angeles County Development Authority’s competitive process) and land write-downs of City- owned parcels, as well as regulatory incentives, including but not limited to density bonuses and flexible development standards, to private developers to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Housing developments on City-owned land which are currently in the pipeline, prior to the approval stage, will be examined to determine how and whether affordable housing can be incorporated, and future RFPs for development on City-owned land will explicitly encourage affordable housing. The City may also consider targeting religious- owned sites for affordable housing development taking advantage of AB 1851 and potential additional zoning relaxations.

In addition to promoting new housing for very low-income, low- income, and moderate-income households, the City is committed to identifying strategies that promote housing opportunities for extremely low-income households. This income group represents those individuals and/or households that have annual incomes of less than 30% of the County median. These individuals are essentially working at minimum wage levels. Individuals in this group are typically forced to live with family members or others (if that is an option) or to share housing (often resulting in overcrowding).

Because of the challenges associated with providing housing opportunities for extremely low-income households, this subset consists of the implementation elements:

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• The City work with developers of SRO housing to set-aside to set-aside a specified number of housing units in return for density bonus concessions.
• The City work with LACDA to prioritize the use of Section 8 vouchers for this income group.
• The City will aggressively utilize regulatory incentives, including but not limited to density bonus concessions to encourage private developers to increase the supply of affordable housing for extremely low-income individuals and/or households. • The City will encourage the development of Accessory Dwelling Units as a means to provide housing for extremely low-income individuals or households, including but not limited to exploring financial incentives for affordable ADUs as described in Program 9.

A third component of this affordable housing program is geared towards those individuals the not only need affordable housing but also have special housing needs related to a developmental disability. The State Department of Developmental Services (DDS) administers developmental disabilities programs through regional centers. The Eastern LA Regions Center serves the City of Bell. This program element consists of the following components:
• The City will encourage the development of Accessory Dwelling Units as a means to provide housing for developmentally disabled individuals in need of affordable housing.
• The City will work with the Eastern LA Regions Center to implement an outreach program that informs families in Bell regarding housing and services that are available for persons with developmental disabilities. The program could include the development of an informational brochure, including
information on services on the City’s website, and providing housing-related training for individuals/families through workshops.
• The City will work with the Eastern LA Regions Center to identify funding sources that can address the housing needs of
developmentally disabled persons.
• The City will also implement the Transitional and Supportive Housing Program that will facilitate the development of such housing in Bell.

A fourth component of this affordable housing program is geared

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towards large families. The City of Bell has a high occurrence of large families, most of which are overcrowded into housing that is too small to accommodate their family unit. In many cases large families are not able to afford three and four bedroom apartments or houses in Bell. Furthermore, large family housing stock in Bell is low and does not meet the needs of Bell’s population. As part of the a nnual seminar to developers that City will specifically reach out to developers who build large family housing in the hopes of bringing more large family units into Bell. The City will also explore the idea of ensuring that City-supported projects must contain a certain percentage of large family units included.

A fifth component of this affordable housing program is geared towards physically disabled residents and seniors. Physically disabled residents and seniors often need special accommodations in their homes. The City of Bell will conduct outreach through the annual seminar to affordable housing developers in order to ensure an adequate number of accessible units are included in every affordable development.

Under this program, the City will proactively continue to pursue available funding sources to assist in the development of lower income, including extremely low-income housing. The City will continue to apply for State and Federal assistance including, but not limited to, CDBG and HOME funding. Other funding sources will continue to be explored including Prop 1-C and a Regional and Local Housing Trust Fund. The City shall actively promote the benefits of these programs on the City’s website and through the preparation of a handout that will be made available to developers at pre- application meetings. The City will also actively work with the development community to identify ways that ELI and lower income housing may be provided.

The City will educate developers as to how density bonus regulations could be used to facilitate the development of affordable hous ing, including those for extremely low-income, very low-income, and low- income households. Another outreach effort will inform the development community and property owners as to development opportunities for SRO developments and second units.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department are
responsible for the implementation of this program.

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• Source of Funding. General Fund for staff time and grant applications.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will proactively continue to pursue available funding sources to assist in the development of lower income, including extremely low-income housing. The City will continue to apply for State and Federal assistance including, but not limited to CDBG and HOME funding. Other funding sources will continue to be explored including Prop 1-C and a Regional and Local Housing Trust Fund. The City will conduct an annual seminar to developers of affordable and special needs housing to discuss available funding sources to assist in the development of lower income, including extremely low-income housing and housing suitable for special needs populations.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies include the City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department. The responsible parties include the Community Development Director and the Housing Division Manager.
● Implementation Schedule. The program will be implemented over the duration of the 6th Cycle planning period. Outreach to developers will occur annually, starting January 2026.

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Program 17: Design Standards of New Zoning Code.
• Detail. The State of California has increasingly promoted streamlining of projects that are consistent with its housing objectives. The City shall streamline the entitlement process for desirable types of housing that meet objective criteria. This shall include the development of clear, objective, Housing Accountability Act-compliant design criteria that address compatibility with adjacent residential zones and other factors. These criteria could potentially make the City’s evaluation of proposals administrative procedures that don’t require the time and resources associated with discretionary entitlements requested of the Planning Commission and/or City Council. For the projects which do require Planning Commission Site Plan Review, a new, more narrow set of findings will be written to replace the existing findings and focus on application of the design standards and considerations which do not affect unit yield.

In addition, since the City has recently increased allowable heights and densities in the C-3R and R-3 zones, these design standards will ensure that new development maintains and improves the quality of neighborhoods, which is a top priority of the community.

Funding permitting, the design standards may be incorporated within a rewrite of the City’s entire zoning code. The purpose of such a rewrite would be to create a more user-friendly interface for the public to understand what can be done on different properties, advance the goals of this Housing Element, and create streamlined processes with objective design standards.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The Community Development Department is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. General Fund. The City will also explore obtaining grants to undertake these planning activities.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell will adopt design standards for new housing that can help streamline the entitlement process while enhancing the character of residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the Community Development Department. The responsible party is

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the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The design standards will be developed by the end of 2023 with associated changes to the zoning ordinance by the end of 2024.

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Program 18: Housing Development on Public Land.
• Detail. Public agencies such as the City of Bell often own land that is underutilized and could be developed to a higher and better use that advances the community’s housing goals. This can help support workforce housing initiatives that allow local workers to live close to work and reduce transportation costs, commute time, and improve quality of life, and provide affordable housing to extremely-low and very-low income Bell residents who have the greatest need. The Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department will work with appropriate internal and external stakeholders to find ways to redevelop appropriate parcels for housing. Any RFPs related to other land deemed surplus will also follow the Surplus Land Act procedure and clearly state the City’s goal to achieve more affordable housing.

Three of those important sites are Housing Element Sites #1, 2, and

3. The City will publish a Notice of Availability of the sites and adjudicate their disposition in accordance with the Surplus Land Act.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department are
responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will publish Notices of Availability for development of Housing Element Sites #1, 2, and 3 in accordance with the procedure laid out in the Surplus Land Act. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies include the City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department. The responsible parties include the Community Development Director and the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The analysis of potential housing development sites on public land will be prepared by the end of 2023. This program also implements the Replacement Housing Requirements in Gov. Code 65583.2, subdivision (g)(3). All demolished units recently occupied by lower -income tenants or subject to affordability covenants must be replaced on-site.

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Program 19: First-Time Homebuyers Initiative.
• Detail. Home ownership strengthens local investment in residences and neighborhoods and provides stability to residents. While many renters aspire for home ownership, they often lack the
understanding and/or capital to pursue it. The City will explore ways to educate and incentivize renters and landlords to pursue home ownership. This program includes partnering with other agencies such as LACDA and Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County (NHS), who can develop and maintain qualify affordable housing, preserve affordable homeownership opportunities, and provide education and preparation for potential first-time homebuyers. The City will partner with LACDA specifically on their Affordable Homeownership Program for low and moderate-income households. Another element of this program is the encouragement of tenants purchasing existing residences also known as the first right of refusal. A tenant right to purchase program will give tenants the first option to purchase their long-term home before the owner can sell directly to an outside buyer. This ensures stability for tenants and gives tenants the opportunity to become homeowners. This program will also explore how to provide down payment assistance that can be transferred to another home.

