Agenda packet — Hawaiian Gardens City Council, February 14, 2023 (part 1 of 3)

CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Victor Farfan, Mayor Pro Tem
Dandy De Paula, Council Member
Luis Roa, Council Member
Ernie Vargas, Council Member Maria Teresa Del
Rio, Mayor
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Special Meeting, 5:30 PM
Ernesto Marquez, City Manager
Megan Garibaldi, City Attorney
Pablo Rubio, City Clerk
Meeting Location: City Council Chambers, 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, California. Via Zoom Link (Provided below)
ADA Information: The City of Hawaiian Gardens complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone needing special assistance please contact the City Clerk’s Department at (562) 4202641 x 240, at least one (1) business day prior to the meeting so that we may accommodate you.

Bilingual Information: Anyone needing a Spanish bilingual interpreter for ORAL COMMUNICATION ONLY, please contact the City Clerk’s Department at (562) 4202641 x 240, at least one (1) business day prior to the meeting so that we may accommodate you.

THE MEETING WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITH LIMITED SEATING CAPACITY TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING. VIRTUAL VIEWING AND PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL BEING PROVIDED. ALL PERSONS WHO ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO WEAR A FACE MASK/FACE SHIELD AT ALL TIMES AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IN LIGHT OF AB 361, CURRENT COUNTY CASE LEVELS, AND/OR GUIDANCE FROM STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES, THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED AS A HYBRID VIRTUAL MEETING AND IN PERSON MEETING. STAFF WILL PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WILL FOLLOW PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES. THIS MEETING WILL BE A HYBRID VIRTUAL MEETING (I.E., INPERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETING OPTIONS). CITY OFFICIALS, STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY PARTICIPATE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, SUBJECT TO SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, AND/OR VIRTUALLY USING THE ZOOM PLATFORM.

The meeting can be viewed via various platforms as follows:

City of Hawaiian Gardens local cable/channel:

ATT 99
FRONTIER 16
Spectrum 36
Live Stream via City website at: www.hgcity.org.

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

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FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Page 1
City of Hawaiian Gardens local cable/channel:

ATT 99
FRONTIER 16
Spectrum 36
Live Stream via City website at: www.hgcity.org.

INVOCATION
FLAG SALUTE
ROLL CALL
PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS AND AGENDA GENERAL COMMENTS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED AND CONDUCTED AS FOLLOWS:

VIA WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE / ECOMMENT: Members of the public who wish to comment on matters before the City should submit written correspondence to the City Hall Black Drop Box or the following email address: [email protected], or by ecomment on the City’s website, by no later than Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 4:00pm. Note: Written correspondence will not be read into the record during the meeting; however, correspondence received by 4:00pm will be forwarded to the City Council, made a part of the official record, and made available for public review during the meeting If submitting a comment pertaining to an agenda item, please reference the agenda item.

INPERSON COMMENT the City Council shall provide members of the public the opportunity to address the City Council on issues within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council or to speak on items only on the agenda, except for Public Hearing items. Each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes of public comment at each special meeting. The City Council shall not discuss or take action relative to any public comment unless authorized by California Government Code Section 54954.2(b). Face Masks/Face Shields will be required for all inperson comments and attendance.

ZOOM: All members of the public participating via Zoom will be placed on mute, except for during the opportunity for public comments and when recognized by the Mayor. Members of the public may participate via Zoom by logging on via the information below:

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

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FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Page 2
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Members of the public shall have the right to observe and offer public comment at the public meeting, consistent with the public's rights of access and public comment otherwise provided for by the Brown Act, as applicable (including, but not limited to, the requirement that such right of access and public comment be made available in a manner consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act). The City Council will participate in a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 6:00pm via inperson and teleconference (Zoom).

CLOSED SESSION

1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—EXISTING LITIGATION
Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1), to confer with its legal counsel with regard to the following two matters of pending litigation:

Linda Suniga and Claudia Raya vs. City of Hawaiian Gardens, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCV17355
Brianna Gonzalez v. City of Hawaiian Gardens, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCV16359

2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) and (e)(3) with regard to one potential case. The City received a letter from Matt Gelfand, counsel for Californians for Homeownership, dated December 21, 2022, relating to the status of the City’s Housing Element, which is available for public inspection at the City Clerk’s office at 21815 Pioneer Blvd., Hawaiian Gardens, California, during normal City Hall business hours.

PROCLAMATIONS AND CERTIFICATES

1. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO HAWAIIAN GARDENS WARRIORS CHEER SQUAD FOR 2ND PLACE IN THEIR 2023 NATIONAL AAU COMPETITION

PRESENTATIONS
AGENDA ORGANIZATION
This is the time for the City Council to discuss any changes in the order of agenda items.

PUBLIC HEARING(S) / HEARING(s)

1. Recommendation to conduct a public hearing, adopt Resolution No. 0022023, a

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

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FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Page 3
PROCLAMATIONS AND CERTIFICATES

1. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO HAWAIIAN GARDENS WARRIORS CHEER SQUAD FOR 2ND PLACE IN THEIR 2023 NATIONAL AAU COMPETITION

PRESENTATIONS
AGENDA ORGANIZATION
This is the time for the City Council to discuss any changes in the order of agenda items.

PUBLIC HEARING(S) / HEARING(s)

1. Recommendation to conduct a public hearing, adopt Resolution No. 0022023, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens approving the General Plan Amendment PLNG 2023001, (the 20212029 6th Cycle Housing Element Update) and recommending CEQA findings for the Draft Housing Element under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

CONSENT CALENDAR

1. WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS ON THE AGENDA
That the City Council waive reading in full of all ordinances and resolutions on the agenda and declare that said titles which appear on the public agenda shall be determined to have been read by title and further reading waived.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

2. Recommendation to continue to authorize virtual and hybrid City Council meetings as well as virtual and hybrid meetings for all other City Boards, Commissions, Committees, or Agencies Pursuant to AB 361.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

3. Recommendation to approve the professional services agreement between the City of Hawaiian Gardens and Wester Audio Visual & Security, and authorize the City Manager to enter into the agreement for the upgrade of City Council Audio Visual System.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve recommendation.

4. Recommendation to approve an agreement between the City of Hawaiian Gardens and GOGov, for the implementation of the Citizen Request Management Services and App.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve recommendation.

5. Recommendation to receive and file warrants processed during the period of January 14, 2023 to February 3, 2023.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

6. Recommendation to approve the minutes for the City Council meeting of Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Page 4
pp
SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve recommendation.

5. Recommendation to receive and file warrants processed during the period of January 14, 2023 to February 3, 2023.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

6. Recommendation to approve the minutes for the City Council meeting of Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

7. Recommendation to receive and file Special Events Committee Reports:

January 24, 2023
February 7, 2023
SUGGESTED ACTION: Approve Recommendation.

DISCUSSION ITEM(S)
COMMITTEE REPORT(S)
NEW BUSINESS
ORAL STAFF REPORT(S)
CITY ATTORNEY REPORT(S)
ORAL COUNCIL REPORT(S)

ADJOURNMENT

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

SPECIAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Page 5

CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS

CITY COUNCIL

STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item #B-1
DATE: February 14, 2023
TO: Honorable Chair and Members of the City Council
FROM: Ernesto Marquez, City Manager
BY: Elise McCaleb, Community Development Director
Patrick Donegan, Assistant City Attorney
RECOMMENDATION:

Recommendation to conduct a public hearing, adopt Resolution No. 002-2023, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens approving the General Plan Amendment PLNG 2023-001, (the 2021-2029 6th Cycle Housing Element Update) and recommending CEQA findings for the Draft Housing Element under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.

SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The housing element is one of the seven mandatory elements of a General Plan required by State law. The key purpose of a housing element is to assess the community’s housing needs and to develop programs to address those needs. The current Hawaiian Gardens 2013-2021 Housing Element (fifth cycle) was adopted by the City Council in September of 2013. A previous version of the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update was reviewed, approved, and adopted by the City Council. In response to communication with the State Department of Housing and Community Development, changes were required to the previously approved 6th Cycle Housing Element Update.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY / PREVIOUS ACTIONS
The Planning Commission was provided information on the Housing Element process during the preliminary stages of the process at their August 25, 2021 meeting. A joint session with the City Council was held on December 13, 2021, providing an opportunity for both bodies to comment on the draft document prior to filing with the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Agenda Item #1
February 14, 2023

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The Draft Housing Element was sent to HCD on December 16, 2021. On February 14, 2022, the City Manager received a response letter from HCD with edits necessary for certification.

Staff updated and revised the City’s Housing Element to comply with HCD direction. The Draft Housing Element was resubmitted to HCD on August 15, 2022. HCD provided a response to the City on September 29, 2022 recommending changes to address statutory requirements.

City Staff, along with the consultant, have updated the 6th Cycle Housing Element and are bringing it back to the City Council for review and for consideration based upon the changes made.

DISCUSSION
Based upon the August 15, 2022 submission, HCD transmitted a letter to the City Manager on September 29, 2022 that stated:

Pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (b), the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is reporting the results of its review; “The adopted housing element addresses many statutory requirements described in HCD’s February 14, 2022 review; however, additional revisions are necessary to fully comply with State Housing Element Law, (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code).

The enclosed Appendix describes the revisions needed to comply with State Housing Element Law.

As a reminder, the City’s 6th cycle housing element was due October 15, 2021. As of today, the City has not completed the housing element process for the 6th cycle.

The City’s 5th cycle housing element no longer satisfies statutory requirements.

HCD encourages the City to revise the element as described above, adopt, and submit to HCD to regain housing element compliance.”
The City has reviewed the letter and revised the Housing Element Update in addition to communicating with the HCD reviewer. Staff does not anticipate any major substantive changes of any of the programs or policies included in the revised Housing Element. The proposed City Housing Element and Initial Study for a Negative Declaration are included as Attachments to this staff report.

Entitlements
The proposed General Plan Amendment (6th Cycle Housing Element Update) is necessary to update the City’s 5th Cycle Housing Element to reflect new legislation regarding the State of California Housing Element Law, Fair Housing policies, adequate sites for housing, including rental housing, factory-built housing, and mobile homes, and Agenda Item #1
February 14, 2023

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adequate provisions for the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community.

The City is required to give adequate notice and hold public hearings and consider input from the public and stakeholders on the Housing Element Update. The Public Hearing notice was posted in Community News on February 3, 2023. The City made the draft Housing Element available to the public.

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Housing Element Update to the City Council by resolution at its February 8, 2023 meeting. The City Council may adopt Planning Commission’s recommendation by adopting a resolution ratifying Planning Commission’s recommendation. Upon approval by the City, the Housing Element Update, with the requested revisions, will be forwarded to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for certification.

General Plan Consistency
As stated earlier, the Housing Element Update is required to be consistent with the City’s General Plan. The Housing Element is one of the mandatory elements of a City’s General Plan, and is, therefore, required to be consistent with the General Plan. The purpose of the Housing Element is to ensure that policies, procedures, and incentives are established in a local agency’s land use planning and economic development activities that will result in the maintenance and expansion of the housing supply to accommodate current and future households in the City. The Housing Element institutes policies that guide a City’s decision making, and establish action programs to implement future housing goals.

As part of the 6th Cycle Housing Element, the General Plan Land Use Element will be updated in consideration of the density changes/increases to accommodate the rezoning. There are five sites identified for housing in the Site Inventory. Each site will be re-zoned to accommodate housing. Staff is currently working with the City Attorney and a planning consultant to rezone the housing sites.

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The Housing Element Update has been reviewed pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Sections 21000, et seq. (CEQA)) and the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 15000, et seq.).

Pursuant to CEQA, the City of Hawaiian Gardens has prepared a Negative Declaration for the Housing Element Update. On August 12, 2022, the City Council adopted the Negative Declaration and approved the Housing Element Update. The potential environmental impacts of the revised Housing Element Update currently under consideration have been analyzed in the already-adopted Negative Declaration.

Moreover, no subsequent environmental impact report or negative declaration is required Agenda Item #1
February 14, 2023

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for the Housing Element Update under State CEQA Guidelines section 15162 because the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council find, based on substantial evidence, that (1) there are no substantial changes proposed in the Housing Element Update that will require major revisions of the previously-adopted Negative Declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; (2) there are no substantial changes that have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Housing Element Update is being undertaken that will require major revisions of the previouslyadopted Negative Declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; and (3) there is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous Negative Declaration was adopted, that shows either (a) the Housing Element Update will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previously-adopted Negative Declaration; or (b) significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previously adopted MND. Moreover, the Negative Declaration did not identify any potentially significant impacts resulting from the Housing Element Update requiring mitigation measures, and none of the revisions to the Housing Element Update require revision of this conclusion.

FISCAL IMPACT
The Housing Element Update is being prepared with the assistance of Wildan, a consulting firm selected based on the criteria in the City’s issuance of and responses to a Request for Proposal (RFP). The cost will not significantly impact the City’s budget and is a state requirement.

SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve Recommendation.

ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution No. 002-2023
B. Proposed City Housing Element
C. Environmental Checklist Form and Initial Study for a Negative Declaration Resolution No. 002-2023
February 14, 2023

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RESOLUTION NO. 002-2023

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

HAWAIIAN GARDENS, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES,

STATE OF CALIFORNIA APPROVING THE HAWAIIAN
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 002-2023, (THE 2021-2029
6 TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE), AND MAKING

CEQA FINDINGS FOR THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT
UNDER STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15162.

WHEREAS, California Government Code Sections 65580-65589.9 require cities to prepare a Housing Element as a component of each city’s General Plan and to revise it regularly on a schedule set forth in the law; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Department initiated an amendment to the Housing Element of the General Plan and prepared proposed revisions to the Housing Element for the 2021-2029 planning Period (6th Cycle Housing Element (2021-2029), which replaces the Housing Element that was last adopted in 2013 (5th Cycle); and
WHEREAS, the 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021-2029) sets forth the housing policies for the City, facilitates the preservation and development of housing, establishes programs to accommodate the City’s share of the regional housing need in Southern California, and addresses fair housing pursuant to Assembly Bill 686 (AB 686); and WHEREAS, for the 5th Cycle Housing Element (2013 – 2021), the City of Hawaiian Gardens was assigned an allocation of 129 new housing units as its share of the 5th cycle of the regional housing need assessment (RHNA), and 331 new housing units as its share of the 6th cycle of the RHNA, broken down into 61 very low housing units, 44 low housing units, 46 moderate housing units, and 180 above moderate housing units; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Hawaiian Gardens held a public hearing on the proposed 2021 Draft Housing Element on August 3, 2022, and recommended approval of the project and the accompanying Negative Declaration to the project to the City Council; and
WHEREAS, this matter was duly posted and set for public hearing for the February 14, 2023, City Council meeting at 6:00 P.M., consistent with the City of Hawaiian Gardens’ Zoning Ordinance procedures for projects, including General Plan Amendments; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens conducted a duly noticed public hearing on February 14, 2023, and fully considered all oral and written testimony, facts, and opinions offered at the aforesaid public hearing.

NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens hereby resolves as follows:

SECTION 1. Government Code Section 65583 states that a Housing Element is a mandatory element of the General Plan and shall consist of an identification and analysis of existing and projected housing needs and a statement of goals, policies, quantified objective, financial Resolution No. 002-2023
February 14, 2023

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resources, constraints and restrictions, and schedule of programs for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing.

SECTION 2. The proposed General Plan Amendment (6th Cycle Housing Element Update) is necessary to update the city’s 5th Cycle Housing Element to reflect new legislation regarding the State of California Housing Element Law, Fair Housing policies, adequate sites for housing, including rental housing, factory-built housing, and mobile homes, and adequate provisions for the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community.

SECTION 3. The City has made the Housing Element publicly available for public comment and comment from other public agencies for review as follows:
a. The draft housing element was submitted to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review on December 16, 2021, pursuant to Government Code Section 65585 (b). HCD’s comments on the draft were received by the City in the form of a letter dated February 13, 2022. City staff reviewed those comments, held a public hearing in the spring of 2022 to solicit more public comment, and the draft housing element has been amended in response to those comments.

The Planning Commission of the City of Hawaiian Gardens held a public hearing on the proposed 2021 Draft Housing Element on August 3, 2022, and recommended approval of the project and the accompanying Negative Declaration to the to the City Council. The City Council approved the Negative Declaration at its August 12, 2022 City Council meeting.
b. The draft housing element was distributed for review and comment pursuant to Government Code Section 65352 to the Resources Agency; Department of Conservation; Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 5; Cal Fire; Department of Parks and Recreation; Department of Water Resources; Office of Emergency Management Agency, California; Caltrans, District 7; Department of Housing and Community Development; Air Resources Board; Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 4; Native American Heritage Commission; and Public Utilities Commission. The comments on the proposed draft housing element received from these agencies are attached.
c. The draft housing element was resubmitted to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review on August 15, 2022, pursuant to Government Code Section 65585 (b). HCD’s comments on the draft were received by the City in the form of a letter dated September 29, 2022. City staff reviewed those comments and updated the draft housing element.

SECTION 4. The City of Hawaiian Gardens, in accordance with Section 65351 of the California Government Code, facilitated public participation in the preparation of the draft housing element by conducting Town Hall meetings on August 25, 2021. October 19, 2021, and noticed and held a joint Planning Commission/City Council meeting on December 14, 2021. Further, a previous iteration of the Housing Element was prepared and considered at a public meeting by the Planning Commission in the spring of 2022. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed 2021 Draft Housing Element on August 3, 2022. These meetings were publicized in accordance with the City’s municipal code for public hearings. The Planning Commission and City Council received and considered written and oral evidence at each of the public hearings on the proposed draft housing element.

Resolution No. 002-2023
February 14, 2023

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SECTION 5. The City Council has reviewed the Housing Element Guidelines adopted by HCD pursuant to Section 50459 of the Health and Safety Code and finds that the housing goals, objectives, and policies stated in the revised Housing Element are appropriate for the City of Hawaiian Gardens and will contribute to the attainment of the State of California housing goals.

The City Council further finds that the adoption of the revised Housing Element will aid the City’s efforts to assist in the development of housing for all members of the community and that the Housing Element reflects the requirements of Government Code Section 65583 (b), and AB 686.

The revised Housing Element has also been amended to reflect the September 29, 2022 comments of the State Department of Housing and Community Development.

SECTION 6. The City Council, after considering the 2021-2029 6th Cycle Draft Housing Element, the Planning Commission’s previous meetings, staff recommendations, HCD comments, public testimony and correspondence, and reports thereon, makes the following findings:
a. The housing element update is consistent with all elements of the General Plan. b. The update will:
i. promote health, safety, and welfare by preserving housing that is affordable to the very low, low-, moderate, and above moderate-income household residents of the city;
ii. encourage a variety of housing types, sizes, costs, and tenure; iii. establish programs to ensure that most new developments incorporate affordable housing and follow fair housing principles and practices; iv. establish incentives to encourage and help defray the costs of affordable housing development;
v. affirmatively further fair housing opportunities consistent with AB 686; and vi. set quantified objectives for housing production, rehabilitation, preservation, and conservation.
c. The Housing Element addresses all of HCD’s comments and direction to the best of the City’s ability and consistent with Housing Element Law. Additionally, the Community Development Director is hereby directed and authorized to make all non-substantive changes to the Housing Element as required to make it internally consistent, or to address any non-substantive changes necessary to comply with any further HCD direction or address previously provided HCD direction.

SECTION 7. The Project has been reviewed pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Sections 21000, et seq. (CEQA)) and the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 15000, et seq.).

Resolution No. 002-2023
February 14, 2023

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Moreover, no subsequent environmental impact report or negative declaration is required for the Housing Element Update under State CEQA Guidelines section 15162 because the City Council finds, based on substantial evidence, that (1) there are no substantial changes proposed in the Housing Element Update that will require major revisions of the previously-adopted Negative Declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; (2) there are no substantial changes that have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Housing Element Update is being undertaken that will require major revisions of the previously-adopted Negative Declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; and (3) there is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous Negative Declaration was adopted, that shows either (a) the Housing Element Update will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previously-adopted Negative Declaration; or (b) significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previously adopted MND. Moreover, the Negative Declaration did not identify any potentially significant impacts resulting from the Housing Element Update requiring mitigation measures, and none of the revisions to the Housing Element Update require revision of this conclusion.

SECTION 8. Reliance on Record. Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this Resolution are based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the project. The findings and determinations constitute the independent findings and determinations of the City Council in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.

The documents and materials that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the City Council’s decision is based are located at 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716. The custodian of these documents and materials is Pablo Rubio, City Clerk.

SECTION 9. Summaries of Information. All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.

SECTION 10. The Mayor of the City of Hawaiian Gardens is hereby authorized to affix his signature to this resolution signifying its adoption by the City Council. The City Clerk is directed to attest thereto.

Resolution No. 002-2023
February 14, 2023

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PASSED AND APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE HAWAIIAN GARDENS CITY COUNCIL ON THIS 14th DAY OF FEBRUARY 2023.

MARIA TERESA DEL RIO
MAYOR
ATTEST:

PABLO RUBIO

CITY CLERK
DRAFT
City of Hawaiian Gardens
6th Cycle Housing Element Update
City of Hawaiian Gardens
Community Development Department
21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716
(562) 420-2641
www.hgcity.org
6 th Cycle Draft Amendment, February 2023
Planning Commission Resolution No. 2023-001
City Council Resolution No. 002-2023
City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
Page iii
City Council
Maria Teresa Del Rio Mayor
Victor Farfan, Mayor Pro Temp
Dandy De Paula, Councilmember
Luis Roa Councilmember
Ernie Vargas, Councilmember
Planning Commission
Grant Winford, Chair
Axzel Roman, Vice Chair
Fabiola Hernandez, Commissioner
Anna Rodriguez, Commissioner
City Manager
Ernesto Marquez
Community Development Department
Community Development Director
Elise McCaleb
Senior Planner
Sophia Tatlyan
Consultant
Maryann Marks, AICP
Prepared by
Willdan Engineering
City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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Table of Contents
The 6th Cycle Housing Element ..................................................................................................................................9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................9 Chapter 2. HOUSING NEEDS ANALYSIS.............................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3. REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SPECIAL NEEDS.................................... 11 Chapter 4. LAND INVENTORY............................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 5. RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................... 11 Chapter 6. EVALUATION OF THE PREVIOUS HOUSING ELEMENT.................................................. 11 Chapter 7. HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES ............. 11

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 13

1.1 WHAT IS A HOUSING ELEMENT? .............................................................................................. 13

1.2 FREQUENCY OF REVIEW AND UPDATE .................................................................................. 15

1.3 HOUSING ELEMENT CONTENTS............................................................................................... 15

1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS..................................................................... 16

1.5 INFORMATION SOURCES........................................................................................................... 17

1.6 PUBLIC OUTREACH .................................................................................................................... 18

1.7 REVIEWS BY STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................... 20

2. HOUSING NEEDS ANALYSIS........................................................................................................................ 21

2.1 POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS ........................................................................................ 21

2.2 EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................... 27

2.3 HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS............................................................................................. 31

2.4 HOUSING STOCK ........................................................................................................................ 32

2.5 HOUSING COSTS AND AFFORDABILITY .................................................................................. 40

2.7 HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT............................................................................................... 46

2.8 OVERCROWDING AND OVERPAYMENT................................................................................... 51

2.9 “AT-RISK” HOUSING .................................................................................................................... 54

2.10 OPPORTUNITY FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION...................................................................... 56

2.11 AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING....................................................................... 60 3 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SPECIAL NEEDS ..................................................... 68

3.1 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION (RHNA), 2021 - 2029.......................................... 68

3.2 SPECIAL HOUSING NEEDS ........................................................................................................ 71 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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4. LAND INVENTORY......................................................................................................................................... 82

4.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 82

4.2 VACANT SITES............................................................................................................................. 85

4.3 MIXED USE OPPORTUNITY SITES ............................................................................................ 92

4.4 REALISTIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY................................................................................... 108

5. RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS ............................................................................................................ 120

5.1 FINANCING AND SUBSIDY SOURCES .................................................................................... 120

5.2 RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS ON HOUSING PRODUCTION......................................... 121

5.3 NON-GOVERNMENTAL RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS.................................................. 166 6 EVALUATION OF THE PREVIOUS HOUSING ELEMENT.......................................................................... 168

7. HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES ......................................... 179

7.1 HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS.................................................................... 179

7.2 Program Descriptions .................................................................................................................. 184

