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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF LONG BEACH APPROVING THE 2021-2029
HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN;
AND CERTIFYING, APPROVING, AND ADOPTING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ADDENDUM
(EIRA-02-21); AND AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO SUBMIT THE HOUSING
ELEMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (HCD) FOR
ITS CONSIDERATION AND CERTIFICATION
WHEREAS, in accordance with the State Housing Law, each jurisdiction must update and revise its Housing Element (one of eight required elements of the General Plan) periodically in accordance with a schedule set forth in the law with specific deadlines established by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD); and
WHEREAS, the Director of Development Services for the City of Long Beach, together with Planning Staff, initiated an amendment to the Housing Element of the City’s General Plan (Cycle 6) in February 2020, for the 2021-2029 planning period (2021-2029 Housing Element), to supersede and replace the City’s Housing Element (5th Cycle) that covered the period 2013 to 2021; and
WHEREAS, adoption of the 2021-2029 Housing Element qualifies as an amendment to the City’s General Plan and also qualifies as a “Project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
WHEREAS, the public review of the Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element has been prepared by the City of Long Beach and presented to the Planning Commission for
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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
recommendation, and to the City Council for approval;
WHEREAS, the Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element sets forth the housing policies of the City, facilitates the preservation and development of housing, including affordable housing, and establishes programs to accommodate the City’s share of the regional housing need in Southern California in accordance with State law; and WHEREAS, the City of Long Beach has been assigned an allocation of 26,502 new housing units, of which nearly sixty (60) percent are required to be affordable, for the 6th Cycle as the City’s share of the regional housing need assessment (RHNA) in Southern California, which plans for and anticipates housing needs for the period between 2021 and 2029; and
WHEREAS, the City’s RHNA allocation is within the 28,524 units contemplated in the City’s Land Use Element (LUE) of its General Plan as adopted by the City Council on December 3, 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element reflects more than 18 months of robust public process, outreach, and public engagement in order to inform the public regarding the City’s housing plan, strategies and priorities. Such outreach included, but was not limited to, targeted multi-lingual mailers, opportunities to provide public feedback through citywide virtual workshops, forums and virtual community meetings, telephone “town hall” meetings that were open to the public and available in a variety of languages; various focus groups, stakeholder interviews, community presentations and capacity building activities, as well as study sessions before the Planning Commission and City Council; as well as a call for residents to share their respective housing “stories” in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog; and WHEREAS, on September 17, 2021, in accordance with Government Code Section 65585, the California Department of Housing and Community Development issued a letter to the City to report on its review of the City’s Draft Housing Element, which review concluded that the City’s draft Housing Element addressed many of the State statutory housing requirements; but that revisions would be necessary to
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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
substantially comply with the State’s Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the California Government Code); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Long Beach conducted a duly noticed public hearing on the Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element, together with the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum (EIRA-02-21) on October, 7, 2021, and considered evidence presented by the City’s Development Services Department and other interested parties and individuals. At the conclusion of said hearing, the Planning Commission recommended unanimously that the City Council approve and adopt the above referenced EIR Addendum, as well as the 2021-2029 Housing Element; and WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the City Council to consider and weigh the merits of the proposed Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element update and receive public input in relation to the policies, standards and intent of the Long Beach General Plan and the Long Beach Municipal Code in making its decision on the legal sufficiency of the Draft Housing Element, as well as the legal sufficiency of Environmental Impact Report Addendum (EIRA-02021); and
WHEREAS, the City Council considered oral comments and written testimony concerning the Draft 2021-2029 Housing Element and the draft EIR Addendum at a duly noticed public hearing held on November 16, 2021; and NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Long Beach resolves as follows:
Section 1. The City Council hereby certifies, approves, and adopts Environmental Impact Report Addendum (EIRA -02-21), finding that said Addendum was prepared in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Title 14, Sections 15162 and 15164 of the California Code of Regulations and that said Addendum reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the City Council; that none of the conditions identified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, calling for the preparation of a supplemental or subsequent EIR exists; and further finds that there is no substantial evidence to support a fair argument that the adoption of the 2021-
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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
2029 Housing Element will result in any significant environmental impacts that have not been previously studied; and that the EIR Addendum is appropriate for the proposed 2021-2029 Housing Element since the conditions set forth in Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines are not present.
Section 2. The City Council finds, based on the age, and in some cases, the declining or deteriorating conditions of primarily non-residential structures located on non-vacant sites, as well as the likelihood of commercial uses on non-vacant sites converting to mixed-use residential developments due to the continued decline of existing retail-only uses, as well as the currently documented high commercial use vacancy rates in the City as compared to the Southern California region; together with recent regional development trends (where conversion of non-residential uses on non-vacant sites to housing developments to accommodate a range of household types including lower income households has been prevalent), the documented interest from housing developers to construct housing projects in the City of Long Beach; the lack of developable vacant sites in the City; the prioritization of sites identified in the site inventory for future residential and mixed use development through the 2019 Land Use Element update; and the existing uses on the sites identified in the site inventory to accommodate the RHNA including the lower income RHNA are likely to be integrated with new residential uses, or discontinued during the planning period; and therefore are not considered significant impediments to additional residential development during the period covered by the City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element.