Last, the City will explore supporting new long-term affordable homeownership projects, rather than provide one-time down payment assistance, including possible property tax abatement and/or financial assistance to these projects. This can be done to create 100% affordable homeownership projects, or individual units can be covenanted in market-rate developments through
negotiation with developers. Homeownership comes with many hidden costs that can reveal themselves at any point during the tenure of ownership. Long-term affordable homeownership can assist homebuyers with these hidden costs, rather than leave new homeowners one their own with one time assistance. These projects also ensure that ownership housing stock remains affordable in the long-term, being able to serve multiple families as they purchase and sell units.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department are
responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. General Fund, Regional Housing Trust Fund,

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Local Housing Trust Fund, CDBG Funds and other State and Federal funding sources.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will develop a program and offer incentives to renters that facilitate the homebuying process or develop a long-term affordable for-sale housing project. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies include the City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the Community Development Department. The responsible parties include the Community Development Director and the Housing Division Manager.
● Implementation Schedule. The first-time homebuyers strategy will be developed by the end of 2024.

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Program 20: Local Preference Program.
• Detail. Helping Bell residents remain in the City strengthens familial and neighbor relationships and communities overall. The City will explore opportunities to help local residents pursue rental and/or for- purchase city assisted affordable housing, including the option for renters to purchase their rentals that are being sold to the open market. This Local Preference Program has the potential to strengthen the City of Bell’s anti-displacement efforts as well as the potential to allow low-income local residents to stay in their city.

There are three legal considerations that must be studied by cities implementing a Local Preference Program. First, intentional discrimination claims under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment. While the City of Bell might want to prioritize residents of color, this is illegal as this type of racial preference would violate the 14
th Amendment as it would be a form of discrimination. Second, right to travel claims under the constitutional right to interstate travel and migration. The City of Bell has to consider that policies based on a person’s duration in a city infringe on the right to travel. The City will be limited as to what degree they are able to prioritize long tenure residents, as duration requirements are illegal. Third, disparate impact claims under the Fair Housing Act. Policies that are not intentionally discriminatory may still violate the Fair Housing Act. A Local Preference Program has the potential to be declared illegal under a disparate impact claim if the program constricts housing choices for certain groups or can lead to a concentration of a racial group in one neighborhood.

For example, the City of Portland, Oregon, has a North/Northeast Preference Policy which has a specific focus on mitigating displacement issues and addressing historic wrongs in specific communities. The City of Portland’s objective with this program is to maximize the number of households with generational community ties that can remain or return to North and Northeast Portland. When a tenant wishes to live in a unit that is city assisted and within the scope of the North/Northeast Preference Policy the tenant must submit a preliminary application to the Portland Housing Bureau.

The Bureau then verifies whether the tenant qualifies under the preference policy and then assigns the tenant a score between zero and six. Next, the Bureau conducts a separate lottery within each preference group and those lottery results determine the order of the waiting list. When there is a vacancy, the Bureau refers applicants from the top of the list to the property manager who conducts their

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own check on the eligibility of the tenant. If everything is confirmed with the check, the tenants are able to move into the unit. Local preference policies are also used in California in jurisdictions such as Pasadena, Oakland, Santa Monica, and San Francisco.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The BCHA will develop a local preference ordinance that complies with Fair Housing laws. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agencies are the City of Bell Community Housing Authority and the City of Bell. • Implementation Schedule. The ordinance will be developed by the end of 2024.

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Program 21: Support for Unsubsidized Housing.
• Detail. The vast majority of Bell renters live in unsubsidized market- rate housing that is nevertheless significantly cheaper than new construction housing. As the cost of constructing new affordable housing continues to rise, additional attention is being paid to potential methods to create affordable housing from within the existing housing stock. Such projects may involve acquisition of existing properties by social impact investors using multiple funding sources to freeze rents or cap future rent increases, ensuring affordability at the low- or moderate-income levels. Funding sources may include social impact capital and debt, traditional bank debt, tenant subsidies, and some municipal participation. The City of Bell will explore property owner interest in such a program and may explore offering property tax exemption and other financial incentives to such projects.

At least one program, the CalCHA Essential Housing Program, is also endowed with bonding authority by the State of California.

Municipalities must pass a resolution authorizing CalCHA to issue bonds and acquire properties in their jurisdictions; in return, municipalities exempt these properties from property taxes. While this particular program has been used to date at rent levels that are too high to serve the majority of renters in Bell (roughly 120% AMI), the City will advocate for and seek to partner with other programs that could preserve rental stock for very-low and low-income households in the City.

As a part of this program, the City will also explore enacting a “no net loss” ordinance which would offer protections, including right of return, to any multifamily housing which is demolished. • City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. Regional and Local Housing Trust Fund (Program 26).
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The BCHA will explore how to ensure the long -term affordability of unsubsidized lower-cost housing.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is

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the City of Bell Community Housing Authority. The responsible party is the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The program will be developed by the end of 2023.

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Program 22: Cheli Specific Plan.
• Detail. The Cheli district in the northern part of the City is home to the Salvation Army Bell Shelter and Bell Oasis Apartments which provide a continuum of housing options and an integrated environment of supportive services for over 500 formerly unhoused individuals at any one time. In order to support the continued development of the Bell Shelter complex, in particular the provision of additional permanent supportive housing, the City of Bell will prepare a Specific Plan and Program Environmental Impact Report for the Cheli district. This Specific Plan will establish unique development standards for new housing in the area and provide program-level environmental clearance for housing projects to be built, streamlining housing development and increasing
competitiveness for affordable housing financing applications.

The Cheli district is environmentally impacted from the I-710 freeway, warehousing facilities with large numbers of diesel trips, and nuisances from heavy industrial uses, among other issues. While the district provides many unhoused services on-site, it is also isolated from other amenities such as public transportation, general medical facilities, grocery stores, and non-industrial job centers. The Specific Plan and Program EIR will provide concepts, requirements, and a work plan to improve the environmental and access characteristics of the district so that quality of life is improved for current and future residents and that equity concerns are addressed (e.g., Environmental Justice, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing). • City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Development Department is responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. LEAP grant, General Fund
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will prepare a Specific Plan that lays out a vision and action plan to promote a livable community that advances the City’s housing goals. A Program Environmental Impact Report which enables future streamlining will be adopted with the Specific Plan.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the Community Development Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.

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• Implementation Schedule. The Specific Plan is currently under development and will be adopted by the end of 2023.

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Program 23: Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan.
• Detail. The Atlantic Avenue corridor is the one remaining commercial corridor in the City where residential uses are not permitted (with the exception of the properties at 7020-7030 Atlantic Avenue, which are part of the Mixed-Use Overlay Zone). The City will develop an Atlantic Avenue Specific Plan which will define appropriate areas, standards, and densities for new housing along the corridor which will be permitted by-right, at the same time balancing against the need for the City to preserve important commercial uses. A Program Environmental Impact Report will also be prepared in order to streamline future CEQA analyses. • City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Development Department is responsible for the implementation of this program.
• Source of Funding. LEAP grant, General Fund
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City will prepare a Specific Plan that lays out a vision and development regulations to promote a livable community that advances the City’s housing goals. A Program Environmental Impact Report which enables future streamlining will be adopted with the Specific Plan.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the Community Development Department. The responsible party is the Community Development Director.
• Implementation Schedule. The Specific Plan is currently under development and will be adopted by the end of 2023.

