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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-16 PC MINS MINUTES OF THE JOINT WORKSHOP OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION Public Services Building Council Chambers 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 16, 2005 CALL TO ORDER: Planning Commission members present: Madrid, Nordstrom, Tripp, Bensoussan, Felber, Hom Planning Commission members absent: Cortes HAC members present: Martin Del Campo, Zazueta, Alabado, Chavez HAC members absent: Reese, Worth ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No public input. WORKSHOP TOPIC: 2005-10 Update of the Housing Element of the City's General Plan 6:16:00 PM Mandy Mills, Housing Manager and Leilani Hines, Senior Community Development Specialist gave an overview of the 2005-10 Update of the Housing Element as outlined in staff's report. 6:39:15 PM Commission Discussion: 6:40:02 PM Cmr. Nordstrom stated the key questions is how do we provide affordable housing and inquired what is the practice of other jurisdictions in the country. 6:41:11 PM Mandy Mills stated it's a very complex matter and many variables come in to play; it depends on the community, and what the needs and resources are. For example, inclusionary housing might be applied to smaller scale projects. Currently, our trigger is 50 units or more; this trigger could be lowered. Another example might be to require a higher percentage; instead of 10%, they might require 15%. Additionally, they might require a lower level of affordability; right now we're at moderate to low; other jurisdictions may be low to very low income. 6:44:28 PM Cmr. Bensoussan stated that it's important that our policies be based on real figures and aske.:d if the median family income figure of $63,000 for comes from HUD. She stated that perhaps the figures are skewed and they should reflect this area's most current census track, which reflects a median income of $42,970 for zip code 91910 and $38,000 for zip code 91911. Ms. Mills stated that for definition and consistency sake, we should stick to the State MFI figures, however, we can certainly target our programs and policies to the lower end of that median income spectrum. Currently, we target low to moderate, and we could make a shift to target very low income. Minutes - PC I HAC Workshop November 16, 2005 - Page 2 6:48:44 PM Cmr. Zazueta inquired what other jurisdictions have done to balance condo conversions to provide low income purchasing options as well as maintaining for-rent housing options. Ms. Mills stated that as an example that the City of EI Cajon has an over-abundance of rentals and in order to create home-ownership, they encourage condo conversions. The opposite is true for the City of Encinitas that has said "no" to condo conversions because they don't have enough of a rental stock. Ms. Mills indicated that one option would be to split the policy; for example, you could narrow it down to a certain area of town where you could have more of a concentration of rental property. 6:51:13 PM Cmr. Alabado stated that the present housing market excludes a large population of the workforce, i.e. public sector employees (teachers, public safety and civil servants) who cannot afford to purchase homes at today's prices, therefore, he'd like further consideration to be given to manufactured homes and would like to see that addressed and included as an element in the Gen'3ral Plan. 6:52:10 PM Cmr. Chavez stated that if staff has not already done so, they should look at the County of San Diego's Ten-Year Plan, which addresses affordable housing and the research they've done would be helpful. 6:52:39 PM Cmr. Martin Del Campo inquired about the number of condo conversions currently in Chula Vista. Ms. Mills responded that to-date there have been 432 units that were approved and 702 units are pending. 6:53:31 PM Public Speaking Opened. 6:54:07 PM Jackie McQuaid, spoke of the displaced mobilehome residents who many of them are on fixed incomes of $700 per month or less, with health problems and the need to plan ahead for ways to address the housing needs of these people before they are forced to become homeless. 6:57:59 PM Tim Burton addressed the plight of the needy and urged the policy-makers to carefully consider their role in seeking solutions to serve the housing needs for the entire community they represent. 7:01 :27 PM Nick Aguilar focused his comments on the low, to very low-income sector of the population. Mr. Aguilar stated he is on the board of directors for three non-profit projects and stated that the waiting list for housing for all three projects is between 3 to 5 years. Mr. Aguilar offered the following criteria for consideration: Low income housing should be integrated into established neighborhoods in order to avoid creating slums or ghettos; subsidized rental and for sale housing should be provided; seriously consider the environmental impacts of displacement of low income housing, specifically, homelessness and ensure that Chula Vista gets its fair share of the regional need for low income housing. 7:05:17 PM Laura Hunter, Environmental Health Coalition offered the following comments and recommendations: . Chula Vista should look into increasing their tax increment that goes into affordable housing. Minutes - PC I HAC Workshop November 16, 2005 Page 3 · The City of Chula Vista has not met its goals in the past five years for providing low income and very low income units. · Concurs with Cmr. Bensoussan's comments about the AMI figures reflecting census figures for this area. · Regarding condo conversions, the goal is to provide first-time home-ownership, · We need to be careful that we are not trading low-income rentals for high-income rentals because once the unit is sold they can turn around and rent it out at market value. · Need to be attentive to the balance of rental units vs. condo for-sale units and you may want to tie the number of conversions to what your rental occupancy rate is. · Improving the safety of the current housing stock, i.e. lead abatement · New housing should be constructed in safe zones (500 foot zone from freeways) · Building affordable housing concurrently as new development is being constructed. 