25 (2)
Jennifer L. Hall
From:Mariaisabelle Garcia <mariaisabelleg@kennedycommission.org>
Sent:Tuesday, September 27, 2022 5:25 PM
To:City Clerk
Cc:Daisy Cruz; Brad West; Cesar C; Rudibel Barbosa
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Kennedy Commission public comment 9/27/22
Attachments:KC letter Anaheim oc v1be 9.27.22.doc
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
Hello, please see attached Kennedy Commissions' public comment regarding city council agenda item 25 on
09/27/22.
--
Blessings,
MariaIsabelle Garcia
Kennedy Commission Community Organizer
mariaisabelleg@kennedycommission.org
1
September 27, 2022
www.kennedycommission.org
17701 Cowan Ave., Suite 200
Mayor Pro Tem Trevor O’Neil
Irvine, CA 92614
Councilmembers
(949) 250-0909
Housing Authority
City of Anaheim
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
Re: Item 25. OC V!BE project
Dear Mayor Pro Tem Trevor O’Neil and Councilmembers:
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad coalition of residents and community
organizations that advocate for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than
$27,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has successfully
partnered and worked with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective policies that have led
to the production of new affordable homes and increased investment to improve the quality of
life for low-income families.
We submit public comments in response to item #25: The ocV!BE project. The ocV!BE project
proposes a large-scale development that will increase office space, entertainment venues, hotels,
and housing options in the Anaheim Platinum Triangle area. This proposal provides additional
community benefits. For example, the development proposes to provide affordable housing in
these categories: 5% Extremely Low, 5% Low, and 5% Moderately affordable.
The City of Anaheim is facilitating the ocV!BE development by:
Increasing the residential capacity permitted in the platinum triangle.
Issuance of lease revenue bonds by the Anaheim Public Financing Authority.
Attaining additional density incentives through the density bonus law.
The Samueli family, the Samueli foundation, and the development team should be commended
for approaching this development not only as an economic opportunity, but also as an
1
opportunity to address critical community needs in The City of Anaheim. This is critically
important due to the deep need for affordable housing and lack thereof in the Platinum Triangle
area.
The Commission is generally supportive of this project with the following recommended
changes. The ocV!BE project will create a significant number of service sector and low-income
job opportunities that will further exacerbate the need for affordable housing options to house
this increased workforce. We recommend that the development prioritize housing for Extremely
Low and Very Low-Income families, since the wages earned in these emerging jobs would not
permit working families to afford rents in the moderate or above moderate-income categories. In
addition, we recommend that the development maximize the ability to create more affordable
units than proposed by working with nonprofit developers to leverage the land and opportunity
sites with additional state and federal housing funds. This will help facilitate developments that
are 100% affordable at lower income categories and increase the affordable units beyond the
proposed total units.
As highlighted in the City of Anaheim’s latest Housing Element Annual Progress Report that
1
was submitted to the California Housing and Community Development, the city has a deficit of
affordable housing production. The report points out that the city has approved and permitted
over 8,719 housing units during the current Housing Element period and only 369 (remaining
RHNA for lower income is 1,794) have been in the affordability level of low and very low
households. The vast majority of the housing units, 8,350, have been approved at moderate and
above moderate-income levels (RHNA in above moderate has been exceeded by over 300%).
Since the city has approved approximately over 13,000 housing developments in the Platinum
Triangle area, and none are affordable, it is imperative that The City of Anaheim prioritize
affordable housing in this development.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to further conversations
regarding the use of agency owned to increase affordable housing opportunities for the lower
income families in Anaheim.
1
City of Anaheim, Housing Element Annual Progress Report, June 2022
2
Very truly yours,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
cc: California Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Housing Policy Development
3