7.2 PROPOSED QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES FOR 2021-2029....................................................... 193 Table of Figures
Figure 2.1 Population Trends ......................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 2.2 Households by Age and Sex ......................................................................................................... 23 Figure 2.3 Female Headed Households ......................................................................................................... 24 Figure 2.4 Shelter Choices of Persons Experiencing Homelessness in Hawaiian Gardens (2022) ............. 25 Figure 2.5 Educational Attainment.................................................................................................................. 27 Figure 2.6 Employment by Industry ................................................................................................................ 28 Figure 2.7 Employment by Occupation.......................................................................................................... 28 Figure 2.8 Households by Household Size..................................................................................................... 32 Figure 2.9 Housing Types............................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 2.10 Vacant Units by Type .................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 2.11 Housing Vacancy Trends .............................................................................................................. 34 Figure 2.12 Housing Units by Year Structure Built ........................................................................................... 35 Figure 2.13 Substandard Housing .................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 2.14 Housing Tenure ............................................................................................................................. 39 Figure 2.15 Median Home Prices ..................................................................................................................... 40 Figure 2.16 Rental Housing Cost by Income.................................................................................................... 41 Figure 2.17 Percent of Income Spent on Rent ................................................................................................. 42 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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Figure 2.18 Spending on Rent by Income Category ........................................................................................ 43 Figure 2.19 Household Income by Cash Rent.................................................................................................. 43 Figure 2.20 Monthly Owner Costs for Mortgage Holders ................................................................................. 44 Figure 2.21 Cost for Mortgage Holders by Income........................................................................................... 45 Figure 2.22 Household Income by Home Value............................................................................................... 45 Figure 2.23 Housing Units Permitted (SCAG Region and City) ....................................................................... 51 Figure 2.24 Crowding by Extent and Tenure.................................................................................................... 52 Figure 2.25 Residents with Disabilities ............................................................................................................. 71 Figure 2.26 Disability by Type (Seniors 65 and Over)...................................................................................... 72 Figure 2.27 Female-Headed Households......................................................................................................... 79 Figure 2.28 Households by Household Size..................................................................................................... 80 Figure 4.1 Zoning Map.................................................................................................................................... 84 Figure 4.2 Map of Vacant Sites/Properties ..................................................................................................... 87 Figure 4.3 APN 7076-004-059........................................................................................................................ 88 Figure 4.4 APN 7065-007-050........................................................................................................................ 89 Figure 4.5 APN 7068-015-053........................................................................................................................ 91 Figure 4.6 Mixed-Use Opportunity Sites......................................................................................................... 95 Figure 4.7 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site A ....................................................................................................... 97 Figure 4.8 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site B ..................................................................................................... 100 Figure 4.9 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site C..................................................................................................... 103 Figure 4.10 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site D..................................................................................................... 104 Figure 4.11 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site E ..................................................................................................... 107 Figure 5.1 Code Enforcement Process......................................................................................................... 123 Figure 5.2 Administrative Approval Process................................................................................................. 140 Figure 5.3 Conditional Use Permit Process.................................................................................................. 143 Tables
Table 2.1 Elderly Households by Income and Tenure .................................................................................. 24 Table 2.2 Age Characteristics of Hawaiian Gardens’ Population.................................................................. 26 Table 2.3 State Designated Farmland and Agricultural Zoning .................................................................... 30 Table 2.4 Farmworkers by Occupation.......................................................................................................... 31 Table 2.5 Units Constructed Between 2015 and 2021.................................................................................. 35 Table 2.6 Code Enforcement Cases 2013-2021 ........................................................................................... 38 Table 2.7 Final 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation ...................................................................... 46 Table 2.8 Apartment Communities in Hawaiian Gardens ............................................................................. 47 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element
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Table 2.9 Extremely Low-Income Housing Needs ........................................................................................ 48 Table 2.10 Cost Burden by Income ................................................................................................................. 53 Table 2.11 Assisted Units at Risk of Conversion ............................................................................................ 54 Table 2.12 Qualified Entities............................................................................................................................ 56 Table 2.13 Contributing Factors and Meaningful Actions................................................................................ 66 Table 3.1 RHNA 6th Cycle – October 2021-October 2029 ............................................................................ 70 Table 3.2 Persons with a Disability in the Workforce .................................................................................... 74 Table 3.3 Farmworkers by Occupation.......................................................................................................... 81 Table 3.4 Employment in the Agricultural Industry........................................................................................ 81 Table 4.1 Zone Districts and Land Area........................................................................................................ 85 Table 4.2 Housing Capacity on Vacant Sites ................................................................................................ 86 Table 4.3 Site A Parcel Summary and Housing Capacity ............................................................................. 96 Table 4.4 Site B Development Capacity........................................................................................................ 99 Table 4.5 Site C Development Capacity...................................................................................................... 102 Table 4.6 Site D Development Capacity...................................................................................................... 105 Table 4.7 Site E Development Capacity...................................................................................................... 106 Table 4.8 Proposed Residential Density Changes...................................................................................... 110 Table 4.9 Land Sales Prices – October 2021.............................................................................................. 116 Table 4.10 Construction Costs per Square Foot for Residential Construction.............................................. 117 Table 4.11 Typical Mortgage Interest Rates.................................................................................................. 118 Table 5.1 General Plan Residential Densities............................................................................................. 125 Table 5.2 R-1-10,000 Single-Family Estate Development Standards......................................................... 126 Table 5.3 R-1 Single-Family Residential Development Standards ............................................................ 127 Table 5.4 R-2: Medium Density Residential Development Standards ........................................................ 128 Table 5.5 R-3: Intermediate Density Residential Development .................................................................. 129 Table 5.6 R-4: High Density Residential Development Standards.............................................................. 130 Table 5.7 Mobile Home Park Development Standards ............................................................................... 131 Table 5.8 Individual Mobile Home Lot/Space Standards ............................................................................ 131 Table 5.9 Residential Parking Requirements .............................................................................................. 132 Table 5.10 Handicap-Accessible Parking Spaces......................................................................................... 133 Table 5.11 Uses Permitted in Residential Zones .......................................................................................... 135 Table 5.12 Timelines for Permit Procedures ................................................................................................. 145 Table 5.13 Permit Fees ................................................................................................................................. 155 Table 5.14 Residential Development Fees.................................................................................................... 159 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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The 6th Cycle Housing Element

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Hawaiian Gardens is located in the greater Los Angeles area and encompasses

0.9 square miles. The City is bounded on the west and south by the City of Long Beach, on the east by the City of Cypress, and on the south by the City of Lakewood. Residential land uses account for nearly 60% of the total land area in the City, and the second largest land use, commercial, makes up 23% of the land area.

Every California jurisdiction is required to include a Housing Element as part of the jurisdiction’s General Plan. Hawaiian Gardens 6
th Cycle Housing Element has a planning
period of eight years from 2021 to 2029. This Housing Element is organized into seven sections:

1. Introduction

2. Housing Needs Analysis

3. Regional Housing Needs Assessment and Special Needs

4. Land Inventory

5. Resources and Constraints

6. Evaluation of the Previous Housing Element

7. Housing Goals, Policies, Programs, and Quantified Objectives Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION
The 6th Cycle Housing Element for the City of Hawaiian Gardens is a required element of the City’s General Plan and is, therefore, required to be consistent with the General Plan. The 6th Cycle Housing Element covers the planning period from October 15, 2021, to October 15, 2029, and includes extensive background information on community demographics, including population, employment and households, current housing, as well as updated policies, programs, and ‘quantified objectives’ to guide the City’s development through 2029. State Law requires that the Housing Element include the following components:
• An analysis of the City’s population, household, and employment base, and the characteristics of the housing stock.
• A summary of the present and projected housing needs of the City’s households. • A review of potential constraints to meeting the City’s identified housing needs. • An evaluation of opportunities that will further the development of new housing. • A Community Outreach Plan
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• A Statement of the Housing Plan to address identified housing needs. • An analysis on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.

This is the first Housing Element Cycle to implement the requirements of Assembly Bill 686 (AB 686), Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). As of January 1, 2019, AB 686 extends the obligation to affirmatively further fair housing to all public agencies in the State of California. Affirmatively furthering fair housing means taking meaningful actions to combat discrimination that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.

This Housing Element must address the following issues:

1. Significant discrepancies in housing needs and in access to opportunities.

2. Replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns.

3. Transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAP) into areas of opportunity.

4. Fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws.

Public Review and Comment
The Housing Element was made available for review and comment at City facilities, including City Hall, the Senior Center, City recreation facilities, during the workshop and public hearings, and on the City’s website:
• August 29, 2021 – Community Survey
• September 21, 2021 – Planning Commission public workshop • October 19, 2021 – Planning Commission public hearing • December 14, 2021 – Planning Commission/City Council joint workshop The venues for the public meetings were ADA-accessible and served by public transportation.

The City also advertised meetings, public hearings, and availability of the Housing Element in the local newspaper the “Los Cerritos Community Newspaper,” through social media, as a flyer, and on the board at the mobile home parks.

Chapter 2. HOUSING NEEDS ANALYSIS
This chapter gives an overview of the City’s population and employment growth, household characteristics, and housing characteristics. It also provides an analysis of the housing affordability and a discussion of housing receiving federal, State, or local aid that is at-risk of conversion due to the impending expiration of assistance. This chapter also includes the Fair Housing Assessment.

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Chapter 3. REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SPECIAL NEEDS The first part of this chapter outlines the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process which is maintained by the regional agency with jurisdiction over the City. In this case, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has jurisdiction over the City of Hawaiian Gardens. Through this process, each jurisdiction is given a set of numbers presenting housing units for each income level that the jurisdiction must help construct, rehabilitate, or conserve during the housing period from 2021 to 2029. The chapter then describes Hawaiian Gardens’ share of the regional housing needs, and what has already been achieved in meeting those needs.

Chapter 4. LAND INVENTORY
This chapter assesses the housing development potential in Hawaiian Gardens. The purpose is to determine the quantity of land available on suitable sites to accommodate the City’s RHNA. The analysis indicates the City is divided into six residential zoning districts; two commercial zoning districts; one industrial zoning district; and a public facilities district which consists of civic, fire station, park, hospital, elementary school, junior high school, and church.

Chapter 5. RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS
This chapter identifies the resources that are available to the City to meet its quantified objectives for housing, especially new construction for affordable housing; as well as government and market constraints that might hinder housing development and includes a detailed analysis of the current permitting and regulatory process. In those cases where potential governmental constraints are identified, the City has identified programs to remove and/or mitigate those constraints. Also included is an analysis for low- and moderate-income housing assistance from State and federal sources.

Chapter 6. EVALUATION OF THE PREVIOUS HOUSING ELEMENT
This chapter reviews the City’s accomplishments under the 2013-2021 Housing Element, particularly the city’s progress towards meeting its Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals. Although a comprehensive General Plan update was adopted in 2010, it did not include any update to the housing element.

Chapter 7. HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND

QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES
This chapter of the Housing Element lists housing goals, policies, implementing programs, and quantified objectives for the City of Hawaiian Gardens, responding to the assessment of the 2013-2021 Housing Element, as well as key issues, trends, opportunities, and constraints outlined in the Housing Needs Analysis and the assessment of Resources and Constraints.

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The City of Hawaiian Gardens adopted the City’s General Plan in 2010, stating that the City’s Housing Element goals were established for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing in the City. Below are the goals for the 5th Cycle Housing Element that the City adopted in 2015. The City will continue the application of these goals for the 6th Cycle Housing Element as a guide for implementation of the City’s continued, modified, and new housing programs.

Goal 1.Accommodate housing needs of all income groups as quantified by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.

Goal 2.Provide housing affordable to extremely low-, very low, low- and moderate-income households.

Goal 3.Remove existing governmental constraints to the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing.

Goal 4.Achieve a housing stock free of substandard dwelling units.

Goal 5.Conserve and improve the existing stock of affordable housing.

Goal 6.Attain a housing market with “fair housing choice,” meaning the ability of persons of similar income levels regardless of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, familial status, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, source of income or other arbitrary factor to have available to them the same housing choices.

Goal 7.Preserve the existing supply of affordable housing that is financially assisted by the City, County, and State or Federal governments.

Goal 8.Achieve reductions in energy consumption.

Each goal encompasses a series of policies. Implementing programs further the City’s housing goals and policies.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 WHAT IS A HOUSING ELEMENT?
The Housing Element is one of the seven required elements of the General Plan. State Housing Element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all segments of the population. It requires that the Housing Element be consistent with all parts of the General Plan and be closely related to the Land Use Element, which specifies land within the jurisdiction that can be utilized for housing development. The law acknowledges that for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demands, local governments must adopt plans and regulatory systems that support housing developments. As a result, the successful growth of a community rests largely upon the implementation of local general plans, and in particular, the Housing Element.

The 6
th Cycle Housing Element has a planning period of 8 years. It is programmatic in focus and is required to meet specific requirements set by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The Housing Element of the Hawaiian Gardens General Plan addresses the housing needs of the City. The primary focus of the Housing Element is to encourage the provision of suitable housing for City residents and to protect the vitality of existing residential neighborhoods. The goals and policies of the Hawaiian Gardens Housing Element address the following issues:
(a) the promotion of new housing development
(b) the maintenance and improvement of existing housing units (c) identifying and addressing housing discrimination
Through its housing program, the City will improve the quality of existing housing and encourage the production of new housing types to meet residents' needs.

Geographical Setting and Demographics
The City of Hawaiian Gardens is in Los Angeles County, generally in the southeast area of the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The City of Long Beach lies directly to the west and south, the City of Lakewood lies to the north, and the Orange County City of Cypress borders Hawaiian Gardens on the east. Hawaiian Gardens is regionally accessible from Interstate 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway), which is located to the immediate west of the City. The Carson Street off-ramp is located at the western entrance to the City. The City is regionally accessible from Interstate 405 (Long Beach Freeway) located to the south, and Highway 91 to the north.

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Hawaiian Gardens is among the “Gateway Cities” of southeast Los Angeles County.

Considered an industrial powerhouse, this southeast sub- region of the County provides one out of every seven jobs in Southern California.

The City of Hawaiian Gardens is the smallest jurisdiction in the County of Los Angeles, encompassing a total of 0.9 square miles. It is the 338th largest city in California, and the 243rd largest city in the United States.

Hawaiian Gardens is primarily a residential community, with most of the City zoned for medium density residential (R-2) housing. The medium-density residentially-zoned properties are found along the southwest and southeast quadrants of the City. The northwestern quadrant of the City is dominated by a mix of General Commercial, Light Industrial, Civic, Intermediate Residential, and High-Density Residential-zoned uses. The northeast quadrant is characterized by pockets of Single-family residential estate-zoned parcels (10,000 sq. ft. minimum parcel size), Single-Family Residential, and General Commercial zoning and land uses.

The City’s current population is reported at 13,953 residents. With a land area of just less than 1 square mile, Hawaiian Gardens has a population density of 14,717 people per square mile.

The 2020 Census indicates that the city’s population is currently declining at a rate of -0.73% annually and has decreased by -2.11% since the 2010 census count, which listed the population at 14,254. Hawaiian Gardens reached its highest population of 14,779 in 2000.

The average household income in Hawaiian Gardens is $57,733 with a poverty rate of 23.90%.

The median rental cost is about $1,403 per month, and the median house value $363,500.

This Housing Element is designed to address key housing issues in the city and seeks to provide solutions to improve future housing conditions. These issues include:
(a) The need to maintain and rehabilitate the existing housing stock. (b) Development of new housing to relieve overcrowding and housing cost. (c) Through the zoning process, convert underutilized commercial properties to residential to provide more ownership units.
(d) The maintenance of affordable housing for low-income households, special needs households and overpaying households.
(e) Accommodating current Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) units through addressing zoning and density in residential zones and creating a mixed-use zone.

The City is continuously seeking to meet the housing needs of its residents and to accommodate its share of regional housing. This will accomplish both state and local housing goals.

The Housing Element fulfills the requirements of the State Planning and Zoning Law and the regulations of Section 65580-65589.5 of the California Government Code. State law is very specific on the content of the Housing Element and makes it clear that providing affordable City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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housing is the responsibility of all local governments. It expects the City to have its fair share in the development of regional housing needs and to contribute to the attainment of State housing goals.

1.2 FREQUENCY OF REVIEW AND UPDATE
The process of updating Housing Elements is triggered by HCD through the “regional housing needs” process. The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process is a State mandate on planning for housing, whereby each jurisdiction in the State is assigned a “fair share” of local housing needs according to income distribution.

This Housing Element will serve the planning period beginning October 15, 2021, to October 15, 2029. This is an eight-year period to coincide with the RHNA process.

1.3 HOUSING ELEMENT CONTENTS
The Housing Element is required by State law to include:
• An assessment of existing housing needs-with an analysis of housing affordability, conditions, special needs, and affordable units at-risk of converting to market-rate— as well as projected needs as laid out in the RHNA.
• A detailed sites inventory and analysis that evaluates the jurisdiction’s ability to accommodate its RHNA.
• An analysis of constraints on housing in the jurisdiction. • Housing programs that identify adequate sites to accommodate the City’s share of the regional housing need; assisting in the development of housing for very low- and low- income households; removing or mitigating governmental constraints to affordable housing; conserving and improving the existing affordable housing stock; promoting equal housing opportunity; and preserving the at-risk units identified. • Quantified objectives that estimate the maximum number of units, by income level, to be constructed, rehabilitated, and conserved over the planning period of the element.
• An analysis of Affirmatively Further Fair Housing in compliance with AB 686, which specifically addresses significant discrepancies in housing needs and in access to opportunities, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAP) into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws.

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1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS
The current Hawaiian Gardens General Plan was adopted in January 2010 and established a long-range plan. The plan includes the following elements required by State law:

Land Use
The Land Use Element identifies the proposed distribution and intensity of the uses of land and the different types of uses, including housing, commercial retail, industrial, open space, recreation, institutional/public facilities, and others.

Circulation
The Circulation Element identifies the location of existing and proposed major roads, transportation routes, and other local public utilities.

Housing
The Housing Element identifies and analyzes existing and projected housing needs and includes a statement of goals and policies, and scheduled programs for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing.

Open Space/Recreation
The Open Space/Recreation Element guides the comprehensive and long-range preservation and conservation of open space land. In its discussion the Element includes recreation facilities, which similarly contribute activity space. Open Space may include land for outdoor recreation, public health, and safety.

Conservation
The Conservation Element addresses the identification, conservation, and use of natural resources. This element may consider issues of flood control, and water and air pollution.

Noise
The Noise Element identifies and evaluates noise levels in the city, particularly from roadways, industrial plants, and other major noise sources, and helps to protect uses in the community that are sensitive to noise impacts.

Safety
The Safety Element establishes policies and programs to protect the community from risks associated with seismic, geologic, flood and fire.

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Economic Development
The economic character of the community plays a vital role in the success and prosperity of a local area. The Economic Development Element includes goals and policies to guide physical development while retaining a sound economic base and identifying potential for new market opportunities. In addition, a fiscal analysis component will provide for a stable annual City Budget.

Air Quality
Consideration of air pollution and its damaging effects is a necessary component of public safety and welfare. The Air Quality Element examines relevant conditions, land use and development patterns to establish policies and programs related to air quality.

Capital Improvements
Capital improvements encompass the physical infrastructure that supports development of a city. The Capital Improvements Element identifies necessary improvements and provides policy direction for short-term programs.

Community Design
The Community Design Element relates to the aesthetic environment of the community and provides a sense of place. This includes the public realm, private realm, and residential areas.

Consistency with General Plan and Policies
The Housing Element of the General Plan is one component of the City's overall long-range planning strategy. The California Government Code requires that the General Plan contain an integrated, consistent set of goals and policies. The Housing Element is, therefore, affected by policies contained in other elements of the General Plan.

The City updated its 2011 zoning map in 2019 to provide zoning districts consistent with the 2010 General Plan. To be consistent with the General Plan, this Housing Element will assess the Land Use Element’s goals and objectives and identify new and existing sites to meet the existing and current RHNA, which facilitates the City’s ability to meet its designated regional housing needs.

1.5 INFORMATION SOURCES
The information presented in this Housing Element has been gathered from a variety of sources. The primary source of information used in compiling demographic, housing, and socio-economic information for Hawaiian Gardens includes data collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Several other sources were also consulted during the preparation of this analysis, with the key sources being the State Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the State City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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Department of Finance (DOF), the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the American Community Survey (ACS), the City of Hawaiian Gardens, and analysis conducted by the Housing Element consultants. SCAG is mandated under State law to prepare population, housing, and employment projections that are to be used in the development of the region’s Growth Management Plan. These projections were used in the determination of the City’s RHNA.

Various other sources (both private and public) were also used. Wherever possible, data from the City and County were used to facilitate an understanding of local needs and conditions.

1.6 PUBLIC OUTREACH
This 6th Cycle Housing Element was prepared during the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, and pandemic-related restrictions substantially affected Hawaiian Gardens’ outreach to City residents and businesses. From the beginning of 2020 through 2021, most offices, schools, places of worship, places of social gathering, retail stores, restaurants, government offices and religious and educational institutions were closed or operated with restricted hours, remotely and/or with limited staff. Los Angeles County, in general, and specifically cities within the gateway communities, experienced more disruption in services than any other county or counties in the State because of precautionary measures against an excessive number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Hawaiian Gardens’ City Hall restricted public access and limited hours; most staff worked remotely. These limitations made gathering information from City staff and members of the community as required by the California Housing Element Law difficult and challenging. Still, Hawaiian Gardens sought as much public input as possible, given the limitations, to measure the effectiveness of the City’s housing policies and the position of the community regarding the City’s current housing market and the overall effectiveness of the 5th Cycle Housing Element.

The City further sought public input regarding the 6th Cycle Housing Element policies, goals, and objectives. These efforts are described below.

Community Outreach
The Housing Element was prepared with public outreach and participation to the extent permissible under the restrictions of COVID-19. The City maintains a distribution list of stakeholder organizations, interested private citizens, public agencies, posts public information on the City’s website and at the physical location of the meetings, and issues press releases in the Los Cerritos Community Newspaper. The venues for the public meetings were ADAaccessible and served by public transportation.

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To ensure the broadest community involvement, particularly among low-income and special needs groups, the City used several strategies, including:
• An in-person televised Planning Commission Housing Element workshop to inform members of the Commission and the public of the Housing Element process, including the requirements of AB 686. (September 9, 2021)
• A Community Outreach survey prepared in English, Spanish, and Korean and made available between August 29, 2021, and September 15, 2021, was distributed and broadcast over several media outlets, including a dedicated City website specifically for the Housing Element Update, to reach all members of the community. Survey questions were formulated to get an understanding of who was participating in the survey, identification of the housing issues facing the City, and options to address the housing issues. Interested parties could complete the Survey online at the City’s website. • A focused stakeholder interview consisting of 6 members of the Hawaiian Gardens community was conducted via the online Zoom™ platform. The participants included one planning commissioner and city resident, three city employees, and two land developers. (October 19, 2021)
• A joint Planning Commission/City Council public workshop was conducted via Zoom™.

Minutes and a Zoom™ audio/video recording are available on the City’s website and from the City Clerk’s office upon request. (December 14, 2021) • The City posted flyers about the Housing Element update throughout the City, including the notice boards at the two mobile home parks in the City. • Information on the Housing Element update was also made available on the City’s website and at all City facilities, including City Hall, the Senior Center, and recreation facilities.

Community Input
Community input was received through a variety of means including public hearings, a stake holder meeting, and a community survey.

The comments received at the Planning Commission workshop and the joint Planning Commission/City Council workshop centered around the lack of housing available to all residents, especially low income; and the high cost of housing.

Only 13 residents (12 in English, one in Spanish) participated in the Community Survey. This participation level corresponds to the City’s experience with other outreach efforts.

Nonetheless, the input received is a window into residents’ expectations for the City. Survey responses focused on:
• Providing more affordable housing
• Addressing Section 8 housing
• Addressing the homelessness issue
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• Gentrification - most respondents were not favorable towards gentrification, but some saw the economic benefits that can be derived from it
• Utilizing existing parcels in the City that are currently under-utilized or vacant for more housing opportunities
• Residential building height limits - concerns over the City’s residential height restrictions which prevent the development of more high rises with higher densities • Concerns with parking availability in the City
• The use of density bonus to encourage development of more affordable housing • Homeownership - the City should investigate making more of its residents’ homeowners rather than renters
• High rents - the current rents in the City are too high • The City’s beautification program eliminated security bars of residential properties and improved the general outlook of the City
See Appendix C, Community Survey, for the complete survey including questions and responses.

1.7 REVIEWS BY STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING

AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
State law requires the submittal of every updated Housing Element to the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to ensure compliance with the State’s minimum Housing Element requirements.

Housing Elements are required to be submitted to HCD for review and comment: during development of the Housing Element (in draft form), and again after adoption of the Housing Element by the local jurisdiction. The first period requires a 60-day review and must take place prior to the adoption deadline of October 15, 2021. However, with the complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability of some jurisdictions to remain open and functional, this Housing Element draft is being submitted later than the October 15, 2021, deadline, and HCD has been made aware of this development. The second review requires a 90-day review by HCD and takes place after the adoption of the Housing Element by the local jurisdiction. It is after the second review that written findings regarding compliance are submitted by HCD to the local government.

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2. HOUSING NEEDS ANALYSIS

2.1 POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS
The type and quantity of housing needed in a community is largely determined by population growth and various demographic variables. Factors such as population size, age, race, and occupation can be used to analyze the effectiveness of existing housing policies and provide a general direction and focus for future housing initiatives. Population characteristics include population growth trends in the city, age characteristics, and ethnicity.

Population Trends
According to the 2020 United States Census, Hawaiian Gardens has a 2020 total population of 13,953 persons, which is a decrease from the 2010 census figure of 14,254 persons. As stated earlier, the City of Hawaiian Gardens spans 0.97 square miles with a population density of 14,717 people per square mile. The average household income in Hawaiian Gardens is $57,733 with a poverty rate 23.90%. The median rental cost is $1,403 per month, and median house value $363,500.

Figure 2.1 below describes the population trend in Hawaiian Gardens from 2000 to 2020. Over this period Hawaiian Gardens had an annual population growth rate of 0% compared to 0.7% for the region.

Hawaiian Gardens experienced its greatest population growth in 2005; however, in 2010 there was a slight reduction in population that may be attributed to out-migration, cost of living, and a declining economy.

Source: State of California, Department of Finance, E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State — January 1, 2021-2022. Sacramento, California, May 2022 Figure 2.1 Population Trends
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The City of Hawaiian Gardens had a projected 2020 total population of 14,649, including 16 living in group quarters, according to the California Department of Finance. However, the city’s actual population was reported at 13,953 persons, resulting in a –2.11% growth rate from 2010 to 2020. Figure 2.1 illustrates population trends in the City compared to SCAG.