Section 3. The City Council further finds that the 2021-2029 Housing Element, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference as Exhibit “A”, addresses all of the legal requirements as set forth in the California Government Code, and that the Housing Element is compatible with, consistent with, and integrated with all other Elements of the City’s General Plan; and the City Council therefore adopts said 2021-2029 Housing Element to replace the 2013-2021 Housing Element of the General Plan in accordance with State and local law.
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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
Section 4. The documents and other materials constituting the record of proceedings upon which the City Council’s decision to certify and approve Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum (EIRA -02-21) and the 2021-2029 Housing Element are located in the Department of Development Services and in the Offices of the Long Beach City Clerk, 411 W. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California.
Section 5. The Director of Development Services is hereby directed to transmit the final adopted 2021-2029 Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for its earliest action and certification as provided by law; and is further 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 or amendments suggested or requested by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Should HCD require substantive changes to the Housing Element adopted herein, City staff shall bring such changes or amendments back to the City Council for its further review and adoption.
Section 6. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council, and the City Clerk shall certify the vote adopting this resolution. //
//
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OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
CHARLES PARKIN, City Attorney
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 9th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802-4664
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the City Council of the City of Long Beach at its meeting of , 20 by the following vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers:
Noes: Councilmembers:
Absent: Councilmembers:
Recusal(s): Councilmembers:
City Clerk
element
City of Long Beach General Plan
'FCSVBSZ 2022
6th Cycle Housing Element
HOUSING
&YIJCJU"
Housing
Adopted by the Long Beach City Council on 'FCSVBSZ
202
Processed by Long Beach Development Services
Assisted by Lisa Wise Consulting Inc., Veronica Tam Associates Inc, The Robert Group, and RRM Design Group.
This information is available in an alternative format by request at 562.570.3807.
For an electronic version of this document, visit our website at http://www.longbeach.gov/lbds/
element
City of Long Beach General Plan
HOUSING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mayor and City Council
Honorable Mayor Dr. Robert Garcia, Ed.D.
Rex Richardson, Vice Mayor, 9th District
Mary Zendejas, Councilmember, 1st District
Cindy Allen, Councilmember, 2nd District
Suzie Price, Councilmember, 3rd District
Daryl Supernaw, Councilmember, 4th District
Stacy Mungo, Councilmember, 5th District
Suely Saro, Councilmember, 6th District
Roberto Uranga, Councilmember, 7th District
Al Austin, Councilmember, 8th District
Office of the City Manager
Tom Modica, City Manager
Linda Tatum, Assistant City Manager
Kevin Jackson, Deputy City Manager
Teresa Chandler, Deputy City Manager
City of Long Beach Planning Commission
Mark Christoffels, Chair
Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie, Vice Chair
Erick Verduzco-Vega
Jane Templin
Josh LaFarga
Richard Lewis
Ron Cruz, Retired
City of Long Beach Development Services Staff
Oscar W. Orci, Director
Christopher Koontz, AICP , Deputy Director
Patricia Diefenderfer, AICP , Planning Bureau Manager
Alexis Oropeza, Current Planning Officer
Alison Spindler-Ruiz, AICP , Advance Planning Officer
Alejandro Sanchez-Lopez, Planner
Fiahna Cabana, Planning Analyst (former)
Alvin Teng, Planning Analyst (former)
Andrew Chang, Administrative Analyst (former)
Cynthia de la Torre, Planner
Jennifer Ly, Planner
Elise Roberts, Planning Analyst
Special Thanks
Thank you to everyone who provided input during update process and contributed to the City’s housing strategy for the period of 2021-2029.
