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[Town Hall Meeting on October 27, 2021.]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.I THINK WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED.
JERRY, BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN, WOULD YOU DO US THE HONOR OF LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE CROSS YOUR HAND AND JOIN ME IN SALUTING OUR FLAG, SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
GOOD, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
UM, WHERE CURRENTLY HOLDING THE TOWN HALL MEETING TO DISCUSS THE HOUSING ELEMENTS, UPDATE OUR CONSULTANT, OUR HOUSING ELEMENT CONSULTANT.
JOHN DOUGLAS WILL BE CONDUCTING THE PRESENTATION.
IF THERE ARE ANY FOLKS WATCHING ON, UH, ON THE INTERNET, WE WELCOME THEM.
UH, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHOP IS TO REVIEW THE CITY'S HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING ANY QUESTIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS AS WE GO THROUGH THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A SHORT PRESENTATION, JUST GIVING SOME OVERVIEW OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
SO MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF WEST COVINA UPDATED ITS GENERAL PLAN PLAN WC.
SO THAT UPDATE THAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO DID NOT INCLUDE THE HOUSING ELEMENT BECAUSE THE HOUSING ELEMENT IS ON A SEPARATE SCHEDULE BY THE STATE.
SO PLAN WEST COVINA INCLUDED ALL OF THESE OTHER TOPICS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE HOUSING BECAUSE OF THE SEPARATE SCHEDULE.
SO YOU MIGHT THINK OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS THE FINAL STEP OF THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE PLAN.
WEST COVINA STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT HOUSING ELEMENTS BE UPDATED EVERY EIGHT YEARS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN.
THE HOUSING ELEMENT IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY IN STATE LAW.
SO IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION, WE ARE ON A, UH, WHAT'S CALLED THE SIXTH PLANNING CYCLE RIGHT NOW THAT COVERS THE EIGHT YEARS FROM NOW OUT TO THE YEAR 20, 20 TIMES 29.
AND SO ALL OF THE CITIES IN LA COUNTY, ORANGE COUNTY, RIVERSIDE, SAN BERNARDINO, AND IN THE CORONER IMPERIAL COUNTY, THEY'RE ALL DOING THIS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO HOUSING ELEMENTS ARE A HOT ISSUE RIGHT NOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN IN THE NEWSPAPER.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THE HOUSING ELEMENT THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO OTHER PORTIONS OF THE GENERAL PLAN IS THE LEVEL OF STATE OVERSIGHT.
THERE IS THIS A REVIEW PROCESS THAT'S CALLED CERTIFICATION THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, THAT GIVES THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REVIEWING CITY HOUSING ELEMENTS AND ISSUING OPINIONS AS TO WHETHER THEY COMPLY WITH STATE LAW OR NOT.
SO THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PART OF THE GENERAL PLAN AND IT REFLECTS THE STATE'S PRIORITY FOR HOUSING.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS SAID THAT HOUSING AS A MATTER OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE, AND THAT'S WHAT IS BEHIND ALL OF THIS ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY THAT COMES TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT FROM THE STATE.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, HCD, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE REVIEWING LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF HOUSING ELEMENTS FROM NOT ONLY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE THAT ARE ON A SIMILAR SCHEDULE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SAN DIEGO REGION AND THE SACRAMENTO REGION.
SO IN SACRAMENTO, THE TOPIC OF HOUSING ELEMENTS IS VERY HOT RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THIS PROCESS THAT WE WE REFER TO AS CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATION IS, IS WHAT WE CALL IT.
WHEN WE GET A LETTER FROM THE STATE THAT SAYS OUR HOUSING ELEMENT FULLY COMPLIES WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LAW, THAT'S YOU MIGHT HEAR SOMEBODY SAY YOU HAVE A CERTIFIED HOUSING ELEMENT.
THAT MEANS THE STATE HAS ISSUED AN OPINION THAT IT COMPLIES WITH STATE LAW.
THAT CERTIFICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN THE LAW IT GIVES, UH, LEGAL PROTECTION TO CITIES, UH, IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL VALIDITY OF THEIR GENERAL PLAN AND THERE'S ZONING REGULATIONS AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT STATE CERTIFICATION.
AND IT ALSO OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS.
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AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE CITY IS DOING RIGHT NOW ON THE DEVELOPMENT CODE IS MAYBE IN PART FUNDED BY SOME STATE GRANTS THAT BECAUSE THE CITY HAS A CERTIFIED HOUSING ELEMENT FROM EIGHT YEARS AGO, THEY WERE ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF THAT PLANNING WORK.NOW IN STATE LAW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF KEY PRINCIPLES.
UH, THE STATE LAW GOES ON FOR LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PAGES ON WHAT'S REQUIRED WITH REGARD TO HOUSING, BUT THERE, IT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO SOME KEY PRINCIPLES.
THE FIRST IS THAT CITIES ARE SUPPOSED TO USE THEIR MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE EXISTING HOUSING SUPPLY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK OUT EIGHT YEARS INTO THE FUTURE, MOST OF THE HOUSING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EIGHT YEARS FROM NOW, IT'S ALREADY ON THE GROUND TODAY.
SO WE WANT TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN WHAT WE'VE GOT AT THE SAME TIME.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL NEEDS DUE TO POPULATION GROWTH AND JUST DUE TO CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY AND SO FORTH.
AND SO CITIES HAVE TO PLAN EIGHT YEARS INTO THE FUTURE AND TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT GROWTH.
AND I'LL, I'M GOING TO TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND CITIES ALSO HAVE A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING.
AND SO STATE LAW SAYS THAT EVERY TIME WE UPDATE OUR HOUSING ELEMENT, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T CREATE UNREASONABLE CONSTRAINTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING.
AND THAT'S THINGS LIKE, UH, THE ALLOWABLE BUILDING HEIGHTS AND PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS, YOU KNOW, HOW CUMBERSOME IS THE REVIEW PROCESS AND SO FORTH.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK IN THIS HOUSING ELEMENT THAT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF ZONING REGULATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND FEES AND REVIEW PROCESS AND SO FORTH.
SO CITIES ARE SUPPOSED TO MINIMIZE THOSE CONSTRAINTS TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S FEASIBLE TO DO SO.
AND THEN FINALLY, A TOPIC OF FAIR HOUSING, FAIR HOUSING HAS BEEN IN THE LAW FOR A VERY LONG TIME, BUT THERE IS A HEIGHTENED EMPHASIS ON AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING THAT'S INPUT INTO THE LAW IN RECENT YEARS.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE MORE ATTENTION PAID TO THAT TOPIC IN THIS PLANNING CYCLE.
I WANT TO, UH, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS ON THIS CHART, WHAT I WANT TO DO BEFORE WE GO TOO FAR, AS FAR AS I WANT TO DEFINE WHAT WE MEAN BY THE TERM AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE HEAR THAT TERM A LOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ACTUALLY DEFINED IN STATE LAW AND STATE LAW ESTABLISHES INCOME CATEGORIES, UH, THAT YOU SEE ON THIS CHART.
AND THEY RANGE FROM EXTREMELY LOW AT THE LOWEST END ON UP TO WHAT'S CALLED ABOVE MODERATE.
AND SO OUR, OUR, UH, ENTIRE POPULATION IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THESE FIVE DIFFERENT INCOME CATEGORIES.
AND THESE ARE USED TO DEF DEFINE WHAT WE MEAN BY HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, STATE LAW SAYS THAT A FAMILY OF FOUR WHOSE INCOME IS NO MORE THAN 80% OF THE COUNTY MEDIAN IS BY DEFINITION A LOW-INCOME FAMILY.
SO THAT 80% APPLIES TO THE COUNTYWIDE MEDIAN INCOME.
SO IN LA COUNTY, THE MEDIAN INCOME IS ABOUT $80,000 A YEAR.
AND SO 80% OF THAT $80,000 A YEAR IS CONSIDERED TO BE VERY LOW INCOME.
BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOOD IN MATH CAN SEE THAT 80% OF 80,000 IS NOT 94,600.
THE REASON IS THAT THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS TO THESE NUMBERS BASED ON HIGH HOUSING COSTS.
SO LA COUNTY IS CONSIDERED A HIGH HOUSING COST AREA.
SO THESE NUMBERS ARE ADJUSTED.
THE SAME HAPPENS IN THE BAY AREA AND SAN DIEGO AND AREAS THAT HAVE VERY HIGH HOUSING COSTUMES.
SO, UH, WHILE THAT THOSE PERCENTAGES OF THE COUNTY MEDIAN INCOME ARE GUIDEPOSTS, THEY CAN BE ADJUSTED IN AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH HOUSING COSTS.
SO THE S THE SECOND COLUMN FROM THE LEFT, THE INCOME LIMITS, THESE ARE THE ACTUAL ANNUAL INCOME NUMBERS THAT APPLY TO THE DIFFERENT INCOME CATEGORIES FOR LA COUNTY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE STAY WITH OUR HYPOTHETICAL FAMILY OF FOUR WHO'S BY DEFINITION, LOW INCOME, THAT MEANS A FAMILY WHOSE INCOME CAN BE UP TO ALMOST $95,000 A YEAR, FAMILY OF FOUR, ALMOST $95,000 A YEAR IN LA COUNTY IS CALLED A LOW-INCOME FAMILY, UH, SHOCKING TO ME, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE LAW AS THE STATE HAS DETERMINED IT.