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Program 24: Tenants’ Rights Program.
• Detail. Renters are often unaware of their rights under federal, State, and local housing law, making them vulnerable to unscrupulous property owners. These vulnerabilities have been magnified with the COVID-19 pandemic that has threatened the ability of many renters to pay for housing. In addition to difficulties faced by renters during the COVID-19 pandemic, renters in Bell have faced displacement due to code enforcement violations by property owners. As eviction moratoriums imposed by the federal and State government expire, the BCHA will prioritize its services to renters to ensure that access to legal counsel and eviction protection services help mitigate the threat of eviction. Tenants’ Rights Programs that provide legal counsel reduce the serving of eviction notices by anywhere from 67% to 86%. Bell’s Tenants’ Rights Program will be created in the model of the City of Los Angeles’s Proposed Eviction Defense Program. This City of Los Angeles program emphasizes education and public awareness, eviction prevention interventions, full-scope representation for eligible tenants in eviction proceedings, education about tenant rights in code enforcement cases, rental assistance, ongoing support services for tenant stability, evaluation, and an eviction filing and data collection system. Additionally, the BCHA will actively inform and connect tenants to Stay Housed L.A., which is a partnership between the County, City of Los Angeles, local community service providers, and local legal service providers. Stay Housed L.A. connects all Los Angeles County residents with tenants’ rights information along with free legal services if a tenant qualifies.

Access to the Stay Housed L.A. partnership will be linked on the City’s website and flyers about the partnership will be made available to residents at the planning counter.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. General Fund, Regional and Local Housing Trust Fund (Program 26)
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives.

The BCHA will promote services
such as tenants’ right to counsel and eviction prevention services.

The City will ensure that no tenants are evicted without access to counsel and eviction protection services.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is

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the City of Bell Community Housing Authority. The responsible party is the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The program will be established by the end of 2022 and will be implemented on an annual basis.

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Program 25: BCHA Strategic Plan.
• Detail. While the City holds real estate assets that generate revenue and other benefits, they also present challenges for the BCHA that include property management. The costs of managing tenants, addressing deferred maintenance, and other
responsibilities associated with being a landlord can often be complex and significant. The City should evaluate the strategic benefits of alternate arrangements, which can include selling real estate holdings, transferring properties to community land trusts, using third-party entities to assist with property management, or co-operative housing arrangements. The evaluation of options should compare the cost-benefit of existing delivery of the housing program with potential changes that could increase the BCHA’s resources and improve the City’s housing programs overall. • City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. General Fund.

• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The BCHA will develop a Strategic Plan that optimizes its delivery of programs and services.

This will include evaluating and refining its real estate portfolio and property management services to add program resources to the most pressing needs. The City will make appropriate changes to its housing program by 2023 to optimize its ability to deliver housing services consistent with the Housing Element and General Plan. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the City of Bell Community Housing Authority. The responsible party is the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The Strategic Plan will be developed by the end of 2022.

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Program 26: Regional and Local Housing Trust Fund.
• Detail. The City of Bell will explore opportunities to create a local housing trust fund or other locally generated funds available to support the housing programs outlined in this Housing Element. An alternative or supplementing strategy could be a regional housing trust fund in partnership with Southeast Los Angeles Cities. The Gateway Cities Council of Government is actively exploring using PLHA funds for the creation of a regional housing trust fund. Having regionally and locally controlled funds will enable the City to provide financial assistance to affordable housing development projects, increase competitiveness of local projects for outside funding sources such as Low -Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), and establish preference for targeted population types and for Bell residents. A regional and/or local housing trust fund could also fund other important programs such as the tenants’ rights program (Program 24) and support for unsubsidized housing (Program 21) which do not have clear existing outside funding sources.

The establishment of a trust fund is recommended to ensure a dedicated funding source for housing programs in the face of uncertain future revenues and costs for the City. Revenue potentials for the establishment of this trust fund include:
• Proceeds from sale or ground lease of City-owned property for development. Included in the sites analysis of this Housing Element are three development projects on City-owned
property for which the City already has RFP responses or preliminary applications. The ultimate sale or ground lease price for these transactions could be invested into the local trust fund.

Additionally, as a result of the BCHA Strategic Plan (Program 25) and Mobile Home Program (Program 14), additional
properties could be made available for sale/lease and
development, providing additional income for the City.
• Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) or Community Revitalization and Investment Authority (CRIA). As the City plans for additional development which will increase the property tax base of localized areas, such as the area near the future Metro station or the Atlantic Avenue Corridor, the opportunity exists to capture some of the value created through tax -increment financing/Redevelopment 2.0 tools, currently the Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) or Community
Revitalization and Investment Authority (CRIA). Both districts

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would offer the City the opportunity to bond against future property tax revenues to establish supportive infrastructure and affordable housing in the areas designated within the district. • Real Estate Transfer Taxes. These taxes are assessed on the sale value of a property when it changes ownership. Sometimes these real estate transfer taxes are designed as a fee rather than as a tax. Los Angeles County collects a minimal real estate transfer tax of 0.11%. Several cities in Los Angeles County collect a real estate transfer tax on top of the Los Angeles County tax. For example, in the City of Los Angeles the combined county and city real estate transfer tax is 0.56% on the sale price of a home. A $700,000 home would owe a transfer tax of $3,920 when it changes ownership. These taxes can be directed towards a housing fund such as a Local Housing Trust Fund.
• Establish inclusionary zoning ordinance with in-lieu fee option .

Inclusionary zoning ordinances require a certain percentage of new development to be affordable. While such ordinances are difficult to make work in less-attractive markets such as Bell, it is possible to implement them if development standards are favorable enough. When the affordability requirements include an in-lieu fee option, developers can pay into the local housing trust fund instead of providing units on-site.
• Other options, such as voter-approved bonds, can also be considered as a part of the exploration.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. Exploratory studies may be funded through grants such as the Metro Transit Oriented Development Planning Grant Program, or from the General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell will complete an exploration of establishing a local housing trust fund. • Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the City of Bell Community Housing Authority. The responsible party is the Housing Division Manager.
• Implementation Schedule. The exploration will be complete by the end of 2024; if approved, the trust fund will be implemented by the end of 2026.

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Program 27: Environmental Enhancements.

Detail. The City of Bell will work with local stakeholders to advance environmental programs that can help reduce exposure of residents to health-related factors, including:
• Resources allowing, the City will work with local trucking fleets to develop a clean truck strategy and pursue grant funding to help replace diesel fueled trucks with alternative fueled vehicles. The City will evaluate potential changes to the truck route network to reduce diesel pollutant exposure to current or future residential concentrations.
• The City will encourage future housing upwind of the I-710 freeway and the BNSF Los Angeles Junction subdivision and Union Pacific Los Angeles subdivision and require that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment user higher efficiencies air filters (e.g., MERV-13 or higher) near these areas.
• The City will engage with water companies to accelerate investments to ensure clean water is available to Bell residents and threats to local groundwater supply are programmed for remediation before siting new housing.
• The City will ensure that siting of hazardous waste generators and facilities are not disproportionately located in or near the City of Bell.
• The City will engage external stakeholders to accelerate infrastructure investments that reduce water contamination from urban runoff. It will consider programming SB-1 (Fund 105), Measure M (Fund 650), Measure R (Fund 670), Prop C (Fund 680), Prop A (Fund 700) revenue to include water quality infrastructure.
• City’s Role in Implementation. The City of Bell Community Housing Authority is responsible for the implementation of this program. • Source of Funding. General Fund.
• 2021-2029 Program Objectives. The City of Bell will work with local stakeholders to complete environmental enhancements.
• Agency Responsible for Implementation. The responsible agency is the City of Bell Community Housing Authority. The responsible party is the Housing Division Manager.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail
Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 227

• Implementation Schedule. The exploration will be complete by the end of 2024; if approved, the trust fund will be implemented by the end of 2026.

Appendix E: Housing Programs Detail

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 228

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 229

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community
Engagement Results

The outreach plan developed by LANI served as a guide for meaningful community engagement that will provide a vision for potential updates to the housing, environmental justice, and safety elements of the general plan. These insights were used to help create a new general plan for the City of Bell.

The community engagement program led by LANI was based on the understanding that community members know the needs of their neighborhood best. LANI’s unique program empowered local stakeholders by giving them an active role in planning. LANI is a known and trusted entity in many underserved communities, and our community-centered approach enabled us to effectively work with disenfranchised populations that have historically been uninvolved with the planning process.

LANI meaningfully engaged the people who drive and steward neighborhood change – residents, business owners and local organizations – through consensus building and substantive community decision-making. Community engagement activities seeked to understand the community’s needs, priorities and ideas that form the basis for the policies, strategies and concepts that would address housing needs and improve access to healthy lifestyles, open and park space, transit, and economic opportunity. We often see that community stakeholders involved in LANI projects often continue to be community leaders for other improvement projects in their neighborhoods.