Ethnicity
Hawaiian Gardens is a majority Hispanic/Latino community with Hispanics/Latinos comprising

80.1% of the city’s residents. This percentage includes those who identified as White Hispanic.

The city’s White Non-Hispanic population is 4.3%, the Asian population is 9.9%, the Black/African American population is 4.0%, and the Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander population is 0.09%. Of 13,953 residents, 42.8% are foreign born, and 91.7% speak a language other than English at home.

Education
According to the 2020 US Census numbers, 57.26 percent of persons residing in Hawaiian Gardens attained a high school education or higher, of which 22.7 percent graduated from high school, 7.31 percent attained a bachelor’s degree and 3.14 percent attained a graduate degree. Conversely, 42.74 percent of Hawaiian Garden’s residents have less than a high school education.

Household Size and Housing Stock
According to data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), there are 3,712 households in the City of Hawaiian Gardens. The average household size is 4.21 persons per household and the average family size is 4.52 persons per family. The average household and family sizes in the city has increased over the years largely due to several trends including increasing births per family, shared living space to reduce cost, increasing cost of living, and overcrowding due to lack of available, affordable housing.

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Figure 2.2, Households by Age
and Sex, shows that the population of Hawaiian Gardens is almost equally divided between males and females with 49.9% males and 50.1% females. The share of the population which is under 18 years of age is 27.7%, which is higher than the regional share of 23.4%. This indicates that the city is younger than the region. Seniors (age 65 and older) make up 10.5% of the population, which is lower than the regional average share of 13%.

Specialized Housing Needs
California housing law requires analysis of specialized housing needs, such as femaleheaded households, low-income, senior housing, and shelter for the unhoused, to ensure allocation of services.

Female-headed households. Of Hawaiian Gardens' 3,712 total households, 17% are female-headed (compared to 14.3% in the SCAG region), 9.9% are female-headed and with children (compared to 6.6% in the SCAG region), and 2.7% are female-headed and with children under 6 (compared to 1.0% in the SCAG region). This indicates that the City exceeds the region average in each of these categories and must therefore intensify its efforts to provide more services geared towards specialized housing. Figure 2.3 shows the distribution of female-headed households in the City.

American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates
Figure 2.2 Households by Age and Sex
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Low-Income Households. According to the American Community Survey, 18.1 percent of Hawaiian Gardens' households are experiencing poverty, compared to 7.9 percent of households in the SCAG region. Poverty thresholds, as defined by the ACS, vary by household type. In 2018, a single individual under 65 was considered in poverty with a money income below $13,064/year while the threshold for a family consisting of 2 adults and 2 children was $25,465/year.

Senior Low-Income Households. Federal housing data define a household type as “elderly family” if it consists of two persons with one or both age 62 years old and over. Of Hawaiian Garden’s 396 such households, 61.9% earn less than 30% of the surrounding area income, (compared to 24.2% in the SCAG region), 82.1% earn less than 50% of the surrounding area income (compared to 30.9% in the SCAG region).

Table 2.1 identifies the percentage of elderly households and incomes based on HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) thresholds. Between 2012 and 2016, a majority of the of elderly households earn less than 50% of HUD Area Median Family Income. Only 7.9 percent of elderly households earn above the HAMFI.

Source: American Community Survey
Figure 2.3 Female Headed Households
Table 2.1 Elderly Households by Income and Tenure
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Unsheltered Households. Los Angeles County/Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority conducts annual counts of unsheltered families and individuals to determine needs for temporary housing and supportive services. The February 2022 count found 29 persons experiencing homelessness in Hawaiian Gardens. Figure 2.4 shows the distribution among shelter types, which included recreational and passenger vehicles, tents, makeshift shelters, and no shelter.

Age Characteristics
According to the 2020 Census, the median age of the city’s residents was 32.4 years compared to 33.7 years of age for the County. This shows a slightly younger population demographic than the county. The median age for male residents is 30.8 years, while the median age for female residents is 33.4 years.

The 2020 Census indicated that elderly residents accounted for 7.9% of the City's total population and 32.1% of the were less than 18 years of age. Working age adults between the ages of 18-64 accounted to 59.9% of the population. 1 The age grouping of the city’s population according to the 2020 Census are indicated below in Table 2.2.

Los Angeles County homelessness point-in-time counts processed by SCAG. Source: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Greater Los Angeles 2022 Homeless Count Results: Hawaiian Gardens, available at https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=6638-spa-7-independent-cities-hc22 (accessed December 7, 2022).

Figure 2.4 Shelter Choices of Persons Experiencing
Homelessness in Hawaiian Gardens (2022)
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Table 2.2 Age Characteristics of Hawaiian Gardens’ Population Age Group Number of People Percentage of Population
Under 18 years 4,576 32.1%
18 – 24 years 1,759 12.3%
25 – 44 years 4,109 28.8%
45 – 64 years 2,684 18.8%
65 years – or older 1,126 7.9%
Total Population 14,254 100.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020)
Educational Attainment
A sizable proportion – nearly 40% – of Hawaiian Gardens’ residents have not been graduated from high school. To help increase the levels of educational attainment, the City is looking to increase its support in policies that favor education; especially starting with education at early stages in life for those individuals in ages 0-5. Quality early care and education provides a foundation for success in grades K-12 for Hawaiian Gardens’ youngest residents. Early care and education translate to success in life because children who attend these programs are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Figure 2.5 illustrates educational attainment of adults in the City.

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2.2 EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Employment types, income levels, and other factors determine the type of housing residents of the city can afford, while the unemployment rate is an indicator of the level of housing assistance needed. Employment and income levels are generally the function of regional growth or decline, which depends on factors beyond the city’s control. Employment characteristics describe those economic and market factors relevant to the maintenance of existing housing and the need to produce new housing in the city.

Employment and Unemployment
Hawaiian Gardens has 6,068 workers living within its borders who work across 13 major industrial sectors. The chart below (Figure 2.6) provides detailed employment information. The most prevalent industry is Arts, Entertainment, Recreation with 1,010 employees (16.6% of total) and the second most prevalent industry is Education & Social Services with 999 employees (16.5% of total).

Figure 2.5 Educational Attainment
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Figure 2.7 illustrates occupational categories. The most prevalent occupational category in Hawaiian Gardens is Services, in which 1,635 (26.9% of total) employees work. The secondmost prevalent type of work is in Production, which employs 1,383 (22.8% of total) individuals.

American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates using groupings of 2-digit NAICS codes Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates using groupings of SOC Figure 2.6 Employment by Industry
Figure 2.7 Employment by Occupation
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Farmworkers
Statewide, farmworker housing is of unique concern and of unique importance. While only a small share of SCAG region jurisdictions have farmworkers living in them, they are essential to the region’s economy and food supply. The 2014-2018 American Community Survey identified 19 persons residing in Hawaiian Gardens as employed in the agricultural, forestry, and fishing sectors. These persons are likely to be employed in nurseries and not in traditional agricultural production. The demand for housing generated by farm workers in the City is thus estimated to be extremely low.

The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning published a Farmworker Housing Ordinance in September 2010. The ordinance is part of a program in the Los Angeles County Housing Element which brings the County’s provisions for farmworker housing into compliance with the Employee Housing Act of the California Health and Safety Code.

The Housing Element Law requires an analysis of housing needs specific to special needs populations, including farmworkers (Government Code Section 65583 (a)(7)). In addition, the Housing Element Law requires an inventory of sites suitable for residential development, including housing for farmworkers (Government Code 65583(a)(3)). Where the sites inventory does not identify adequate sites to accommodate housing for farmworkers, the program must provide sufficient sites to meet the need with zoning that permits farmworker housing use by right (Government Code 65583(c)(1)(C)).

The Housing Element Law also states that local jurisdictions cannot disapprove a housing development project or impose conditions that render a project infeasible for low-income individuals, including farmworkers, without providing written findings based on substantial evidence on specified provisions, including that the development project is proposed on land zoned for agriculture or resource preservation that is surrounded on at least two sides by land being used for agricultural or resource preservation purposes, or which does not have adequate water or wastewater facilities to serve the project (Government Code Section 65589.5).

In the Los Angeles County area, only the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley Areas include land with active agricultural uses, as well as the Santa Catalina Island Local Coastal Plan (LCP), which outlines policies that include the provision and expansion of supportive (employee) housing.

With low wages and very high housing costs in Los Angeles County, farmworkers are one group among many who are designated as having a special need for affordable and appropriate housing by the State of California. The variability of seasonal changes, technological advances in agriculture, along with increasing international market competition have led to fewer days of work per year for the County’s agricultural employees.

Los Angeles County has seen a significant decrease in agricultural workers. State EDD data (CA Employment Development Department, Industry Employment & Labor Force data for Los City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale March 2020) shows that between 2000 and 2020, the number of farmworkers countywide decreased by 43 percent, from 7,700 to 4,400. Agricultural practices no longer account for a significant sector of Los Angeles County’s economy, and as more agricultural land is converted for nonagricultural uses, this sector will continue to decline.

Most of the Los Angeles basin is classified as “Urban and Built-Up Land,” and the California Department of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program maps show no farmland in the City of Hawaiian Gardens.

The County of Los Angeles Housing Element indicates that there are 225,217 acres of farmland designated by the State of California in Los Angeles County. There are 699,846 acres of land zoned for Agriculture. Of these designated areas, none are near Hawaiian Gardens.

Table 2.2 below identifies the locations and acreages of farmland in Los Angeles County.

Table 2.3 State Designated Farmland and Agricultural Zoning Unincorporated Community Farmland
Designated
by the State
(acres)
% of
Farmland
Designated
by the State
Zoned for
Agriculture
(acres)
% of Zoned
Acres
Antelope Valley 165,142 73.33% 525,366 75.07%
Santa Clarita Valley 59,737 26.52% 114,051 16.30%
Malibu Coastal Zone 235 0.10% 47,899 6.84%
Santa Monica Mountains 103 0.05% 12,530 1.79%
Total 225,217 100.00% 699,846 100.00%
Source: Los Angeles County, Department of Regional Planning, GIS Section Table 2.4 below identifies the number and type of farmworkers in the City.

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Table 2.4 Farmworkers by Occupation
Farmworker Housing Needs
The City has no land devoted to the production of field crops and/or ornamental plants or trees.

Likewise, there is no land used for animal production. As a result, there are no farmworker jobs located in Hawaiian Gardens. The 19 people identified as employed in the agricultural, forestry, and fishing sectors may be persons with “permanent” residences in the City who are seasonal farmworkers at locations outside the City’s boundaries, or are workers employed in non-traditional agricultural production. Any housed “farmworkers” who may reside in the City would live in a household and occupy a housing unit. As such, they would be among the existing households counted as part of the existing housing needs and estimates of existing and project housing needs produced by HCD and SCAG. That is, the resident farmworker housing needs would be counted as part of the lower income households experiencing problems of overpaying, overcrowding, and living in substandard housing and their housing needs can be met through general affordable housing programs rather than by providing farmworker-specific housing.

2.3 HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
Household type and size, income levels, and other household characteristics determine the type of housing needed by residents. This section details the various household characteristics affecting housing needs. Household characteristics provide an overview of the key socioeconomic characteristics that affect housing needs and are important indicators of the housing sizes needed in a community.

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Household Sizes
The U.S. Census defines a household as any group of people who occupy a housing unit, including families*, single people, or unrelated persons sharing living quarters. Persons living in licensed facilities, retirement homes, or dormitories are not considered households. *According to the most current U.S. Census definition, family is defined as “A group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.” This Housing Element includes Program 4, Zoning Code Review, which includes changing the definition of family to: Family means one or more persons living together in a dwelling unit, with common access to, and common use of all living, kitchen, and eating areas within the dwelling unit.

Figure 2.8, Households by Household Size, illustrates the range of household sizes in Hawaiian Gardens for owners, renters, and overall. The most commonly occurring household size in the city is of three people (23.6%) and the second-most commonly occurring household size is of two people (18.6%). Hawaiian Gardens has a lower share of single-person households than the SCAG region overall (14.9% vs. 23.4%) and a higher share of 7+ person households than the SCAG region overall (4% vs. 3.1%).

2.4 HOUSING STOCK
Housing types, age, vacancy rates, conditions and other factors affecting housing stock determine if the current supply of housing is in good condition or in adequate supply for residents. This section examines various stock characteristics that affect the living environment Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.8 Households by Household Size
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of Hawaiian Gardens residents. Housing characteristics focuses on trends related to residential development, housing type, and housing tenure.

Figure 2.9 provides information on housing stock trends in Hawaiian Gardens, which has a total of 3,724 housing units. The most prevalent housing type in Hawaiian Gardens is singlefamily-detached with 1,748 units. The share of all single-family units in Hawaiian Gardens is

61.1%, which is lower than the 61.7% share in the SCAG region. Out of the total housing units in Hawaiian Gardens, there are 3,646 occupied units, which equates to a 2.1% total vacancy rate. The average household size (as expressed by the population to housing unit ratio) is

4.013.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year
Source: CA DOF E-5 Population and Housing Unit
Figure 2.9 Housing Types
Figure 2.10 Vacant Units by Type
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Based on projected estimates by the California Department of Finance, over the past two decades (2000-2020), there has been more construction of single-family residential units than multi-family residential units in Hawaiian Gardens. When comparing 2000 to 2020, SFR units increased by 314, MFR units decreased by 190, and mobile homes decreased by 24.

Moreover, the actual units built or permitted in the city did not meet the projected numbers.

Table 2.5 below shows the number of units built, the type of units for which building permits were issued, and the number of units constructed.

Housing Age, Condition & Overcrowding
Housing age is an important indicator of the conditions of Hawaiian Gardens’ housing stock.

Homes and structures weather with use and deteriorate with time. If they are not properly maintained, housing can deteriorate quickly and become eyesores or potential sources of danger. This directly affects property prices and city residents’ quality of life. A city with an older housing stock and a population with lower incomes must budget more for preservation assistance, home repair costs, and energy upgrades.

Figure 2.12 shows that very few housing units were built in the city between 2010 and 2013, and even fewer units were built in 2014 and later; City Building Department records show that between 2015 and 2021, a net 28 housing units were built.

The largest proportion of Hawaiian Gardens' housing units was built between 1950-1959, corresponding to a post-World War II housing boom. By contrast, in the SCAG region overall, more units were built during 1970-1979 than any other period. This indicates that most of the housing units in the city are older than housing units in the region and may thus require proportionately more rehabilitation and upkeep.

Source: CA DOF E-5 Population and Housing Unit Estimates Figure 2.11 Housing Vacancy Trends
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Table 2.5 below shows a breakdown of construction in the city between 2015 and 2021. Of the net units built, three were demolitions and rebuilds, two were rebuilds without demolition, 24 were new units, and six were Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).

Table 2.5 Units Constructed Between 2015 and 2021
Address Demo Rebuild New ADU/
JADU Net
Permit
Issued, Not
Finaled
1 12240 224th Street 1 1
2 22409 Violeta 1 1
3 22408 Elaine 1 1 0
4 21306 Norwalk Blvd. 1 1 X
5 21931 Violeta 1 1 X
6 12126 215th 1 0
7 21826 Clarkdale 1 1 X
8 22222 Joliet 1 1
9 21827 Hawaiian 2 2
10 12302 221st 1 1 0
11 22408 Elaine 1 1 0
12 12323 223rd 1 0
13 22415 Seine (vacant) 1 1
14 12302 221st (vacant) 1 1
Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year
Figure 2.12 Housing Units by Year Structure Built
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Address Demo Rebuild New ADU/
JADU Net
Permit
Issued, Not
Finaled
15 22417 Elaine (vacant) 1 1
16 21915 Devlin (vacant) 2 2
17 21737 Verne 1 1
18 22217 Arline (from duplex to single family) 1 -1
19 21715 Juan (vacant) 1 1
20 21717 Seine 1 1
21 12362 211th (vacant) 1 1
22 12017 Civic Center 1 1
23 22330 Arline (vacant) 1 1 X
24 21926 Hawaiian Ave (1 single family + 1 ADU) 1 1 2 X 25 22406 Clarkdale (vacant) 1 1
26 12321 221st (vacant) 1 1
27 12135 221st (vacant) 1 1
28 12711 Elaine (vacant) 1 1
29 21715 Elaine 1 1
30 22112 Ibex 1 1 X
31 12062 223rd 1 1 X
32 22013 Arline 1 1 X
TOTAL 3 5 24 6 28
Source: City of Hawaiian Gardens Community Development Department (2021) The city’s record corresponds with the data from ACS which indicates a drastic drop in the number of housing units built in the city in recent years.

Beautification Program (Housing Rehabilitation Program) The Beautification Program is the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Program and helps to maintain the City’s current housing stock, a goal of the Housing Element. The City’s City Beautification Program (Program 11) serves to eliminate the appearance of blight, enhance the City of Hawaiian Gardens’ neighborhoods, increase property values, and bring properties into compliance with the Municipal Code.

The Program provides housing rehabilitation assistance to the following: residential properties, single-family properties, duplex properties, condominium properties, and mobile home properties. The Program offers grants to residents that range from $3,000 to $25,000. The grants are available to low- and moderate- income residents and there are also grants for residents with no income requirements. Income eligible applicants must have lower incomes – that is, less than 80% of the Los Angeles County median income. For example, a family of four City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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persons must have an annual income of less than $95,300 to be eligible for financial assistance; a family of one must have an annual income of less than $66,750 (see City of Hawaiian Gardens, City Beautification Program, State Income Limits, available at:
https://www.hgcity.org/government/departments/community-development/housing-division/citybeautification-program (accessed January 18, 2022).

The Beautification Program offers housing rehabilitation assistance to residents in order to make improvements and repairs including roofing, plumbing, heating, windows, flooring, electrical systems, interior/exterior painting, bathroom and kitchen remodels, energy conservation improvements, and bedroom additions to relieve overcrowded conditions.

The Housing Rehabilitation staff assists interested families with the following tasks:
• Completing the application form;
• Performing an on-site inspection of the property;
• Helping the family to obtain bids from qualified contractors; and • Monitoring the construction process.

This program has been funded by City’s general fund and the Public Housing Authority.

Subject to funding availability, the program will be implemented throughout the 2021-2029 planning period.

From 2013-2021 there were 73 rehabilitation projects that were awarded funding and completed. Most of the permit requests were for roofs (18), windows (15), fencing (11), and exterior painting. Approximately 25 mobile homes received financial grants for interior and exterior improvements. The timeframe for processing the grant applications, establishing a scope of work, obtaining bids, and completing the work is approximately three to four months.

Window Security Bar Removal Program
In 2019, the City’s Housing Division initiated the Window Security Bar Removal Program. The Program is available to residents who have security bars on the windows of their property that are visible from the street. There are no income limits for this program. The grant amount is $4,000 per resident. The Program offers assistance to the following types of properties:
residential properties, single-family homes, mobile homes, duplexes, and condominium properties. This program is voluntary and intended to improve the aesthetics of homes, increase curb appeal, and enhance the overall appearance of the City’s neighborhoods. In addition to removing security bars, other improvements may include windows, security cameras, exterior paint, and landscaping. bars. The application-to-implementation process takes less than a month. To date, 1,610 of these projects have been completed.

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Code Enforcement Program
This program continues an existing program that was included in the 2006 – 2014 Housing Element and the 2013 – 2021 Housing Element. The City will continue to implement this program during the 2021 – 2029 planning period.

Code enforcement is driven by residents’ complaints. The City staff inspects the reported properties and notices are given to the property owners having code violations. The City mostly receives complaints about nuisances. Examples include: graffiti, trash, junk in yard, overgrown shrubs or trees encroaching from one yard to another, bulky items left in right-ofway, inoperable vehicles, illegal businesses without business licenses, excessive animals, roosters, adults living in garages (without appropriately-permitted garage conversions), odors, substandard housing violations, yard sales, commercial maintenance, fence placement, noise, unpermitted construction, unpermitted garage conversion, and parking in front yards. This Program also warns homeowners against illegally converting a garage to a dwelling unit - the City permits garage conversions but requires that a resident/owner obtain building permits for the improvements.

This program effort is funded in part by CDBG funds that the City receives as part of the Urban County program. According to the County’s Annual Action Plan, the code enforcement activity provides funds for the enforcement of codes as they relate to residential properties in the lowand moderate-income census tracts of the City of Hawaiian Gardens. From 2013 through 2021 there were 3,813 code violation cases. There were 3,798 cases closed during this period, a closure rate of 99.6%. Note that the City does not track code enforcement cases by household income status. Table 2.6 shows the breakdown by year.

Table 2.6 Code Enforcement Cases 2013-2021
Year Cases
2021 141
2020 99
2019 189
2018 366
2017 475
2016 485
2015 796
2014 788
2013 474
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Figure 2.13 details the percent of total units in the City (compared against SCAG) that suffer from substandard housing facilities.

Housing Tenure
Housing security can depend heavily on housing tenure, i.e., whether homes are owned or rented. Hawaiian Gardens’ housing stock consists of 3,724 housing units, 1,608 of which are owner-occupied and 2,247 of which are renter-occupied. The proportion of renters in Hawaiian Gardens is higher than in the SCAG region overall.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year
Figure 2.13 Substandard Housing
Figure 2.14 Housing Tenure
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2.5 HOUSING COSTS AND AFFORDABILITY
The department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing for which the owner or tenant pays less than 30% of the household income for rent or mortgage. The cost of housing vis-à-vis income directly impacts the degree of affordability. If housing costs are high relative to income, there will be a correspondingly higher prevalence of borrowing in the case of homeowners, and overpayment in the case of renters. Overcrowding also increases as people turn to sharing homes and apartments to reduce housing costs. This section summarizes the cost and affordability of Hawaiian Gardens’ housing stock.

Between 2000 and 2018, median home sales prices in Hawaiian Gardens increased 186% while prices in the SCAG region increased 151%. In 2018, the median home sales prices in Hawaiian Gardens was $334,250. Prices in Hawaiian Gardens have ranged from a low of

49.8% of the SCAG region median in 2012 and a high of 68.8% in 2006.

Source: American Community Survey, 2014-2018 5-year estimates SCAG Local Profiles, Core Logic/Data Quick. SCAG median home sales price calculated as household-weighted average of county medians.

Figure 2.15 Median Home Prices
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RENTAL VS. OWNED HOUSING
Rental Housing
Most of Hawaiian Gardens' 2,247 renter households struggle with housing affordability. 1,280 (57%) spend 30% or more of gross income on housing cost, compared to 55.3% in the SCAG region. Additionally, 869 renter households in Hawaiian Gardens (38.7%) spend 50% or more of gross income on housing cost, compared to 28.9% in the SCAG region.

Figure 2.16 below breaks down cost burden by area-relative income. The ACS also allows for the analysis of Hawaiian Gardens' renter households (for which income data are available) by spending on rent by income bracket (dollar amounts). The general trend is that low-income households spend a higher share of their income on housing (e.g., over 50%) while highincome households are more likely to spend less than 20% of their income on housing.

Source: American Community Survey, 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.16 Rental Housing Cost by Income
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Source: American Community Survey, 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.17 Percent of Income Spent on Rent
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Source: American Community Survey, 2014-2018 5-year estimates Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.18 Spending on Rent by Income Category
Figure 2.19 Household Income by Cash Rent
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Owned Housing
While renter households receive much of the focus when it comes to housing cost analysis, owner households make up 41.7% of Hawaiian Gardens’ and 52.5% of the SCAG region. The most commonly occurring mortgage payment in Hawaiian Gardens is $1500-$2000/month and the most commonly occurring mortgage payment in the SCAG region is $2000-$3000/month.

Mortgage-holding households in Hawaiian Gardens can be broken down by income and the percentage of income spent on mortgage costs. The income category most prevalent amongst Hawaiian Gardens mortgage-holding households is $75,000 or more (520 households) and the most prevalent share of income spent on mortgage costs is over 30% (615 households).

Mortgage-holding households in Hawaiian Gardens can be broken down by income and the percentage of income spent on mortgage costs. The general trend is that lower-income households spend a higher share of income on housing costs, while high-income households may spend a lower share of income on housing. The income category most prevalent amongst Hawaiian Gardens mortgage-holding households is $75,000 or more (520 households) and the most prevalent share of income spent on mortgage costs is more than 30% (615 households).

Figure 2.21 below shows the breakdown of percent of income spent on mortgage costs.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.20 Monthly Owner Costs for Mortgage Holders
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Another approach to evaluating the relationship between housing and income is to compare incomes and home values in Hawaiian Gardens. The most commonly occurring income category amongst owner households in Hawaiian Gardens is $50,000 to $74,999 (398 households) and the most commonly-occurring home value category is $200,000 to $500,000 (1,143 households). Figure 2.22 below illustrates the distribution of household income to home value.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates Figure 2.21 Cost for Mortgage Holders by Income
Figure 2.22 Household Income by Home Value
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2.7 HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has identified a total of 331 housing units for Hawaiian Gardens’ Regional Housing Needs Assessment. The units are broken down as follows: 61 very low-income units, 44 low-income units, 46 moderate income units, and 180 above moderate-income units.

Table 2.7 Final 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation

EXISTING NEEDS
Extremely Low-Income Households
An extremely low-income household is defined as a household with income less than 30% of area median income. According to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the area median household income for a family of four in Hawaiian Gardens is $91,100. For extremely low-income households, this results in an income of $35,750 or less.