NOW, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY AFFORDABLE HOUSING? UH, UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW FAMILIES SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED THAT THEY, MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR GROSS INCOME TOWARDS HOUSING EXPENSES.
AND THAT INCLUDES A UTILITY ALLOWANCE FOR RENTERS.
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SO 30% TIMES THE INCOME IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COSTS.SO FOR THAT LOW-INCOME FAMILY IN LA COUNTY UP TO $2,365 A MONTH IS CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR A LOW INCOME RENTER FAMILY COME STRAIGHT OUT OF STATE LAW.
NOW, WE CAN ALSO TRY TO ESTIMATE WHAT FOR SALE HOUSING PRICES ARE AT THESE DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS, BUT IT'S HARD TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES THAT GO INTO HOME PURCHASE THE MORTGAGE INTEREST RATE, THE AMOUNT OF THE DOWN PAYMENT, WHETHER THERE'S HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DUES, UH, IF THERE'S ANY SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, UH, IN ADDITION TO PROPERTY TAXES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UH, MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN A PRECISE DOLLAR VALUE.
THAT'S CONSIDERED AN AFFORDABLE PURCHASE HOME, BUT IF YOU TAKE SORT OF BALLPARK COMMON NUMBERS, UH, TODAY, UM, I ESTIMATE THAT AROUND $425,000 WOULD BE AN AFFORDABLE, MODERATE INCOME CONDO.
THE REASON I HAVE AN ESTIMATED FOR SALE PRICES AT THE LOWER INCOME IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, OFFICIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT IS IT'S DEED RESTRICTED AT CERTAIN PRICE OR RENT LEVELS, IT'S ALMOST IF IT'S FOR SALE PRODUCT, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS DONE AT THE MODERATE INCOME LEVEL, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET FOR SALE HOUSING TO PENCIL OUT.
THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY WOULD JUST BE TOO GREAT TO MAKE IT NOT FEASIBLE.
SO AROUND 425,000 IS WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THESE DAYS, A MODERATE INCOME CONDO IN LA COUNTY.
SO JUST WANT TO BORE YOU WITH SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
SO WHEN I USE THE TERM AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
NOW, THERE, AS I SAID, THAT THERE THERE'S LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PAGES IN STATE LAW OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT CITIES HAVE TO FOLLOW IN THEIR HOUSING ELEMENT.
BUT IN MY MIND, THERE'S TWO REALLY IMPORTANT ONES THAT RISE TO THE SURFACE, AND THAT IS CITIES ANALYZING THEIR REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH STATE LAW ON HOUSING, FOR PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS, OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, THAT'S SENIORS, THE ELDERLY AND SO FORTH.
THOSE ARE SPECIAL GROUPS THAT ARE CALLED OUT IN STATE LAW.
AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE IN JUST A SECOND.
THE SECOND KEY ISSUE IS THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT YOU MAY HAVE READ ABOUT IN THE NEWSPAPER OR HEARD ABOUT IN PUBLIC MEETINGS AND SO FORTH.
AND I'M GOING TO COME BACK AND TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
BUT THESE ARE THE, IN MY MIND, THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON WHEN WE'RE DOING THE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE.
SO STATE LAW CALLS OUT SIX DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL NEEDS, AND YOU SEE THEM HERE, THE ELDERLY, UH, LARGE FAMILIES, WHICH IS FIVE OR MORE PEOPLE IN A FAMILY, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS, FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, OR MORE GENERALLY SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS, BECAUSE THERE'S TYPICALLY ONE INCOME IN THE FAMILY AND FARM WORKERS, FARM WORKERS, YOU KNOW, TH THESE LAWS APPLY STATEWIDE.
AND SO WHILE WE DON'T THINK OF URBAN LOS ANGELES, HAVING A LOT OF FARM WORKERS, THESE LAWS ARE WRITTEN TO APPLY TO THE WHOLE STATE.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE INLAND EMPIRE AND THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND SO FORTH, WHETHER IT'S IN VENTURA COUNTY, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF FARM WORKERS.
SO THERE ARE SPECIAL REGULATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH HOUSING THAT IS SUITABLE FOR THESE SPECIAL GROUPS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO ANALYZE THE CITY REGULATIONS, MAKE SURE THAT OUR REGULATIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE REGULATIONS.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES TO STATE REGULATIONS IN RECENT YEARS.
SO AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE ADDRESSING SOME CHANGES TO STATE HOUSING LAW, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF HOUSING IS INTENDED TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THOSE FOLKS.
UH, WELL, WE OFTEN USE THE TERM AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, THAT'S HOUSING.
THAT'S AFFORDABLE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY WORK.
YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE WORKERS, THE LOWER, THE LOWER PAID ESSENTIAL PEOPLE TO MAKE EVERY SOCIETY WORK.
AND SO WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE HOUSING.
THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO DO THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER SPECIALIZED KINDS OF HOUSING THERE'S THERE'S TERMS CALLED TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH ARE USUALLY, UH, RUN BY NONPROFIT AGENCIES.
AND THEY'RE TARGETED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER, UH, HOMELESS NOW, OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS PARTICULARLY TARGETED FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED A MORE INTENSIVE, UH, CARE AND SUPPORT AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR DAILY
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LIVES.EMERGENCY CELL SHELTERS IS JUST THE OFFICIAL TERM FOR A HOMELESS SHELTER.
AND THEN THERE'S A NEW CATEGORY OF SHELTERS CALLED LOW BARRIER NAVIGATION CENTERS.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT TERM POP UP IN THE NEWS, A NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH JUST MEANS A HOMELESS SHELTER THAT ALSO HAS SOME SERVICES PROVIDED WITH IT.
UM, JOB PLACEMENT, MAYBE SOME COUNSELING, UH, MAYBE, UH, ASSISTANCE, FIGURING OUT WHERE HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO MOVE INTO A MORE PERMANENT TYPE OF HOUSING SITUATION.
RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES ARE FACILITIES THAT ARE INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DISABILITY OR A HEALTH SITUATION WHERE THEY ALSO NEED SOME SORT OF CONTINUOUS CARE.
AND THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES THAT APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER TERM IT'S IN THE LAW IT'S CALLED REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING LAW, IF SOMEONE HAS A DISABILITY AND THAT DISABILITY REQUIRES THEM TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A MODIFICATION TO AN EXISTING RULE OR REGULATION SO THAT THEY CAN USE THEIR HOME.
AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE AROUND NOW A WHEELCHAIR RAMP THAT MAYBE DOESN'T MEET THE STRICT BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS OR THE ZONING SETBACKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
CITIES ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR RULES IN ORDER TO SATISFY THAT THE PERSON WITH THE DISABILITY SO THAT THEY CAN USE AND ENJOY THEIR HOME.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT EVERY TIME WE DO A HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, WE LOOK AT THE RULES AND WHAT WHAT'S THE PROCESS, AND IS THAT PROCESS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY AND THEIR NEEDS.
OKAY, I'M GOING TO SHIFT GEARS AND TALK ABOUT THE RENA.
ONE OF, ONE OF PLANNER'S FAVORITE TOPICS EVERY EIGHT YEARS, WHEN THIS COMES UP, UH, THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN IN STATE LAW FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS.
AND IN ESSENCE, IT SAYS THAT EVERY CITY AND EVERY COUNTY FOR THE UNINCORPORATED PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO USE THEIR MUNICIPAL POWERS, TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE AND ACCOMMODATE ENOUGH HOUSING, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND HOUSING GROWTH OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
AND IT'S, IT'S A NUMERICAL EXERCISE WHERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, THE STATE ASSIGNS A TOTAL HOUSING NEED TO THE REGION.
SO SCAG IN OUR CASE, AND THEN SCAG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLOCATING EACH CITY'S SHARE OF THAT TOTAL HOUSING NEED.
AND THEN THE CITY IS ASSIGNED A NUMBER THAT IT NEEDS TO PLAN FOR.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THESE RENA NUMBERS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN JUST A SECOND, WHAT THEY ARE FOR WEST COVINA.
UH, THE CITY IS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO SHOW THAT ITS PLANS AND ZONING REGULATIONS COULD ACCOMMODATE THAT AMOUNT OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO MEET IT, BUT THEY HAVE TO PLAN FOR IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE HARD AND FAST RULES OF HOUSING ELEMENTS.
THE CITY HAS TO SHOW HOW THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE ARENA.
NUMBER THAT'S BEEN ASSIGNED TO WEST COVINA.
RENA IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THE DIFFERENT INCOME CATEGORIES THAT I SHOWED YOU A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND WE DO THE ANALYSIS FOR EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT INCOME CATEGORIES.
AND THAT IS BASED ON THE DENSITY OF THE HOUSING THAT'S ALLOWED.
SO IN STATE LAW DENSITY IS A PROXY FOR AFFORDABILITY.
SO WHAT STATE LAW SAYS IN, IN URBAN AREAS LIKE WEST COVINA, THEY HAVE TO ALLOW A DENSITY OF AT LEAST 30 UNITS PER ACRE IN ORDER TO BE FEASIBLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE BUILT.
