1 Subject: FW: Cynthia Marquez: Agenda Item #4: Second Reading & Adoption of Proposed Ordinances for Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0011-2024 Attachments: Laguna Hills PCCC 4_09_24.pdf
From: Cynthia Marquez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 1:07 PM
To: Public Comments
Cc: Cesar C
Subject: Cynthia Marquez: Agenda Item #4: Second Reading & Adoption of Proposed Ordinances for Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE‐0011‐2024
Dear City Council,
My name is Cynthia Marquez and I am a Community Organizer for the Kennedy Commission, a non‐profit organization advocating for affordable housing in Orange County.
I would like to offer a public comment for today's City Council Meeting on Agenda Item #4: Second Reading & Adoption of Proposed Ordinances for Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE‐0011‐ 2024
Please let me know if anything else is required of me to submit this public comment.
Thank you for time,
Cynthia Marquez
Public Comments
April 9, 2024
Item No. 4.4
April 9, 2024
Mayor Dave Wheeler
City Council Members
City of Laguna Hills
24035 El Toro Rd
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
RE: Agenda Item #4: Second Reading & Adoption of Proposed Ordinances for Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0011-2024
To the Honorable Members of the City Council:
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.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the second reading for Adoption of Proposed Ordinances for Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0011-2024. The Commission would like to reiterate our previous comments from the first reading of the Zoning Map Amendment in order to emphasize the importance of prioritizing the production of affordable housing.
As the City of Laguna Hills works towards obtaining its 2021-29 Housing Element compliance, we urge the city to implement a strong inclusionary housing program along with the rezoning of sites to meet its affordable housing goals. Rezoning sites at higher density alone will not facilitate the development of lower income affordable housing.
The City needs sites at appropriate densities and an affordable housing policy that will intentionally facilitate affordable housing at lower incomes. Without an affordable housing policy the City will simply incentivize higher density market rate housing with these rezonings. As an example, these new higher-density market rate multi-family rentals average rent range from $3,100 - $3,400 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment at REATA Apartments in Laguna Hills. These units are unaffordable to most of the Laguna Hills residents and low income families.
Under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), the City must plan for the development of 1,985 new homes, 284 units are to be affordable to extremely low-income households, 284 units are for very low-income households, and 353 units are for low-income households. Affordable housing opportunities in Laguna Hills are greatly needed, especially for working-class families. It is imperative that the City Council finds every opportunity to ease the burden of its residents and creates housing opportunities for all in the City of Laguna Hills.
As the City moves forward with the general plan amendments and official zoning map in order to accommodate the development of new housing sites, we request that the city specifically focus on facilitating affordable housing for families who fall into the extremely low, very low, and low-income categories. To facilitate this process, the Kennedy Commission urges the City of Laguna Hills to adopt an Inclusionary Housing Policy, where developers will be required to build a percentage of units in a market-rate housing project as affordable to lower income households. Adopting an Inclusionary Housing Policy will greatly assist the City in meeting its allocated RHNA numbers, according to its 6th Cycle Housing Element.
In order to ensure that affordable housing is developed in the planning period, the Commission urges the City to:
1. Develop and implement policies and programs that facilitate affordable housing in the City. Examples of effective policies are mixed-income ordinances and inclusionary housing policies which guarantee that any development in the City will provide affordable housing.
2. Incentivize the development of affordable housing on the sites proposed to be rezoned or increased in densities to facilitate residential development. Rezoning increases land use opportunities for developers and raises the value of the property. These incentives to owners and developers should be balanced with affordable housing needs in the City for lower income. The City should request that a minimum of 15% of the units on these sites be affordable to Low, Very Low and Extremely Low residents.
3. Prioritize the development of affordable housing on City-owned and land and surplus land. The city should incentivize the development of affordable housing on city-owned land.
4. Implementation of SB 4 the Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act Additionally, the Commission recommends moving forward with implementing a congregational overlay, as stated in the City’s Housing Element. This congregational overlay will study the impacts of establishing a zoning overlay to allow affordable housing developments on properties occupied by a religious institution, at a maximum density of 50 units per acre. As you may know, Senate Bill 4: Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act was adopted in 2023. This new state law provides for a streamline process for religious organizations and nonprofit colleges to develop affordable housing on their property.
5. Design Review - It is imperative for design standards to be non discretionary and should be examined to avoid impeding affordable housing construction, development and design costs.
Implementing these tools and priorities can help ease the affordable housing crisis by promoting sustainable development, increasing housing supply, and creating fair access to housing opportunities for all working-class residents.
We look forward to working with the City of Laguna Hills to encourage effective housing policies that will help create balanced housing development and create much-needed affordable housing in our local communities. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (949) 250-0909 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director