Project Boundaries

The City of Bell is located just 8 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is bounded by Maywood and Commerce on the north, Huntington Park on the west, Bell Gardens to the east, Cudahy to the south. For more detailed boundary definition please refer to the figure map that can serve as helpful outreach tool for community engagement.

Responsible Parties

The responsible parties that will work in partnership with the city include the Arroyo Group, Impact Sciences and Los Angeles Neighborhood

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Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 230

Initiative (LANI). LANI will be the prime organization leading community and stakeholder engagement.

Project Objectives

The Project Team will develop and execute a series of outreach meetings (8 in total) to engage with residents, businesses, and other stakeholder groups to collect and demonstrate potential updates to the city’s general plan needs to update the Housing Element and Safety Element of the General Plan and prepare a new General Plan Environmental Justice Element.

Objective 1. Engage with residents and existing city governmental community focus groups.

The project team will begin a series of dialogues designed to collect and identify the community needs and views to the proposed updates to the city’s general plan and updates to the environmental justice and public health plans.

Objective 2. Engage with the local business community.

The project team will employ strategies to engage with local businesses in Bell that may be impacted by or benefit from the updates to the general plan. Input and feedback will be provided by members and documented by the project team to implement next steps.

Project Strategies
Various methods of outreach will be developed to create awareness for the Project in accordance with current health guidelines. A data base stakeholder list will be created to include local business, schools, churches, and social service organizations that will receive information electronically and in-person, when available. Project Team members will identify community leaders who will be invited to participate and provide feedback. LANI will develop, design, and implement electronic and social media outreach. This effort will also include physical signage ideas for temporary pop-ups or other installation opportunities.

Project information fact sheets with a survey link and online meeting events were distributed to identified neighborhood stakeholder groups, the 450 businesses within the city’s commercial corridors, schools, religious organizations, and residents of the city. These fact sheets included links to two online community meetings, online and

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community pop up events. The outreach team spoke to city staff and elected officials to better understand the community’s language requirements.

Two virtual meeting were developed to allow for community feedback on the housing elements to ensure residents voices were heard and collected. Numerous social media platforms were used, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were used for outreach especially targeting youth. The team drafted and coordinated city’s Community Services department use the city’s existing social media accounts.

Special attention was made to address reaching the city’s youth population by leveraging relationships with the various public and private schools in the area as well as the city’s youth Community Services Commission to inform them of available outreach efforts.

Due to low participation during the online community meetings a decision was made to develop and hold two socially distanced open house community meetings at Veteran’s Memorial Park to allow participation form individuals who were not comfortable in engaging in an online community meeting. A second round of in person outreach was held in to help residents living within the two mobile home parks the ability to participate and provide feedback.

Strategy 1. Neighborhood Engagement & Outreach
LANI supported and implemented meaningful community engagement by identifying key leaders, stakeholders and local organizations and engagement techniques focused on those neighborhoods. Methods of engagement include utilizing LANI’s stakeholder data base and other referrals received by committee members. In addition to “word-of- mouth” and on-the-ground engagement strategy, LANI staff attended standing committee meetings with existing resident, community advisory and neighborhood groups. LANI also engaged with businesses on Florence Ave., Gage Ave., Atlantic Blvd. leaving facts sheets and survey materials for patrons to access and complete.

Strategy 2. Stakeholder Education & Surveying
A key outreach activity in the project was to develop and disseminate multilingual community surveys and project information through stakeholder organizations, the City’s Community Services Department, Community Housing Authority and promoted through social media, e- mail and SMS text messaging services used by the City of Bell. This outreach strategy worked well under COVID-19 restrictions and is an economical and efficient means of gathering feedback directly from

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community stakeholders. LANI deployed an inclusive approach that engages residents, organizations, and business owners. The following organizations were identified as anchor institutions that can serve as information hubs where community members can be engaged for surveying or other opportunities:

o Public libraries and parks
o Local Bike & Walking Coalitions
o Local churches
o Neighborhood groups
o Los Angeles Unified School District and private schools

For individuals who did not have ready access to a computer or smart phone, information on how to receive a paper copy of the survey was be provided and mailed to the applicant’s home. Once completed the resident were able to mail or turn in their completed survey to the outreach team and their response added to the online survey data.

Strategy 3. Public and focus group meetings.

Two online Zoom housing element meetings held on April 20 th & April
24th, 2021 were designed to collect public views on the issues of housing affordability, housing demand, and housing goals.

Two pop up events the first at Northgate Market on April 26 th and the
second held at the SELA vaccination site on April 27th were designed to expand resident exposure of the ongoing general plan update and online survey efforts.

The outreach team attended the March 3
rd, April 20 th & June 2 nd Bell
Planning Commission meetings. During the March meeting the team shared it’s intent to collect the necessary information and to allow the commission members to provide feedback to the team. The second April meeting allowed the team to provide an update to the commission regarding outreach efforts as well as to discuss the preliminary findings to commission members. A third event on July 27
th is planned to discuss
the general plan draft review.

Project team members also met and presented at the Bell City Council meeting on March 10
th to discuss the project and share the team’s
outreach plan and collect any feedback provided by the city’s council members.

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Housing Element: 3 General Meetings (2 public meetings and one draft review meeting) to discuss housing affordability, demand, and housing density.

Meetings 1 & 2 (early April):
• Present what a housing element is.
• Present needs analysis and discuss the types of housing needed by the community.
• Discuss the opportunity areas, starting from what the city’s General Plan vision for these areas.
• Discuss positive and negative impacts of new housing on the community.

Meeting 3 (late July)
• Review draft Housing Element
• EJ & HS Elements: 3 meetings (2 public and one draft review meeting) to discuss the environmental justice and health needs of the residents of the city.

Up to 4 study sessions with city commissions; Youth Commission; Planning Commission; Council Study Session to discuss in-progress work on all three general plan elements.

Schedule:

Spring/Summer 2021
Orientation/project rollout February 2021
Identification of key stakeholder groups March 2021
Create and disseminate bilingual project fact sheet and community survey March/April 2021
Creation and data capture via multilingual surveys (English, Spanish, Arabic) April 2021
Outreach to Stakeholders/Community April 2021 - July 2021 Outreach of residents of the Bell Mobile Home Parks April 2021 Presentation to the City of Bell Planning Commission March 2021 – July 2021
Online Community Meetings April 2021
Community Pop Up events April 2021 – May 2021

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Major takeaways from community engagement were:
• Residents want to preserve and enhance the quality of exist ing housing and neighborhoods in the city.
• A diversity of affordable and market-rate housing is needed to ensure that people who grew up in Bell can remain in Bell. • Despite concerns about parking, accessory dwelling units are very popular among respondents. There is also some interest in building mixed-use development with higher quality
commercial tenants, particularly near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Gage Avenue at the center of the city. • Several small business owners were concerned about the possibility of their businesses being displaced due to increases in commercial rents or the possibility of the commercial building which they are in being torn down to make way for any new mixed-use buildings.
• Residents were strongly motivated in asking about the possibility of new homes and properties that may be available to purchase or rent. This was likely due to the lack of new or available housing stock.

Feedback received during the public participation process was incorporated into the Housing Element, particularly in the goals, policies, and sites inventory. The community meetings and study sessions occurred early enough in the housing element process that feedback from the public shaped the direction of our goals and policies.

Additionally, feedback received from the Planning Commission meetings resulted in the adjustment of the sites inventory list. Lastly, two comment letters received during the public review period were examined extensively and incorporated into the element as much as possible.

Public Review
On July 21, 2021 , the draft Housing Element was made public on the City’s website and announced through social media, e-mails, and text messages. During the 30 -day review period, two written comment letters were received, one from East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) and one from YIMBY Law. Planning Commission and City Council also provided verbal comments during presentations made by City staff and consultants.