Households with extremely low incomes have a variety of housing situations and needs. For example, most families and individuals receiving public assistance, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), are considered extremely low-income households. At the same time, a minimum wage worker could be in the extremely low-income household category with an annual income of approximately $17,000 or less.

The race/ethnicity with the highest share of extremely low-income households in Hawaiian Gardens is Black, non-Hispanic (40% compared to 31% of total population). In the SCAG region, the highest share of extremely low-income households is Black, non-Hispanic (27.1% compared to 17.7% of total households).

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Section 8 Housing Vouchers
The Housing Authority of the City of Hawaiian Gardens participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and serves the residents of Hawaiian Gardens. In 2020 the City issued 29 vouchers. In 2021 the City’s Housing Authority managed 121 active Housing Choice Vouchers. The Housing Authority’s voucher program has an annual turnover rate of 4% and the Authority issued approximately 29 vouchers in 2020. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 9 years and 7 months. The average voucher household contains

2.4 persons and has a household income of $17,012 per year. Of the total number of households, 84% were extremely low income (ELI) and 97% of households participating in the Section 8 Program were very low income (VLI). The income of the households included wages (24%), welfare (11%-TANF, General or Public Assistance), (or other sources of income (64% Social Security, Disability, or pension). As of June 21, 2021, the monthly cost per voucher for standard vouchers is $88,505.00 or $855.00 per standard voucher. The Ported-Out vouchers cost $1,677.00 per voucher, or $20,122.00 per month.

Of the total number of participants, 84% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 57% of all heads of households being Black, less than 15% being White (Hispanic), and 12 % being other ethnicities. Of all households participating in the City’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, 21% included at least one person with a disability. Of the total, 21% of the households have a head of household 61 years or younger with a disability. Of the total, 54% of the households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

The total number of voucher holders include 22% who reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom; 61% with 2 bedrooms; and 17% with 3 or more bedrooms. About 23% of voucher recipients are considered “over housed.” These households occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Of the City’s 3,724 housing units, 834 are found in buildings consisting of five or more dwelling units. The majority of the rental multi-family housing units, 489 of 834 – are in four apartment communities, shown in Table 2.7 below.

Apartment Community Year Built Number of Housing Units
Hawaiian Terrace Apartments 1990 101
Cypress Gardens Villas 1971 102
Hawaiian Gardens 1971 264
Cypress Villas 1971 22
Total Apartment Units 489
The city’s existing affordable housing stock includes 248 individually-owned mobile home units in two park locations. Mobile home parks are under the jurisdiction of the California Table 2.8 Apartment Communities in Hawaiian Gardens
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Department of Housing and Community Development, which enforces the Mobile Home Parks Act (California Health and Safety Code, §§18200-18700). Section 18400.1(a) requires that HCD to complete an inspection of the exterior portions of all individual manufactured homes and mobile homes.

PROJECTED NEEDS
To calculate the projected housing needs, the city assumed 50% of its very low-income regional housing needs are extremely low-income (ELI) households.1 Accordingly, from the very low-income need of 61 units, the city can project a need of 31 units for extremely lowincome households. Many extremely low-income households will be seeking rental housing and most likely facing an overpayment, overcrowding or substandard housing condition. Some extremely low-income households may include individuals with mental or other disabilities and special needs.

Extremely Low-Income Household Needs
Table 2.9 below shows the distribution of extremely low-income households among demographic cohorts. At the time of the American Community Survey counts, there were 1,350 households with less than 30% of the HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI), including:
389 White, non-Hispanic households; 245 Black, non-Hispanic households; 643 Asian and other, non-Hispanic households; and 2,550 Hispanic households. 1 The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) indicates that an agency can calculate the projected housing need for ELI households by applying one of the following two methodologies to the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) for very lowincome households: (1) Use available U.S. Census data to calculate the percentage/number of very low-income households that qualify as ELI households or (2) Presume that 50 percent of very low-income households qualify as ELI households. The provided number of ELI households and very low-income households must equal the jurisdiction's RHNA for very low-income households. See HCD, Extremely LowIncome Housing Needs, available at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/housing-elements/buildingblocks/extremely-low-income-housing-needs (accessed January 23, 2023) Table 2.9 Extremely Low-Income Housing Needs
Source: SCAG 2021
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CURRENT STRATEGIES
Accessory Dwelling Units
The city’s current Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADU) requirements are found in Zoning Code §18.90, Supplemental Regulations, Section 18.90.080.

In 2019, the California Legislature approved and the Governor signed into law a number of bills that amended Government Code Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22 to impose new limits on local authority to regulate ADUs and junior ADUs. The City adopted Ordinance No. 585 to be in compliance on December 10, 2019.

The purpose of this code section is to allow for the creation, through a ministerial process, of ADUs and JADUs in accordance with California Government Code §65852.2 and 65852.22.

Facilitating the development of Accessory Dwelling Units will increase the housing options for family members, seniors, low wage workers, persons with disabilities, students, and others in the community. Approval or denial of any ADU/JADU under a ministerial approval must be completed within 60 days after receiving a complete application from the applicant. An ADU may be an existing residential unit, but not as a JADU, at the time a new primary dwelling is proposed for construction. A JADU may be designated as part of the construction and within a new primary dwelling.

In September of 2020, the California Legislature approved, and the Governor signed into law, Assembly Bill 3182 (AB 3182). AB 3182, among other things, amended Government Code § 95852.2 to (1) expand the scenarios under which the City must allow certain ADUs and JADUs with only a building permit; and (2) clarify the timeline under which the City must act on a complete ADU application.

Since the passing of Ordinance No. 585 in 2019, the city has approved 23 ADUs, and six (6) have been issued building permits and there are more in process.

Density Bonuses – HGMC Section 18.090.070
Density bonuses are mandated in part by the State’s Density Bonus Law (California Government Code §§ 65915 and 65917) and provide incentives for the development of affordable housing units for the very low income, lower income, or senior households.

In accordance with Government Code § 65915, the City is required to grant a density bonus and at least one additional concession or incentive, or a financially equivalent incentive to eligible housing developments. The density bonus is also a means of increasing the city’s housing pool by encouraging developers to set aside at least 10 percent of the total units allowed by the maximum density for affordable housing and that the units be occupied by lowincome households.

The requirement could also allow 5 percent of the units allowed by the maximum permitted density to be provided as affordable housing units and occupied by very-low-income household. Density bonus would also apply if the development is a senior housing City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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development or mobile home park that limits residency based on age requirements for housing persons 55 years or older.

The density bonus program can help boost the City’s housing supply especially for targeted income groups. To be eligible for the density bonus program, the development must consist of five or more units. The City’s complete density bonus provisions are included in Chapter 5.

Only one project has requested a density bonus. The 13-unit apartment project proposed to be located at 12347 Carson Street has pending entitlements for a GP, ZC, TTM, SPR and a density bonus request. The density bonus request is for two additional units, both to be available to very low-income households.

To further address the housing needs of extremely low-income households, it is recommended that the city identify and meet with nonprofit builders who specialize in building housing for extremely low-income households and supportive housing. This effort will:
• Build a long-term partnership in development,
• Gain access to specialized funding sources, including applying for funding sources that support deeper targeting,
• Identify the range of local resources and assistance needed to facilitate the development of housing for extremely low-income households, and • Promote a variety of housing types, including higher density, multifamily supportive, single room occupancy, and shared housing.

As part of this effort, the Community Development Director will develop an action plan with the City’s nonprofit partners to develop housing for extremely low-income households. Activities include assisting with site identification and acquisition, local financial resources, assisting and streamlining entitlements and providing concessions and incentives.

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Housing Units Permitted
Figure 2.23 provides an overview of the most current data available for the housing units permitted in the City of Hawaiian Gardens and the SCAG area, based on units per 1,000 population. It shows the city trailing the SCAG region in all housing categories of permitted housing types from 2000 to 2018.

2.8 OVERCROWDING AND OVERPAYMENT
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is typically defined as more than one person residing in a room, based on the Census Bureau’s definition of “room,” which excludes bathrooms, porches, balconies, foyers, halls, or half-rooms. Severe overcrowding occurs when there are more than 1.5 persons residing in a room. Overcrowding can result when there are not enough adequately sized units within a community, or when high housing cost relative to income forces too many individuals or families to share housing. Overcrowding can also accelerate deterioration of the housing stock.

There are about 775 crowded households in Hawaiian Gardens. Of this total, about 80% are “crowded,” and 20% are “severely crowded.” Two hundred sixty-three owner-occupied and 512 renter-occupied households had more than 1.0 occupant per room, which meets the ACS definition for overcrowding. Sixty-seven owner-occupied households and 285 renter-occupied Source: Core Logic/Data Quick. Additional detail available in SCAG 2019 Local Profiles. SCAG median home sales price calculated as household-weighted average of county medians.

Figure 2.23 Housing Units Permitted (SCAG Region and City) City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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households had more than 1.5 occupants per room, which meets the ACS definition for severe overcrowding.

Housing Cost Burden
Housing cost burden is measured as the percentage of gross income spent on housing, with 30% of income as the usual threshold for “cost burden” and 50% of income as the threshold for “severe cost burden.” However, a lower-income household spending the same percent of income on housing as a higher-income household will likely experience truer 'cost burden.' These data indicate the number of households in Hawaiian Gardens by their income relative to the surrounding area and their share of income spent on housing.

Source: American Community Survey 2014 – 2018 5-year estimates.

Figure 2.24 Crowding by Extent and Tenure
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Overpayment
A household is considered to be overpaying for housing (or cost burdened) if it spends more than 30% of its gross income on housing. Severe housing cost burden occurs when a household pays more than 50% of its income on housing. The prevalence of overpayment varies significantly by income, tenure, household type, and household size.

Across Hawaiian Gardens’ 2,247 renter households, 1,280 (57%) spend thirty percent or more of gross income on housing cost, compared to 55.3% in the SCAG region. Additionally, 869 renter households in Hawaiian Gardens (38.7%) spend 50% or more of gross income on housing cost, compared to 28.9% in the SCAG region. Figures 2.17 - 2.19 above illustrate the distribution of rent payments vs. income.

While Figure 2.17 breaks down cost burden by percent of income, Figure 2.18 shows renters’ spending on rent by income category (dollar amounts). As stated previously, the general trend is that low-income households spend a higher share of income on housing (e.g., over 50%) while high-income households are more likely to spend under 20% of income on housing.

Hawaiian Gardens’ renter households' cash rent paid can be broken down by household incomes. Lower-income households appear to spend less on rent while higher-income households spend more on rent. Rent categories range from less than $500/month (11.4% of Hawaiian Gardens renters) to more than $2,000/month (3.8% of Hawaiian Gardens renters).

The most common rent category in Hawaiian Gardens is $1,000-1,500/month with 45.7% of renters.

Source: HUD CHAS, 2012-2016. HAMFI refers to Housing Urban Development Area Median Family Income.

Table 2.10 Cost Burden by Income
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2.9 “AT-RISK” HOUSING
Conversion Risk
California Government Code Section 65583 requires that housing elements include an inventory of all assisted rental housing units within the local jurisdiction that are at-risk of losing that assistance (rent subsidies from federal, State or local governmental programs), mortgage prepayment, or being converted to other uses if the expiration date of their financing program is between 2021 and 2031 (i.e., 10 years from the beginning of the housing element planning period (2021)). In all, there are 241 units at risk of conversion in Hawaiian Gardens.

The California Housing Partnership (CHP) provides data on assisted housing units and assesses the level of risk to converting to market rate. These data identify homes without a known overlapping subsidy that would extend affordability beyond the indicated timeframe and unless otherwise noted are not owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer.

Table 2.11 Assisted Units at Risk of Conversion
Risk Level Definition
Low-Income
Units in
Jurisdiction
Percent of
County’s
Low-Income
Units
Very High At-risk of converting to market rate within the next year 0 0% High At risk of converting to market rate in the next 1-5 years 0 0% Moderate At risk of converting to market rate in the next 5-10 years 0 0% Low At risk of converting to market rate in the next 10+ years and/or are owned by a large/stable non-profit, mission-driven developer. 241 100%
Total 241 100%
Source: California Housing Partnership, July 2020. Includes HUD, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), USDA, and CalHFA projects.

Subsidized or assisted developments that do not have one of the aforementioned financing sources may not be included There are three general cases that can result in the conversion of publicly-assisted units:

1. Prepayment of HUD Mortgages (Section 221(d)(3), Section 202 and Section 236) Section 221 (d)(3) is a privately-owned project where the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides either below-market interest rate loans or market-rate loans with a subsidy to the tenants. With Section 236 assistance, HUD provides financing to the owner to reduce the costs for tenants by paying most of the interest on a market rate mortgage. Additional rental subsidy may be provided to the tenant. Section 202 assistance provides a direct loan to non-profit organizations for project development and rent subsidy for low-income elderly tenants. Section 202 helps with developing units for physically handicapped, developmentally disabled, and chronically mentally ill residents.

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2. Opt-outs and Expirations of Project-Based Section 8 Contracts — Section 8 is a federally-funded program that provides for subsidies to the owner of a pre-qualified project for the difference between the tenant’s ability to pay and the contract rent. Optouts occur when the owner of the project decides to opt-out of the contract with HUD by pre-paying the remainder of the mortgage. Usually, the likelihood of opt-outs increases as the market rents exceed the contract rents.

The Hawaiian Gardens Apartments is the only rental development in the city that participates in the Section 8 Housing Program.

3. Other — Expiration of the low-income use period of various financing sources, such as Low-income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), bond financing, density bonuses, California Housing Finance Agency (CALHFA), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) HOME and redevelopment funds. Generally, bond-financing properties expire according to a qualified project period or when the bonds mature.

Federally Assisted “At Risk” Units
At-Risk Units include a study of all low-income housing units which may at some future time be lost to affordable inventory by the expiration of some type of affordability restrictions. The law requires that the analysis and study cover a ten-year period, and be divided into two periods, coinciding with updates of the housing elements.

According to the city’s Community Development Department, there are no projects in the federal “at risk” category; however, as shown in Table 2.10 above, there are 241 units at-risk of being converted to market-rate within the next 10 years.

Qualified Entities
“Qualified entities” are nonprofit or for-profit organizations or individuals that agree to maintain the long-term affordability of housing projects. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) keeps a current list of all the qualified entities across the State.

Efforts by the city to retain low-income housing must be able to draw upon two basic types of preservation resources: organizational and financial. Qualified, non-profit entities need to be made aware of the future possibilities of units becoming at-risk. Groups with whom the City has an ongoing association are the logical entities for future participation. The qualified entities that HCD lists for Los Angeles County are listed below in Table 2.12.

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Table 2.12 Qualified Entities

1. A Community of Friends 28. Jamboree Housing Corporation

2. Abbey Road Inc. 29. Keller & Company

3. Access Community Housing, Inc. 30. Korean Youth & Community Center, Inc. (KYCC)

4. Affordable Homes 31. Latin American Civic Assoc.

5. Affordable Housing People 32. Long Beach Affordable Housing Coalition, Inc.

6. Century Housing Corporation 33. Los Angeles Center for Affordable Tenant Housing

7. Century Pacific Equity Corporation 34. Los Angeles Community Design Center

8. City Housing Real Estate Services 35. Los Angeles Housing Department/ Policy Planning Unit

9. City of Pomona Housing Authority 36. Los Angeles Housing Partnership, Inc.

10. Coalition for Economic Survival 37. Los Angeles Low Income Housing Corp. (LALIH)

11. Community Partnership Dev. Corp 38. LTSC Community Development Corporation

12. Community Rehabilitation Services, Inc. 39. Many Mansions, Inc.

13. CSI Support & Development Services 40. Menorah Housing Foundation

14. DML & Associates Foundation 41. Nehemiah Progressive Housing Dev. Corp.

15. Doty-Burton Associates 42. Nexus for Affordable Housing

16. Eden Housing, Inc. 43. Orange Housing Development Corporation

17. FAME Housing Corporation 44. Pico Union Housing Corporation

18. Foundation for Quality Housing 45. Poker Flats LLC

19. Opportunities, Inc. 46. ROEM Development Corporation

20. Francis R. Hardy, Jr. 47. Shelter For The Homeless

21. Hart Community Homes 48. Skid Row Housing Trust

22. Hollywood Community Housing Corp. 49. Southern California Housing Development Corp

23. Home and Community 50. Southern California Presbyterian Homes

24. Hope - Net 51. The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU)

25. Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles 52. The Long Beach Housing Development Co.

26. Housing Corporation of America 53. West Hollywood Community Housing Corp.

27. Irvine Housing Opportunities 54. Winnetka King, LLC Source: http://hcd.ca.gov/hpd/hrc/tech/presrv/

2.10 OPPORTUNITY FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION
State law requires the Housing Element to include an analysis of the opportunities for energy conservation in residential development (Government Code Section 65583(a)(7)). Planning for energy conservation is important for several reasons, but mainly because of the environmental costs and financial costs involved in energy use. This section of the report will discuss both factors briefly before moving on to discuss city programs and strategies to reduce energy use in new and existing housing. Moreover, all new construction must comply with the most recent California Building Efficiency Standards within the California Building Code (Title 24), which are designed to reduce overall energy consumption. The City’s Building Department ensures that project plans meet these standards.

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by human activity are generally understood to contribute cumulatively to global climate change, resulting in projected increases in ocean temperatures, melting of polar ice and associated sea level rise, changes to weather and precipitation patterns, and overall planetary warming. GHGs accumulate in the atmosphere allowing incoming short-wavelength visible sunlight to penetrate, while restricting outgoing terrestrial long-wavelength heat radiation from exiting the atmosphere. This phenomenon creates a greenhouse effect where Earth’s heat is trapped. The principal greenhouse gases (GHGs) include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Collectively, GHGs are measured as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) of metric tonnes (MT).

Fossil-fuel consumption in the transportation sector (on-road motor vehicles, off-highway mobile sources, and aircraft) is the single largest source of GHG emissions, accounting for approximately half of global GHG emissions, and approximately 37% of California’s GHG emissions (California Air Resources Board, California’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan, (CARB Scoping Plan) Figure 3, p. 11, available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ourwork/programs/ab-32-climate-change-scoping-plan (accessed October 31, 2022).

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32/AB 32), the principal legislation governing GHG emissions in California, mandated reducing California’s GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and tasked the California Air Resources Board (CARB) with regulating GHG emissions as well as coordinating with other state agencies to implement AB 32’s reduction goals. Subsequent legislation and executive orders target various GHG-emission sources and set forth strategies for local agencies, including Senate Bill (SB) 1368 (emissions performance standards for utilities), SB 375 (sustainable communities strategies), SB 535 (Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, identifying disadvantaged communities for investment), EO S-03-05 (GHG-reduction goal of 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels), EO S-20-06 (biofuels and biomass electricity generation targets), EO S-01-07 (low carbon fuel standard), EO S-13-08 (climate adaptation strategy/sea level rise), EO B-16-12 (zero-emission vehicle program), EO B-18-12 (state agencies directed to purchase zero-emission vehicles), and EO B-30-15 (sets GHG emissions target for 2030 at 40% below 1990 levels).

Senate Bill 375 was enacted to link land use and transportation in a manner that would reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), thereby reducing GHG emissions. Under SB 375, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is responsible for establishing GHG emission-reduction targets, and regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are responsible for preparing and adopting “Sustainable Communities Strategies” that achieve CARB’s targets. In 2018, the CARB reported California was not “on track” to achieve the SB 375 GHG targets, and that more effort to reduce VMT throughout the state was required to correspondingly reduce GHGs from personal vehicles (CARB, 2018 Progress Report: California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (November 2018), pp. 21-28 available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ sites/default/files/2018-11/Final2018Report_SB150_112618_02_Report.pdf (accessed October 31, 2022).

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EO-B-30-15 (codified in 2016 by SB 32) accelerated the GHG-emissions target for 2030 to 40 percent below 1990 levels. EO-B-30-15 also provided the CARB with additional direction for refining the Climate Change Scoping Plan, setting forth five “pillars” for accomplishing GHG reduction, including:
a. Reducing today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent; b. Increasing from one-third to 50 percent of electricity derived from renewable sources;
c. Doubling the energy efficiency savings achieved at existing buildings and making heating fuels cleaner;
d. Reducing the release of methane, black carbon, and other short-lived climate pollutants;
e. Managing farm and rangelands, forests, and wetlands so they can store carbon; and
f. Periodically updating the state's climate adaptation strategy, Safeguarding California.

The CARB’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan, cited above, in part implements EO B-30-15, and sets forth a “reference scenario” as a baseline for measuring how much GHG emissions can be reduced in several economic sectors. This scenario illustrates the level of GHG emissions generated statewide through 2030 with existing policies and programs, but without any further action to reduce GHGs. This level is estimated to be approximately 400 million metric tonnes (MMTs) of CO2e from all sources in 2030. The CARB’s statewide 2030 target level of emissions is approximately 260 MMTs (CARB Scoping Plan, Figure 6, 2017 Scoping Plan Scenario, p. 24). The Scoping Plan estimates that the change from 1990 levels in the residential and commercial sectors must be from 44 MMTCO2e to 38-40 MMTCO2e by 2030, a four to eight percent reduction (id., Table 3, p. 31).

CARB’s In-Use Off-Road Diesel and Large-Spark Ignition Rules requires constructionequipment operators to retire, replace, or repower older engines by fleet size category (small, medium, and large), and to achieve specific hydrocarbon (HC) + NOX fleet average emission level (FAEL) standards that become more stringent over time. Operators are required to label, maintain records, and report each piece of equipment subject to FAEL (See SCAQMD, Regulations and Other Commitments, available at https://www.aqmd.gov/home/airquality/clean-air-plans/air-quality-mgt-plan/facility-based-mobile-source-measures/regscommitments#Construction%20Equipment%20-%20Existing%20State, accessed November 29, 2022).

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the local MPO that includes the City of Hawaiian Gardens, and is developing a Regional Climate Adaptation Framework, which will assist local and regional jurisdictions in managing the negative impacts of climate change. The study will look at how the Southern California region can work together to plan City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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and prepare for the impacts of sea level rise, extreme heat, increasingly frequent and damaging wildfires, and other climate-related issues.

The SCAG also develops and implements the Regional Transportation Program/Sustainable Communities Strategy discussed in Section III, Air Quality, above. Strategies in the RTP, such as promoting park-and-ride facilities, contribute to reducing the region’s GHG emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled.

The California Climate Adaptation Strategy, launched in early 2022, is a web-based product that links together the state’s existing and planned climate adaptation efforts, showing how they fit together to achieve California’s six climate resilience priorities: strengthening protections for climate-vulnerable communities; bolstering public health and safety to protect against increasing climate risks; building a climate-resistant economy; accelerating naturebased climate solutions and strengthening climate resilience of natural systems; making decisions based on the best available climate science; and partnering and collaborating to leverage resources (See State of California, California Climate Adaptation Strategy, available at https://www.climateresilience.ca.gov/overview/index.html).

Utility Costs
In the past 20 years, rapidly increasing energy costs have contributed to the deterioration of housing affordability. For example, since 2009 (the earliest year data appear online), baseline domestic energy rates from Southern California Edison have increased from $0.078 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) per meter per day to $0.169 kWh/meter/day, a 117% increase over 13 years (Southern California Edison, Historical Prices and Rate Schedules, available at https://www.sce.com/regulatory/tariff-books/historical-rates (accessed December 19, 2022).

Although the City has no control over setting electricity rates, the City can assist residents in reducing energy consumption and thus reducing energy costs.

Energy Conservation Strategies
In addition to reducing GHG emissions, planning for energy conservation can reduce utility and maintenance costs, which in turn, leads to housing affordability. This is particularly important to lower income households with less disposable income to pay for utilities. Depending on the age and condition of the home and the number and type of appliances, energy costs can represent more than 25 percent of overall monthly housing costs. As such, the incorporation of energy-saving features, energy-saving materials and efficient systems in new as well as remodeled homes is an important consideration.

The city works to promote energy conservation in several ways. The Hawaiian Gardens General Plan provides policy direction under which city regulations, programs, and projects work to ensure land use, transportation, and other aspects of City operations conform to energy conservation goals. With respect to housing development, energy conservation is addressed when checking plans for new construction and for rehabilitation of existing structures.

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This Housing Element includes an expansion of Program 11, City Beautification, to include information for energy efficiency and conservation, and Program 14, Energy Conservation. The following are some additional steps the city can take for energy conservation:
• Consider the energy efficiency of new equipment when it purchases replacement equipment and purchase low energy replacements whenever feasible. • Through the City's Development Review process, require new construction to demonstrate that energy conservation measures beyond those required by Title 24 have been incorporated whenever feasible.
• To assist developers in knowing what options and special grants are available, the City shall work with the Southern California Edison Company and the Southern California Gas Company to identify new low-cost construction, heating and appliance techniques and equipment that can result in substantial energy and cost savings for future tenants and owners.
• Provide utility company contact information, including materials about energy conservation, solar incentive programs, low-income assistance programs, etc., to all applicants for building permits.
• Streamline applications for rooftop solar installation and storage battery building permits.

2.11 AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING
(See Appendix B for additional background)
Assembly Bill (AB) 686 requires that all housing elements due on or after January 1, 2021, must contain an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) consistent with the core elements of the analysis required by the federal Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Final Rule of July 16, 2015.

Under state law, affirmatively furthering fair housing means “taking meaningful actions, in addition to combatting discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.”
AB 686 requires the City and all jurisdictions in the state, to complete three major requirements as part of the housing element update:
a. Conduct an Assessment of Fair Housing that includes a summary of fair housing issues, an analysis of available federal, state, and local data knowledge to identify patterns of segregation or other barriers to fair housing, and prioritization of contributing factors to fair housing issues.
b. Prepare the Housing Element Land Inventory and identification of sites through the lens of affirmatively furthering fair housing.

