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Public Comment
From:Cynthia Guerra <cynthiag@kennedycommission.org>
Sent:Tuesday, October 27, 2020 5:17 PM
To:City Clerk; Public Comment
Cc:Cesar C; paul.mcdougall@hcd.ca.gov; Megan.Kirkeby@hcd.ca.gov
Subject:Letter on Items 1 and 18 on Anaheim City Council Agenda for 10.27.2020
Attachments:Ltr_City Council Item 1_10.27.2020.pdf; Ltr_Item 18_ 1122 N Lincoln Avenue_
10.27.2020.pdf
Hi,
Please find attached the comments regarding today's Anaheim City Council meeting (10.27.2020):
Item #1: Approve Purchase and Sale Agreement for Acquisition of Real Property and Escrow Instructions for
Property Generally Located at Anaheim Boulevard & Midway Drive and More Particularly Described as
Assessor Parcel Number 082-185-48, Between the Anaheim Housing Authority and Kinney Family Trust
Item #18: Reclassification No. 2019-00324 Conditional Use Permit No. 2019-06040 and Development Agreement
No. 2020-00003
Please confirm receipt of this email and let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for your help.
Thank you,
Cynthia Guerra
Cynthia Guerra
The Kennedy Commission
Community Organizer
1
October 27, 2020
www.kennedycommission.org
17701 Cowan Ave., Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92614
949 250 0909
Mayor Harry Sidhu and City Council Members
City of Anaheim
200 S. Anaheim Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92805
RE: Agenda Item #1: Approve Purchase and Sale Agreement for Acquisition of Real Property
and Escrow Instructions for Property Generally Located at Anaheim Boulevard & Midway
Drive and More Particularly Described as Assessor Parcel Number 082-185-48, Between the
Anaheim Housing Authority and Kinney Family Trust
Dear Mayor Sidhu and City Council Members:
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad based coalition of residents and community
organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than
$20,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in
partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective housing and land-use
policies that has led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower income working families.
We are writing in regards to the proposed acquisition of the property at Anaheim Boulevard &
Midway Drive (APN: 082-185-48), between the Anaheim Housing Authority and Kinney Family
The Kennedy Commission supports the acquisition of this land and the goal of
Trust.
developing affordable housing on this site and the adjacent Anaheim Housing Authority sites.
We strongly urge the City to prioritize the creation of exclusively new affordable housing for
Extremely Low and Very Low families on these sites.
The Anaheim Housing Authority site are acquired with housing funds to facilitate the production of
housing for lower income working families whose housing needs are not being addressed by the
market rate developments being incentivized in the housing market in Anaheim. current
policies and programs have not facilitated the development of homes affordable to lower income
households in the City as is evident in the
the 2014-2021 planning period. There is a disproportionate production of above moderate income
units in comparison to production at very low and low income levels.For the 2014-2021 Housing
Element planning period, the City has a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) of 1,256
very low- and 907 low-income households. To-date, the City has built 124 or 10% of the 1,256 very
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low-income units and 121 or 13% of the 907 low-income units. However, for the above moderate-
income units, the City outperformed and exceeded the RHNA by constructing 7,182 or 287% of the
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2,501 above moderate-income RHNA. While 948 above moderate units were added in 2019, only
With a remaining RHNA need of
53 units total were added at the very low and low income levels.
1,950 lower income homes, it is important the City prioritize the development of new
affordable homes and adopt a mixed-income housing ordinance to encourage the development
of affordable homes for lower income households in the City.
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Working for systemic change resulting in the production of homes affordable to -income households
Mayor Sidhu and City Council Members
October 27, 2020
Page 2 of 2
A new and likely larger RHNA allocation will be issued for the City when the new 2021-2029
Housing Element planning period. To-date, the total RHNA allocation for the very low and low
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income level for the upcoming cycle is predicted by SCAG to be 3,757 and 2,391, respectively.
-record of prioritizing above moderate housing on Housing Opportunity Sites
identified in the current Housing Element
requirements at the very-low and low, the City will have a very difficult time meeting its current
and upcoming RHNA allocation. For example, in 2019the City approved a 20-acre market-rate
residential development in the Residential Opportunity Overlay Zone, depleting the capacity of the
It is important that the City
City meet its remaining housing needs for lower income households.
effectively prioritize the production of affordable housing on its City-owned sites, as is the
property in question in this item, if it is to even come close to meeting its current and future
affordable housing needs.
Lower-income families in Anaheim are likely to bear the brunt of the economic impacts of the
present and expanding health crisiswith significant numbers of workers expected to lose their
jobs and find themselves unable to pay for high rent, health care, and other necessities. This is a
crucial time to continue plan and investment in affordable housing development.
The Commission strongly supports you acquiring the site in questions and urge you to
approve new housing developments in a way that will help the City of Anaheim meet housing
needs and Housing Element goals in and equitable manner.
With growing concerns about
housing and economic insecurity we believe that the City can prioritize the development of
affordable homes that residents desperately will need, during and after this crisis.
The Kennedy Commission thanks you for your partnership and all your ongoing efforts to improve
quality of life and expand affordable housing options for residents in Anaheim. If you have any
questions please contact Cesar Covarrubias at cesarc@kennedycommission.org
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
cc: Ms. Megan Kirkeby, Acting Deputy Director, Housing Policy Development, CA HCD
Mr. Paul McDougall, Housing Manager, CA HCD
3 SCAG 6 th Cycle Draft RHNA Allocation Based on Final RHNA Methodology & Final Connect SOCAL
http://www.scag.ca.gov/programs/Documents/RHNA/RHNA-Draft-Allocations-090320-Updated.pdf