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Key observations included:
• Satisfaction with the reliance of the sites inventory on proposed projects
• Questions about the Cheli supportive housing sites and desire to add additional housing sites. In response to these questions, the final Housing Element clarifies that the City will permit supportive housing in all residential zones.
• Encouragement to pursue stronger tenant protections, such as an anti-harassment ordinance
• Encouragement of collaboration with other government
agencies and non-profit partners in the Southeast Los Angeles area. In response to this suggestion, the final Housing Element allows for a regional approach to topics such as trust funds (Program 26) and tenants’ rights (Program 24).
• Suggestion of anti-displacement strategies near the future West Santa Ana Branch Metro line. While the City will continue to monitor the housing market in proximity to the planned Metro line, the suggested actions largely depend on having available publicly-owned land to leverage for affordable housing. Unfortunately, this portion of the City offers little of that. However, the City is participating in a multi-jurisdictional study to plan for equitable development around this rail line. • Improve community engagement. In response to these
comments, the City committeed to preparing a Citywide
Commuity Outreach Strategy (Environmental Justice Element Program 1) including a biennial meeting with community
groups and service providers operating in the City.

Online Survey Findings:

Total Surveys: 116
English: 96 Spanish: 20

‘

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Survey Results: Do you live or work in the City of Bell?

Figure F-1

Survey Results: Are you a homeowner or a renter?

Figure F-2

Homeowner
45%
Renter
49%
Don’t know
6%
Homeownerhips vs. Renting

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 237

Survey Results: Monthly Mortgage Paid.

Figure F-3

Survey Results: Monthly Rent Paid.

Figure F-4

$499 - $999, 6
$1,000 - $1,499, 3
$1,500 - $1,999, 9
$2,000 - $2,499,
13 $2,500 - $3,000, 8
$3,001+, 1
Prefer not to
answer, 5
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
$499 - $999
$1,000 - $1,499
$1,500 - $1,999
$2,000 - $2,499
$2,500 - $3,000
$3,001+
Prefer not to answer
Monthly Mortgage Paid
0 5 10 15 20 25
$499 - $999
$1,000 - $1,499
$1,500 - $1,999
$2,000 - $2,499
$2,500 - $3,000
Prefer not to answer
13 25
10 1
1 7
Monthly Rent Paid

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Survey Results: In which type of housing do you currently live?

Figure F-5

Survey Results: Does your household include any of the following people?

Figure F-6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Single-Family House
Duplex/Triplex/Multiple Houses on a Lot
Apartment
Condominium
Converted Garage or other Accessory
Dwelling Unit (ADU)
Other (please specify)
33 16
23 1
0 4
Children
21%
Adults 18+
37%
Seniors 55+
22%
A person or people
with chronic health
concerns
17%
A person or people
with a sensory
impairment (vision
or hearing)
1%A person with a
cognitive
impairment
1%
A person or people
with a mobility
impairment
1%
Household Makeup

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 239

Housing Goals

Survey Results: How would you rate the following types of housing that could be built in the City?

Figure F-7

Survey Results: How important is maintaining the character of existing residential neighborhoods in Bell?

Figure F-8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
ADU
Townhouse & Condos
Affourdable Housing
Mixed Use
59 20
44 23
0 10 20 30 40
- Very important
- Important
- Neutral
- Not very important
- Unimportant
40 16
14 4
2

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Survey Results: How important is it to ensure that children who grow up in Bell can afford to live in Bell?

Figure F-9

Survey Results: How important is it to establish special needs housing for seniors, large families, veterans, and/or persons with disabilities.

Figure F-10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
- Very important
- Important
- Neutral
- Not very important
- Unimportant
56 11
9 1
1

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Demographics

Demographic characteristics were requested of survey participants in order to determine how reflective the sample population was of the general population of the city. Compared to City residents at large, survey respondents were:

Demographics of Survey Respondents

Race/Ethnicity Percentage of Respondents
Latino 83%
White 8%
Black or African American 1%
American Indian or Alaskan Native 2%
Asian 1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 1%
Prefer not to answer 4%
Figure F-11

2020 Household Income of Respondents

Figure F-12

0 2 4 6 8 10
Less than $25,000
$25,000 to $34,999
$35,000 to $44,999
$45,000 to $54,999
$55,000 to $64,999
$65,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $84,999
$85,000 to $94,999
$95,000 to $104,999
$105,000 or more
Household Income

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Gender of Respondents

Figure F-13

Primary Language Spoken at Home of Respondents

Figure F-14
Male
39%
Female
60%
Non-binary
1%
Gender
English
73%
Spanish
27%
Arabic
0%
French
0%
Farsi
0%
Other
0%

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 243

Education Level of Respondents

Figure F-15

Some high
school
10%
High school
diploma or
equivalent
17%
Vocational
training
6%
Some college
(Associate’s
degree)
22%
Bachelor’s
degree or higher
40%
I prefer not to
answer
5%

Appendix G: Community Participation & Community Engagement Results

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 244

Results from Community Open Houses

Community Open House Results: Tell us about yourself.

Figure F-16

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 245

Community Open House Results: Housing Needs.

Figure F-17

Appendix G: Community Participation & Community Engagement Results

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 246

Community Open House Results: Housing Types.

Figure F-18

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 247

Community Open House Results: Housing Goals.

Figure F-19

Appendix G: Community Participation & Community Engagement Results

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 248

Community Open House Results: Where would you place new housing in the City?

Figures F-20

Appendix F: Public Participation & Community Engagement Results Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 249

Community Open House Results: Environmental Justice

Figure F-21

Appendix G: Community Participation & Community Engagement Results

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Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation
Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 251

Appendix G: Summary Of Recent Housing
Legislation

The 2021-2029 Housing Element reflects the evolving legislative priorities of the California Legislature and Senate. This included a number of housing-related bills in 2020 that addressed streamlining housing approvals, affordability issues, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021.

COVID-19 Responses
• Assembly Bill (“AB”) 3088 – COVID-19 Emergency Relief (Chiu) protected tenants from evictions between September 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021 due to COVID-19 related financial hardship provided the tenant pays at least 25% of the rent due to the landlord. Landlords can eventually recover all unpaid rent from the tenant in small claims court, but it can never be the basis for an eviction. On January 29, 2021, Governor Newsom
extended the eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021. • AB 1561 – Housing Entitlement Extension (Garcia) extended the period for the expiration, effectuation or utilization of a housing entitlement that was in effect on March 4, 2020 and will expire before December 31, 2021 by 18 months. Housing entitlements include discretionary and ministerial approvals from a state or local agency, but exclude development agreements, a
preliminary application under SB 330, and an application for a SB 35 permit.

Density
• AB 2345 – Density Bonus Law (Gonzalez and Chiu) allows local jurisdictions the authority to grant additional concessions and incentives above and beyond what is currently provided under state Density Bonus Law, including the increase of the maximum density bonus to up to 50% based on an updated sliding scale of housing affordability. The legislation also includes a uniform method to measure the distance between a major transit stop and a project location to maximize the number of eligible properties within a half -mile radius of a major transit stop. The bill also reduces maximum parking requirements for eligible projects and eliminates parking requirements for 100% affordable projects and senior housing projects that meet specified criteria.

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 252

Streamlining Housing Approvals
• AB 1851 – Parking Lot of Religious Institutions (Wicks) prohibits a local jurisdiction from denying a housing development project proposed by a religious institution, or a developer working with a religious institution, solely on the basis that the project will reduce the total number of parking spaces available at the place of worship, provided that the total reduction does not exceed 50% of existing parking spaces. The bill authorizes a local jurisdiction to require up to one parking space per unit for a religious institution affiliated housing project.
• AB 3182 – Right to Rent in HOAs / ADU Permits (Ting) prohibits a Home Owners Association from adopting or enforcing a
provision that restricts the rental or lease of a house or condo, except that the HOA may restrict short-term rentals of 30 days or less. This legislation deems a permit application for the creation of an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit approved if the local agency has not acted upon the completed application within 60 days.
• AB 831 – Modifications and Clarifications to SB 35
(Grayson) amends SB 35, which allows some housing and mixed- use projects to qualify for a streamlined, ministerial CEQA- exempt approval process if the project meets the local
government’s objective zoning and design review standards, provides a specific minimum number of affordable housing units, agrees to pay prevailing wages, and meets other qualifying criteria. It also helps ensure that cities do not use post- entitlement review processes to avoid the intent of SB 35’s ministerial approval process.
• AB 168 – Tribal Resources (Aguiar-Curry) requires local governments to conduct a scoping consultation with Native American Tribes before processing a SB 35 application to determine if the proposed development could impact a potential tribal cultural resource. The bill makes a project ineligible for streamlining under SB 35 if the Native American Tribe does not agree that no potential tribal cultural resource would be affected by the proposed development. This bill took effect on September 25, 2020.
• SB 1030 – Housing Omnibus (Wiener) provides minor technical fixes to existing housing legislations. It revised the definition of “deemed complete” under the Housing Accountability Act (SB 330) to include the submission of a completed application if the

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation
Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 253

applicant has not submitted a preliminary application. This bill took effect on September 25, 2020.
• AB 3308 – Teachers Housing (Gabriel, Mullin, and Quirk- Silva) permits school districts to restrict occupancy on land owned by school districts to teachers and school district employees of the school district that owns the land. This includes permitting school districts and developers in receipt of tax credits designated for affordable rental housing to retain the right to prioritize and restrict occupancy on land owned by school districts to teachers and school district employees.