SO WE LOOK AT OUR ZONING REGULATIONS ON OUR PLANS, AND WE LOOK AT THE DOWNTOWN REGULATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE DOWNTOWN, UH, MUCH HIGHER THAN 30 UNITS BREAKER IS ALLOWED.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME NEW PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE SEEN AROUND TOWN, YOU KNOW, FIVE, FIVE STORY PROJECTS THAT ARE HIGHER THAN THAT.
30 UNITS PER ACRE, 30 UNITS PER ACRE IS TYPICALLY ABOUT A THREE-STORY CONDO OR APARTMENT TYPE OF PROJECT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS DO THE CITY'S PLANS AND ZONING REGULATIONS ALLOW HIGHER DENSITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE LOWER INCOME HOUSING NUMBERS.
UH, THE WAY WE DEMONSTRATE THIS AS DOING A PARCEL SPECIFIC INVENTORY.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE APPENDIX OF OUR DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT, YOU'LL SEE, UH, TABLES THAT GO ON FOR SEVERAL PAGES.
IT'S, IT'S PARCEL SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
UH, HOW BIG IS THE PARCEL WHAT'S ITS EXISTING USE? WHAT'S THE ZONING, HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS COULD BE BUILT ON THAT PARCEL IF YOU HAD AN INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNER AND AN INTERESTED DEVELOPER AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY BITS OF INFORMATION IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT
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IS THAT INVENTORY OF PARCELS WAREHOUSING CAN BE BUILT.SO THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, UM, ABOUT, UH, OH, WAIT A YEAR OR SO AGO WHEN WE STARTED OFF THE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE PROCESS, THE STATE ALLOCATED THE SCAG REGION, A TOTAL NEED OF OVER 1.3 MILLION HOUSING UNITS FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
UH, THAT WAS A SHOCKER TO A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THIS PROCESS EIGHT YEARS AGO, THAT REGION WIDE NUMBER WAS ONLY ABOUT 400,000.
SO IT'S MORE THAN THREE TIMES WHAT IT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO.
WHY IS THAT? IT'S BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE HAS DECLARED THAT WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
AND SO THESE HIGHER RENA NUMBERS ARE PART OF THE STATE'S RESPONSE TO THE HOUSING CRISIS.
THE RENA NUMBERS WILL RESULT IN REZONING IN MANY CITIES REZONING TO CREATE MORE CAPACITY FOR HOUSING.
THAT'S WHAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THAT'S THEIR IDEA BEHIND THE RENA IS TO, TO UPSOLD PROPERTY, TO CREATE MORE CAPACITY FOR HOUSING.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY THEMES IN RECENT CHANGES TO STATE LAW.
SO OF THAT 1.3 MILLION HOUSING UNITS FOR OUR SIX COUNTY REGION LA COUNTY HAD THE LARGEST SHARE OF THE SIX COUNTIES THAT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, OVER 800,000 HOUSING UNITS IN WEST COVINA WAS ASSIGNED 5,346 UNITS THAT IT HAS TO PLAN FOR.
IT HAS TO SHOW THAT IT HAS PLANS AND ZONING REGULATIONS THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE OUT AMOUNT OF HOUSING.
IF YOU HAVE AN INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNER AND DEVELOPER AND A SOURCE OF FUNDS AND SO FORTH, IT'S NOT A MANDATE TO BUILD.
IT'S A MANDATE TO PLAN FOR THE RENA.
TOTAL'S BROKEN DOWN, AS I MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO INTO DIFFERENT INCOME CATEGORIES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT WEST COVINA IS ASSIGNED RENA NUMBERS, UH, THERE, AS THEY'RE SHOWN ON THIS CHART ABOUT 1600 UNITS IN THE VERY LOW CATEGORY, ABOUT 850 UNITS IN THE LOW CATEGORY, THOSE TWO CATEGORIES TOGETHER, WE REFER TO AS LOWER INCOME.
SO LOWER INCOME EQUALS VERY LOW PLUS LOW.
THOSE ARE THE INCOME CATEGORIES THAT A DENSITY OF AT LEAST 30 UNITS PER ACRE BY THE STATE IS DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY TO OUR PLANS AND ZONING IN ORDER TO, UH, FEASIBLY ACCOMMODATE THOSE LOWER INCOME NUMBERS, MODERATE INCOME, AND THE ABOVE MODERATE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC DENSITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
UH, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR, OUR CHORE IS TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH SITES WITH THE RIGHT STONING THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE THESE NUMBERS.
AND WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THAT EXERCISE, UH, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE IS THE NEW GENERAL PLAN AND THE DOWNTOWN, UH, ZONING REGULATIONS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY'S FUTURE HOUSING CAN BE ACCOMMODATED BECAUSE IT ALLOWS HIGHER DENSITIES.
AND IT'S GOT A LOT OF CAPACITY.
SO WHEN WE DID OUR ANALYSIS, WE FOUND THAT THERE IS ENOUGH CAPACITY.
WE BELIEVE BASED ON THE NEW GENERAL PLAN AND THE DOWNTOWN PLAN THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE THESE NUMBERS ABOUT MY OPINION, PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMY AND THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS HAPPENED, IF YOU GO BACK 20, 30, 40 YEARS, UH, WE'VE NEVER SEEN, EVEN IN THE BOOM TIMES, WE'VE NEVER SEEN AS MUCH HOUSING BUILT AS THESE RENA NUMBERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE REGION, BECAUSE THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO, BUT IT IT'S VIEWED AS, UH, A, UH, A GOAL TO STRIVE FOR.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE STRIVE FOR IT IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR PLANS AND ZONING REGULATIONS CAN ACCOMMODATE IT, THAT THEY'RE NOT PLANS AND ZONING REGULATIONS ARE NOT THE THING THAT STOPS ENOUGH HOUSING FROM BEING BUILT.
THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS THAT STOP HOUSING FROM BEING BUILT.
SO TO RECAP, THE, THE, UH, TH THE ESSENCE OF THESE RENA NUMBERS, UH, I THINK OF THE, THERE BEING A PLANNING REQUIREMENT, AND THEN THERE'S A HOUSING PRODUCTION REQUIREMENT.
THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE PLANNING REQUIREMENTS.
SO THE CITY HAS TO ENSURE THAT ITS PLANS AND REGULATIONS COULD ACCOMMODATE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING IN THE ARENA.
ACCOMMODATE MEANS IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN PROPERTY OWNER AND DEVELOPER, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS TO HAPPEN.
CITY, DOESN'T GO HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUILD HOUSING CITY JUST HAS TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS.
I MENTIONED THE HIGH DENSITY, 30 UNITS PER ACRE IS BY THE STATE
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DETERMINED THAT THAT'S NECESSARY IN ORDER TO FACILITATE HOUSING AT THE LOWER END OF THE RANGE.AND THE HOUSING ELEMENT HAS TO DEMONSTRATE THROUGH THAT PARCEL SPECIFIC INVENTORY THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE SITES THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE THE ARENA.
NOW, UH, I SAID THAT CITIES DON'T HAVE TO ACHIEVE THESE NUMBERS, BUT THERE ARE SOME RECENT CHANGES IN STATE LAW THAT ARE INTENDED TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE CITIES TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN.
AND ONE OF THE NEW CHANGES IN THE LAW IS THAT IF A CITY DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE ITS RENA NUMBERS, THEN THEY HAVE TO FAST TRACK SOME KINDS OF PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IN THE LAW ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF PROJECTS THEY HAVE TO FAST-TRACK.
IT HAS TO HAVE THE PROJECT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST 20% LOW-INCOME UNITS IN IT.
AND THE PROJECT HAS TO USE PREVAILING WAGE UNION SCALE LABOR, WHICH IS TYPICALLY NOT USED FOR ORDINARY MARKET RATE HOUSING UNION SCALE LABOR IS REQUIRED TO BE USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN PUBLIC SUBSIDIES ARE ASSISTING THE PROJECT.
BUT ORDINARY MARKET RATE HOUSING TYPICALLY DOES NOT USE UNION SCALE LABOR, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FAST TRACK.
SOMETIMES WE'LL SEE ARTICLES IN THE NEWSPAPER, UH, SORT OF LIKE A SCHOOL REPORT CARD, YOU KNOW, SUCH AND SUCH A CITY IS GETTING A C OR A B OR WHATEVER, UH, IN TERMS OF ITS PRODUCTION.
UH, SO THOSE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY LEGAL, TH THERE'S NO LEGAL PENALTIES THAT COME WITH THOSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WHAT REPORTERS LIKE TO DO TO MAKE THEIR STORY MORE INTERESTING.
SO, UH, I'M GOING TO WRAP UP HERE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT THAT'S BEEN POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND I'LL SHOW THE LINK TO THE WEBSITE IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, SO THE NEXT STEP OF THIS PROCESS IS AFTER TONIGHT'S MEETING, UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS MEETING THAT CAUSES US TO WANT TO REFINE WHAT'S IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WE WILL DO THAT.
AND THE NEXT STEP IS THAT THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT HAS TO BE SENT UP TO HCD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR REVIEW.