table of CONTENTS
Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................3 1 Introduction
Housing Element Purpose and Content ................................................................................................................23 Relationship to Other General Plan Elements .....................................................................................................25 Community Context......................................................................................................................................................26 Housing Context ............................................................................................................................................................26 Long Beach’s Guiding Vision for the Community ...............................................................................................27 Organization of the Housing Element ....................................................................................................................27 Data Sources and Methods ........................................................................................................................................28 Summary of Public Participation .............................................................................................................................28 2 Housing Needs Summary
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................33 Population Trends ..........................................................................................................................................................33 Employment Trends ......................................................................................................................................................34 Housing Stock .................................................................................................................................................................35 Household Characteristics ..........................................................................................................................................36 Housing Affordability ...................................................................................................................................................37 Special Groups ................................................................................................................................................................38 3 Projected Housing Need
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................41 4 Housing Resources
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................45 Land Resources ...............................................................................................................................................................45 Financial Resources .......................................................................................................................................................50 Administrative Resources ............................................................................................................................................54 Opportunities for Energy Conservation .................................................................................................................55
5 Housing Constraints
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................47 Governmental Constraints ..........................................................................................................................................47 Market Constraints ........................................................................................................................................................49 Environmental and Infrastructure Constraints ....................................................................................................50 Community Concerns and Opposition to Housing Development ..............................................................50 6 Housing Plan
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................67 Goals and Policies ..........................................................................................................................................................67 Housing Production ......................................................................................................................................................73 Mitigation of Government Constraints ..................................................................................................................79 Housing Affordability ...................................................................................................................................................84 Housing Opportunities for Special Needs Residents ........................................................................................89 Housing Preservation and Neighborhood Improvements .............................................................................93 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing ....................................................................................................................98 Housing Administration ..............................................................................................................................................106 Quantified Objectives ...................................................................................................................................................104 7 Appendix
Appendix A: Public Participation Report ...............................................................................................................A-1 Appendix B: Housing Needs Assessment ..............................................................................................................B-1 Appendix C: Site Inventory .........................................................................................................................................C-1 Appendix D: Housing Constraints ............................................................................................................................D-1 Appendix E: Review of Past Accomplishments ...................................................................................................E-1 Appendix F: Fair Housing Assessment....................................................................................................................F-1 Appendices to Appendix C:
Appendix C-1: Recent Entitlement & Building Permit Data to Inform PlaceType Density Assumptions ..............................................................................................................................................................................................C-1-1 Appendix C-2: Market Reports Used to Support Findings that Sites Will Develop During the Planning Period ..............................................................................................................................................................C-2-1 Appendix C-3: Additional Data on Inventory Sites under PlaceType Scenario ........................................C-3-1 Appendix C-4: Summary of Interviews with the Local Development Community ................................C-4-1 Tables
Figure HE-1: Los Angeles County 2020 Income Limits ..................................................................................................................41 Figure HE-2: 6th Cycle RHNA ..................................................................................................................................................................42 Figure HE-3: Current Zoning - Dwelling Unit Capacity .................................................................................................................47 Figure HE-4: PlaceTypes - Dwelling Unit Capacity ..........................................................................................................................48 Figure HE-5: Residential Dwelling Unit Potential and RHNA ......................................................................................................49 Figure HE-6: Quantified Objectives .......................................................................................................................................................109 table of Tables
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Executive Summary ..........................................................3 Executive Summary | Housing for All 3
Executive Summary
January 2022
WHAT IS THE HOUSING
ELEMENT?
» Required “element” or chapter of the City’s General Plan. » Assesses the condition of the City’s housing and the
housing needs of its residents.
» Establishes a roadmap for accommodating projected
housing unit demand for existing and future residents
over the next eight years.
» Sets citywide goals, objectives and policies for housing. » Shows how the City will meet demand for housing at all income levels, per State Law.
WHY UPDATE THE HOUSING
ELEMENT?
» Housing is essential to people’s health, quality of life and the economy.
» Housing Elements are a mandatory part of the General
Plan under state law.
» It must be updated every 8 years and submitted to
the State by a specific date they prescribe (6th Cycle
submitted to HCD by fall 2021).
» Detailed roadmap of how the City will meet its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation by
income level.
HOW IS THE HOUSING ELEMENT
USED?
» The Housing Element is the guiding document that
sets the City’s policy and program direction related to housing.
» Used when reviewing development projects (both
housing and non-housing projects)
» Guides all future city ordinances that the City develops as they must be consistent with the General Plan.
THE HOUSING ELEMENT
AIMS TO ACHIEVE SEVERAL
OVERARCHING GOALS,
INCLUDING:
» Accommodating projected housing demand, as
mandated by the State;
» Increasing housing production to meet this demand;
» Improving housing affordability;
» Preserving existing affordable housing;
» Improving the safety, quality and condition of existing housing;
» Facilitating the development of housing for all income levels and household types, including special needs
populations; and
» Improving the livability and economic prosperity of all City residents; and promoting fair housing choice for all.
The City of Long Beach is committed to improving access to safe and high-quality housing for residents across all income levels. Promoting a diversity of housing types,
increasing the feasibility of development of underused
sites throughout the City, and focusing the greatest
amount of new housing near transit and jobs are some
of the strategies needed for the City to meet its housing commitment and continue to affirm that housing is a basic human right for all residents.
The Housing Element lays out the City’s plan for removing barriers to housing production to counter well-documented housing shortages and helps ensure that the City is
planning for its “fair share” of affordable and market rate housing.