Planning
• AB 725 – Housing Element Location Designation Requirements (Wicks) imposes new requirements for city housing element updates that are required to be prepared under the already underway 6th Cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (“RHNA”) process. AB 725 requires that cities designate sites to meet at least 25% of a jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for moderate-income housing, and at least 25% of a jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for above moderate-income housing. For these sites, zoning that allows at least 4 units of housing, but not more than 100 units per acre of housing, is required. This bill will take effect on January 1, 2022.

CEQA
• SB 288 – New CEQA Exemption for Sustainable Transportation Projects (Weiner) creates a new CEQA exemption for certain classes of qualifying transit -related projects until January 1, 2023. To qualify, the project must be carried out by a public agency, be located in an urbanized area and within an existing public right-of-way, not require demolition of affordable housing units, be completed by skilled and trained workforces, and not entail adding physical infrastructure that would increase new automobile capacity.

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 254

Tenant & Homeowner Rights
• AB 2463 – Ban on Forced Sale of Home Due to Consumer Debt (Wicks) prohibits a sale under execution of a judgement lien of a judgment debtor’s principal place of residence based on a consumer debt unless that debt was secured by that principal place of residence at the time it was incurred.
• AB 2782 – Mobile Home Rent Control (Stone) allows rent control on mobile home leases that are more than 1 year long. This legislation will take effect on January 1, 2025. • SB 1079 – Foreclosure Sales (Skinner) requires a seller to receive offers from tenants and potential owner-occupiers in a foreclosure sale. The legislation prohibits the bundling of properties during an auction. This legislation will be operational between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2026.
• SB 1157 – Optional Credit Reporting for Tenants
(Bradford) allows tenants in certain buildings who want to build a credit history to request that their landlord report their rent payments to a credit agency. This legislation will be operational between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2025.
• SB 1190 – Right to End Lease Early for Victims of Violent Crime (Durazo and Rubio) authorizes a tenant to terminate their tenancy without penalty because an immediate family member, as defined, was the victim of a crime, and would expand the list of eligible crimes to include, among others, a crime that caused bodily injury or death. The legislation authorizes a tenant to attach to the notice any form of documentation that reasonably verifies that the qualifying crime or act occurred.

Some of these 2020 legislation priorities created deficiencies in the City’s 5th Cycle Housing Element and/or Zoning Ordinance that required follow-up through this update of the Housing Element. Table G-1 summarizes some of those deficiencies.

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation
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Comparison of Recent Housing Legislation Against Housing Element Recent Housing Legislation City of Bell Housing Element Omission or Deficiency? AB 2345 – Density Bonus Law (Gonzalez and
Chiu) allows local jurisdictions the authority to
grant additional concessions and incentives
above and beyond what is currently provided
under state Density Bonus Law, including the
increase of the maximum density bonus to up
to 50% based on an updated sliding scale of
housing affordability.

The existing Housing Element
noted that the City’s zoning
ordinance did not provide
density bonuses for affordable
housing. The City has since
adopted an ordinance in
October 2020.

The Housing Element update will
recognize the City’s adoption of
density bonus provisions and will
note the updated sliding scale
allowances provided by AB 2345.

AB 1851 – Parking Lot of Religious Institutions
(Wicks) prohibits a local jurisdiction from
denying a housing development project
proposed by a religious institution, or a
developer working with a religious institution,
solely on the basis that the project will reduce
the total number of parking spaces available at
the place of worship, provided that the total
reduction does not exceed 50% of existing
parking spaces.

The existing Housing Element
did not address the potential for
religious institutions to use
incentives such as AB 1851 to
produce housing.

The Housing Element update will
recognize the opportunity to
produce housing on sites owned
by religious organizations.

AB 725 – Housing Element Location
Designation Requirements (Wicks) requires
that cities designate sites to meet at least 25%
of a jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing
need for moderate-income housing, and at
least 25% of a jurisdiction’s share of the
regional housing need for above moderate-
income housing. For these sites, zoning that
allows at least 4 units of housing, but not more
than 100 units per acre of housing, is required.

This bill will take effect on January 1, 2022.

The existing Housing Element
did not include such mandated
targets for moderate-income
and above moderate-income
housing.

Like all cities updating Housing
Elements in the 6th cycle, the
Housing Element update will need
to designate sites to ensure that at
least 25% of the City’s RHNA
share is moderate-income housing
and that 25% of its share is for
above moderate-income housing.

Figure G-1

Summary of Pending Housing Legislation (as Spring 2021) Since the adoption of the 2014-2021 Housing Element, substantial legislation in Sacramento has been added. Most of these housing laws addressed topics like permit streamlining, tenant rights, and homeowner rights that are not addressed by the broad programs called for the by the City. However, some of these developments will necessitate updates to applicable policies in the upcoming Housing Element update. The following table identifies major pendi ng State housing legislation as of Spring 2021 since the 5
th Cycle Housing Element was adopted.

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation

Housing Element 2021 – 2029 | City of Bell - 256

As of Spring 2021, the 2021-2022 California legislative session began with a focus on the housing crisis with a “Building Opportunities for All” housing package. This includes a number of bills that builds upon the housing production bills from the 2020-2021 legislative session that failed to pass out of committee or gain concurrence votes before the session ended. The Building Opportunities for All housing package includes the following Senate Bills (“SB”):
• SB 5 (Atkins, Caballero, McGuire, Rubio, Skinner and
Wiener) establishes the broad, initial framework for a statewide housing bond that would fund the creation of new affordable housing for unhoused and low-income families. Further details will be crafted as the legislative session progresses.
• SB 6 (Caballero, Eggman and Rubio) allows specified housing development projects in office or retail commercial zones. In authorizing the conversion of underutilized strip malls or “big box” stores to residential spaces, SB 6 requires the residential units be built at a minimum density to accommodate affordable housing. This is similar to last session’s SB 1385, which was also introduced by Senator Anna Caballero.
• SB 8 (Skinner) is a placeholder for a density bonus bill. • SB 7 (Atkins) renews the effort to extend the streamlined CEQA judicial review process developed for Environmental Leadership Development Projects under the 2011 Jobs and Economic
Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act (AB 900).

SB 7 would extend the 2021 “sunset” of AB 900 through 2024.

Pro Tem Toni Atkins also introduced last session’s version of this bill, SB 995.
• SB 9 (Atkins, Caballero, Rubio and Wiener) allows duplexes and lot-splits in single-family residential zones by-right, if the proposed development meets certain requirements. This is a reintroduction of last session’s SB 1120. It retains the arbitrary and impractical requirement that, for a subdivision map to qualify for ministerial approval, the two new parcels that replace the existing single parcel must be of equal size.
• SB 10 (Wiener) grants local governments the ability to rezone parcels close to job centers, transit and existing urbanized areas to allow up to 10 residential units without undergoing CEQA review. Last year’s version of this bill was SB 902, also introduced by Senator Scott Wiener.

In addition to the Building Opportunities for All housing package, there are other proposed Senate bills aimed at housing reform.