AND YOU REMEMBER, AT THE BEGINNING, I TALKED ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE GIVING THE HOUSING STATE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW OUR HOUSING ELEMENTS.
SO ONCE WE SUBMIT THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT TO THE STATE, THEY HAVE 60 DAYS TO REVIEW IT AND GIVE US BACK THEIR COMMENTS OF CITIES IN THIS CYCLE.
CITIES ARE GETTING EXTENSIVE COMMENTS FROM THE STATE FAR MORE THAN I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER.
AND SO WE WILL GET BACK, UM, PROBABLY A LONG COMMENT LETTER FROM THE STATE AND THEN JOANNE AND I, AND STAFF WILL GO THROUGH IT AND WE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, REFINEMENTS, CORRECTIONS, WHATEVER, TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE'LL PRESENT THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT, THE STATE'S COMMENTS, THE REVISIONS THAT WE'VE MADE TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT TO ADDRESS THE STATE'S COMMENTS.
AND THEN THAT'LL BE UP TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHETHER TO ULTIMATELY, UH, MODIFY, APPROVE THE HOUSING ELEMENT AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS IT, IT HAS TO GO BACK UP TO STATE HCI FOR A SECOND TIME ADOPTED HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS THEY WANT TO SEE IF YOU'VE MADE THE CORRECTIONS THAT THEY RECOMMENDED TO YOU ON THE FIRST ROUND OF REVIEW.
UH, AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT, THAT SECOND LETTER BACK, UH, IF THE LETTER IS THUMBS UP, YOU'VE ADDRESSED ALL OF OUR CONCERNS.
THEN THAT'S, WHAT'S CALLED CERTIFICATION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND THEN THE CITY WILL GO THROUGH IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
SO THE CITY HAS SET UP THE WEBSITE THAT YOU SEE ON THIS LINK AND THERE'S MEETING NOTICES AND BACKGROUND MATERIALS AND THE DRAFT HOUSE IN YELLOWMAN.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A HOUSING ELEMENTS CENTRAL ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE.
SO, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION UNLESS, UH, UH, JOANNE OR ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING.
UM, OKAY, JOHN, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO ADD THIS THOUGHT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE JOHN WITH US TONIGHT.
HE AND I HAVE DONE HOUSING ELEMENTS.
UM, LET'S JUST SAY A NUMBER OF TIMES TOGETHER, AND HE'S, HE'S THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS IN JOHN.
WE HAVE A REAL TREASURE, A REAL RESOURCE, AND I'D LIKE FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE AND FOR ANY OF US THAT HAVE QUESTIONS TO COME UP AND ASK THEM OF JOHN, UM, HE'S CERTAINLY WELL EQUIPPED TO ANSWER THEM.
IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING AS I WAS TO HIM TALK TONIGHT, I WAS REMEMBERING BACK JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
WE WERE HERE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF NEW STATE REGULATIONS, SB 1, 3, 8, 3, PERTAINING TO, UM, HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING OF ORGANICS AND FOOD WASTE.
SO, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE BLESSED WITH STATE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND AS A CITY,
[00:30:01]
WE ARE TRYING VERY HARD TO COMPLY AND TO STAY OUT IN FRONT OF THOSE SO THAT WE, WE DON'T GET, UM, FIND AND, AND SANCTIONS AND FORCED INTO THINGS THAT DON'T REFLECT, UM, WHAT LOCAL SOLUTIONS WE MAY CRAFT IN RESPONSE TO THOSE LAWS.I'M GOING TO ASK JOANNE TO GO OUT WITH THESE PORTABLE MICROPHONES.
I'M SENSING, THERE WILL BE SOME COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
ONE CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTION I GOT ABOUT OUR TOWN HALL MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WAS ON THE BROADCAST.
IT, IT TURNED INTO A CONE OF SILENCE.
PEOPLE COULDN'T HEAR THE QUESTIONS AND THEY COULD HEAR THE RESPONSES, BUT THAT WOULD HELP JUST FOR PURPOSES OF PEOPLE LISTENING AT HOME.
AND FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU COULD SPEAK ONE AT A TIME AND, AND USE THESE PORTABLE MIKES, AS YOU ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, MR. GRIBBETS UNDER STATE LAW, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO GIVE US YOUR NAME, BUT, UM, IT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU BEGIN WITH YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I DIDN'T PLAN TO BE FIRST, BUT THIS IS THE WAY IT GOES SOMETIMES.
UH, ANYWAY, MY COMMENT, I, I READ THIS COLD FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE WHOLE TIME I WAS LOOKING AT IT, I WAS THINKING, THIS IS ALL TREES, WHEREAS THE FOREST, AND I I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HOUSING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND I DIDN'T SEE THIS DOCUMENT DEALING WITH THAT REALLY AT ALL.
UH, AND IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE THE CITY IS, AS IT SAYS IN THE DOCUMENT IS BUILT OUT.
AND IT'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF CAPACITY HERE, BUT THERE'S TONS OF CAPACITY.
IN OTHER PLACES I I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING, UM, THE HISTORY OF A DEVELOPMENT CALLED TO-ONE RANCH, WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BUILD, I THINK A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOUSING UNITS WITH 250,000 PEOPLE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN STOPPED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, MAINLY BY THE GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND THAT'S JUST THE BIGGEST ONE THAT I KNOW ABOUT, BUT THERE'S LOTS OF SMALLER PROJECTS IN THE STATE THAT HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND NOT WANTING TO SPEAK IN GOVERNMENT.
AND IT'S OBVIOUS TO, AT LEAST TO ME, THAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT DESPITE WHAT THEY SAY AND THINGS LIKE REGULATIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO DO THIS REPORT, THEY DON'T MEAN IT.
THEY DON'T WANT HOUSING BILL FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
MOST OF WHICH DON'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE, BUT THEY JUST DON'T WANT IT.
AND IT'S, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE INTERNAL CONTRADICTIONS.
AND, UH, AND I'LL, I MEAN, I CAN THROW OUT KINDS OF EXAMPLES WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THERE'S THIS WHOLE SET OF REGULATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH HARDSCAPE.
YOU CAN'T PUT DOWN MORE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE OR STRUCTURES BECAUSE THE WATER WON'T SOAK INTO THE GROUND AND THAT'S BAD, DON'T DO IT.
AND YET HERE YOU'RE TOLD YOU HAVE TO BUILD HARDSCAPE.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD ALL THIS STUFF.
ABSOLUTELY CONTRADICTION THERE'S, UH, THERE'S REGULATIONS THAT YOU CAN'T MESS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT YET YOU HAVE TO BUILD HOUSES WHICH MESSES WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
UH THERE'S UH, THERE'S REGULATIONS THAT SAY, YOU CAN'T TAKE SHOWERS ANYMORE.
YOU GOT TO BUILD MORE HOUSES, WHICH OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE WATER.
AND BY THE WAY, I THINK THERE'S ONE MAJOR ERROR IN YOUR DOCUMENT.
AND HE SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH WATER TO BUILD ALL THESE HOUSES.
WE'RE BEING TOLD WE HAVE TO CUT BACK ON OUR WATER USE WITHOUT BUILDING ANY MORE HOUSES THAT'S.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR STATEMENT IS FACTUALLY FALSE.
UH, THE, UH, UH, BUT MY POINT IS THAT IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE, UH, WHEN I WAS IN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS SILOS PEOPLE OFF IN THIS LITTLE CORNER, DOING THEIR OWN LITTLE THING.
AND PEOPLE OFTEN THIS CORNER DOING THEIR OWN LITTLE THING, THEY NEVER TALKED TO EACH OTHER.
THEY NEVER HAVE A COORDINATED MESSAGE.
AND SO THIS THING THAT YOU DID, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SILOS THAT IN EFFECT KIND OF CONTRADICTS WHAT THE OTHER FOLKS OUT THERE ARE DOING.
[00:35:01]
AND THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER FROM AN ORDINARY PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW, WHICH IS WHEN I'M TRYING TO THINK OF MYSELF AS RIGHT NOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.UH, AND, AND SO I, I, I PROTEST BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
UH, AND I COULD GO ON WITH ALL A BUNCH OF EXAMPLES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO DOMINATE THIS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS STORY, JERRY PATRAS.
I ALSO READ THE RE THE, I ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH IT TWICE.
UM, I WANT TO GIVE A COMPLIMENT THE, UM, HOUSING FOR PRESERVATION.
AND EVERY TIME THAT IS SAID ON THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THAT IT'S A SENIOR PROGRAM.
I CRINGE IT'S FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND YOUNG FAMILIES COULD BENEFIT MIDDLE AGED FAMILIES COULD BENEFIT.
MY ONE CONCERN IS, AND THIS IS MORE FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
IS THE REPORTS THROUGHOUT, IT WILL PERIODICALLY SAY IT'S ADVERTISED ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
WELL, A LOT OF SENIORS DON'T GO TO THE WEBSITE.
UM, SO I THINK SOMETIMES SOME OF THE STUFF NEEDS TO COME OUT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO GET IT OUT MORE THAN JUST THAT ONE OF MY PET PEEVES IS WITH THE S I DON'T GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER AS A SENIOR, BUT THEY HAVE A NICE LITTLE NEWSLETTER.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
IT MIGHT BE, BUT WHEN I'VE LOOKED FOR IT, IT HASN'T.
