Moore, Tania
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 1:35 PM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Item 16. 23-226 -ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT (ZTA) NO. 23-001 Attachments: HBBR3.7.23.pdf
From: Cesar C<[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 11:55 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL <[email protected]>
Cc: Sarah Reisman < [email protected]>; Richard Walker <[email protected]>; Jonathan Bremen <[email protected]>; Erica Embree <[email protected]>; Craig Castellanet <[email protected]> Subject: RE: Item 16. 23-226 -ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT (ZTA) NO. 23-001 Please see attached The Kennedy Commission letter in opposition to item RE: Item 16. 23-226 -ZONING TEX AMENDMENT (LIA) NO. 23-001.
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
SUPPLEMENTAL
COMMUNICATION
Meeting Date:. 3/7/2003
Agenda omNa: 10(23-226).
1 Kennedy
COMMISSION
March 7, 2023 www.kennedycommission.org
17701 Cowan Ave., Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92614
949 250 0909
Mayor Strickland and Councilmembers
City of Huntington Beach
2000 Main St.
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
RE: Item 16. 23-226 -ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT (ZTA) NO. 23-001 (Prohibition on "Builders Remedy" Applications in HB) REQUEST: City recommend action: approval of Zoning Text Amendment ZTA) No. 23-001 with findings by approving Ordinance No. 4285 Mayor Strickland and Councilmembers:
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad-based coalition of residents and community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $30,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective housing and land-use policies that have led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower-income working families.
As the Council considers item 23-226, the request to create an ordinance banning the application of the "Builder's Remedy" to the City of Huntington Beach, The Kennedy Commission urges the Council to comply with state and local housing laws and Housing Element requirements that aim to increase affordable housing in Huntington Beach. We urge the city not to adopt the proposed ordinance.
Due to the City's lack of clear priorities, policies and production of affordable homes, lower-income families continue to have a great challenge in finding affordable housing options in Huntington Beach. According to the 2021-2029 Housing Element draft, there are a total of 32,415 renter- occupied households in Huntington Beach, and 44.3% of renter-households in the city spend thirty percent or more of their gross income on housing costs. Additionally, 48.5% of the City's renter households spent more than fifty percent of their gross income on rent. Approximately 38.8% of households have incomes below 80% of the area median income, of which the majority are renters.
Low-income renters in the city cannot afford the average cost of rent in Huntington Beach, which is $2,401. Low-income residents are in urgent need of housing at extremely low, very low-, and low- income levels.
The shortage of affordable housing in Huntington Beach is due to the City's noncompliance with Housing Element commitments, programs and general housing laws and requirements.
Furthermore, by not making affordable housing a priority the city has failed to address housing development in a balanced and equitable manner. As shown in the 5' cycle, the city was allocated a RHNA of 1,353 units, of which 533 were required to be lower-income units. From 2013-2021, the city approved only 117 units, or 22%, of the 533 low and very low-income units required. In comparison, the city exceeded its moderate and above-moderate RHNA requirements. The city Mayor Strickland and City Council Members
March 7, 2023
approved 294 units (119% of the 248-units at moderate RHNA requirement) and 2,754 units (481% of the above moderate RHNA requirement of 572 units)!.
In addition to the current deficit in housing for lower-income households, the city should plan for the allocation of new units affordable to lower-income households for the 6 cycle. The 6th cycle RHNA numbers have been allocated to jurisdictions throughout the county. The City of Huntington Beach has been allocated 13,368 housing units, of which 5,845 are required to be lower-income . We ask that the city focus its efforts and resources on addressing the dire affordable housing needs that have not been met in Huntington Beach.
We request that the city not approve the proposed ordinance. In order to provide housing in a more balanced manner, the Commission recommends that the city comply with state housing laws and that the city adopt its 2021-2029 Housing Element in an effort to expand affordable housing opportunities in Huntington Beach. The Housing Element should include robust and effective housing programs and should identify affordable housing sites to address affordable housing requirements on the production of the lower-income segments. We request that the city prioritize the creation of affordable homes for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income households to truly address housing needs not being addressed by the housing market in Huntington Beach.
The Commission looks forward to partnering with the city to increase housing opportunities for lower-income residents in Huntington Beach. Please keep us informed of any updates and meetings regarding strategies to increase affordable homes for lower-income households in the city. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (949) 250-0909 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
cc: Ms. Megan Kirkeby, Acting Deputy Director, Housing Policy Development, CA HCD Ms. Melinda Coy, Proactive Accountability Chief, CA HCD ' City of Huntington Beach 2013-2021 Housing Element
2 City of Huntington Beach 2021-2029 revised Housing Element draft, 2022. 2