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• SB 15 (Portantino) establishes a grant program to incentivize local governments to rezone idle retail sites for the development of workforce housing.
• SB 290 (Skinner) revises the Density Bonus Law to create more low-income student housing and for-sale housing for moderate- income residents. The bill includes identical language from SB 1085, which failed in 2020 when the Legislature ran out of time for a concurrence vote.
• SB 12 (McGuire) establishes new requirements for addressing wildfire risks in general plan safety, housing, and land use elements. Of note, the bill directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to take into consideration how much land within a jurisdiction is considered a “very high fire risk area” when determining the RHNA allocation. SB 12 also requires land use elements to identify very high fire risk areas and prohibits local governments from entering into development agreements, approving specified discretionary permits, or approving subdivision maps for projects within a very high fire risk area, unless specified findings based on substantial evidence in the record are made.
• SB 55 (Stern and Allen) prohibits new development in very high fire severity zones or state responsibility areas.
• AB 71 (Rivas and Chiu) would dedicate $2.4 billion annually to homelessness solutions. Revenue sources include state adoption of the federal Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income, which taxes certain intellectual property generated overseas. The bill would create the Bring California Home Fund in the State Treasury. • AB 49 (Petrie-Norris) would eliminate the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee — which, among other projects, finances affordable housing. The bill would move the committee’s duties and authority to the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, also in the State Treasurer’s Office.
• AB 68 (Salas) would implement recommendations from the recent auditor’s report on the performance of the state’s housing agencies and local impediments to housing production. The report found that the state’s four key financing agencies lack coordination and alignment and that “State law and oversight are not strong enough to ensure that cities and counties are doing their part to facilitate the construction of affordable housing.” • SB 478 (Wiener), also known as the Housing Opportunity Act, would change land use restrictions such as FAR and lot size requirements. This is an effort to ensure that small scale

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development can be developed where they are legal based on zoned density, and most importantly that FAR and lot size requirements would not be able to stop these developments. SB 478 proposes two specific statewide policy changes: establishing a minimum floor area ratio (FAR) that cities could impose on all land zoned for two to ten residential units, and establishing minimum lot sizes for parcels that are 2-4 units and for parcels that are 5-10 units.
• AB 1199 (Gipson) would create a database of rental properties, levy a tax on the rental profits of some people or entities holding many properties, and use the funds to support services for tenants and small landlords
• SCA 2 (Allen, Wiener) would repeal Article 34 of the California constitution which requires a vote on public housing projects. • SB 477 (Wiener) will require local governments to keep track of data needed to evaluate the impact of state laws on local housing availability and affordability.
• AB 59 (Gabriel) will increase the noticing period for new or increased development impact fees and extends time that a new or increased fee may be challenged.
• AB 115 (Bloom) requires all jurisdictions to allow for residential development in commercially zoned areas provided that the development reserves 20% of the units for affordable housing. • AB 215 (Chiu) is an intent bill to strengthen HCD’s housing law enforcement authority.
• AB 244 (Rubio) requires TCAC, CDLAC, and the California Housing Finance Agency to conduct an affordable housing cost study across all state funded housing projects.
• AB 345 (Quirk Silva, Medina) clarifies rules around the selling of ADUs built by nonprofit organizations for low income
homeownership. Would allow ADUs built by nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity, to be sold separate from the primary residence.
• AB 348 (Villapudua, Carillo, Mathis, Patterson, Salas, Jones) requires HCD to conduct an annual summary report that
discloses the amount of state, federal, and private funding spent on affordable housing development throughout the state. • AB 387 (Lee, Wicks) Establishes the California Housing Authority to develop affordable and mixed-income housing.
• AB 561 (Ting, Bloom, Hertzberg, Boerner Horvath, Quirk-Silva) requires the Office of the Treasurer to work with CalHFA and HCD to create an Accessory Dwelling Unit financing product to assist homeowners in the creation of ADUs.

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• AB 571 (Mayes) prohibits affordable housing or inclusionary zoning fees on the bonus units of a project using the state density bonus.
• AB 602 (Grayson) is a spot bill on residential development impact fees.
• AB 617 (Davies) allows jurisdictions the option of paying other jurisdictions to transfer all or a portion of their Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocation.
• AB 672 (Garcia) is an intent bill to enable to use of underutilized golf courses for affordable housing.
• AB 678 (Grayson) is a spot bill on residential development impact fees.
• AB 682 (Bloom) requires cities to allow cohousing projects in areas zoned for multifamily residential.
• AB 816 (Chiu, Bloom, Bonta, Quirk-Silva, Santiago, Wicks) requires the creation of a statewide plan for addressing homelessness and allows for legal action against jurisdictions who do not make progress towards meeting the plan’s goals
• AB 834 (Choi) creates a tax credit for property owners renting to tenants receiving housing assistance.
• AB 880 (Aguiar-Curry) establishes the Affordable Disaster Housing Revolving Development and Acquisition Program within HCD to fund the creation and preservation of affordable housing in disaster areas.
• AB 916 (Salas) prohibits public hearings for proposed room additions for single family homes and expands allowable ADU height to 20 feet.
• AB 919 (Grayson) reduces the statute of limitations for construction defects from 10 to 5 years for projects that use a skilled and trained workforce.
• AB 946 (Lee) eliminates mortgage interest deduction on second homes and transfers resulting revenues to the Home Purchase Assistance Fund.
• AB 950 (Ward) authorizes the Department of Transportation to sell excess land to jurisdictions for the purpose of creating affordable housing.
• AB 978 (Quirk-Silva, Chiu, Garcia, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas) extends rent cap and just cause eviction protections established in the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 to mobile home residents. • AB 1029 (Mullin, Caballero, Becker) adds housing preservation policies to HCD’s list of local prohousing policies.

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• AB 1068 (Santiago) requires HCD to create a model plan for the use of alternative forms of housing, including modular housing, for the purpose of cost reduction
• AB 1090 (Quirk-Silva, Caballero, Gabriel, Rivas, Salas, Wicks, Eggman) establishes the Legislative Task Force on the California Master Plan on Homeownership which will submit a report to the legislature in October 2022.
• AB 1143 (Berman) and SB 649 (Cortese) allow jurisdictions to create local preference policies for affordable housing developments to local residents at risk of displacement. • AB 1188 (Wicks, Kalra, Wiener) requires cities to create and maintain a rental registry by 2021 covering all landlords who own or operate five or more units.
• AB 1277 (Rubio) creates an expedited judicial review process for CEQA for student housing projects.
• AB 1372 (Muratsuchi) requires every jurisdiction to provide access to temporary shelter to every unhoused individual. • AB 1377 (McCarty) creates the California Student Housing Revolving Loan Fund to provide loans for the purpose of constructing affordable student housing.
• AB 1401 (Friedman, Lee, Skinner, Wiener) prohibits parking minimums for residential or commercial projects near transit or within low vehicle miles traveled areas.
• SB 490 (Caballero, Skinner, Garcia) establishes the Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Program to provide technical assistance.

Appendix G: Summary of Recent Housing Legislation
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Appendix H: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

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Appendix H: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
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Appendix H: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Assessment of Fair Housing
This portion of the Housing Needs Analysis is focused on assessing the state of fair housing in the City of Bell, in keeping with AB 686. California jurisdictions are required to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) through meaningful actions “that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity for all groups protected by state and federal law by:
i. Replacing segregated living patterns with integrated and balanced living patterns
ii. Transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity (without displacement) iii. Fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws
iv. Note: meaningful actions include actions that will promote fair housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income tenants and tenants of affordable housing, including subsidized housing.” (Government Code 8899.50 (a)(1))

This analysis analyzes five housing issue areas:

1. Fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity

2. Segregation and integration

3. Racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty

4. Access to opportunity

5. Disproportionate housing needs within the jurisdiction, including displacement risk

Fair Housing Enforcement and Capacity
The City of Bell refers fair housing complaints to the Fair Housing Council of Los Angeles County, which acts as an independent third- party to discrimination complaints. There are few complaints which are received by the City, and fair housing complaints were not identified through community outreach activities related to the Housing Element.

HCD’s AFFH viewer indicates that Bell has a low incidence of fair housing related cases, 0.11 cases per 1,000 residents from 2013-2021.