SO THE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY TO THE RESIDENTS, I THINK IS, UM, AN ISSUE.
UM, ONE OF MY REAL CONCERNS IN THE REPORT, AND I, LET ME JUST PRINT IT OUT.
THE PAGE, SECTION THREE, HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND I THINK THIS LITTLE CONCEPT KIND OF LACED THROUGH THE REPORT AND THE DOCUMENT, IT MENTIONED THAT THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF BORDERING BALDWIN PARK AND COVINA, THOSE ARE KIND OF COMES OFF AS NOT WEALTHY PARTS OF THE CITY AND THE OTHER PART OF THE CITY, WHERE IT MENTIONS THE CITY OF WALNUT, WHERE MANY NEIGHBORHOODS CAME AND IT GIVES A HISTORY.
THOSE ARE MORE OF THE WEALTHY AREAS.
AND THIS REALLY DOES CONCERN ME.
IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE OTHER BORDERS WITH THE CITY, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY OF INDUSTRY AND
AND MY, ONE OF MY CONCERNS, I LIVE NORTH OF THE FREEWAY.
I'M ONE OF THE MANY RESIDENTS THAT LIVE NORTH OF THE FREEWAY, AND WE GET IMPACTED DIFFERENTLY THAN SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY.
AND WHEN THIS REPORT WAS IMPLYING OR STATING THAT THE BORDERS TO CONVENE ON BALDWIN PARK HAD THESE OLD HOUSES THAT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED OR COULD SEND SOME UPDATING, WELL, THERE'S EQUIVALENT NEIGHBORHOODS DOWN NEAR WEIPA WENTY AND THE CITY OF INDUSTRY, BUT IT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE, WELL, EVERYBODY'S WEALTHY.
LIKE THEY ARE IN WALNUT, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
UH, THAT CONCERNS ME BECAUSE THIS REPORT, UH, GRANTED IT'S GOING TO GO UP TO SACRAMENTO.
MY CONCERN IS THE FIVE INDIVIDUALS THAT SIT IN HERE AND MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THIS.
WE'VE JUST GOTTEN IMPACTED WITH THE DENSITY AND THE AMAZON CENTER IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE THE LOW INCOME AREA, WE GET THE CDBG FUNDS.
AND THE WAY THIS REPORT IS WRITTEN, IT'S MISSING THE OTHER PART OF THE LOW-INCOME OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ON THAT SITE, WHATEVER SITE I'M DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED.
THE OTHER THING, AND I'LL GET, UM, CAUSE IT DOES BOTHER ME THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A TONE THAT THE CITY HAS THESE OLD HOUSES, OLD ISN'T BAD.
I DIDN'T CA THAT BOTHERED ME A LOT BECAUSE WE HAVE A PERSON WHO THINKS ANYTHING THAT'S OLD IS UGLY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
THE OTHER ONE IS JUST THE POINT OF ACCURACY.
AND I'LL GIVE THIS TO JOANNE, BUT I DID BRING THE PAGE.
I GO THERE VIRTUALLY EVERY WEEK.
COREY'S KITCHEN IS NO LONGER COREY'S KITCHEN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT'S WELL, JERRY, IF WE COULD TAKE THESE AS THEY COME, I WOULD LIKE TO OWN THE
[00:40:01]
CRITICISM OR THE SUGGESTION THAT WAS MADE ABOUT CITY COMMUNICATIONS.I MEAN, I PERSONALLY INVITED YOU TO COME TONIGHT CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU'D BE INTERESTED, BUT THAT WE NEED A SYSTEM BETTER THAN THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT, BUT AS A CITY, WE NEED TO DO MUCH BETTER IN THIS AREA.
I'M INTEND TO BRING BACK THAT DISCOVER MAGAZINE, WHICH WE CUT BACK BECAUSE OF BUDGET, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, WE'VE GOT A NEW ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER GOING TO FOCUS ON, UM, COMMUNITY SERVICES, INCLUDING, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION PIECES.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO BETTER.
UM, I KNOW SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING REALLY WELL.
I THINK OUR, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTAL GIVE CREDIT TO OUR CHIEF WHO'S HERE TONIGHT DOES A GREAT JOB OF TELLING THAT STORY.
BUT REGARDING THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CITY, WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK JOHN TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU, OR SUGGESTIONS YOU MADE ABOUT THOSE OTHER, UM, AREAS OF THE REPORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S FRUSTRATING TO US THAT DO THIS KIND OF STUFF FOR A LIVING IS THAT STATISTICS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
NOW WE'RE REQUIRED TO USE CENSUS DATA AND SO FORTH, BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW THE COMMUNITY LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE NUMBERS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING THINGS.
HI, I'M GLAD YOU MADE THAT STATEMENT DISCOVER.
UM, THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS JERRY SAID THAT AREN'T SOCIAL MEDIA ARE NOT COMPUTER SAVVY, OR YOU'VE HEARD THEM COME TO THE DICE MANY TIMES AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO I'M GLAD DISCOVERS COMING BACK BECAUSE MANY RESIDENTS MISS IT.
UH, NUMBER TWO, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT MR.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, MANY OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE GONE ON RECENTLY AT THE SCHOOLS, UM, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN EAGERNESS TO MEET THE RENA NUMBERS AND NOT COMPREHEND THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE PER ACRE, UH, AND BE SENSITIVE MORE TO THE EXISTING RESIDENTS THAT ARE THERE THAT SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST.
AND THAT IS, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION.
IT'S ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE WHAT THE STATE MANDATE.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE WAY THIS COUNCIL, THIS PEOP, THESE PEOPLE RULE IS USING THAT AS THE BROW BAROMETER, RATHER THAN THE COMPASSION FOR THE EXISTING RESIDENTS.
THAT THAT'S WHAT I WILL SAY ON THAT MATTER.
UM, AND, AND AS FAR AS I WANTED CLARIFICATION FROM YOU IS SO JUST, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THE DENSITY NOT SPECIFIC IN THE MODERATE TO ABOVE MODERATE HOUSING.
I THINK YOU HAD IT ON THAT CHART, UH, WITH THE NUMBERS OF 8 65 TO MODERATE AND ABOVE 1978.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME DIFFERENT NUMBERS APPLIED PER ACRE ON THE ZONING FOR THAT IS, COULD YOU CLARIFY FOR THAT FOR ME? YEAH.
STATE LAW IS EXPLICIT ABOUT WHAT THE DENSITY NEEDS TO BE TO SATISFY THE VERY LOW AND THE LOW INCOME CATEGORIES, BUT STATE LAW DOES NOT SPECIFY WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE DENSITY FOR THOSE HIGHER INCOME CATEGORIES.
THOSE OF US WHO, WHO DO THIS KIND OF WORK, WE WILL TYPICALLY SAY, UH, JUST USE AS A RULE OF THUMB.
IF THE ZONING ALLOWS APARTMENTS OR CONDOS THAT IS ATTACHED HOUSING, BUT IT'S LESS THAN 30 UNITS PER ACRE, WE'LL OFTEN PUT THOSE PROPERTIES INTO THE MODERATE INCOME CATEGORY AND THEN SINGLE FAMILY, YOU KNOW, A HOUSE ON A LOT.
WE'LL TYPICALLY PUT THOSE INTO THE ABOVE MODERATE CATEGORY.
UNDERSTANDING, AND I'LL MAKE ONE LAST STATEMENT WITH ALL THE CHANGES COMING IN FROM BILL STATE LEGISLATURE.
I THINK IT IS SO IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE A PLANNING DIRECTOR THAT CAN COMPREHEND ALL THESE RULES.
WE HAVE BEEN ALMOST MINUS OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, JEFF ANDERSON, IT'LL BE ON TWO YEARS COMING FEBRUARY, MARCH, 2022.
UM, AND I CAN SEE MANY CHANGES GOING THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REPLACE HIM AND HAVE A GREATER, SO THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF CAN HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THESE RULES AND A DIRECTOR IS SOLELY NEEDED.
CAN I JUST SAY ONE COMMENT? UH, EDITORIAL COMMENT, DAVE, WHEN I, WHEN I STARTED DOING THIS WORK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, 40 YEARS AGO, I WORKED FOR A COUNTY IN SOUTHERN
[00:45:01]
CALIFORNIA AND I, AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE COUNTY DID IT OURSELVES IN HOUSE.THINGS HAVE GOTTEN SO COMPLICATED AS TIME HAS GONE BY THAT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO SPEND THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME STUDYING THESE LAWS AND THIS STUFF, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF A SPECIALIST IN THIS AND, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE PERSON, THE AVERAGE PLANNER THAT WORKS IN A CITY HAS SO MUCH ON THEIR PLATE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FOLLOW EVERY NEW LAW AND ALL THESE DETAILS.
AND IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME BECAUSE I SPENT THE FIRST HALF OF MY LIFE WORKING IN CITY AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS LINDA JACKSON.
UM, I, I DID READ MOST OF THIS ELEMENT AND THEN I READ THE ONE BEFORE AND I ALSO ATTENDED THE STUDY SESSION.
