Housing document reports city's low-cost efforts

One statement stands out in an otherwise well-documented 138-page draft of this city's latest housing element, a report mandated by and slated to be forwarded to state officials by an Oct. 15 deadline, after anticipated approval by the City Council this summer.

The statement--“Yorba Linda has an active history of supporting affordable housing in its community”--is at odds with comments made by the council members who served on the governing body during the previous housing planning cycle.

As officials struggled to meet state requirements to identify sites for 831 units in low-income categories in the 2008-2013 housing element period, the council often criticized past panels for not providing low-cost housing opportunities, especially as the eastside was developed.

A lack of space on the eastside was the major reason 12 of 14 sites for potential low-income units were named on the westside and just two in the east, both at Savi Ranch. The 14 sites met mandates for the 2008-13 cycle and will meet new requirements for the 2014-21 period.

And council members who identified the 14 properties for rezoning to 10, 20 and 30 units per acre appeared to be motivated mostly by severe negative consequences if they didn't act, including a threat of litigation and loss of local control over land-use decision-making.

Residents obviously agreed with council's decision, since voters approved the zone changes in June 2012, after a city-funded education effort highlighted the penalties. A prior 2010 vote to rezone just the Savi Ranch land had failed.

Of course, if “active history” means looking back just a few years, the city has supported low-cost housing by providing 549 units at Villa Plumosa, Victoria Woods, Arbor Villas, Parkwood, Archstone and the Meta units across from Stater Brothers.

The two Savi Ranch sites will add 123 units, and properly zoned vacant and underutilized sites could provide another 545. Also in the count are 60 of 632 units in six developments: The Hills, Yorba Linda Village, Jamestown, Lakeview, Rancho Linda and Evergreen Villas.

The units are held under 55-year covenants for households in three lower-income groupings: “extremely low” with incomes from $20,250 for one person to $28,900 for four persons; “very low” ranging from $33,750 to $48,150; and “low” running from $53,950 to $77,050.

Categories are based on a percentage of an area median average. Moderate income ranges for one- to four-person households are $71,650 to $102,350, with higher incomes considered above moderate.

A Southern California Association of Governments statement lists Yorba Linda with 21,409 households with income levels that include 1,141 extremely low; 1,328 very low; 2,295 low; 3,027 moderate; and 13,618 above moderate.

Using 2010 census data, the new housing element draft reports 88 percent of 11,400 people employed in the city commute from outside the city limits and 40 percent of the city's primary employment is in lower-paying retail, hospitality, construction and service-related industries, “indicative of the shortage of local affordable housing opportunities for the community's workforce.”