One reason for the low number of fair housing complaints in Bell is the ethnic homogeneity of the community, which provides less opportunities for housing discrimination. Another reason may be the

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high level of non-English speakers and persons with low educational level who are not aware of fair housing protections. According to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS), 9,264 persons (26% of the population) are foreign born and have not been naturalized as U.S. citizens. A large proportion of these people may have no legal status in the country and may be afraid to file complaints against landlords, realtors, or other people in positions of power.

Housing Element Program #4 (Equal Housing Program) identifies the actions that the City will take to address fair housing enforcement.

These specific actions are as follows: adopting an equal housing ordinance in compliance with State law, hold a biennial meeting with community organizations and service providers, establish a local preference policy, publish fair housing information on the City’s website, disseminate information to residents about fair housing protections, provide dedicated staff for the referral of fair housing complaints, work with the Fair Housing Council to facilitate public education and outreach about fair housing regulations, develop a proactive code enforcement program, and work with Fair Housing Council to explore offering training to property owners and managers regarding responsible management of environmental hazards.

Since the number of fair housing complaints is small there are no discernable patterns when it comes to the impacts on protected characteristics and geographic trends. The entirety of Bell is predominantly occupied by lower-income Latino families.

There have been no recent findings, lawsuits, enforcement actions, settlements, or judgements related to fair housing or civil rights in the City of Bell. This Housing Element is compliant with existing State fair housing laws and regulations.

Within the Southeast Los Angeles region, the frequency of fair housing complaints is similar to the frequency in Bell.

Segregation and Integration
According to HCD’s AFFH Guidance segregation “means a condition in which there is a high concentration of persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or having a disability or a type of disability in a particular geographic area when compared to a broader geographic status.” Integration means a condition in which there is not a concentration of any type of persons.

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While not monolithic, the population of Bell has a high degree of racial uniformity. According to the 2015-2019 ACS, the population is 91.9% Latino. According to HCD’s AFFH Data Viewer, all Census tracts within the City feature a strong Latino majority.

The majority of Census tracts within the Southeast Los Angeles region also feature a strong Latino majority. Directly surrounding the City of Bell, the predominance of the Latino majority is strongest. Moving South and East of Bell the predominance of the Latino majority lessens; however, it remains significant.

The reasons for this pattern are many, and stem from historical and regional factors. Bell and the other Southeast Los Angeles County cities were largely developed in the interwar years as a community for White, working-class families whose heads of household largely held blue- collar jobs in manufacturing and trade. However, Bell was disfavored for investment compared to other, wealthier communities with less exposure to industrial contaminants. Figure A-43 shows that while Bell was not redlined, the majority of the City was classified as Class C – “Definitely Declining” by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930’s.

Figure H-1.

Redlining in Bell.

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In the decades following World War II, the White population, particularly those of means, began to decamp the Southeast Los Angeles area for Orange County and other more suburban jurisdictions. During the 1970s, a large, sustained wave of immigration from Latin America began and filled in the neighborhoods in central Los Angeles County that had been abandoned by the White population. More affluent cities and neighborhoods of the metropolitan area enacted stringent zoning regulations to stop population growth and severely curtail the opportunities for residents of Bell and similar cities to move into attainable housing in those jurisdictions. Thus, the population of Bell has remained highly segregated to the present day.

There are few differences in the ethnic or economic makeup between neighborhoods within Bell. Bell is significantly poorer than the Los Angeles region as a whole, with a median household income of $44,327 compared to the County at $68,044. Due to the mixed single- family/multi-family character of the City’s neighborhoods, however, each neighborhood does include people of different income levels from extremely low to moderate. The one exception is the Cheli neighborhood. It is important to note that the Cheli area is a decommissioned United States Air Force (USAF) air base. The Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994 established a procedure for unhoused service providers to receive base property at no cost; land at the former Cheli Air Base was deeded to the Salvation Army with the stipulation that all activities on the site relate to treat ing unhoused individuals. Therefore, future housing development in the Cheli area must be restricted to transitional and permanent supportive housing for the formerly unhoused. The Housing Element does recommend that populations in this area focus on working-age adults, as those populations would be less impacted by negative environmental factors than children or seniors. Due to these restrictions, the Cheli area contains mostly extremely low-income households in shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing.

According to 2015-2019 ACS 50-Year data, i n the Southeast Los Angeles regio n the median household income ranges from under $30,000 to $125,000. Closest to Bell the median household incomes are lower, ranging from under $30,000 to $87,100. As one moves further Southeast towards Downey the median household income increases, ranging from under $55,000 to $125,000.

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According to 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year data the rates of poverty within Bell Census tracts range from 10% to 40% of the population. The two tracts with the highest rates of poverty are located in the Southwest corner of the City and along the Eastern border of the City. Within the Southeast Los Angeles region, the cities of Huntington Park and Bell Gardens have similar rates of poverty. However, in the cities of Downey, South Gate, and Lynwood the poverty rates are lower, ranging from under 10% to 30%.

According to 2014-2018 ACS 5-Year data from HCD’s AFFH Data Viewer, all but one Census tract within the City of Bell contains less than 10% of residents who are disabled. The Census tract which contains the Cheli area is the only tract which has over 10%, 14.4% specifically, of residents who are disabled. The Bell Salvation Army Shelter, which houses unhoused individuals, is the only residential use within the Cheli area.

Based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-Year data, the City of Bell’s population is approximately 8% disabled. Within the Southeast Los Angeles region, the percent of each city’s population with a disability remained low, ranging from 0% to 20%. Census tracts with higher percentages of disabled residents only existed to the North, in and around Downtown Los Angeles.

Based on HUD’s Low to Moderate Income Population Census Tract Data from the AFFH Data Viewer, Census tracts in the City of Bell feature a population that is 50 to 100 % low- and moderate-income.

Based on the same data, within the Southeast Los Angeles region many cities feature similarly high concentrations of low- and moderate- income households. However, towards the City of Downey the percent of low income population does decline.

Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty
Racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty, also known as R/ECAPs, must meet the following definitions: 1) The area must have a non-White population of 50% or more and 2) The area must have 40% or more of the population living below the federal poverty line, or those where the poverty rate is three times the average poverty rate in the metropolitan area, whichever is less.

Based on HUD’s R/ECAP data from HCD’s AFFH Data Viewer, one Census tract (Tract 5336.01) within Bell does qualify as a racially and

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ethnically concentrated area of poverty. This Census tract is located in the Northwest corner of the City. The tract is racially and ethnically concentrated with a 95.5% Latino majority. Approximately 22.8% of the Census tract’s population lives below the federal poverty line. The median household income within the Census tract ranges from $40,313 to $64,375.

In the greater Southeast Los Angeles region a few tracts are identified as R/ECAPs, such as one tract in North Lynwood and two tracts in Southeast Huntington Park. Outside of the Southeast Los Angeles region, there are many tracts north of Bell and west of Bell that qualify as R/ECAPs. While Bell and the Southeast Los Angeles region are racially and ethnically concentrated, clearly Cens us tracts within this region mainly do not feature concentrated poverty.

Based on the 2021 TCAC/HCD Opportunity Area Maps, one City of Bell Census tract (Tract 5338.06) located near the I-710 freeway qualifies as a TCAC area of high segregation and poverty. According to this measurement, the threshold for poverty is 30% of the population living below the poverty line and the location quotient is essentially a measure of the concentration of race in a small area compared to a county level.

This eligible tract has a Latino population with a strong majority, at 96%.

The poverty rate for the tract is 30.5%. Median household income within the tract ranges from $39,199 to $57,000.

Within Southeast Los Angeles many Census tracts qualify as TCAC Areas of High Segregation and Poverty. These tracts within Southeast Los Angeles fall within the cities of Huntington Park, Cudahy, Maywood, and Bell Gardens. Outside of the Southeast Los Angeles region, many Census tracts to the North and West of Bell qualify as TCAC Areas of High Segregation and Poverty.

Racially concentrated areas of affluence are defined as Census tracts where: 1) 80% or more of the population is White and 2) the median household income is $125,000 or greater. No census tract in the Southeast Los Angeles region features a dominant White population and no census tract in the region features a median household income equal to or greater than $125,000.