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c. Include a program in the Housing Element that affirmatively furthers fair housing and promotes housing opportunities throughout the community for protected classes and addresses contributing factors identified in the AFH (applies to Housing Elements beginning January 1, 2019).

As described in Section 1.6 above, the Housing Element was prepared with public outreach and participation to the extent possible under the restrictions mandated during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021.

Assessment of Fair Housing
State Government Code § 65583(10)(A)(ii) requires the City of Hawaiian Gardens to analyze areas of segregation, racially or ethically concentrated areas of poverty, disparities in access to opportunity, and disproportionate housing needs including displacement risk. The City of Hawaiian Gardens is characteristic of a community with a poverty rate of approximately 19% dispersed throughout the City, with challenges for access to opportunity due to a predominate non-English-speaking Hispanic population of approximately 80% and an Asian population of approximately 10% with the remaining population comprised of White Non-Hispanic, Black/African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Of the total population,

40.8% are non-U.S.-born and 78% of the City’s population speaks a language other than English at home.

Patterns of Integration and Segregation
During preparation of this Housing Element the City reviewed information pertaining to segregation. According to the American Community Survey (ACS), approximately 19% of the City’s households are experiencing poverty, compared to 7.9 percent of households in the SCAG region. The areas of the City south of Carson Street report 41% to 60% of its residents living below the poverty level. The 41%-60% range is moderate compared to Los Angeles County. For the portion of the City north of Carson Street, the poverty level is reported at 21% to 49%. Based on the City’s poverty rate the City has updated Program 8, Extremely LowIncome Housing, to continue working with the Harbor Regional Center providing housing services. The City will continue Program 6, Section 8 Rental Assistance, and has added a new Program 19, Food Distribution, to ensure that low-income residents receive meals and healthy choices.

In Los Angeles County the Los Angeles County Development Authority manages public housing programs for the City of Hawaiian Gardens and other Gateway cities in the region.

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Public Housing Program, there are no recognized public housing projects in the City of Hawaiian gardens. The City is enrolled in the Section 8 program offered through the State of California and Los Angeles County. Housing Choice Vouchers are issued to recipients who then can find a suitable housing unit, be it a single-family home, townhome, or apartment unit. Location of residential units with vouchers are identified by Census Tract; however, tracts with 10 or fewer voucher holders are not identified. Citywide, in 2021, there were 121 active vouchers managed by the City. There are four Census Tracts in the City of Hawaiian Gardens, and there were City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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voucher recipients reported in all four Census Tracts. Although the rates of poverty are higher north of Carson Street, based on the housing voucher information, poverty is dispersed throughout the City and there is no one area of significant concentrated poverty in the City.

Hawaiian Gardens is a predominately Hispanic/Latino community with Hispanic/Latinos comprising 80% of the City’s residents. The next highest population group is Korean, comprising approximately 10% of the population. The White and Black populations were recorded at less than 5% for each group. Hawaiian Gardens continues to provide City services in English and Spanish, and Korean when requested; and will continue this practice through Program 24, Public Participation.

The 2020 Census data indicates that the current City of Hawaiian Gardens household size is

3.83 persons per household. Hawaiian Gardens’ female headed households represent 17% of the City’s households (compared to 14.3% in the SCAG region); 4.4% are female-headed and with children (compared to 6.6% in the SCAG region), and 2.7% are female-headed with children under 6 (compared to 1.0% in the SCAG region). With a low vacancy rate of 2.82%, families, including female-headed households, face challenges finding places to live. The City has included the following programs to encourage construction of additional housing on existing sites: Program 4, Zoning Code Review, (including development standards review of setbacks), Program 15, Accessory Dwellings, has been amended to include a second accessory dwelling, provided an affordability covenant is recorded, and a new Program 29, Garage Conversions. For vacant and underutilized sites, the City has included a number of programs addressing increased minimum and maximum densities (new Program 27, Increase Zone District Densities), rezoning sites (new Program 28, Rezone Sites), density bonus (Program 5, State Density Bonus Law), Program 30, Cottage/Carriage Dwelling Units, and development standards incentives (Program 4, Zoning Code Review).

Access to Opportunity
According to the US Census 62.1% of persons aged 25 years and greater have graduated from high school, and 12.8% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Both the City of Hawaiian Gardens and the ABC Unified School District provide services in English and Spanish. The School District also offers immersion programs for the City’s students. The ABC Unified School District provides bus transportation for students residing in the City of Hawaiian Gardens.

The City of Hawaiian Gardens is well served by public transit systems. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTS), the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Long Beach Transit (LBT), all operate routes that extend into or through the City of Hawaiian Gardens. LACMTA buses provide a connection to Metrolink service in Fullerton. LBT buses provide connections to the Metro Green Line in Norwalk and the Metro Blue Line in Long Beach. All buses are ADA accessible, and many have bicycle racks. As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to update and improve infrastructure including bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular access the City, through Program 21 Infrastructure Availability, will continue to upgrade facilities as identified in the City’s Annual Capital Improvement Program.

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The 2020 Census notes that nearly 18% of Hawaiian Gardens workers 16 years of age and older have a travel time of 30-34 minutes to work and 23% travel 35 minutes and greater to work. In a City of 0.9 square miles, nearly built out, this data indicates that many of Hawaiian Gardens’ workers commute outside the City’s boundaries. The dominant mode of transportation for workers is a vehicle. Program 21, Infrastructure Availability, is a new program addressing not only water, sewer, and other services, but transportation as well.

In 2021, the California Office for Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (COEHHA) released the fourth version of Cal EnviroScreen, a tool that uses environmental health, and socioeconomic indicators to map and compare a community’s environmental scores. In the four census tracts in the City, the percentages were: 60%-70% northeast quadrant, 70%-80% in the northwest and southeast quadrants, and 90% in the southwest quadrant. A community within the 75th percentile or above, is one with higher levels of pollution and other negative environmental indicators and is considered a disadvantaged community. Hawaiian Gardens is in an area where the ambient noise levels are relatively high. This is mainly due to the proximity to Los Angeles basin transportation corridors. The San Gabriel freeway (I-605) runs along the western boundary of the City and carries appreciable volumes of both truck and commuter traffic. Other primary arterials, including Carson Street, Norwalk Boulevard, and Pioneer Boulevard also experience high average daily traffic levels.

Although there is not much the City can do regarding proximity to the San Gabriel freeway, and local arterials serving surrounding communities, the City’s implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines regarding construction and new development, can begin to mitigate some of the environmental impacts of pollution within the City. To ensure residents throughout the City have access to positive environmental conditions, the City will continue to require code compliance through Program 10, Pre-Sale Inspection, and Program 9, Code Enforcement. The City will also continue to provide home improvement assistance for existing households through Program 11, City Beautification (which can include financing for new windows, new roofs, and insulation).

Disproportionate Housing Need and Displacement Risk
Overcrowding in the City of Hawaiian Gardens is a significant issue. There are three distinct areas of overcrowding in the City based on household information and census tract data. In the northeast quadrant of the City (east of Norwalk Boulevard and north of Carson Street), the percentage of overcrowded households is within the 0%-20% range. In the northwest quadrant (bordered by Norwalk Boulevard to the east and Carson Street to the south) the percentage of overcrowded households is in the 15%-20% range. The areas of the City south of Carson Street are within the 20%-100% range of overcrowded households. Based on this information the percentage of overcrowded households varies throughout the City and is not concentrated in one specific place.

In Hawaiian Gardens, 263 owner-occupied and 512 renter-occupied households had more than 1.01-1.5 persons per room, which meets the definition for overcrowding. Sixty-seven (67) City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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owner-occupied households and 285 renter-occupied households had more than 1.5 occupants per room, which meets the definition for severe overcrowding. The City has amended Program 15, Accessory Dwelling Units, and added Program 26, Single Room Occupancy Units, and Program15, Accessory Dwelling Units, to encourage construction of a variety of housing types to increase availability of housing at a range of sizes in an effort to reduce displacement risk due to unit size for all residents. The rate of overcrowding in Hawaiian Gardens is higher than neighborhoods in the surrounding cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, and Cypress.

As shown in the Tables in Chapter 2, renters and homeowners are overpaying for housing throughout the City. According to the SCAG Pre-certified data, 57% of the City's households (2,247 households) are severely overpaying for housing and spend 30% or more of gross income on housing. Additionally, 39% of renter households (869) spend 50% or more of gross income on housing costs. The City has included Program 2, Lot Consolidation, and Program 3, Affordable Housing Incentives, to target investment in developing a variety of housing choices.

Program 6, Section 8 Rental Assistance, provides financial assistance with housing payments, and Program 15, Accessory Dwelling Units provide opportunities on existing non-vacant residential parcels.

In addition to the issues of overcrowding and overpaying, housing condition can present a safety concern for residents living in substandard housing in need of repairs. Over half of the City’s housing stock was built prior to 1970. Three of the four apartment communities were constructed in the early 1970’s and the fourth apartment community was constructed in 1990.

The Lakewood Mobile Estates was developed in 1962 and the Bloomfield Mobile Home Park was developed in 1970. Because of the age of the homes, apartments, and the two mobile home parks, it can be assumed that at least some low-income households in the City are living in substandard conditions. The City has a number of programs to ensure continued preservation and maintenance of housing units in the City and provision of safe housing for City residents.

The City’s active code enforcement division responds to complaints, including maintenance and safety concerns. Through these code enforcement efforts, the City will continue to follow up with landlords to ensure repairs are made so the unit can be occupied. The City has a Beautification Program which provides loans for exterior improvements and a City Beautification Program which provides funds for exterior and interior improvements. For the 6th Cycle Housing Element, these programs have been combined into one program, Program 11, City Beautification. The City also has an active Pre-Inspection program whereby the City inspects a home prior to sale of the home, for any code violations, and provides resources to assure completion of improvements and code compliance. Furthering the City’s commitment to preservation, maintenance, and safety in the provision of housing for all residents, the City has amended Program 14, Energy Conservation, and added Program 20, Housing Conditions Survey.

Displacement occurs when a household is no longer able to remain in their home for any number of reasons. There are several indicators of displacement risk that include City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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overcrowding, overpayment, and substandard housing conditions. Other key indicators include an increase in home prices and rents, low vacancy rates, and wage increase that are less than home price increases. According to SCAG, between 2000 and 2018 median home sales prices in Hawaiian Gardens increased 186% while prices in the SCAG region increased 151%. The rising cost of housing in Hawaiian Gardens is reflective of trends in the SCAG region and throughout California, and increases the risk of displacement for residents, particularly lowerincome households.

While housing costs have risen in recent years, wages have not kept pace. These trends indicate growing unaffordability of housing in Hawaiian Gardens that may prevent low-income households from remaining in their homes over time. To address affordability challenges, the City includes Program 15, Accessory Dwelling Units, Program 6, Section 8 Housing Assistance, and Program 26, Single Room Occupancy Units. These programs are in addition to Program 4, Zoning Code Review, which includes a review of parking requirements and development standards (such as setbacks) which may impede construction of affordable units.

Enforcement and Outreach Capacity
The City enforces fair housing and complies with fair housing laws and regulation through a twofold process: review of City policies and code for compliance with State law and referring fair housing complaints to appropriate agencies. The City will continue to review the Zoning Code (Program 4, Zoning Code Review) to ensure compliance with fair housing law, and continue to examine land use policies, permitting practices, and building codes to comply with state and federal fair housing laws.

In addition to assessing fair housing issues related to development standards, fair housing issues can also include discriminatory behaviors by landlords such as refusal to grant reasonable accommodation requests, not allowing service animals, discrimination against familial status, sex, religion, or other protected class, and more. The City works with the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority who reach out to the homeless to offer temporary sheltering at a regional shelter which serves Hawaiian Gardens homeless. The City will also continue to work with the Housing Rights Center to provide fair housing counseling, discrimination/investigation, and education services to all City residents, including landlords and tenants participating in the Public Housing Authority’s Section 8 program. The City will continue Program 12, Fair Housing, which includes posting and providing fair housing information in the City through outreach and programming.

Sites Inventory
Residential land uses account for nearly 60% of the total land area in the City, and the second largest land use, commercial, makes up 23% of the land area. The residential land area is predominately zoned for medium density residential, with the majority of housing in this zone district located south of Carson Street. There some pockets of single-family zone districts located north of Carson Street and the four apartment communities are located in the northwest, northeast, and southeast. The two mobile home parks are located in the southeast quadrant adjacent to Coyote Creek.

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Opportunities for new development on vacant sites is limited due to the scarcity of vacant sites in the City. The predominance of single-family homes in the medium density zone district has resulted in a lack of variety for housing opportunities. There are seven vacant sites, totaling

0.64 acres; generally located in the medium and intermediate residential zoning areas. There were 5 opportunity sites identified as potential affordable housing sites, totaling 364 acres; generally located in the new mixed-use zones, accounting for at least 30% of the lot area allocated for housing development. A review of the vacant sites and underutilized sites indicated that the RHNA sites were not concentrated in one area of the City. Information on the site selection process and rezone candidate sites is described in Chapter 3 of this Housing Element. To increase housing opportunities the City included the following Programs: Program 1, Adequate Sites, Program 27, Increase Zone District Densities, and Program 28, Rezone Sites.

Contributing Factors
Through the outreach program and discussions with community members, several factors were identified that contribute to fair housing issues in Hawaiian Gardens. Table 2.13 identifies these factors.

Table 2.13 Contributing Factors and Meaningful Actions
AFH Identified
Fair Housing Issues Contributing Factors Meaningful Actions Displacement risk for
residents due to economic
pressures.

Limited affordable ownership
and rental options.

Provide lot consolidation assistance:
• Program 2, Promote Lot Consolidation, and
other incentives;
• Program 3, Affordable Housing Incentives, for
affordable housing.

Disproportionate access
to services.

Predominate non-English
speaking population.

Low education levels.

Continue bilingual programs for all City services and
communications:
• Program 24, Public Participation.

Continue working with the local schools to support
bilingual programs:
• Program 24, Public Participation.

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AFH Identified
Fair Housing Issues Contributing Factors Meaningful Actions Lack of a variety in
housing types to meet a
range of needs and
incomes.

Dominance of single-family
development.

Low vacancy rates overall,
reducing options to move to
appropriately sized housing.

Promote review of development standards and
mixed-use development:
• Program 4, Zoning Code Review,
• Program 27, Increase Zone District Densities,
and Program 28, Rezone Sites.

Encourage construction of ADUs:
• Program 15, Accessory Dwelling Units
• Program 29, Garage Conversions.

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3 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

AND SPECIAL NEEDS

3.1 REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ALLOCATION (RHNA), 2021 - 2029 California housing element law (Calif. Govt. Code §§ 65580-65589.11) requires every city and county in the State to provide for their “fair share” of the projected future housing needs in the region in which they are located, as determined by the regional Council of Governments or directly by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Hawaiian Gardens lies under the jurisdiction of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), which allocates the regional housing needs for southern California jurisdictions, based upon an overall regional housing need number established by HCD.

Housing needs are based upon a combination of factors, including regional population growth, existing employment, employment growth, affordability, transit proximity, and demographic characteristics. The corresponding Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is a minimum projection of the number of new housing units needed for all income levels during the forthcoming eight-year planning period to support that growth.

SCAG has determined that Hawaiian Gardens’ RHNA is 331 units for the 2021-2029 planning period. However, there are 101 unbuilt units “carried over” from the previous planning period.

Consequently, Hawaiian Gardens must accommodate 432 units over the 2021-2029 planning period.

RHNA Methodology
SCAG allocates units according to a mathematical equation that incorporates weighted factors to balance housing needs to projected local population/household and employment growth.

For example, if one of the factors, e.g., household growth, is determined to be more important that another factor, e.g., transit, household growth is assigned a higher weight than transit.

Alternatively, these factors can be equally weighted, depending on a jurisdiction’s characteristics.

The factors and weights assigned to Hawaiian Gardens are:
• Household growth (45%)
• Existing employment (22.5%)
• Employment growth (22.5%)
• Household growth near existing transit (5%)
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The equation may be generally expressed as:

RHNA = (Household Growth x 0.45)
+ (Employment Growth x 0.225)
+ (Existing Employment x 0.225)
+ (Household Growth near Transit x 0.05)
+ (Employment Growth near Transit x 0.05)
Household growth, existing employment, employment growth, and household growth near existing transit are estimated in SCAG’s regional household and employment forecasts. A jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need is assigned accordingly to its percentage share of these factors.

After determining the housing need, SCAG establishes a number of rules to determine the allocation of units by income. The broad concept is that local jurisdictions must plan for income-based housing relative to the regional average. The income-allocation scenarios give each jurisdiction 175% of the difference between their 2020 household income distribution and the 2020 regional household income distribution. An “adjustment factor” is then applied to determine housing unit allocation in each income category.

The housing needs are categorized according to the following income groups:
• Extremely Low-Income households are those whose income is 30% or less than that of the median household income for the greater Los Angeles area; • Very Low-Income households are those whose income does not exceed 50% of the median household income for the greater Los Angeles area; • Low-Income households earn from 51% to 80% of the median; • Moderate-Income households earn from 81% to 120% of the median; and, • Above Moderate households earn more than 120% of the median income.

Hawaiian Gardens’ ‘Fair Share’ of Regional Housing Needs As stated above, SCAG has allocated 331 units to Hawaiian Gardens for the eight-year, 6th Cycle Planning Period.

SCAG allocated 129 units to the city for the 5th Cycle Housing Element (2013- 2021), broken down according to income categories: Extremely Low-Income – 16; Very Low-Income – 16; Low-Income – 19; Moderate Income – 21; and Above-Moderate Income – 57. Building permit records indicate that 28 permits were issued for residential construction between 2013 and 2021, which included construction of multi-family units, single-family residences, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). To date, the City’s Building Department does not collect data regarding the target income levels of buyers for these units.

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Assuming all 28 permits resulted in constructing 28 housing units, those units can then be deducted from the 129 units required from the 5th Cycle. The remaining 101 units from the 5th Cycle Housing Element are carried over to the 6th Cycle and added to the 331 required for the 6 th Cycle. Accordingly, the City is obligated to provide for 432 units between 2021-2029, the current RHNA planning period.

The City will receive credit towards the current RHNA only for the new housing that is entitled, under construction, or built beginning in 2021.

Table 3.1 below illustrates the distribution of units for the 6th Cycle.

Table 3.1 RHNA 6th Cycle – October 2021-October 2029
Income Category Minimum New
Units Needed Percentages
Very Low-Income Households 61 18.4%
Low-Income Households 44 13.29%
Moderate Income Households 46 13.89%
Above Moderate-Income Households 180 54.38%
Total Needed-Future Housing for 6th Cycle (not
including carryover from 5th Cycle)
331 100%
Carryover from 5th Cycle 101
Total for 5th and 6th Cycles 432
Source: Southern California Association of Governments
What the RHNA Numbers Mean
The RHNA numbers function as targets for jurisdictions to achieve during the eight-year planning period. Because local jurisdictions are rarely, if ever, involved in the actual construction of housing units, and housing construction is driven by market demands, sometimes it is not possible for a jurisdiction to meet housing its RHNA targets. HCD does not penalize jurisdictions for not meeting RHNA targets, if they have allocated enough land by General Plan and zoning designations for constructing units, and have made a good-faith effort implementing housing policies and programs.

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3.2 SPECIAL HOUSING NEEDS
In addition to the general housing needs of the population, cities and counties must plan for the special housing needs of certain groups. For the Housing Element, Government Code §65583(a)(6) requires that several populations with special needs be addressed: persons with disabilities; people who are homeless; female-headed households; large households; seniors; overcrowded households; and farmworker households. To meet the needs of these groups, the City of Hawaiian Gardens must be creative and look to new ways of increasing the supply, diversity, and affordability of this specialized housing stock.

Persons with Disabilities in Hawaiian Gardens
The most recent 2020 Census identified those Hawaiian Gardens residents who have one or more disabilities as well as the type of disability. Disabilities were sorted by three age groups (under 17 years of age, 18 to 64 years of age, and 65 years of age or older), and the age groups in turn were correlated to the types of disabilities experienced. A single individual within each age grouping may be counted more than once depending on the type of disability.

Figure 3.1, Disability by Type, indicates that the largest disability type represented in the City of Hawaiian Gardens is ambulatory. Ambulatory disability means that the resident can walk, is not bedridden, but may have trouble with walking and needs assistance such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair. The smallest class of disability type identified among residents is vision.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates.

Figure 2.25 Residents with Disabilities
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Understanding the employment status of people with disabilities may also be an important component in evaluating specialized housing needs. In Hawaiian Gardens, 27.8% of the population with a disability is employed, compared to 69.8% of the non-disabled population.

Disabled persons have special needs when it comes to housing and many of the households in the category are occupied by elderly persons. Door frames in the housing units occupied by disabled persons must be wider to accommodate wheelchairs, ramps instead of stairs are needed, handrails in bathrooms need to be installed, cabinet doors must be accessible, and light switches and other devices also need to be within easy reach. The cost for retrofitting an existing structure may be thousands of dollars and be beyond the reach of those households with lower incomes. The lack of such housing is even more pronounced when it comes to market-rate rental units.

Unless such provisions are made for disabled persons during original construction, such facilities will not likely be provided in a typical rental unit. Senior housing (both owner and rental) generally has many of the features outlined above. The real constraints are associated with the housing for families and working-aged adults. The results of this analysis are summarized below according to three general categories of potential constraints: (1) zoning and land use, (2) permits and processing procedures, and (3) building codes.

Zoning and Land Use: The zoning ordinance allows residential care facilities with six or fewer persons in the R-1 through R-4 zones with approval of a minor conditional use permit (MCUP).

Residential Care Facilities with six or more residents are allowed in the R-2 through R-4 zones with approval of a conditional use permit (CUP).

Permits and Processing Procedures: There are no special designs or permitting standards that have been established for residential care facilities. The city has no occupancy standards Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates.

Figure 2.26 Disability by Type (Seniors 65 and Over)
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that specifically apply to unrelated adults. Requests to retrofit homes for disabled accessibility or for reasonable accommodation are handled as any other building permit or variance application.

Building Code: Hawaiian Gardens has adopted the most recent Los Angeles County Code which includes provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. One provision is that a number of the residential units in new multi-family construction of three or more apartments, or four or more condominiums, must be handicap accessible or adaptable for handicap use.

Households in Need of Reasonable Accommodation
The City of Hawaiian Gardens Zoning Code Section 18.100.190 describes the City’s Reasonable Accommodations procedures. The City provides a procedure to request reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities seeking equal access to housing under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Federal Fair Housing Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (also known as the Acts) in the application of zoning laws and other land use regulations, policies, and procedures. The City’s Reasonable Accommodation provisions are provided in Chapter 5.

Developmental Disabilities
The term developmental disability refers to a severe and chronic disability attributable to a mental or physical impairment, such as:
(1) cerebral palsy (a disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by muscular uncoordination and speech disturbances);
(2) epilepsy (any of various disorders marked by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain and typically manifested by sudden brief episodes of altered or diminished consciousness, involuntary movements, or convulsions); or (3) autism (a developmental disorder that typically appears by age three and that is variable in expression but is recognized and diagnosed by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns especially as exhibited by a preoccupation with repetitive activities of restricted focus rather than with flexible and imaginative ones that begins before individuals reach adulthood.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html) The California Department of Developmental Services provides data on developmental disabilities by age and type of residence. These data are collected at the zip-code level and were joined to the jurisdiction-level by SCAG. Counts below 11 individuals are unavailable and some entries were not matched to a zip code necessitating approximation.

In the City of Hawaiian Gardens, there were a total of 402 persons identified as developmentally disabled. Of that number, 146 persons were identified as residing in the home City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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of parents, family, or guardians; 5 resided in independent or supportive living; and 5 in foster or family homes. 156 were identified as 0 – 17 years of age, and 90 were 18 years or older.

Persons with disabilities in Hawaiian Gardens face unique problems in obtaining affordable and adequate housing. This segment of the population, which includes individuals with mental, physical, and developmental disabilities need affordable, conveniently located housing which, where necessary, has been specially adapted for wheelchair accessibility, along with other physical needs. The living arrangements for persons with disabilities depend on the severity of the disability. Many persons live at home in an independent environment with the help of other family members.

To maintain independent living, disabled persons may require assistance. This can include special housing design features for the physically disabled, income support for those who are unable to work, and in-home supportive services for persons with medical conditions.

Accessible housing can also be provided via senior housing developments. Most persons with disabilities live on an income that is significantly lower than the non-disabled population. Many disabled individuals live on a small, fixed income which severely limits their ability to pay for housing.

The Task Force on Family Diversity estimates that at least one-third of all persons with disabilities in the United States live in poverty. Persons with disabilities have the highest rate of unemployment relative to other groups. For most, their only source of income is a small, fixed pension afforded by Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security Insurance (SSI), or Social Security Old Age and Survivor's Insurance (SSA), which will not adequately cover the cost of rent and living expenses even when shared with a roommate. In addition, persons with disabilities oftentimes experience discrimination in hiring and training. When they find work, it tends to be unstable and at low wages.

Table 3.2 below illustrates that 27.8% of the Hawaiian Gardens population with a disability is employed, compared to 68.3% of the non-disabled population.