UM, I FOUND THEM ALL VERY INFORMATIVE WHERE I GET A LITTLE CONFUSED.
I UNDERSTAND YOU CANNOT MAKE, UM, ANY DEVELOPER COME IN, WHO'S COMING IN, SAY HE'S GOING TO DO SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT OCCASIONALLY SURPLUS LAND DOES BECOME AVAILABLE.
SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR, UM, WHAT'S IT CALLED THE R F P TO MAKE SURE THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS OUT THERE WHO MAY BE FUNDING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, GET THAT INFORMATION.
UM, SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF HOW TO WORD IT.
UM, WELL, NO, A LOT OF UNITS, WHEN YOU LOOK ON THE WEBSITE, SAY THEY'RE AFFORDABLE.
$2,500, $2,300 IS NOT AFFORDABLE.
HEY, WHEN ROUGHLY 30, 40% OF YOUR POPULATION IS MAKING 15 TO $18 AN HOUR.
MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVING FROM HAND TO MOUTH.
SO I UNDERSTAND, I REALLY DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHO IS IT WITHIN THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, TRACKING DOWN THE TYPES OF LEADS WHERE FUNDING CAN COME IN THROUGH, UM, THE COUNTY THROUGH TRUST FUNDS, THROUGH LAND TRUST, UM, TO FUND THOSE PROGRAMS, EVEN SOME OF, FROM THE HOUSING ELEMENT THAT JUST PASSED.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE DIDN'T GAIN ANY HOUSING.
AND THEN SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS WHEN THEY CAME IN AND BOUGHT A PROPERTY, STOPPED ACCEPTING PEOPLE WHO HAD, UM, SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T MAKE THEM, BUT WHERE IS THE INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO COME IN? WHO'S CHASING THOSE LEADS.
I MEAN, I LOOK TODAY, I SPENT MOST OF THIS MORNING AND I FOUND WHERE GRANTS WERE AVAILABLE, WHERE THEY WERE GIVING BONUSES.
SOMEBODY IN THE CITY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT SITTING BACK AND SAYING, UM, WE HAVE A GOOD FAITH.
WE'VE MADE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT.
A GOOD FAITH EFFORT IS LIKE A PIECE OF PAPER.
THERE HAS TO BE ACTION BEHIND IT.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING THAT ACTION.
YOU'VE ASKED ABOUT AN HOUR'S WORTH OF QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE DONE.
UH, AND I, UH, YEAH, WHO, I THINK ONE OF YOUR KEY QUESTIONS IS, IS WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THIS.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLAYERS, UH, IN THE ARENA.
NOW THERE'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE GOVERNMENT SCAG REGIONAL GOVERNMENT CITIES, THE COUNTY, UH, AND THEN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROFIT, PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY ALL HAVE, UM, SOME ROLE IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THE COORDINATION OF THOSE IS A BIG CHALLENGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOUR CITY MANAGER I KNOW COULD TALK FOR HOURS ABOUT, AND THAT IS WE USED TO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND UNDER FOR, FOR THE SEVERAL DECADES THAT WE HAD THEM, THOSE AGENCIES HAD TO SET ASIDE 20% OF THEIR REVENUE TO BE USED FOR HOUSING.
AND THAT IN THE, IN THE WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TOGETHER, THAT ADDED UP TO A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AROUND THE STATE.
THEN ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, THE STATE DECIDED, NOW THAT'S A BAD IDEA.
WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE THAT.
SO YOU HAD, YOU USED TO HAVE CITIES
[00:50:01]
AND WEST COVINA HAD AN AGENCY, DIDN'T IT? YEAH.SO THERE USED TO BE A, THERE USED TO BE A DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IN WEST COVINA WHOSE JOB IT WAS TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAPPEN.
AND THEN THE STATE ELIMINATED THAT.
WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, IF TH IF SOMEBODY FROM THE STATE WERE HERE, THEY'D SAY, WELL, YEAH, AND WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE OTHER SOURCES OF MONEY AVAILABLE.
WELL, MONEY IS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT THERE'S OTHER ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS TO THERE'S.
YOU GOT TO HAVE A PLACE TO BUILD IT.
SO THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY, UH, ONE, UH, BECAUSE CITIES HAVE THE CONTROL OF THE LEVERS FOR PLANS AND ZONING, THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART.
AND THAT'S, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT STATE LAW PUTS IN THE CITY'S COURT IS THE PLANS AND STONING, SO THAT THERE IS A PLACE WITH THE RIGHT ZONING.
IF YOU, THAT, IF YOU HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, IT'S GOT A PLACE TO GO, BUT THEN YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO HAVE A DEVELOPER.
WHO'S GOT THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO PUT THE DEAL TOGETHER.
YOU GOT TO HAVE SOURCES OF FUNDING.
UM, BOY, I, I, I SAID YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS ADD UP TO ABOUT AN HOUR AND I DON'T WANT TO RAMBLE ON TOO LONG, BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE ESSENCE OF IT IS THAT IT'S COMPLEX, IT'S FAIR AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS WILL TELL YOU IT'S WAY MORE DIFFICULT TO PUT TOGETHER A DEAL FOR AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT THAN IT IS A REGULAR MARKET RATE PROJECT, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SO MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING AND RULES AND, AND CRITERIA AND COMPETITION.
UH, THERE THERE'S A FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S CALLED THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT TAX TAX CREDIT PROJECTS.
WELL, FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM TALKING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS IS SOMETIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL YEARS OF APPLYING FOR THOSE GRANT FUNDS BEFORE YOU GET THEM, IF YOU EVER DO, BECAUSE THERE'S WAY MORE, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING AFTER THAT MONEY THAN THERE IS MONEY TO, TO, TO ASSIST THEM.
SO THERE IS JUST, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.
THEN MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, IN LOOKING AT THE HOUSING ELEMENT, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE ABOUT TENANT BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AS PART OF THIS HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, LOW INCOME, UM, LOW WEALTH, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED JUST LIKE A HOMEOWNER ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT CITIES CAN DO IS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION AND GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT SO THAT EVERYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVE STEWART.
MY NAME IS DAVE STEWART, AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION ON A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT I REALIZED THE CITY'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING ANYTHING ONLY FURNISHING PROPERTY FOR FIVE, 5,000 LOTS.
BUT THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU HIT A DEAL WITH A DEVELOPER, THE FIRST THING HE LOOKS AT IS HOW MANY UNITS CAN WE GET DOWN THAT LOT? THAT'S A TYPICAL THING.
I'M THINKING OF THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW ON CAMERON AVENUE, 84 UNITS.
THEY'RE ALL THREE STORY THAT LEAVES OUT ALL THE SENIORS FOR BUYING ONE, MAYBE A 55 YEAR OLD SENIOR MAY CONSIDER A TWO-STORY, BUT NEVER, I DON'T THINK THEY EVER CONSIDER A THREE STORY, HIT HARD TO HAVE ANY PARKING.
UH, IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY CROWDED THERE, BUT THAT'S ONLY ONE EXAMPLE.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT THAT PROJECT WILL BRING 168 CARS.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE TWO CARS, FAMILIES, MAYBE EVEN MORE WITH THREE BEDROOM, PLACES THAT MIGHT HAVE MORE CARS, BUT, BUT KEEP PUTTING MORE CARS AS THE STREETS WERE PRETTY CROWDED ALREADY.
AND, UH, THE WAY I SEE IT, THERE'S NOT MUCH, I DON'T SEE WHERE ANYTHING IN THE CITY COULD BE MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT LOTS.
SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE AN AWFUL LOT OF LOTS TO BUILD 5,000 UNITS IS ALMOST AN UNREALISTIC NUMBER AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
BUT IF THAT'S, THAT'S ALL, WE'RE ALL WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IS FINDING SPACEOAR IT WAY IT MAY WORK OUT, BUT I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT IN THE END, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION, BUT WELL, TIME WILL TELL.
I HAVE A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ALL THE CITIES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAVE TO PREPARE THIS, UM, WHATEVER YOU CALL THIS PLAN.
[00:55:01]
SO WHAT DOES, UM, BEVERLY HILLS DO? WHAT DOES THE MARINA DEL RAY DO? WHAT DO THESE PLACES THAT MY GOD, THEIR HOUSES ARE, NONE OF THEM ARE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY'RE VERY SMALL HOUSES.SO WHY ARE WE WASTING SO MUCH TIME ON THIS? WHEN THE STATE, IT DOESN'T EXPECT US TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? JUST PUT, UH, A DREAM THEORY THAT YES, IT'S POSSIBLE IF WE WANTED TO DO IT.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE A WASTE OF TIME TO ME, A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU, AREN'T DOING YOUR JOB.
I'M JUST SAYING, THIS IS CRAZY.
IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT, I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE DOING IT IS BECAUSE THERE'S A REAL GENUINE NEED FOR HOUSING THAT THE STATE HAS, UM, OH, 40 MILLION PEOPLE NOW.
AND THE HOUSING CRISIS IS REAL.
WE AS A CITY HAVE BEEN APPROVING SOME HOUSING PROJECTS, WHICH IS FAR MORE THAN MANY CITIES.