4 Executive Summary
Housing Element | City of Long Beach
January 2022
THE HOUSING ELEMENT ORGANIZATION GUIDE
The Housing Element includes six chapters, outlining current and future housing needs of the community, housing resources, constraints to building housing, and a housing plan. The housing plan within the Housing Element Update builds upon and revises the goals, policies and programs of the existing Housing Element to ensure that the City can meet the housing needs of all Long Beach residents through 2029, when the plan is scheduled to be updated again as required by state law.
To dive deeper into these chapters, please see accompany plan page numbers. 1 Introduction – pages 23-30
Introduces the purpose of the Housing Element, context, related documents, and summary of public participation. 2 Housing Needs Summary – pages 33-38
Describes Long Beach’s demographic and housing related to the City’s housing needs, including housing type and affordability.
3 Projected Housing Need – pages 41-42
Shows the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or the “fair share” of housing units the City must plan for at different affordability levels as required by law.
4 Housing Resources – page 45-56
Summarizes the existing and proposed land, financial, and administrative resources Long Beach has to meet the City’s need through this update.
5 Housing Constraints – page 59-62
Identifies governmental, market, environmental, and other existing obstacles or challenges to maintaining, expanding, and improving housing in Long Beach.
6 Housing Plan – pages 65-104
Lays out the goals and steps needed to meet the housing needs of current and future residents. Each goal has associated policies, programs, and actions detailed in the plan by law.
RHNA Sites Inventory
7 GOALS
72 POLICIES
40 PROGRAMS
103 ACTIONS
Executive Summary | Housing for All 5
Executive Summary
January 2022
HOUSING COSTS TOO MUCH FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS
The Housing Element describes the current housing conditions in Long Beach and provides data and information on the economic and social stresses that many residents face due to the lack of sufficient access to quality, affordable housing.
The Housing Plan, chapter six within the Housing Element, provides actions that the City will take to address the lack of affordable housing and help increase the number of new housing units. These actions include: production of affordable housing units, the preservation of existing affordable housing, as well as addressing the housing needs of vulnerable populations to provide housing assistance resources and to address fair housing issues. 23,851
10,209
17,587
15,521
16,117
> 50 YEARS
10,278
5,486
2,286
708
640
1939 OR EARLIER
YEAR BUILTRENTER-OCCUPIED UNITS OWNER-OCCUPIED UNITS
1940-1949
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2009
2010-1013
2014 OR LATER
15,971
12,084
20,345
7,941
5,664
3,001
3,261
2,208
172
102
Housing Units by Year Built
> 30 YEARS
SINCE 1990
POPULATION
+21.7%
HOUSING UNITS
+8.6%
Supply and access to adequate and affordable housing continue to be one of the biggest challenges faced by communities across the State, including Long Beach, where we are currently experiencing record-high housing costs.
ALL
47%50%
57%
61%
51%55%
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 WHITE BLACK LATIN ASIAN /PACIFIC
ISLANDER
MIXED/
OTHER
Percentage of Rent-Burdened Renters in Long Beach, 2017 Housing affordability has been exacerbated by long-term low levels of production of new housing units and stagnant wages that have made it harder and harder for many to find housing they can afford. 43% of all households are
cost-burdened in Long
Beach - paying more than
30% of their monthly
income towards rent or a
mortgage.
6 Executive Summary
Housing Element | City of Long Beach
January 2022
WAGES ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH INCREASING HOUSING COSTS
High housing costs have made it difficult for many Californians to be able to save or invest enough to take advantage of the long-term financial benefits of homeownership or to receive the social, heath, and economic benefits that can come to individuals and families as a result of having access to high-quality, stable, and affordable housing.
In addition, this housing crisis does not impact everyone equally – lower-income households and residents of color are disproportionately affected due to lack of financial ability and institutionalized racial discrimination.
LESS THAN 0% (RENT DECREASE)
0% TO 10% INCREASE
11% TO 20% INCREASE
21% OR MORE INCREASE
Rent Increase Percentage 2010-2020
90805
8%
90807
22%
90808
26%
90815
20%
90804
19%
90803
9%
90802
32%
90813
15%
90806
18%
90810
-16%
90814 8%
10TH WAGE
PERCENTILE
-1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
20TH WAGE
PERCENTILE
-3%
50TH WAGE
PERCENTILE
-1%
80TH WAGE
PERCENTILE
-3%
90TH WAGE
PERCENTILE
-1%
AVERAGE RENT
CITYWIDE
+20%
Change in Wage and Average Rent Since 2010 (inflation adjusted) RENT IS GOING UP ...
As housing costs have
increased citywide over
time, wages have not. This
increases the crisis and puts
home stability out of reach
for thousands.
Rent has gone up by 20%
citywide over the past 10 years.
In Long Beach, where 60% of
people rent, this increase means
less money for food, healthcare,
or education.