Table 3.2 Persons with a Disability in the Workforce
Status With a Disability Percent of Total No Disability Percent of Total Employed 198 28% 5600 68%
Unemployed 22 3% 408 5%
Not in Labor Force 491 69% 2190 27%
Total 711 8198
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Strategies and Programmatic Responses to Meet Need
Appropriate housing for persons with mental or physical disabilities include very low-cost units in large group home settings (near retail services and public transit), supervised apartment settings with on- or off-site support services, outpatient/day treatment programs, and inpatient/day treatment programs, crisis shelters and transitional housing.

Federal and State Responses
In 1984, Title 24 of the State Uniform Building Code mandated that all multiple-family residential construction projects containing more than five units under construction after September 15, 1985, conform to specific disabled adaptability/accessibility regulations.

In 1988, the Federal government enacted the U.S. Fair Housing Act Amendments (FHAA); in part with the intent of increasing the number of rental units being built that would be accessible to handicapped individuals.

In July 1993, the State of California issued “California Multifamily Access Requirements” based upon the FHAA. Unfortunately, the actual increase in the number of handicapped-accessible units available on the current rental market has been small.

Both the federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act impose an affirmative duty on local governments to make reasonable accommodations (i.e., modifications or exceptions) in their zoning and other land-use regulations when such accommodations may be necessary to afford disabled persons an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.

City Responses
Hawaiian Gardens Zoning Code §18.40.070, Uses Permitted in Residential Zones, allows as a principal use within the zone several residential uses that are suitable for persons with special needs:
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)/Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) • Affordable Housing
• Licensed Group Homes
• Single-room Occupancy (subject to minimum number of units per development) • Supportive Housing
• Transitional Housing
• Small Group Homes
However, some uses that provide special-needs housing, such as residential care homes for the elderly, nursing homes, congregate care facilities, boarding houses, and residential community care facilities are subject to discretionary review, requiring either Minor Use City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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Permits (MUPs) or Conditional Use Permits (CUPs). MUPs and CUPs can delay housing production simply because of requirements for environmental and design review and public hearings.

There are no zoning or building code restrictions that would limit installing ramps, wider doorways, or other features that would be desirable in special-needs housing.

The City also makes rehabilitation funds available to income-qualified households for accessibility improvements through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program; CDBG funds can be used for a variety of housing efforts including activities aimed at reducing costs, housing acquisition and rehabilitation through short and long-term loans, grants, or loan guarantees; direct payment of rent or mortgage and housing counseling services and fair housing activities.

Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing
The Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) is the primary agency that deals with the issue of homelessness in the City. . Members of the Department of Mental Health visit Hawaiian Gardens every Thursday to reach out to individuals experiencing homelessness, to offer temporary sheltering at a regional shelter which services Hawaiian Gardens homeless.

However, most decline and they cannot be forced to enter a shelter. Public safety personnel, both sworn and non-sworn assist the Department of Mental Health with the outreach efforts.

The City has used Los Angeles County, CDBG, General funds, and low-to moderate-income housing funds for Code Enforcement, the Beautification Program, the Small Business grant program, the Senior Activities Programs, the Window Security Bar Removal Program, neighborhood clean ups, and the Food Distribution Program (diapers and feminine supplies are also distributed on separate days). The City also initiated an Emergency Rental Assistance Program to assist those struggling to pay rent during COVID-19. During COVID-19, the City provided vouchers for unsheltered individuals to stay in local hotels. These programs have met with much success and have proven instrumental in assisting those who lost work or suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic. Programs are ongoing and provide assistance to unsheltered individuals, low income, seniors, and those in need.

In 2020, the City adopted the Public Housing Authority’s (PHA) Five Year and Annual Plan.

The City continued working with the Housing Rights Center to provide fair housing counseling, discrimination/investigation, and education services to all City residents, including landlords and tenants participating in the PHA’s Section 8 Program. The PHA also made available the guide “California Tenants – a Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords Rights and Responsibilities’’ to all its residents.

Emergency Shelters
Emergency shelters are allowed without discretionary review (by-right) in the High Density Residential (R-4), General Commercial (C-4), and Public Facilities (PF) zones. They are prohibited in the Downtown Commercial (C-2) and Light Industrial (M-1) zones. The zoning City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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districts permitting Emergency Shelters are located along Norwalk Boulevard and Carson Street, the City’s main north/south and east/west corridor.

Legislation enacted in 2022 requires cities in California to allow emergency shelters in residential and mixed-use areas by-right, without requiring discretionary permits such as minor use permits or conditional use permits (AB 2339 (Bloom), codified in Gov. Code. Section 65583(a)(4)). The legislation is intended to ensure that shelters are provided near health care, transportation, retail, employment, and social services, and are not placed in industrial settings where no such services exist. The City will need to update the Zoning Code to remove barriers to emergency shelters in compliance with Gov. Code 65583(a)(4). Program 18, Emergency, Transitional, and Supportive Housing, below will accomplish this update.

Section 18.70.110 of the Municipal Code currently requires that an emergency shelter proposed in the C-4 and PF zoning districts must comply with the following objective regulations/standards; these standards will also apply to new shelters in residential and mixed-use zones:
• Occupancy. A maximum of 40 beds or persons may be served nightly, with associated support service not available to nonresidents of the emergency shelter/the public. • Hours of Operation. Limited to the hours between 6:00 pm and 8:00 a.m. • Length of Stay. The maximum length of stay is 14 days. • Management and Operation Plan. Each emergency shelter shall always provide on-site supervision.
• Parking. In accordance with the requirements of AB 2339. • Waiting and Intake Area. A client waiting and intake area shall be provided and contain a minimum of 10 square feet per bed provided at the facility. The client waiting and intake area shall be physical separated from the public right-of-way. • Sleeping Area. Each emergency shelter shall provide at least 35 square feet of sleeping area per bed.
• Minimum Separation Distance. An emergency shelter shall be located at least 300 feet away from another emergency shelter.

Supplemental Services. Supplemental services may be offered on the inside of the premises to serve persons only staying at the shelter. This Housing Element includes Program 18, Emergency, Transitional, and Supportive Housing, which requires the continuation of the partnership with LAHSA; a review of the City parking standards, and completion of required amendments to the City’s Zoning Code in accordance with State law.

Transitional and Supportive Housing
State law (AB 2634 and SB 2) requires local jurisdictions to address the provisions for transitional and supportive housing. Transitional and supportive housing facilities meeting the Government Code Section 65582 definition are considered a residential use and allowed by right in all zones that allow residential uses of the same type, consistent with State law. These City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021- 2029 Housing Element

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facilities are subject to the same development standards and permit processing criteria required for similar uses in the same zones.

This Housing Element includes Program 18, Emergency, Transitional, and Supportive Housing, which requires the continuation of the partnership with LAHSA; a review of the City parking standards, and completion of required amendments to the City’s Zoning Code in accordance with State law.

Homelessness
Due to the transient nature of the homeless, the precise number of homeless individuals in Hawaiian Gardens is difficult to determine. Few homeless persons have been observed within the city and are generally located along Norwalk Boulevard and Carson Street. The 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count was conducted by several agencies and led by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released the results of the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which showed 66,436 people in Los Angeles County experiencing homelessness. This represents a 12.7% rise from last year’s point-in-time count.

Three years into the 10-year investment from Measure H, LA County’s homeless services system has doubled the number of annual housing placements. Improvements in coordination across agencies through the LAHSA based Housing Central Command have increased the speed of placements. Efforts to protect the most vulnerable people from COVID-19 led to the rapid sheltering of 6,010 people since the March Safer at Home order (4,056 through Project Roomkey, 1,708 in Recreation and Parks shelters, and 246 in trailers)—and a goal to move 15,000 of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness into housing.

Most of the people experiencing homelessness that the homeless system helps stay housed.

Eighty- eight percent of the people placed in permanent housing through the system in 2018 have not returned to homelessness. In 2019, the rehousing system helped 22,769 people move into permanent housing. And many more people occupy interim housing this year:
18,395 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County were sheltered, up from 14,722 the previous year, a 25% increase.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority February 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count identified 29 people identified as experiencing homelessness. Of the 29 unsheltered people,

32.5% (9) were identified as persons in cars, 13.22% (4) as persons in vans, 24.77% (7) as persons in campers, 5% (2) as persons in makeshift shelters, 13.64% (4) as persons in tents, and 10.47% (3) as persons on the street (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Homeless Count by City/Community/Hawaiian Gardens, available at https://www.lahsa.org/data?id=54-homeless-count-by-city-community (accessed February 2, 2023).

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Female-Headed Households
The California Housing Element Law requires analysis of specialized housing needs, including female-headed households to ensure adequate childcare or job training services. Of Hawaiian Gardens' 3,712 total households, 17% or 631 households are female-headed (compared to

14.3% in the SCAG region), 9.9% are female-headed and with children (compared to 6.6% in the SCAG region), and 2.7% are female-headed and with children under 6 (compared to 1.0% in the SCAG region).

Female headed households generally refers to those households with a female that is a single parent. Female-headed households tend to have low-incomes, thus limiting housing availability for this group.

Large-Family Households
According to the HCD’s definition, the term "large family" refers to a family containing five or more persons. Large family households, containing five or more persons, frequently experience a greater incidence of overcrowding, especially in older units and rental housing.

Most rental units in the city contain one or two bedrooms. In addition, landlords may be reluctant to rent smaller units to larger families. Finally, many owner-occupied units are overcrowded (see Section 2.3) due to extended families sharing housing to reduce mortgage or rental costs.

Large families are identified as a group with special housing needs based on the limited availability of adequately sized, affordable housing units. In the City of Hawaiian Gardens, the most commonly occurring household size is of three people (23.6%) and the second-most commonly occurring household is of two people (18.6%). Hawaiian Gardens has a lower share of single-person households than the SCAG region overall (14.9% vs. 23.4%) and a higher share of 7+ person households than the SCAG region overall (4% vs. 3.1%).

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates.

Figure 2.27 Female-Headed Households
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Elderly Households
The Housing and Urban Development Section 202 requires analysis of specialized housing needs, including housing needs for seniors. Federal housing data define a household type as 'elderly family' if it consists of two persons with either or both age 62 or over. Of Hawaiian Gardens' 748 such households, 58.2% earn less than 30% of the surrounding area income, (compared to 24.2% in the SCAG region), 82.9% earn less than 50% of the surrounding area income (compared to 30.9% in the SCAG region).

Escalating housing costs, particularly in the rental market, severely impact housing affordability for the elderly who usually have fixed incomes. The housing needs of the elderly can be addressed through the provision of smaller units, congregate housing, and rental and rehabilitation assistance programs. The special needs of many elderly households often are a result of lower (and fixed) incomes, physical disabilities, and dependence needs.

Farmworkers
Statewide, farmworker housing is of unique concern and of unique importance. While only a small share of SCAG region jurisdictions has farmworkers living in them, they are essential to the region's economy and food supply. Table 3.3 below indicates that there are 19 farmworkers identified in the City of Hawaiian Gardens which represents 0.31% of the city’s population. In the SCAG region, there are 57,741 total jobs in the faming, fishing, and forestry occupations.

Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates.

Figure 2.28 Households by Household Size
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Table 3.3 Farmworkers by Occupation
Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates using groupings of NAICS and SOC codes.

Table 3.4 Employment in the Agricultural Industry
Source: American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates using groupings of NAICS and SOC codes City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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4. LAND INVENTORY

4.1 INTRODUCTION
This section assesses the housing development potential in Hawaiian Gardens during the 2021-2029 Housing Element planning period. California Government Code § 65583(a)(3) requires local governments to prepare an inventory of land suitable for residential development, including vacant sites and sites having redevelopment potential. Local agencies must also evaluate whether the sites’ zoning and the availability of public facilities and services support housing development. The purpose is to determine the quantity of land available to accommodate the City’s RHNA. The RHNA is broken down by income group into four categories: Very Low (less than 50% of the Area Median income (AMI)), Low (50-80% of AMI), Moderate (80-120% of AMI), and High (over 120% of AMI). While a jurisdiction must show that it has adequate sites in total to meet its RHNA, it must also show that it can meet the allocation at each of these income categories.

Housing Element Law Requirements
California Government Code § 65583.2(c) requires, as part of the analysis of available sites, a local government to demonstrate the projected residential development capacity of the sites identified in the housing element can realistically be achieved. Based on the information provided in subdivision (b) (the land inventory), a city or county shall determine whether each site in the inventory can accommodate some portion of its share of the regional housing need by income level during the planning period, as determined pursuant to Section 65584. The number of units calculated shall be adjusted as necessary, based on the land use controls and site improvements requirement identified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 65583, the realistic development capacity for the site, typical densities of existing or approved residential developments at a similar affordability level in that jurisdiction, and on the current or planned availability and accessibility of sufficient water, sewer, and dry utilities (See Calif. Gov.

Code § 65583.2, available at
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=65583.2.&nod eTreePath=11.1.9.11&lawCode=GOV. (accessed January 29, 2023)).

Additionally, Government Code § 65583.2(c)(2)(A) states that “[a] site smaller than half an acre shall not be deemed adequate to accommodate lower income housing need unless the locality can demonstrate that sites of equivalent size were successfully developed during the prior planning period for an equivalent number of lower income housing units as projected for the site or unless the locality provides other evidence to the department (HCD) that the site is adequate to accommodate lower income housing.” This means that Hawaiian Gardens must identify parcels larger than one-half acre or smaller parcels that can be consolidated into onehalf acre or larger in order to demonstrate that there is adequate area for new low-income housing development.

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The methodology for determining realistic capacity on each identified site must also account for land use controls, such as currently-allowed uses and permitted densities or intensities.

Site Selection
The Hawaiian Gardens General Plan and Land Use Element and Zoning Code establishes six residential zone districts, (R-1 Estate, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and Mobile Home Park (MHP) for residential uses. The General Commercial (C-4) and Downtown Commercial (C-2) zone allows for mixed use which includes the addition of residential uses in order to provide housing opportunities for all household income ranges. Revisions to General Plan goals and policies, and to the Zoning Code, are proposed both below and in Section 7 to expand housing opportunities, particularly for lower-income levels.

Sites were selected for their revitalization potential based on size, location, current on- and offsite uses, allowed densities, and compatibility of proposed densities. d. Capacity: The Sites Inventory includes both vacant and underutilized sites.

Underutilized residential sites are parcels that are currently developed at less than the maximum permitted density. Many of these sites are in areas intended for high-density development, yet the sites have not been re-developed to accomplish increased density. Other sites are considered under-utilized when they contain a disproportionate land area allocated for parking vehicles, when they are occupied by low-intensity uses or aging structures that are nearing – or have passed – their projected useful life.
e. Size and location: Development of parcels of at least one-half acre in size is desirable in terms of construction economies and effective use of State or federal grants. However, in Hawaiian Gardens as in many older cities, the subdivision pattern has resulted in many lots that are less than one-half acre. These sites may still be viable for duplex or triplex residences, but may also be suitable for merger with adjacent underutilized parcels.

Zoning
There are approximately 715 acres of land zoned in the City. The R-2 Medium Density Residential zone district, with 210.81 acres, is the largest zone district in the City. The combined residential zone districts (including the Mobile Home Residential zone district) comprise 382.65 acres. In comparison, the combined acreage of the City’s two commercial zone districts is 178.37 acres. Figure 4.1 below shows the City’s current zoning map. Table 4.1 below lists the City’s zones and land area for each zone.

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Figure 4.1 Zoning Map
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Table 4.1 Zone Districts and Land Area
As discussed in Chapter 7, the City is proposing Program 27, Increase Zone District Densities, which will eliminate the R-1 10,000 Single-Family Estate zone district and replace it with the R1 Single Family Residential zone district, set minimum densities, will increase maximum densities for all residential zone districts, include residential land uses in the commercial zone districts, set minimum and maximum densities for those districts, and will create mixed-use zone districts with minimum and maximum densities. All densities can be increased under Program 5, State Density Bonus Law, if affordable units are incorporated into a development.

Densities are expressed as dwelling units (du) per acre.

4.2 VACANT SITES
There are three (3) vacant properties comprising 0.64 acres in the City where housing could be introduced (Table 4.2, Figure 4.2). The sites are zoned for medium to intermediate density residential development and general commercial uses. With the proposed density increases, the sites’ cumulative capacity could increase from seven (7) to 49 units.

Table 4.2 below shows the currently-vacant residentially-zoned sites in the City, the number of housing units allowed with the current density, and the number of housing units allowed with Zone District Area (Acres) Area (Sq. Ft.)
R1 (10,000) Single Family Estates 11.87 517,057.20
R1 Single Family Residential 36.77 1,601,701.20
R2 Medium Density Residential 210.81 9,182,883.60
R3 Intermediate Density Residential 37.97 1,653,973.20
R4 High Density Residential 60.70 2,644,092.00
MHP Mobile Home Park 24.53 1,068,526.80
C2 Downtown Commercial 9.78 426,016.80
C4 General Commercial 168.59 7,343,780.40
M1 Industrial 21.79 949,172.40
Civic 8.85 385,506.00
Fire Station 0.23 10,018.80
Park 2.97 129,373.20
Hospital 7.10 309,276.00
Elementary School 26.69 1,162,616.40
Junior High School 29.71 1,294,167.60
Church 11.85 516,186.00
Other – Unsymbolized 44.80 1,951,488.00
Total 715.01 31,145,835.60
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the proposed density increase. Figure 4.2 below shows the vacant sites’ locations, and is followed by specific analysis of each site.

Table 4.2 Housing Capacity on Vacant Sites
Assessor Parcel
Number Address General Plan Designation
Zoning
Designation
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Current
Permitted
Density1
(dwelling
unit/acres) and
potential capacity2
(housing units)
Proposed
Density3
(dwelling
unit/acres) and
potential
capacity
(housing units)
7076-004-059 12429
221st St.

Medium
Density R-2 0.10 17.0 2 23 3
7065-007-050 21623
Juan Ave.

Intermediate
Density R-3 0.23 19.0 5 25 6
7068-015-053
22021
Norwalk
Blvd.

General
Commercial C-4 0.31 N/A 30 10
Total 0.64 7 49
1Hawaiian Gardens General Plan Land Use Map (adopted January 26, 2010) 2Potential capacity is rounded up from fractional values >0.099. 3See Program 27, Table 7.1 for proposed densities.

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Suitability of Vacant Sites for Housing
APN 7076-004-059, at 12429 221st St., is a 4,400 square-foot (0.1 acre) rectangular parcel surrounded by well-established single and multiple-family residential uses (Figure 4.3). For example, the 5,720-square-foot parcel on the west is developed with two detached residences, one constructed in 1927 and the other in 1983; a 5,338-square-foot parcel (0.12 acre) across 221st St. to the south is also developed with two detached residences, constructed in 1946 and 1948 (Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Details, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7076004011 (accessed January 30, 2022)). A larger parcel (approx. 21,000 square feet, 0.48 acre) on the east has been developed with 10 condominiums, constructed in 2002, representing a density of 21 du/acre. At the proposed 23 du/acre density, APN 7076-004-059 could likely accommodate three attached units.

Figure 4.2 Map of Vacant Sites/Properties
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The site is three blocks, (approximately 1,570’) east of Norwalk Blvd., where Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Bus 42 runs along Norwalk to Carson St., and then along Carson St. to the City of Orange, providing connections to other transit routes (the site is also approximately 1,730’ from a Bus 42 stop on Carson St. at Claretta Ave.).

The site appears free of environmental contamination – the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Envirostor Database shows no cleanup, permitted or other sites within 1,000’ of the site that would preclude residential development (California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=2x1hd (accessed January 30, 2023).

Figure 4.3 APN 7076-004-059
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APN 7065-007-050 is a 9,843-square-foot (0.23 acre) parcel at 21623 Juan Ave, approximately 370’ north of Carson St. Although the site abuts the Casino parking lot on the west, there are single-family residences, duplexes, and apartments on the north, east, and south. For example, an 11,587-square-foot (0.27 acre) parcel abutting the site on the north is developed with two residences, constructed in 1939 and 1960, representing a density of approximately 7 du/acre. A 7,296 square-foot (0.17 acre) parcel immediately east of the site is developed with two units constructed in 1946 and 1950, representing a density of approximately 12 du/acre (Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Details, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7065007049 and https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7065014019, respectively (accessed January 30, 2023). At the proposed density of 25 du/acre, APN 7065-007-050 could accommodate six attached units.

Figure 4.4 APN 7065-007-050
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The site is easily accessible to transit (three bus routes on Carson St.: OCTA Rte. 62, Long Beach Transit Rtes. 101, 173) and is close to various services, the Hawaiian Gardens Library, the Fedde Middle School, and Bloomfield Park.

APN 7068-015-053 is a 13,360-square-foot (0.31 acre) corner lot at 2021 Norwalk Blvd. There are commercial uses north, south and east of the site, but numerous residential uses occupy the area to the west. A 6,216-square-foot (0.14 acre) parcel abutting the site on the west has recently (2017) been developed with two single-family units at a density of 14 du/acre; there are three four-plex units constructed in 1963 on three 5,550 square-foot lots (0.13 acre each, density equivalent to 31 du/acre) in the block northwest of the site as well as another two-unit property constructed in 1955 on a 5,428-square foot (0.12 acre, 16.7 du/acre) lot to the west (see Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Details, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7068015053https://portal.assessor.lacounty.g ov/parceldetail/7068015053 (accessed January 31, 2023). The development densities of these three adjacent and nearby lots indicate that this site could reasonably be developed at 30 du/acre, resulting in nine or 10 attached units.

The site is easily accessible to transit - OCTA Route 42 runs along Norwalk Blvd, with a stop approximately 175’ to the south at Norwalk and 221st.

The DTSC Envirostor database shows no active or closed cleanup sites within 1,000’ of the site (California DTSC, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=tyjpk (accessed January 31, 2023).

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Figure 4.5 APN 7068-015-053
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4.3 MIXED USE OPPORTUNITY SITES
There are 9 additional sites comprising multiple parcels that could be suitable for mixed-use housing and commercial development. The latter sites, detailed in Section 4.3, can be categorized as follows:
• C-2 Downtown Commercial and C-4 General Commercial Sites: There are sites currently zoned for commercial uses that prohibit stand-alone residential uses but allow mixed-use developments with residential components subject to a minor use permit.

The C-2 and C-4 zones are proposed to be modified to allow residential uses as permitted uses, with minimum and maximum density requirements as part of a mixeduse project. • Mixed-Use Zone District (proposed district). These sites are proposed to allow residential uses as permitted uses, as components of a mixed-use development, with minimum and maximum density requirements.
• Industrial Mixed-Use Zone District (proposed district). This site is proposed to allow industrial uses as permitted uses, as components of a mixed-use development with minimum and maximum density requirements.
• Other Sites to be Re-zoned: These are sites that are not included in any of the previous categories. They are sites that are proposed to be re-zoned from one zoning classification to another (e.g., a C-4 General Commercial-zoned site would be rezoned to Commercial Mixed-Use).

The Land Use Element, adopted in January 2010, strongly encourages mixed-use development on sites with a land use designation of General Commercial and zoned C-2.

Land Use Element Policy LU 3.3, Downtown Commercial and C-4 General Commercial, states:

Encourage the development of mixed-use housing opportunities in the General Commercial land use designation, on sites with a minimum lot size of 1 acre.

There are considerable benefits to mixed-use development, including increasing housing options within the community, reducing auto dependency, and creating a sense of place. The Land Use Element explains why the City encourages mixed use development:
a. The City has recognized that the City’s population will continue to grow in the future, resulting in the impending need for diverse housing opportunities in the community. In order to address this need, mixed-use development will be encouraged in the City. In order to be classified as mixed-use, development should include the following components: A combination of two or more significant land uses as part of a single or contiguous site; b. Significant functional and physical integration of project components; and City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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c. Development in conformance with a coherent plan.

The Land Use Element establishes a minimum lot size of one (1) acre for mixed-use developments; The July 2011 Zoning Code allows mixed-use development in the C-2 Downtown Commercial Zone and C-4 General Commercial Zone provided that a minor use permit is obtained, corresponding to the development standards for height and bulk in each zone (HGMC § 18.70.100). Structure height in both zones is limited to 45 feet (id., §

18.60.010(C); § 18.60.020(C)). As discussed in Chapter 7 below, Program 4, Zoning Code Review, the City will update the Zoning Code provisions with respect to mixed-use development, including creating a new mixed-use zone district, a new industrial mixed-use zone, and allowing multi-family residential uses to commercial zones, These changes are all intended to reduce barriers to creating new housing opportunities.

C-4-zoned sites along Carson Street are ideal for mixed-use development. The 2013-2021 5 th
Cycle Housing Element identified two sites along Carson Street that met the Land Use Element criterion for a one-acre minimum lot size (Sites B and C) in the list below); these sites have not been entirely redeveloped to date and are incorporated into the 2021-2029 6th Cycle.

This cycle of the Housing Element update includes three additional opportunity sites on Carson and elsewhere in the City resulting from the proposed re-zoning of the C-2 and C-4 zones to the Commercial Mixed Use Zone District designation, and the adoption of the Industrial MixedUse designation:
• Site A – N/W corner of Norwalk Blvd. and Centralia Ave. to Juan Avenue – Industrial Mixed Use
• Site #B – N/W corner of Carson Street/Claretta Avenue • Site #C – Carson Street/Hawaiian Avenue (North of Carson Street) • Site D – N/W corner of Carson Street/Bloomfield Avenue • Site #E – Underutilized eastern parking lot of The Gardens Casino Figure 4.6 below shows a map of the opportunity sites.