WE'VE, WE'VE APPROVED SEVERAL PROJECTS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, INCLUDING WE HAVE USED THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL POWERS TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, FINANCE, AFFORDABLE PROJECTS.
WE'VE GONE TO THE STATE TAX CREDIT ALLOCATION COMMITTEE AND AUTHORIZED RESOLUTIONS BY OUR CITY COUNCIL TO ENABLE THAT FINANCING.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE HOUSING PROJECTS IS A, IS A MATH PROJECT.
AND WE AS A CITY HAVE DONE OUR PART, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR PART BECAUSE THE NEEDS ARE REAL.
I SPEAK FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE.
I MEAN, I CAME TONIGHT, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF A NATIONAL HOUSING, NONPROFIT ADVISORY BOARD FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
THE MAIN PROBLEM IS, IS THE FINANCING.
IT'S ALWAYS A COLLISION OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT ALL HAVE TO COLLIDE CONCURRENTLY.
AT THE END, AT CLOSING THE SITES IS ANOTHER PROBLEM.
WE HAVE VERY LIMITED SITES IN THIS TOWN AND EVEN DISPLAY ON SITES.
WE GO THROUGH A STATE, UH, SURPLUS LAND ACT DESIGNATION PROCESS, BUT WE BROADLY DISSEMINATE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE, AS WE KNOW OF THEM.
AND WE WORK WITH NONPROFIT GROUPS, UM, THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, IN BEING HERE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH A GROUP RIGHT NOW ON A PROJECT.
SO I, I WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN THIS WAY.
I MEAN, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S SOME CRITICAL NEEDS.
AND I THINK IT'S OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDER STATE LAW TO TRY AND MEET THEM.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE CITIES LIKE BEVERLY HILLS MARINA DEL RAY, AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF THEM, YOU GO UP NORTH AND THERE ARE MORE UP THERE THAN THEY ARE DOWN HERE.
IT SEEMS LIKE, I MEAN, WHAT I KNOW THEY PROBABLY HIRE A CONSULTANT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO, TO PROVE TO THE STATE THAT YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING OKAY.
AND THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON HELPING YOU WITH THIS SOLUTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE THE GENTLEMEN SAID BACK THERE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING, SAYING THAT YOU CAN PUT 5,000, 50, 300, UH, HOUSES HERE.
AND, BUT YOU DON'T EXPECT TO PUT THEM UP THAT MANY UP ANYWAY.
UM, BUT WE HAVE SPOTS WHERE YOU CAN PUT THIS MUCH IN, YOU KNOW, AND SO NEXT YEAR, OR IN EIGHT YEARS, IF THEY TRIPLE IT, YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING IN THE SAME SPOTS.
PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW YOU BECAUSE YOU CAN GO HIGHER BY THEM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF CITIES HAVE LIMITATION AS TO HEIGHT SURE.
TO, UH, A LOT OF PLACES AT THE BEACH, PRIMARILY IF I COULD.
UM, IT JUST VERY BRIEFLY, I HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT BEVERLY HILLS IS DOING BECAUSE I'M THEIR CONSULTANT.
UH, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER GOOD CONSULTANTS AROUND, BUT, UM, BEVERLY HILLS WAS ASSIGNED OVER THOUSAND HOUSING UNITS AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY BUILT OUT NOW.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY VACANT LAND, BUT WHAT, WHAT THEY DID TO SHOW.
AND THEY'RE IN THE REVIEW PROCESS WITH THE STATE RIGHT NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT DONE, BUT, UM, THEY CHANGED THE ZONING FOR A BIG COMMERCIAL AREA THAT DIDN'T ALLOW HOUSING.
THEY ADOPTED A HOUSING, UH, ZONE THAT ALLOWS HOUSING TO BE BUILT IN THE COMMERCIAL AREA.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE STRATEGY THAT A LOT OF CITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE FOLLOWING THIS TIME.
[01:00:06]
NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE BIG, MACY'S A BIG STORE AND THE MALLS ANYMORE.SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE FOR SOMETHING.
AND THEY'RE PUTTING HOUSING, LIKE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IN WOODIER CITY, WOODIER IN THEIR MALLS THAT EXISTS.
SO YEAH, WHEN EVERYBODY'S JUST, UH, ORDERING ON AMAZON ONLINE, YOU WON'T NEED ANY STORES ANYWHERE IT'S UP IN THE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
EVEN IF YOU GO TO SOMEPLACE LIKE IRVINE, WHICH IS A PRETTY NEW CITY, UH, ONE OF THE, THE MAIN BOULEVARDS JAN JAMBOREE BOULEVARD THAT GOES THROUGH, UH, IRVINE, THEY ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KNOCKING DOWN LIGHT INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, TILT UP CONCRETE, UH, I'D INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT 30, 40 YEARS AGO.
AND THEY'RE PUTTING UP FOUR OR FIVE, SIX STORY, UH, EITHER APARTMENTS, CONDOS, OR MIXED USE, WHERE YOU HAVE RETAIL ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND THEN THREE OR FOUR LEVELS OF HOUSING ABOVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY TO BUILD 5,000 UNITS IN WEST COVINA.
UM, I GUESS, BUT MY QUESTION WOULD BE LIKE THE MULTI-USE, UM, ONE OF THE PROPERTIES, UM, I THINK IT'S ON THE CORNER OF CAMERON AND GARVEY AVENUE SOUTH.
IT'S A BUSINESS COMPLEX THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, UH, ABANDONED, COMPLETELY RUN DOWN.
I LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT.
THAT WOULD BE SOME PLACE THAT I BELIEVE COULD BE DEVELOPED BECAUSE IT'S GOT POTENTIAL NOW.
I MEAN, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY LISTED IN THE OLD HOUSING ELEMENT, BUT NOTHING, I GUESS, WHOEVER OWNS IT, HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH IT.
AND THERE'S, ISN'T THERE ALSO THE MAINTENANCE YARD, WHICH IS CONSIDERED SUB SURPLUS.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T DO 5,000 AT A TIME, BUT CAN WE DO 25? OR IS THERE SOMETHING WHEN DEVELOPERS COME IN THAT, THAT WE SAY, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU BUILD YOUR LUXURY APARTMENTS, BUT WITHIN THOSE LUXURY APARTMENTS, WE WANT 25% OF THOSE TO BE AFFORDABLE AND TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE.
I THINK WHEN I ATTENDED A MEETING WITH LASA YESTERDAY, WHAT THEY WERE SAYING WAS THAT THE MONEY THAT'S GOING OUT TO SUBSIDIZE SOME OF THE RENTS, THE LOANS ARE GOOD FOR 55 YEARS.
SO THAT MEANS PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE KICKED OUT IN FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM IN 10 YEARS, I BELIEVE IT'S PROJECTED THAT 30% OF THE CITY'S ADULTS ARE GOING TO BE OVER THE AGE OF 55.
IF PEOPLE NOW ARE BEING EVICTED AND SELF EVICTING OUT OF THEIR RESIDENCE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE, UM, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? THOSE ARE OUR FAMILY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT OBJECTIVELY AND SAY, SITTING BACK SAYING REALLY, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO STAND UP AS A COMMUNITY AND, UM, HELP TO GO AFTER OR PURSUE DEVELOPERS, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT SITTING BACK, I AT LEAST SAYING WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
UM, I WAS NOT PLANNING TO SAY ANYTHING BUT BE GUARDING.
UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE TONIGHT.
IT APPEARS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HOUSING THE MOST, WHICH IS THE LOWER HALF OR THE 50% OF THE PEOPLE ON THE LOWER, LOWER INCOME, THEY'RE NOT HERE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES OR, OR, OR PARTICIPATE.
I MEAN, THEY COULD, BUT IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.
I THINK IN ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING HERE WHO WAS TAKING AN INTEREST IN, WE ALL, I WOULD ASSUME THAT OWN OUR OWN HOME.
SO THAT HAS REALLY PERHAPS I'M SORRY.
SO, SO IT'S REALLY RENTERS OR, OR, OR LIKE TO OWN A HOME, BUT VERY FEW, UH, SPEAKING FOR THAT LOW INCOME, WHAT HAVE YOU, AND WE HA THERE, THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS.
I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND CREATIVITY IN TERMS OF HOW, HOW THE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE
[01:05:01]
LIVED AND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO BUDGET WITHIN THEIR, WHAT THEY MAKE IS ALSO, WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE DYNAMIC, BUT THE HOUSING, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, HOW CAN WE AS A CITY OR AS A COMMUNITY PLAN FOR THE OTHER 50%? UM, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PLAN TOO, BUT IT JUST, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THAT IT DOESN'T AFFECT.I WISH THEY ARE HERE TO SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.
WE, THEY, THEY COULD HAVE TOLD, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD A, I KNOW OF SOMEONE THAT IS THE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING EARLIER THAT IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY, UM, SINGLE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? SINGLE PARENT HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD.
AND THE WISHES IS IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN OUR NEEDS.
I MEAN, INSTEAD OF LIKE A FULL-BLOWN, YOU KNOW, I WANT A WHOLE HOME OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THEIR WISHES IS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH THIS PERSON, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND LIVE IN THE BACK HOUSE OR THE FRONT HOUSE OR SOME SORT OF A THING.