7:10:55 PM Pat Aguilar, representing Crossroads II, inquired why the City isn't forcing the mobilehome park owners to bring their parks into code compliance. Ms. Hines responded that the City does have a Mobilehome Inspection Program and they are actively inspecting each park in the City and are holding them accountable for issues of non- compliance. Ms. Aguilar, representing Crossroads II stated that the Housing Element is not a stand-alone document, but an integral part of the General Plan Update and must be considered in light of what the GPU is calling for in the way of displacement. Ms. Aguilar further stated that Crossroads II is requesting the support of both Commissions for their request that the Housing Element of the General Plan acknowledge and include an analysis of the at least 5,000 or more people who will be displaced if the plan is implemented as proposed. Our request is that the Housing Element contain baseline data that includes information on the mix of housing units that will be displaced, i.e. how many apartments, mobilehomes, single-family homes, condos; where they are located throughout the City and what the range of rent or market value is of those homes. The analysis should include the various programs that are available to people who are displaced. Ms. Bensoussan stated that since the GPU used the current Housing Element she asked for clarification as to how the new Housing Element will be incorporated into the existing GPU? John Mullen responded that once the GPU is adopted, the existing Housing Element remains in full force and effect. When the new Housing Element is adopted, it will replace the former one in the GPU. 7:25:49 PM Michelle Rewerts stated the Housing Element update fails to address the extremely low income bracket, which according to HUD figures is $16,000 to $24,000, but there are many who are living on much less than this. She stated the Housing Element fails to recognize that people who live in a trailer park prefer to live there by choice rather than apartment buildings; they have a community and they have pets and gardens. If Broadway is too valuable of a redevelopment area, then perhaps alternative sites for displaced mobilehome owners would be the SDG&E lot next to the South Library. Perhaps FEMA could offer some assistance in selling at a reduced price some of the thousands of mobilehomes that were purchased to assist Katrina victims. Once those mobilehomes are no longer needed, perhaps they could be sold at a reduced price in 2 to 3 years. The poor will always be among us and it behooves policy-maker to not make their lives any more difficult by displacing them and removing housing that is affordable to them. Minutes - PC I HAC Workshop November 16, 2005 Page 4 7:28:53 PM Commission Comment: 7:29:17 PM Cmr. Felber offered the following comments and recommendations: · Would like to see more at the forefront the first-time home-buyers program as part of the policies and programs that are available; · Maintain a good balance of rental and for-sale housing stock; · Condo conversions is a means by which to provide opportunities for first-time homebuyers and at more affordable prices; · The need to be mindful to provide adequate parking, not only for the residents that will be living in multi-family complexes, but also provide parking for guests of the residents. 7:34:01 PM Cmr. Bensoussan offered the following comments and recommendations: · That affordable housing should be integrated into established neighborhoods so as not to create slums; · Since mobilehome parks are an integral part of the west, although they may not be appropriate along Broadway, we need to study alternate locations to relocate them as in-fill ~;rojects within the west; · We should voluntarily increase the tax increment that goes to affordable housing; · We should peg the rate of condo conversions to vacancy rates and have a flexible policy that goes up and down depending vacancy rates; and · We should change figures of the AMI to more accurately reflect the numbers for Chula Vista 7:37:54 PM Cmr. Madrid offered the following comments and recommendations: · Look at reducing the 50 unit or above requirement that triggers designating a portion to affordable housing; · On condo conversions, designate a percentage to be affordable for-rent apartments; · Agree with doing a housing displacement analysis · We ought to address the extremely low-income segment of the population · Look for ways to have development pay a part of subsidizing relocation programs as part of development impact fees. · Look at areas that we know, based on the General Plan designation, will be phased out, identify the people and place them on a waiting list for Section 8 now, rather than later 7:43:32 PM Cmr, Hom asked for a breakdown in funding sources received by the City for affordable housing. Ms. Mills responded that the City receives approximately $1 million of federal funding through the Home Program, which is a Block Grant for affordable housing. We also receive CDBG funds, which in certain cases can be used for affordable housing, but are mostly designated for capital improvement projects in low income areas. We receive a small Emergency Shelter Grant in the amount of $43,000 and the money received in tax increment funding for redevelopment is approximately $800,000. 7:45:05 PM Cmr. Nordstrom stated that the key element comes down to money. Recognizing that we have a segment of our population to protect, we don't have the funding sources to do all of the things we'd like to and we're dealing with a much larger social issue than we're going to be able to resolve tonight as commissioners. Without raising taxes, we've got enough talent and expertise to come up with creative ways to make at least some of the many good suggestions brought up tonight, become more of a reality. Minutes - PC I HAC Workshop November 16,2005 Page 5 7:46:31 PM Cmr. Tripp commented that he was disappointed to see that the participants who were in attendance at the Stakeholders Consultation on 11/7th were more on the "need" side of the equation instead of the "provide" side. He also inquired if we have an in-lieu fee. Ms. Mills stated that an in-lieu fee is allowed for in the policy, however, to date, no fee has been approved. At this point the functionality is there, but a fee structure has yet to be brought forward and adopted. His recommendation is that the in-lieu fee be a realistic one so that implementation and those on the providers side can help make it happen. 7:49:48 PM Cmr. Bensoussan inquired what is the role of the consultant and could he work on finding different sources of funding. Ms. Hines responded that she does not believe that doing research and analysis in identifying funding sources is part of the consultant's scope of work under the current contract. The consultant was hired to assist staff in the preparation of the Housing Element and they are working in conjunction with staff in developing the public participation program, in analyzing the data and in developing the programs and policies. 7:53:53 PM David Bark, RBF Consultant gave a brief overview of qualifications and scope of work program for the Housing Element update. 7:56:25 PM Meeting adjourned. \ \. -~ /---- --~"-.A./' ()- If I Submitted by Diana rgas, Secretary to the Plan' ing Commission