Summary of Opportunity Sites
Site A is comprised of 16 individual parcels, developed with light industrial, retail, automotive, residential, and recreational uses. Site B has an Enterprise Rent-a-Car™ car rental franchise and, a contractor storage yard; and with a low- intensity auto repair shop and parking lot and a small temporary office building. Site C is comprised of two older small single-family structures, a vacant city-owned lot, and an older building (Elks Lodge) and parking lot. Site D holds an underutilized strip shopping center with many vacant units. Site E has a strip-commercial center, a used car dealer and an auto body shop. Sites 7 and 8 encompass a vacant lot, auto body shops, auto plaza, other auto related uses, and industrial uses. Site 9 is an eastern portion of the Casino parking lot. Each site’s mixed-use development potential is described on City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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the following pages and aerial images show that each site is adjacent to residential development on at least one side.

Opportunity Sites Discussion
The minimum housing capacity of Sites A-F is 464 housing units, using 30% of each lot’s area as the minimum available for housing development. The maximum capacity, using 60% of each lot’s area, with all fractional numbers rounded up, is 919 units. (See Appendix A, Dwelling Unit Capacity of Mixed-Use Opportunity Sites, for spreadsheet calculations).

The rationale for selecting the 30% minimum and 60% maximum was used to (1) ensure that a minimum number of housing units would be provided on a mixed-use site; and (2) acknowledge that physical constraints and development standards might preclude using 100% of a lot’s area to determine the total number of units achievable.

Higher density is made possible by building vertically - because in a 45’-tall, four-story mixeduse development, the residential component can occupy three stories above the first floor commercial and can thus accommodate more units at a greater density. As further discussed below, the maximum residential density may not be achievable because of factors such as minimum habitable unit size, lot configuration, etc.

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Figure 4.6 Mixed-Use Opportunity Sites
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Site A - Norwalk Blvd. and Centralia St. (S/W corner)
Site A comprises 16 individual parcels, many of which contain aging structures in need of repair or replacement. Table 4.3 below summarizes the development capacity.

Table 4.3 Site A Parcel Summary and Housing Capacity
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Existing Uses
General
Plan
Designation
Zoning
Parcel
Size
(sq. ft.)
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Density1
(du/ac)
Min.

DU
Capacity2
Max
DU
Capacity3
7065-001-001 Light Industrial LI M1 12,197 0.28 40 4 7
7065-001-002 Light Industrial LI M1 9,579 0.22 40 3 6
7065-001-003 Light Industrial LI M1 10,498 0.24 40 3 6
7065-001-015 Gym GC M1 118,239 2.71 40 33 66
7065-001-016 Self-storage LI M1 136,343 3.13 40 38 76
7065-001-017 Light Industrial LI M1 42,698 0.98 40 12 24 7065-001-027 VFW LI M1 6,094 0.14 40 2 4
7065-001-032
Light Industrial,
Fast food,
automotive
LI M1 142,441 3.27 40 40 79
7065-001-033 Light Industrial,
Retail LI M1 116,560 2.68 40 33 65
7065-001-034 Retail,
automotive LI M1 48,000 1.10 40 14 27
7065-001-035 Light Industrial LI M1 40,071 0.92 40 11 22 7065-003-037 Light Industrial,
automotive LI M1 15,290 0.35 40 5 9
7065-003-013 SF Residential LI M1 12,632 0.29 40 4 7
7065-003-014 MF Residential
(2 addresses) LI M1 8,276 0.19 40 3 5
7065-003-015 Retail LI M1 20,909 0.48 40 6 12
7065-003-038 Light Industrial LI M1 29,190 0.67 40 8 16 Total Area 682,720 15.67
30% of Total Area 204,816 4.70
60% of Total Area 461,410 10.59
Total potential units 219 431
Note: Lot sizes are derived from the Assessor Parcel Maps and real estate property profiles. 1 Mixed Use – densities within this new land use category will allow 40 dwelling units per acre; unit counts rounded up from >0.099 fractional units. Lack of agreement from individual parcel area du capacity to total area du capacity results from individual parcel area rounding. 2Minimum housing capacity based on 30% of lot area allocated to housing development. 3Maximum housing capacity based on 60% of lot area allocated to housing.

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Multi-family and single-family residential, commercial, and institutional uses border the site.

Site A may be considered for re-development as “industrial-mixed-use,” which would accommodate both residential and compatible light-industrial uses.

The DTSC Envirostor database shows a single closed cleanup site (Five Star Express Car Wash, 12245 Carson St.), within 3,000’ of the intersection of Centralia St. And Horst Ave. (California DTSC, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=tsfhk (accessed February 2, 2023).

The City proposes that this site should accommodate 78 Extremely Low (EL) and/or Very Low (VL) units, and 114 Above Moderate (AM) units in satisfaction of its 6th Cycle RHNA allocation.

Figure 4.7 below shows the site.

Figure 4.7 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site A
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Site B - Carson Street/Claretta Avenue (NW Corner)
Site B combines three parcels that are either not developed to their full capacity or are otherwise under-developed. Table 4.4 below summarizes the existing uses and the development capacity. Residential uses abut the site on the north, northwest, west and northeast; those on the west are within a multiple-family development that would not be out-ofcharacter with an adjacent mixed-use development.

Of the three parcels, APN 7066-017-127, a contractor’s storage yard, is the most likely to be re-developed, as it evidently houses only miscellaneous vehicles and construction materials, and two temporary structures. The Los Angeles County Assessor Portal does not indicate that these structures are permanent, and the 2022 “improvements value” for the site is $4,525.00 (See Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Detail, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/ 7066017127 (accessed January 19, 2023).

APNs 7066-117-128 and 7066-117-129 are developed together comprising the Enterprise™ car rental facility. Much of the site is allocated to the facility’s parking lot, and the 3,000-squarefoot office building occupies less than 10% of the combined parcels’ 31,200 square-foot area.

The building, apparently originally constructed in 1970, was re-assessed in 1995. (See Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Detail, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7066017129 (accessed January 19, 2023).

Given the City’s minimum one-acre lot size for mixed-use development, the three parcels would be required to be re-developed as a single parcel, including a lot merger.

The DTSC Envirostor database shows the same closed cleanup site as in Site A above (Five Star Express Car Wash, 12245 Carson St.), within 1,000’ of the intersection of Carson St. and Claretta Ave. (California DTSC, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=z36lv (accessed February 1, 2023).

The City proposes that this site should accommodate 16 Moderate-Income units in satisfaction of its 6th Cycle RHNA allocation.

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Table 4.4 Site B Development Capacity
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Existing
Uses
General Plan
Designation Zoning
Parcel
Size
(sq. ft.)
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Densi
ty1
(du/ac
)
Min. DU
Capacity
2 Max DU
Capacit
y
3 7066-017-127 Contractor
Storage Yard
General
Commercial C-4 25,182 0.58 40 7 14
7066-017-128
Portion of
Enterprise™
Parking Lot
General
Commercial C-4 6,370 0.15 30 2 4
7066-017-129 Enterprise™
Car Rental
General
Commercial C-4 24,830 0.57 30 7 14
Total Area 56,382 1.29
30% of Total Area 16,915 0.39
60% of Total Area 33,829 0.78
Total potential units 16 32
Note: Lot sizes are derived from the Assessor Parcel Maps and real estate property profiles. 1 Mixed Use – densities within this new land use category will allow 40 dwelling units per acre; unit counts rounded up from >0.099 fractional units. Lack of agreement from individual parcel area du capacity to total area du capacity results from individual parcel area rounding. 2Minimum housing capacity based on 30% of lot area allocated to housing development. 3Maximum housing capacity based on 60% of lot area allocated to housing.

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Figure 4.8 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site B
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Site C - North Side of Carson Street at Hawaiian Avenue Site C combines three parcels that are either not developed to their full capacity or are otherwise under-developed. Table 4.5 below summarizes the existing uses and the development capacity. Residential uses abut the site on the north, a 4-story hotel and a church are on the west, and an underutilized commercial strip mall borders the site on the east (see Site 4 below).

APN 7066-013-046 is comprised of a 961 square-foot 3-bedroom/2-bath residence and a 600 square-foot 1-bedroom/1-bath residence, constructed in 1958 and 1948, respectively. Because both structures are older than 50 years, their historical significance should be evaluated prior to re-development consideration (see Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Detail, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7066013046 (accessed January 19, 2023).

APN 7066-013-913 is an approximately 310’ x 80’ land-locked vacant parcel that abuts the above parcel on the north.

APN 7066-013-057 holds the 22,400 square-foot Lakewood Elks Lodge 1570 and its associated approximately 120’ x 340’ parking lot. The structure was constructed in 1972, and like those in APN 7066-013-046, is older than 50 years (see Los Angeles County Assessor Portal, Parcel Detail, available at https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/7066013057 (accessed January 19, 2023).

The City proposes that this site should accommodate 30 Moderate-Income units in satisfaction of its 6th Cycle RHNA allocation.

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Table 4.5 Site C Development Capacity
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Existing
Uses
General Plan
Designation Zoning
Parcel
Size
(sq. ft.)
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Density1
(du/ac)
Min DU
Capacity2
Max DU
Capacity3
7066-013-046 Two SF
Residences
General
Commercial C-4 23,858 0.55 40 7 14
7066-013-057 Elks Lodge,
Parking Lot
General
Commercial C-4 73,181 1.68 40 21 41
7066-013-913 Vacant,
City Owned
General
Commercial C-4 25,000 0.57 40 7 14
Total Area 122,039 2.80
30% of Total Area 30,510 0.70
60% of Total Area 73,223.40

1.68 Total potential units 35 69
Note: Lot sizes are derived from the Assessor Parcel Maps and real estate property profiles 1 Mixed Use – densities within this new land use category will allow 40 dwelling units per acre; unit counts rounded up from >0.099 fractional units.

Lack of agreement from individual parcel area du capacity to total area du capacity results from individual parcel area rounding. 2Minimum housing capacity based on 30% of lot area allocated to housing development. 3Maximum housing capacity based on 60% of lot area allocated to housing.

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Figure 4.9 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site C
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Site D - Carson Street/Bloomfield Avenue, N/W corner
Site D is an assembly of eight individual parcels, developed as a single community-commercial strip center (total area 332,191 square feet, 7.63 acres). The major tenant unit on APN 7066- 013-060 is currently not occupied and had been a supermarket. Several other units in the center are vacant. Existing businesses include restaurants, a gym, and commercial services.

Single and multiple-family residential uses border the site on the north and east, a mobile home park lies to the south and Site C abuts the site on the west. Table 4.6 below details the site’s mixed-use development potential.

The DTSC Envirostor database shows no active or closed cleanup sites within 1,000’ of the intersection of Carson St. and Hawaiian Ave. (California DTSC, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=soc1c (accessed February 1, 2023).

The City proposes that this site should accommodate 78 Extremely Low/Very Low units, and 15 Above Moderate Units.

Figure 4.10 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site D
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Table 4.6 Site D Development Capacity
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Existing
Uses
General Plan
Designation Zoning
Parcel
Size
(sq. ft.)
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Density1
(du/ac)
Min. DU
Capacity2
Max DU
Capacity
7066-013-058 Gym General
Commercial C-4 60,548 1.39 40 17 34
7066-013-059
Commercial,
Vacant,
under-utilized
strip center
General
Commercial C-4 17,894 0.41 40 5 10
7066-013-060 Vacant General
Commercial C-4 119,790 2.75 40 33 66
7066-013-061
Commercial/
Restaurant/
Vacant
General
Commercial C-4 24,089 0.55 40 7 14
7066-013-062 Restaurant General
Commercial C-4 14,810 0.34 40 4 9
7066-013-063
Commercial/
Restaurant/
Services
General
Commercial C-4 25,260 0.58 40 7 14
7066-013-064
Commercial/
Restaurant
Services
General
Commercial C-4 51,836 1.19 40 15 29
7066-013-065 Fast food
restaurant
General
Commercial C-4 17,964 0.41 40 5 10
Total Area 332,191 7.63
30% of Total Area 99,657 2.29
60% of Total Area 199,315 4.58
Total potential units 93 186
Note: Lot sizes are derived from the Assessor Parcel Maps and real estate property profiles. Parcel lines in this figure are omitted for clarity. 1 Mixed Use – densities within this new land use category will allow 40 dwelling units per acre; unit counts rounded up from >0.099 fractional units. Lack of agreement from individual parcel area du capacity to total area du capacity results from individual parcel area rounding. 2 Minimum housing capacity based on 30% of lot area allocated to housing development. 3Maximum housing capacity based on 60% of lot area.

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Site E - Eastern End of the Casino Parking Lot
Site E is a 364,162 square-foot parcel on Carson St. that is used for Casino parking. The Casino presently has a substantial area allocated for parking around the primary building and this separate parcel may not be needed for Casino parking. APN 7065-007-050, described above in Section 4.2, Vacant Sites, abuts this parcel. Various multi-family and single-family uses occupy the other parcels on the east. Table 4.7 below details the site’s mixed-use development potential.

The DTSC Envirostor database shows no active or closed cleanup sites within 2,000’ of the intersection of Carson St. and Devlin Ave. (California DTSC, Envirostor, available at http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/?surl=gt88w (accessed February 1, 2023).

The City proposes that this site should accommodate 50 Extremely Low/Very Low units, and 51 Above-Moderate units in satisfaction of its 6th Cycle RHNA allocation.

Table 4.7 Site E Development Capacity
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Existing Use General Plan
Designation Zoning
Parcel
Size (sq.
ft.)
Parcel
Size
(acres)
Density1
(du/ac)
Min. DU
Capacity2
Max DU
Capacity3
7065-007-146
Eastern end
of Casino
parking lot
General
Commercial C-4 364,162 8.36 40 101 201
Total Area 364,162 8.36
30% of Total Area 53,337 2.51
60% of Total Area 218,497 5.02
Total potential units 101 201
Note: Lot sizes are derived from the Assessor Parcel Maps and real estate property profiles. 1 Mixed Use – densities within this new land use category will allow 30 dwelling units per acre; unit counts rounded up from >0.099 fractional units. Lack of agreement from individual parcel area du capacity to total area du capacity results from individual parcel area rounding. 2Minimum housing capacity based on 30% of lot area allocated to housing development. 3Maximum housing capacity based on 60% of lot area.

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Incentives and Programs to Encourage Mixed-Use Development The City provides incentives to encourage mixed use development – including housing at a minimum density of 20 dwelling units per acre – on the vacant and underutilized C-2 and C-4 General Commercial lots located along Carson Street and Norwalk Boulevard as follows:
expedited processing through the Minor Use Permit process; density bonuses; fee waivers; small housing unit sizes in the form of SROs and efficiency units as defined by the Zoning Code; increased heights and reduced setbacks through the minor exception process.

Housing Element programs including Program 2, Promote Lot Consolidation, Program 5, State Density Bonus Law, Program 15, Accessory Dwelling Units, Program 26, Single Room Occupancy, Program 29, Garage Conversions, and Program 30, and Cottage/Carriage Dwelling Units, are also intended to facilitate housing development.

Figure 4.11 Mixed-Use Opportunity Site E
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The General Plan Land Use Element will need to be updated with the changes/increases in density to accommodate the re-zoning. The General Plan Land Use update and re-zoning of sites would be processed concurrently.

Additionally, the existing mobile home parks would remain in place, and existing residentiallyzoned sites would not be changed.

4.4 REALISTIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY
Housing Element Law Requirements
California Government Code § 65583.2(c) requires, as part of the analysis of available sites, a local government to demonstrate the projected residential development capacity of the sites identified in the housing element can realistically be achieved. Based on the information provided in subdivision (b) (the land inventory), a city or county shall determine whether each site in the inventory can accommodate some portion of its share of the regional housing need by income level during the planning period, as determined pursuant to Section 65584. The number of units calculated shall be adjusted as necessary, based on the land use controls and site improvements requirement identified in paragraph (4) (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 65583, the realistic development capacity for the site, typical densities of existing or approved residential developments at a similar affordability level in that jurisdiction, and on the current or planned availability and accessibility of sufficient water, sewer, and dry utilities (See Calif. Gov.

Code § 65583.2, available at
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=65583.2.&nod eTreePath=11.1.9.11&lawCode=GOV. (accessed January 29, 2023)).

Additionally, Government Code § 65583.2(c)(2)(A) states that “[a] site smaller than half an acre shall not be deemed adequate to accommodate lower income housing need unless the locality can demonstrate that sites of equivalent size were successfully developed during the prior planning period for an equivalent number of lower income housing units as projected for the site or unless the locality provides other evidence to the department (HCD) that the site is adequate to accommodate lower income housing” (id.) This means that Hawaiian Gardens must identify parcels larger than one-half acre or smaller parcels that can be consolidated into one-half acre or larger in order to demonstrate that there is adequate area for new low-income housing development.

The methodology for determining realistic capacity on each identified site must also account for land use controls, such as currently-allowed uses and permitted densities or intensities.

The Hawaiian Gardens General Plan and Land Use Element and Zoning Code establishes six residential zone districts, (R-1 Estate, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and Mobile Home Park (MHP) for residential uses. The General Commercial (C-4) and Downtown Commercial (C-2) zone allows for mixed use which includes the addition of residential uses in order to provide housing opportunities for all household income ranges. Revisions to General Plan goals and policies, City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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and to the Zoning Code, are proposed both below and in Section 7 to expand housing opportunities, particularly for lower-income levels.

Sites were selected for their revitalization potential based on size, location, current on- and offsite uses, allowed densities, compatibility of proposed densities. a. Capacity: The Sites Inventory includes both vacant and underutilized sites.

Underutilized residential sites are parcels that are currently developed at less than the maximum permitted density. Many of these sites are in areas intended for high-density development, yet the sites have not been re-developed to accomplish increased density. Other sites are considered under-utilized when they contain a disproportionate land area allocated for parking vehicles, when they are occupied by low-intensity uses or aging structures that are nearing – or have passed – their projected useful life.
b. Size and location: Development of parcels of at least one-half acre in size is desirable in terms of construction economies and effective use of State or federal grants. However, in Hawaiian Gardens as in many older cities, the subdivision pattern has resulted in many lots that are less than one-half acre. These sites may still be viable for duplex or triplex residences, but may also be suitable for merger with adjacent underutilized parcels. Accordingly, the vacant sites inventory includes vacant sites of all sizes.

Proposed Zone District Changes to Accommodate Lower-Income Housing Needs To address restrictive zoning density, this 6th Cycle Housing Element proposes the following programs:

Program 2: Lot Consolidation
Most residentially-zoned parcels in the City are fully-developed at conventional residential densities. The vacant sites are dispersed throughout the City and are fairly small in size, less than one acre. For this reason, the City promotes lot consolidation and included Program 2, Promote Lot Consolidation. The Program states that beginning in 2024 the City will establish development incentives including a list of potential consolidation sites, a review to streamline lot consolidations, provide assistance with compliance with the state’s Subdivision Map Act requirements, fee reductions, ADA compliance, and infrastructure support. The City will work with the development community and property owners to develop information that will assist with consolidating lots. Consolidating the vacant sites will also eliminate the “hopscotch” effect of improvements on one site, with no improvements on a middle site, then improvements on the other adjacent site.

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Program 27: Zone District Densities Update.

To address a shortfall and un-accommodated need for housing units, the City will eliminate the Single-Family Estate (R1, 10,000 square foot minimum lot area) zone district and replace it with the R-1 Single Family Residential zone district, and add a Mixed-Use zone district and Industrial Mixed-Use district. Further, the City will adopt new density standards to increase allowable minimum and maximum densities for residential and nonresidential zone districts, including new mixed-use zone district.

Table 4.8 shows the proposed density increases to be adopted; densities could be increased with a density bonus according to existing State density bonus law.

Table 4.8 Proposed Residential Density Changes
Zoning Current Density Proposed
Minimum Density
Proposed Maximum
Density
R-1 Single Family Residential 7.2 units/acre 7.2units/acre 10 units/acre R-2 Medium Density Residential 17.4 units/acre 17.4 units/acre 23 units/acre R-3 Intermediate Residential 18.9 units/acre 18.9 units/acre 25 units/acre R-4 High Density Residential 23.5 units/acre 23.5 units/acre 30 units/acre C-2 Downtown Commercial
(new Mixed-Use)
Residential
not allowed N/A 30 units/acre
C-4 General Commercial
(New Mixed-Use)
Residential
not allowed 30 units/acre 40 units/acre
Commercial Mixed Use (new) N/A 30 units/acre 40 units/acre Industrial Mixed-Use (new) N/A 30 units/acre 40 units/acre Program 28: Rezone Sites
The City shall rezone the sites identified in the sites inventory, as needed to accommodate the RHNA requirements.

Adequacy of Public Facilities and Services
Government Code § 65583.2(b)(5) states that the inventory of land shall include “[a] general description of existing or planned water, sewer, and other dry utilities, including the availability and access to distribution facilities. This information need not be identified on a site-specific basis.”
Water Resources
Water service in Hawaiian Gardens is provided by the Golden State Water Company (formerly the Southern California Water Company) Region II Central District – Central Basin East Artesia System. The Central District – Central Basin East Artesia System serves approximately 19,600 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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customers in the communities of Artesia, Norwalk, Hawaiian Gardens, and portions of Cerritos, South Gate, and Lakewood.

Water sources in the area include a blend of groundwater pumped from the Central Groundwater Basin and imported water from the Colorado River and the Bay Delta in Northern California (40 percent imported and purchased water, 60 percent water pumped from ground wells). The Golden State Water Company has two external connections: one with Cerritos that has a Metropolitan Water District (MWD) connection, and another Orange County connection with an MWD connection.

The Golden State Water Company also leases additional water rights from other entities that no longer pump groundwater but have entitlements, in order to meet the increases in water demand from its service area. The water company is currently working on the construction of new wells, pumping plants, water mains, new wells, water mains, and other improvements, including replacement wells for older wells.

The Golden State 2020 Urban Water Management Plan for the Artesia Service Area indicates that it has reliable water supplies available for its service area through 2045 (Golden State Water Company, Artesia Service Area 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, p. 5-1, available at https://wuedata.water.ca.gov/getfile?filename=/public%2Fuwmp_attachments%2F7 363385856%2FGSWC-Artesia%202020%20UWMP%20Final%20(8.2.21).pdf (accessed February 1, 2023).

Sewer Services
The local sewer lines in the City are maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District (CSMD). The Los Angeles County Sanitation District provides sewage treatment for wastewater from Hawaiian Gardens. The Los Angeles Sanitation District’s Wastewater Treatment Division operates 10 water reclamation plants and one ocean discharge facility (Joint Water Pollution Control Plant). Wastewater from Hawaiian Gardens is conveyed to the Long Beach Water Reclamation Plant.

The General Plan Update and EIR indicate there is sufficient water and sewer capacity to accommodate the City’s share of the regional housing need and other land use development projected to occur in the near- and long-term future.

Solid Waste
Solid waste disposal services for the city are provided by Consolidated Disposal Services.

Waste from the city is taken to the Bel Art Transfer Station in Long Beach, with final disposal at Chiquita Canyon Disposal Facility. The Chiquita Canyon Disposal Facility is a 592-acre facility located in the unincorporated community of Castaic, in the Santa Clarita Valley in north Los Angeles County.

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Currently, the City contributes approximately 15,713 tons of waste annually. Approximately 23 percent of waste is recycled through the City’s programs. Commercial land uses are the largest producer of disposable waste, generating approximately 6,404 tons of waste and 2,823 tons of recyclable materials annually. Industrial uses are the lowest generators of disposable waste and recyclable materials. This may be in part because industrial land use is a smaller land use category compared to residential and commercial land uses in Hawaiian Gardens.

AB 939, the California Waste Management Act of 1989, requires local jurisdictions to prepare, adopt, and implement source reduction and recycling plans to make substantial decreases in the volume of waste materials going to landfills, and to reach landfill diversion goals of 50 percent. To meet these goals, the City of Hawaiian Gardens has promoted the reduction of solid waste and the stream of waste going to landfills on its website and through inserts with utility bills. The city has also prepared and adopted an ordinance related to recycling and diversion of construction and demolition waste.

Recycling
The City of Hawaiian Gardens has an active recycling program, which includes a curbside recycling program, drop-off areas, and providing public education materials.

The curbside recycling program includes picking up recyclable materials but does not include green waste. Recycling materials can include paper, plastics, glass, and metal items. There is also one drop-off site located in the city, where residents can bring recyclable materials to dispose of. The city also provides solid waste disposal services for bulk and special items. The service operates bi-monthly, at different sites throughout the city. The program targets different neighborhoods in the city each time and advertises the opportunity for residents to dispose of bulk items. Large disposal containers are provided. This helps eliminate bulk and unnecessary items within public areas that are commonly abandoned in yards, vacant lots, and other areas.

The city actively promotes recycling and has provided pamphlets and flyers on recycling.

Goals and policies in the Conservation Element will serve as a steady base for the City’s active promotion of recycling.

Noise
Ambient noise levels are relatively high in Hawaiian Gardens. The 2010 General Plan found that virtually all the neighborhoods in the City are in areas where noise levels exceed 65 dBA.

The city’s noise environment is not expected to significantly change over time since the primary factors contributing to noise, namely the arterial roadway and freeway traffic (I-605) and nearby industrial uses, will have a continued presence in the city. State noise guidelines recommend locating residential development in areas exposed to ambient outdoor noise levels no greater than 65 A-weighted decibels (dBA).

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Geologic and Seismic Hazards
No known earthquake faults traverse Hawaiian Gardens, and the city is not exposed to natural environmental hazards such as flooding, slope erosion and landslides. However, the city is located within an area that is subject to liquefaction hazards.

The City of Hawaiian Gardens, like most of the Los Angeles Basin, lies over the area of one or more known earthquake faults, and potentially many more unknown faults, particularly socalled lateral or blind thrust faults.