SO THEIR DREAMS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN HOMEOWNERS WHO, WHO ARE, YOU CAN SAY CAPABLE OR AFFORD THE NOWADAYS, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S WEST CONVENERS ON AVERAGE, HOME IS 800, 900 MILLION BUCKS.
SO THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT, BUT THEY ALSO WANT THEIR OWN PLACE ATTACH DETACH, OR SOME SORT OF HOME THAT FIT THEIR FAMILY NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S A ONE PERSON OR TWO PERSON HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD SITUATIONS.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HERE AND NOT SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES, WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO IN AS A CITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT, HOW EACH, I MEAN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOW EACH FAMILY AND EACH DYNAMIC AND WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS.
SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ZONE NOW IN TERMS OF ZONING FOR THE CITY, THERE'S THREE PARTIES TO MAKE THIS WHOLE THING WORK.
ONE PARTY IS THE LAND OWNER, WHICH IS THE HOME OWNER.
THE OTHER PARTY IS THE, LIKE THE FINANCE BEING ABLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BILL OR EXPAND OR WHAT HAPPENED.
AND THE THIRD PARTY IS THE, THE, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE CITY, THE ZONING.
IF THEY CANNOT BUILD CERTAIN THINGS TO FIT THEIR NEEDS, THEN EVEN IF YOU OWN A LAND, YOU CAN'T REALLY BUILD IT.
SO THAT'S A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING THAT WE NEED TO DO AND ADDRESS ALL ADDRESS ALL A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE POPULATIONS IN OUR CITY.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE 50% LOW INCOME AND IN ALL THAT RANGE HAS TO BE ADDRESSED SOMEHOW.
AND ZONING CODE ALSO NEEDS TO BE REFLECTED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, IF I HAVE TO, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH THAT.
UM, BE REFLECTED IN SOME WAY THAT IF THEY WERE TO BUY A PLACE, THEY CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I CAN DO THIS AND I CAN LIVE THIS WITH MY EXTENDED FAMILY OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SUPPORT THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN, LET'S SAY, HALF A MILLION DOLLAR OR, OR I DON'T KNOW, 800 A MILLION BUCK HOME OR PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A CITY, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT NUMBERS AND YES, WE LOOKING AT THIS NUMBER, BUT THEN WE ARE ALSO ZONING AT JUST THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
IF WOULD ONLY IS DONING AT THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
OBVIOUSLY IF A DEVELOPER COMES IN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO BUILD SOMETHING WHEN IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO BUILD, TO JUST ADDRESS THE LOW INCOME OR THE LOWER HALF OF 50% OF THE POPULATIONS.
AND, AND FOR, FOR, FOR A CITY PLANNER OR A CONSULTANT, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE CREATIVE AND LOOK AT THE WHOLE POPULATION AND LOOK AT OUR ZONING AS A WHOLE, THAT ENTIRE, HOW MANY ACRES DO WE HAVE 17 ACRES AND REALLY LOOKED AT IT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS, NOT JUST A SMALL LITTLE POCKET AREA THAT REALLY ONLY AFFECT THE BIG NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING TO SPEND BIG MONEY AND THEY WANT, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE LOW RENT OR AFFORDABLE RENT.
SO INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT PACKAGES, FOCUS, WE DID THIS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL AND GREAT EIGHT YEARS.
I FORGOT HOW MANY YEARS AGO I WAS PART OF IT, BUT A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, BUT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING ANY OF THAT IN A CASE THAT IF WE DO TRULY BELIEVE
[01:10:01]
THAT THIS STATE IS HAVING A HOUSING ISSUES, THEN WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS THE ENTIRE CITY'S ZONING CODE AND REALLY LOOKED AT IT BECAUSE 20 YEARS AGO, WHEN I READ AN ARTICLE AND SHE MENTIONED IT AND I WAS SURPRISED, AND I WAS IN MY TWENTIES AND I'M THINKING, OH MY GOD, WHEN THE STATE WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING ISSUE, AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING BUY YOUR 20, 30, A QUARTER OF A POPULATION WILL BE SENIORS.AND I'M LIKE, WOW, THAT IT WAS THAT'S, THAT'S A LARGE NUMBER TO ME.
AND I NEVER THOUGHT I'M GOING TO GET THERE.
AND HERE WE ARE 10 YEARS FROM IT.
WELL, NINE THAT'S AT NIGHT ANYWAY.
AND AT THAT TIME, THE STATE HAD ALREADY KNOW THAT WE NEED HOUSING OR WE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE SENIORS ISSUES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND LONG AND BEHOLD, PART OF THE ADDRESSABLE THAT ARTICLE THAT I READ YEARS AGO WAS REGARDING HOMELESS, SENIORS, HOMELESS, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
I, EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU SEE HOMELESS.
YES, IT IS NOT ALL RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT HOMELESS ISSUE.
BUT AS A SOCIETY, IT DOES AFFECT EVERYONE.
YOU CANNOT CLOSE YOUR EYE AND NOT SEE THEM WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU'LL SEE THEM UNDER THE BRIDGE.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHOSE NEIGHBORHOOD IT IS RIGHT NOW.
YOU DRIVE TO A BEAUTIFUL MANSION IN HOLLYWOOD.
THAT IS, I DUNNO, 10,000 SQUARE FOOT, RIGHT IN FRONT WHERE THE PARKWAY WAS A ROW OF TENTS.
YOU CAN GO TO SAN MARINO, PASADENA, WEST COVINA, EVERYWHERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NOT ALL PROBLEMS. WELL, IT IS NOT ALL PROBLEM.
HOW CAN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYE AND NOT SEE IT? CAN YOU DRIVE CLOSING YOUR EYE? YOU CANNOT, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT.
AND THESE ARE ISSUES THAT REFLECTED, OKAY.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT ANYWAY, THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I TRULY THINK IT'S WONDERFUL AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THE WHOLE CITY ZONING AND TAKE, REALLY LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTIONS.
OTHERWISE, THIS SOLUTION IS, I MEAN, YES, LIKE SHE WAS SAYING THAT, YES, WE HAVING THE 5,000 UNIT ID, BUT WHO'S GOING TO BUILD IT, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO COME OR NOT, WHETHER IT'S TRULY, I MEAN, THAT IS THE BELIEF SYSTEM.
DO WE REALLY NEED HOUSING OR TO, WE REALLY DON'T NEED HOUSING.
I MEAN, AMONG ALL OF US HERE, WE DON'T REALLY NEED HOUSING BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE HOMES.
SO LINDA DOES, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE HOUSING PLAN THAT YOU WORK ON, ISN'T THAT TOO.
I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AWARE OF ZONING SO THAT YOU CAN SAY, WELL, YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSES HERE.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK THE, UM, MALL IS ZONED FOR HOUSING YET.
BUT I REMEMBER WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT REDOING THE, THE PLAN, THE ZONING PLAN, OH, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE DID DISCUSS THAT.
BECAUSE EVEN THEN THEY KNEW THAT, UH, THE MALL COULDN'T A HUNDRED EXIST, TWO STORIES HIGH, AND THAT YOU HAD PLENTY OF LAND THERE FOR CARS, AND WE DON'T WANT YOU PEOPLE TO DRIVE.
WE WANT YOU TO GO TAKE THE BUSES AND YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE A CAR.
SO, UM, THAT WAS NO, BUT THAT'S NOT YOUR JOB AS A CONSULTANT.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT TO DEVELOP A NEW ZONE.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU'RE YOU'RE, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT HOW AND WHERE THOSE 5,300 HOMES CAN BE BUILT.
AND YOU'RE NOT SAYING THIS CAN BE, LOOK FOR LOW INCOME.
THIS COULD BE, YOU'RE NOT DESIGNATING, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE OF THE HOMES OR WHO IT SHOULD BE FOR THAT.
ISN'T WHAT THE HOUSING ELEMENT PLAN IS ABOUT.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE HELL, WHAT THE HOUSING ELEMENT PLAN IS ABOUT, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT'S HEADED.
WHAT'S THE POINT OF VARIETY IN IT.
IF YOU'RE NOT HEADED IN SOME DIRECTION, THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF MOVEMENT.
HEY, SO I, I THINK THAT WHEN THE HOUSING ELEMENT IS WRITTEN, YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO KIND OF GO BY WHAT THE CITY, THE STATE, WHATEVER IS SAYING.
BUT MY POINT SIMPLY IS OKAY, IF YOU CAN'T DO 5,000, LET'S PUT 20 OVER HERE, LET'S PUT 10 OVER HERE.
[01:15:01]
DO SOMETHING.DOING SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING, BECAUSE THEN IT'S NOT A FAILURE.
IT'S NOT A FAILURE FOR THE RESIDENTS, NOT JUST THE HOMEOWNERS.
I KNOW, I THINK MOST HAVE SPOKEN MAY PERHAPS SOME HAVE NOT.
I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY'S COMFORTABLE SPEAKING IN A PUBLIC FORUM I'LL OFFER THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO STAY AFTER AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
ONE-ON-ONE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST CLOSE BY THANKING ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, IT MEANS IT MEANS A LOT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ATTENDING.