The major faults that have the potential to affect the greater Los Angeles Basin, and therefore the City of Hawaiian Gardens, include:
a. Norwalk
b. Raymond Hill
c. Malibu Coast-Santa Monica-Hollywood
d. San Andreas
e. Newport-Inglewood
f. San Fernando
g. Sierra Madre
h. Whittier
The Los Angeles Basin has a history of powerful and relatively frequent earthquakes, dating back to the powerful 8.0+ 1857 San Andreas Earthquake which did substantial damage to the relatively few buildings that existed at the time. Paleoseismological research indicates that large (magnitude 8.0+) earthquakes occur on the San Andreas fault at intervals between 45 and 332 years with an average interval of 140 years. Other lesser faults have also caused very damaging earthquakes since 1857. Notable earthquakes include the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando Earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Earthquake, and the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. In addition, many areas in the Los Angeles Basin have sandy soils that are subject to liquefaction, including in the City of Hawaiian Gardens.

Transportation
The transportation system in Hawaiian Gardens consists of a roadway network dominated by Carson Street running in an east/west direction, and Pioneer and Norwalk Boulevards running north/south. The San Gabriel Valley Freeway (State Route-605) is located just west of Hawaiian Gardens. Also, the City's central location in Los Angeles County provides Hawaiian Gardens with easy access to most parts of the Southern California region. Local circulation within the city generally follows a grid pattern.

Regional access to the city is provided by the San Gabriel Valley Freeway (I-605) that extends along the city's southwesterly border. Access to this freeway is provided by Pioneer Boulevard City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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and Carson Street. The transportation system framework within Hawaiian Gardens is largely defined by Norwalk Boulevard and Pioneer Boulevard which are major north/south arterials that extends through the city. Carson Street is a primary east/west roadway.

Transit. The City of Hawaiian Gardens is reasonably well-served by public transit systems.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTS), the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Long Beach Transit (LBT), operate routes that extend into or through the City of Hawaiian Gardens. LACMTA buses provide a connection to Metrolink service in Fullerton. LBT buses provide connections to the Metro C (Green) Line in Norwalk and the Metro A (Blue) Line in Long Beach. All buses are ADA accessible, and many have bicycle racks. Peak headways are typically 15 minutes.

All the potential housing sites identified as vacant or underutilized sites have adequate road accesses (ingress and egress) and are served by public transit, either adjacent to the site or within a short walking distance.

Bicycle Facilities. The General Plan Circulation Element also includes a plan for incorporating bicycle facilities as part of the City’s overall circulation network. Bicycle lanes and bicycle routes are provided on Civic Center Drive within the City of Hawaiian Gardens. In addition to the City’s on-street bike system, the Coyote Creek Bikeway provides a regional trail system for avid bicycle enthusiasts. Depending on the scope of the development project and existing conditions, bicycle facilities could also be required as part of the street improvements. The City is hiring a consultant to complete a Master Plan for bike lanes.

To address ongoing infrastructure needs, this 6th Cycle Housing Element proposes the following program:

Program 21: Infrastructure Availability. The City shall continue to work with the Golden State Water Company to identify and coordinate water services, and with Los Angeles County to coordinate sewer services. Coordination includes providing information for this Housing Element, and any subsequent contract amendments to the Golden State Water Company and Los Angeles County. Time Frame: 2022-2024.

Responsibility: Community Development and Public Works Departments. Funding: City General Fund.

Housing Market Constraints
Government Code § 65583(a)(6) requires an analysis of potential and actual nongovernmental constraints upon the maintenance, improvement, or development of housing for all income levels, including the availability of financing, the price of land, and the cost of construction.

Market constraints also include monthly rents and sales housing prices.

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According to HCD:

Although nongovernmental constraints are primarily market-driven and generally outside direct government control, localities can significantly influence and offset the negative impact of nongovernmental constraints through responsive programs and policies. Analyzing specific housing cost components including the cost of land, construction costs, and the availability of financing assists the locality in developing and implementing housing and land-use programs that respond to existing local or regional conditions. While the cost of new housing is influenced by factors beyond a locality’s control, local governments can create essential preconditions (favorable zoning and development standards, fast track permit processing, etc.) that encourage and facilitate development of a variety of housing types and affordable levels.

The requisite analysis includes:
• Land Costs – Estimate the average cost or the range of costs per acre for single-family and multifamily zoned developable parcels. • Construction Costs – Generally estimate typical total construction costs which includes materials and labor.
• Availability of Financing - Consider whether housing financing, including private financing and government assistance programs, is generally available in the community. This analysis could indicate whether mortgage deficient areas or underserved groups exist in the community.

Land Costs
Land costs are a major component of new housing production costs. The development industry typically categorizes land into three types: raw land, entitled land and finished lots.

The values attributed to parcels of land increase through these three stages. Raw land is a vacant piece of land without any entitlements or improvements. Entitled land can range from having the appropriate zoning to having a recorded subdivision for the land. Again, the values can increase the further a piece of land is in the entitlement process. Finally, land can be categorized as “finished lots.” This is the final stage prior to the actual construction of a home.

All grading has been completed and all infrastructure (streets, curbs, gutters, storm drains, sewers, and utilities) have been installed. In most cases, this also means that all fees (except those associated with building permits) have also been paid. At this stage, the land is at its highest value.

Table 4.9 below identifies the most recent land costs for commercial and residential lots.

Because there is only one residential lot and one commercial lot currently on the market, the average costs cannot be based on these sales alone. The minimum lot size requirement in the R-1 single-family zone is 6,000 square feet. Thus, based on these sales, the land costs for a conforming R-1 lot probably would range between $40,000 and $50,000 per lot.

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In the C-4, General Commercial zone, the minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet. Therefore, based on the land sales, a typical C- 4-zoned property of 10,000 square feet would sell for $489,000. To achieve a potential mixed-use development which would require 1 acre, an investment of over two million dollars would be required on land alone.

Table 4.9 Land Sales Prices – October 2021
Status Address Zoning Lot Size Price Price/Sq.Ft.

Active1 12345 Carson St. Commercial 25,264 sq. ft. $1.15M $45.52/sq. ft Active2 22001 Claretta Ave. Residential 21,080 sq. ft. $1.5M $71.15/sq. ft. 1Vacant commercial property.
2 Multi-family residential property with house burnt down. Land value only Source: Movoto.com. Zoning as provided by the listing agents.

Property prices, both residential and commercial, skyrocketed across all jurisdictions through mid-2022. In addition to the skyrocketing prices, properties were harder and harder to acquire due to stiff competition and did not stay on the market for very long even with inflated prices.

The California Association of Realtors say that with record-low interest rates and a once-in-alifetime pandemic forcing many people to stay at home, the California median home price is forecast to rise 5.2% to $834,400 in 2022, following a projected 20.3% increase to $793,100 in 2021 and $659,400 in 2020. So, between 2020 and 2022, the median home price in California would rise from $659,400 to $834,400, representing an increase of $175,000. This type of astronomical shift has not been experienced in recent history of the housing market. An imbalance in supply and demand will continue to put upward pressure on prices but higher interest rates and partial normalization of the mix of sales will likely curb median price growth.

Presently (2023), real estate prices are still trending upward; The median list price of singlefamily homes in Hawaiian Gardens, CA was $710,000 in January 2023, compared to $607,500 in 2022 (Movoto Real Estate, Hawaiian Gardens, CA, Summary, available at https://www.movoto.com/hawaiian-gardens-ca/market-trends/ (accessed February 1, 2023).

As an example, in July 2008, a 1.34-acre vacant high-density residential site was listed for sale in Hawaiian Gardens, with an asking sales price of $1,950,000, equivalent to $33.40 per square foot. The site can accommodate 25 housing units; therefore, the per-unit land price was $78,000. To the city’s knowledge, the site sold but the price is unavailable. In 2010, a nonprofit affordable housing developer expressed interest to the Community Development Department and the then-Redevelopment Agency in developing a tax-credit senior housing complex.

As shown in Section 4.2 above, there are not many vacant parcels in Hawaiian Gardens. As such, the rules of supply and demand will dictate that prices will be high for vacant and City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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potential re-use sites. Additionally, other components of housing production costs also drive new housing costs beyond the means of lower-income households.

Construction Costs
According to the California State Board of Equalization, Assessors’ Handbook Section 531, Residential Building Costs, average construction costs vary due to the design type, construction type, quality of the construction, shape of the structure, and location.

The International Code Council (ICC) provides Building Valuation Data (BVD) for its members.

The BVD table provides the “average” construction costs per square foot, which can be used in determining permit fees for a jurisdiction. The ICC states:
…it should be noted that, when using this data, these are “average” costs based on typical construction methods for each occupancy group and type of construction. The average costs include foundation work, structural and nonstructural building components, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and interior finish material.

Table 4.10 Construction Costs per Square Foot for Residential Construction Group (2018 International Building Code) Type IV Classification R-2 Residential, multiple family $151.48
R-3 Residential, one- and two-family $157.99
R-4 Residential, care/assisted living facilities $190.53 Private garage $93.81
Source: International Code Council, Building Valuation Data (BVD), October 2021
It is important to note that while this BVD table does determine an estimated cost of a building (i.e., Gross Area x Square Foot Construction Cost), this data is only intended to assist jurisdictions in determining their permit fees. This data table is not intended to be used as an estimating guide because the data only reflects average costs and is not representative of specific construction.

Based on the above, the following are estimated 2018 construction costs for a – a. 1,000 SF housing unit in an apartment building - $151.48 x 1,000 = $151,480.00 b. 1,500 SF single home on a level lot - $157.99 x 1,500 = $236,985.00 c. 400 SF garage for single family home - $93.81 x 400 = $37,524.00 City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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Construction crews for an affordable-housing project must pay prevailing wages. This requirement typically drives up construction costs by 15% to 20%. The cost of construction alone can exceed the cost affordable to lower-income households. Several factors contribute to the cost of construction including dwelling unit size, height (elevator may be required), terrain, slopes, quality, State laws, profit motivations, and several other considerations.

Construction costs, however, are but one component of housing production costs. New affordable homes and apartments cannot be constructed without some public funding sources that subsidize the entire development and reduce the loan amount to that which can be supported by the affordable rents and ownership costs. The loss of redevelopment funds and the federal cutbacks of HOME funds have severely crippled efforts to produce affordable housing in Hawaiian Gardens.

Availability of Financing
Financing Availability Based on Interest Rates. For a sustained period, market mortgage interest rates have been either very reasonable or at historic lows; however, in the past year, mortgage rates have risen dramatically. Table 4.11 below identifies shows interest rates for three points in time.

Table 4.11 Typical Mortgage Interest Rates
Type of Loan October 2021 April 2021 January 20231
Rates for loans up to $584,200
30-year fixed 3.45%/.47 pt. 3.50%/.27 pt. 6.20%
15-year fixed 2.57%/.38 pt. 2.54%/.27 pt. 5.26%
Rates for loans of $584,200 and up
30-year fixed 3.64%/.46 pt. 4.02%/.32 pt. 6.08%
15-year fixed 3.54%/.19 pt. 3.71%/.28 pt. (not available) 1Source: MortgageNewsDaily.com (accessed January 29, 2023) Note: A point (pt.) is a term used by the lending industry to refer to the loan origination fee. One point is equal to 1% of the loan amount.

Source: Mortgage Loan USA
It should be noted that not all would-be homebuyers would qualify for the lowest interest rates available. The most favorable interest rates are available to loan applicants who have good FICO credit scores. FICO, i.e., Fair Isaac Corporation, developed the mathematical formulas used to produce FICO scores. A FICO score is a snapshot of an applicant’s credit risk; the higher the score, the lower the risk to lenders. The FICO score is computed based on factors such as: payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and types of credit in use.

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Financing Availability Based on HMDA Data. HCD has advised cities that an understanding of the geographic areas and or groups without sufficient access to credit will help localities to design programs to address known deficiencies. The information that helps most to understand the geographic areas served by credit is the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act or HMDA data.

HMDA requires lenders to disclose the number, amount, and census tract location of mortgage and home improvement loan applications. The HMDA data encompasses lender activity for conventional, FHA, home improvement loans and refinancing loans. The data identifies five types of action taken on a loan application: loan originated, application approved by the lender and not accepted by the applicant, application withdrawn, file closed for incompleteness and application denied.

At this point, it can be determined that residents of Hawaiian Gardens residing in specific census tracts may have been denied mortgage loans based on factors other than their income, FICO scores, down payment, or the amount of loan requested, but research is needed to document mortgage-loan disparities.

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5. RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS
The availability of financing resources from federal, State, and local sources, as well as private lenders and non-profit organizations, is essential to the construction and rehabilitation of housing. The success of housing projects is also affected by governmental constraints (such as land use controls and development fees) and non-governmental constraints (such as housing market situation and environmental constraints). These factors will be discussed in this chapter.

Housing Constraints indicates those environmental factors, governmental factors, and market factors that could impede the development of new housing.

5.1 FINANCING AND SUBSIDY SOURCES
Federal, State, and local agencies provide a wide range of resources to help support the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of housing units for lower-income households in Hawaiian Gardens. Many of these resources are made available to local tenants, owners, and developers of affordable housing through City and County programs and services. Although there is a wide range of programs, the availability of funding through these programs is typically inadequate to satisfy all needs. As a result, there is a fair amount of competition for program funds that are available, and any one development may need to draw upon multiple resources to be financially feasible.

Federal Resources
The federal government offers a wide variety of resource-related housing assistance. The mortgage interest deduction and the real estate tax deduction are just two of the most common choices for homeowners provided through the income tax code. The deductions promote homeownership and reduce tax liabilities for home-owning taxpayers. Moreover, the deductions are used widely and expansively across the nation. Among the states, California has the highest amount of mortgage interest and real estate tax deducted every year.

Aside from tax of mortgage deductions, the federal government provided housing assistance to California jurisdictions through several programs. Like State programs, federal programs often change in terms of program details, application procedures, and amount of subsidy dollars available. For detailed descriptions, current subsidy levels, and up-to-date application procedures, refer to program literature available online from HUD at http://www.hud.gov.

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a longstanding program of HUD funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development. Cities with populations over 50,000 receive CDBG funds directly from HUD while smaller cities apply directly to the County or State for a portion of the funding that is allocated and administered by those entities. HUD makes allocations based on a formula that takes population, poverty, and housing distress into account. CDBG funds can be used for a variety of housing efforts City of Hawaiian Gardens 2021-2029 Housing Element

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including activities aimed at reducing costs for private development (helping fund site acquisition, improvements, and other soft cost); housing acquisition and rehabilitation through short and long-term loans, grants, or loan guarantees; direct payment of rent or mortgage and housing counseling services; activities relating to energy conservation and renewable energy resources; and fair housing activities. CDBG funds are best used in combination with other subsidy sources or to provide predevelopment funding to initiate housing development.

The program is ongoing under the Community Development Department and is financed by the General Fund.

5.2 RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS ON HOUSING PRODUCTION
There are constraints from both the governmental and market sectors of the community that are capable of limiting or paralyzing efforts to maintain and provide affordable housing. Such constraints must be overcome in order to implement the General Plan, including the Housing Element. Some constraints may be minor enough that market conditions are able to easily overcome problem situations. Other types of constraints can be significant enough to discourage development altogether. Constraints fall into two general categories: Governmental constraints and Non-Governmental Constraints.
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GOVERNMENTAL RESOURCES AND CONSTRAINTS
Governmental constraints are defined as government decisions or actions that have the unintended potential to impede the market’s ability to satisfy demand for affordable housing.

Categories of governmental constraints may include building permits, code enforcement, land use and development controls, site improvement fees, and development permits which affect the supply, distribution, and cost of housing. These controls are necessary to protect the community's health, safety, and welfare.

The City has adopted the Los Angeles County 2023 Building Code that establishes minimum construction standards. The City’s existing development requirements included in the Zoning Ordinance and Building Code do not include any architectural standards that would add to the cost of new housing development. In addition, there are no unique open space, parking, or Mello-Roos fee requirements that are applicable to new developments outside of what is standard throughout the region.

Although Code Enforcement is included in this Governmental Constraints Section of the Housing Element, the City’s implementation of the program has resulted in maintaining the housing stock for all income households. The City’s active Code Enforcement Program continues to assure the health, safety, and welfare of the community. It is the City’s policy to encourage voluntary Municipal Code compliance by providing residents, business operators, property owners, and tenants the opportunity, with sufficient notice and information, to comply with the Hawaiian Gardens Municipal Code and other applicable laws and requirements. The City believes that voluntary compliance is the preferred method in initiating compliance. With cooperation of residents, business operators, property owners and tenants, this endeavor results in a respectful and satisfactory relationship between the City and the community. The diagram below illustrates the City’s code enforcement process.

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The City’s Code Enforcement staff provide resources, assist with permit processing, and refers the responsible party to the City’s Beautification Program for financing opportunities.

Figure 5.1 Code Enforcement Process
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City Beautification Program
The City Beautification Program is the City’s housing rehabilitation program and serves to eliminate the appearance of blight, enhance the City of Hawaiian Gardens’ neighborhoods, increase property values, and bring properties into compliance with the Municipal Code. The program provides financial assistance for the cost of exterior and interior improvements. A separate program called the security bar removal program pay for security bars on windows to be removed and replaced as well as the addition of security cameras or other security enhancements.

In this Housing Element these programs have been combined into one program, Program 11, City Beautification. This program has been expanded to include contracting services for California General Contractors in good standing with the California State Contractor License Board to perform construction work as identified by the City, to acquire all applicable City building permits, zoning clearances, and to comply with other health and safety regulations. The program shall be expanded to provide additional information for the following: energy efficiency and conservation and illegal accessory dwelling unit permitting and code compliance.

All the residential areas where the residential zoning is applicable are well served by streets and other infrastructure. No street dedications or new infrastructure is required for the typical infill development.

The California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Conservation have developed guidelines used by building code enforcement officials to implement energy conservation regulations established by the California Energy Commission. While serving as a mitigation tool to help reduce electricity and natural gas consumption, they do add to the cost of housing. State law also authorizes school districts to collect impact fees for all new residential, commercial, and industrial construction.

The City of Hawaiian Gardens has fully implemented the provisions of AB 884. The plan check review for new construction averages two to four weeks, which is considerably less than most surrounding cities. During a development's design and planning, the City staff is available to conduct pertinent reviews and issue permits related to engineering, drainage, grading, public works, electrical, and other aspects of new developments. Even with those infill projects that require some form of discretionary review, the City has taken advantage of recent legislation that calls for smaller infill projects to be categorically exempt through the referral of a Class 32 California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Categorical Exemption.

Residential infill projects are handled through the City’s streamlined review and entitlement process. The entire development process from land clearance through construction typically takes between six months to one year to complete, depending on the number of units. This includes the time required for plan check and construction.

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General Plan Land Use Policy
The City of Hawaiian Gardens has a General Plan and an effective Zoning Ordinance that contains standards pertaining to development and the density of residentially zoned property.

The General Plan land use map and zoning ordinance identify those areas of the City that are to be developed with residential uses, and what standards apply to the different types of residential uses. Such standards are understood as being a necessary tool in an effort to promote and ensure a healthy, compatible, and high-quality living environment. Table 5.1 below lists the General Plan land use categories that allow residential development.

Table 5.1 General Plan Residential Densities
General Plan Designation Residential Density
Single-Family Estates 4.35du/ac
Single-Family Residential 7.2 du/ac
Medium-Density Residential 17.4 du/ac
Intermediate Density Residential 18.9 du/ac
High Density residential 23.5 du/ac
Mixed Use-Commercial Residential density not specified
Past residential development projects in the City have consisted primarily of lots with older single-family detached units replaced with multi-family housing.

Most of the City of Hawaiian Gardens consists of low-income neighborhoods. According to the 2020 Census data prepared by SCAG, of the City's 3,712 households in 2020, 18.1% are experiencing poverty compared to 7.9% in the SCAG region. Census data indicates that for rental units, the average median rent in 2020 was $1,403.00/month. A household was overpaying for housing if more than 30% of their net “take-home” income was used for paying rent or mortgages. According to census figures for the year 2020, 255 households (45.2% of the total owner-occupied units) living in owner-occupied units paid more than 30% of their monthly income towards the mortgage. According to the same census figures, 56.3% of the total renter households paid more than 30% of their monthly income towards the rent.

The current housing market and availability will continue to drive housing prices up within the City. However, new housing development is expected to meet some of the demand for affordable housing created by low-income households in the area, as a function of economic and market forces. Additionally, increasing allowable density with a maximum of 20% density bonus; will encourage the redevelopment of existing properties at a higher density, resulting in additional housing stock.

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Zoning Code Development Standards
The City of Hawaiian Gardens Development Code includes development standards and requirements for existing and potential development within the residential zone districts. The following tables identify development standards and parking requirements.

Table 5.2 R-1-10,000 Single-Family Estate Development Standards Maximum number of units per lot 1 dwelling unit per lot Minimum lot size 10,000 square feet
Minimum lot width 50 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Maximum lot coverage 50%
Setbacks
Front 20 feet
Standard side 10% of lot width, min. of 5 feet and max. of 7 feet Street side of corner lots 10 feet
Within rear 20 feet of
reverse corner lot 20 feet
Rear 15 feet
Through lot 20 feet
Maximum height 2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less
Minimum floor area 1,700 square feet per dwelling unit
Minimum distance between buildings 8 feet
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Table 5.3 R-1 Single-Family Residential Development Standards Maximum number of units per lot 1 dwelling unit per lot Minimum lot size 6,000 square feet
Minimum lot width 50 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Maximum lot coverage 50%
Setbacks
Front 20 feet
Standard side 10% of lot width, min. of 5 feet and max. of 7 feet Exception: 3 feet on 25-foot-wide lots allowed
Street side of corner lots 10 feet
Within rear 20 feet of
reverse corner lot 20 feet
Rear 15 feet
Through lot 20 feet
Maximum height 2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less
Minimum distance between buildings 8 feet
Minimum floor area 1,500 square feet per dwelling unit
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Table 5.4 R-2: Medium Density Residential Development Standards Minimum lot area per unit 2,500 square feet
Minimum lot area 3,750 square feet
Minimum lot width 37.5 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Maximum lot coverage 50%
Setbacks
Front 20 feet
Standard side 10% of lot width, min. of 5 feet and max. of 7 feet Exception: 3 feet on 25-foot-wide lots allowed
Street side of corner lots 10 feet
Within rear 20 feet of
reverse corner lot 20 feet
Rear 10 feet
Through lot (street) 20 feet
Through lot (alley) 10 feet
Maximum height 2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less
Minimum distance between buildings 8 feet
Minimum floor area per dwelling unit Single room occupancy - 275—450 square feet Single family - 1,500 square feet
Bachelor apartment - 450 square feet
1-Bedroom unit - 750 square feet
2+-Bedroom unit - 950 square feet
Open space for parcels with 2 units or a duplex 130 square feet per unit, consisting of:

Common useable open space 50 square feet per unit
Private useable open space 80 square feet per unit adjacent to unit, minimum dimension of 6 feet
Open space for parcels with 3 units or more,
multi-family projects, apartments, condominiums,
and condominium conversions
500 square feet per unit, consisting of:

Common useable open space (tot lots,
recreation areas and facilities, etc.) 250 square feet per unit Private useable open space (patios,
balconies, terraces, etc.)
150 square feet per unit adjacent to unit, with
a minimum dimension of 6 feet
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Table 5.5 R-3: Intermediate Density Residential Development Minimum lot area per unit 2,300 square feet
Minimum lot size 7,500 square feet
Minimum lot width 50 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Maximum lot coverage 65%
Setbacks
Front 20 feet
Standard side 10% of lot area, min. of 5 feet and a max. of 7 feet Street side of corner lots 10 feet
Within rear 20 feet of reverse corner lot 20 feet
Rear 15 feet
Through lot 20 feet
Maximum height 3 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less
Minimum distance between buildings 8 feet
Minimum floor area per dwelling unit
Single room occupancy 275—450 square feet
Single family 1,500 square feet
Efficiency apartment 450 square feet
1-Bedroom unit 750 square feet
2+-Bedroom unit 950 square feet
Open space for multi-family projects, apartments,
condominiums, and condominium conversions 500 square feet per unit, consisting of:

Common useable open space (tot lots,
recreation areas and facilities, etc.) 350 square feet per unit Private useable open space (patios, balconies,
terraces, etc.)
150 square feet per unit adjacent to unit, with a
minimum dimension of 6 feet
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Table 5.6 R-4: High Density Residential Development Standards Minimum lot area per unit 1,850 square feet
Minimum lot size 7,500 square feet
Minimum lot width 50 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Maximum lot coverage 65%
Setbacks
Front 20 feet
Standard side 10% of lot width, minimum of 5 feet
Street side of corner lots 10 feet
Within rear 20 feet of reverse corner lot 20 feet
Rear 15 feet
Through lot 20 feet
Maximum height 3 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less
Minimum distance between buildings 8 feet
Minimum floor area per dwelling unit
Single room occupancy 220—450 square feet
Single family 1,500 square feet
Efficiency apartment 450 square feet
1-Bedroom unit 750 square feet
2+-Bedroom unit 950 square feet
Open space for multi-family projects, apartments,
condominiums, and condominium conversions 500 square feet per unit, consisting of:

Common useable open space (tot lots, recreation
areas and facilities, etc.) 350 square feet per unit
Private useable open space (patios, balconies,
terraces, etc.)
150 square feet per unit adjacent to unit, with a
minimum dimension of 6 feet
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Hawaiian Gardens City CouncilFebruary 14, 2023

Hawaiian Gardens City Council
February 14, 2023