03
Jennifer L. Hall
From:Mariaisabelle Garcia <mariaisabelleg@kennedycommission.org>
Sent:Tuesday, September 27, 2022 3:24 PM
To:City Clerk
Cc:rudibeb@uci.edu; Brad West; Daisy Cruz; Cesar C
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Kennedy Commission public comment 9/27/22
Attachments:KC letter Anaheim Lodge Motel Aquisition 9.27.22.doc
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Hello, please see attached Kennedy Commissions public comment regarding city council agenda item 3 on
09/27/22.
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Blessings,
MariaIsabelle Garcia
Kennedy Commission Community Organizer
mariaisabelleg@kennedycommission.org
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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 3. A RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE ANAHEIM
HOUSING AUTHORITY approving the acquisition of the Anaheim Lodge Motel
located at 837 S. Beach Boulevard
Dear Mayor Pro Tem Trevor O’Neil and Councilmembers:
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad coalition of residents and community
organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than
$27,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in
partnering and working with jurisdictions in Orange County to create effective policies that have
led to the production of new homes affordable to low income working families.
We submit public comments in support the Anaheim Housing Authority and the City of
Anaheim in the acquisition of the Anaheim Lodge (Motel) for the creation of affordable housing
for Extremely Low and Very Low Income. The acquisition and use of public lands needs to
address the acute housing needs of low-income families struggling with the lack of affordable
housing options. We urge the Agency and the City to clarify the purpose of the acquisition, the
item states the purpose as “creating a mixed-use development inclusive of varying affordable
housing opportunities utilizing Permanent Local Housing Allocation and/or Low Moderate
Income Housing Asset funds”. The City and Agency goal in using the local housing funds should
be to leverage additional state and federal housing resources and create deeper affordability for
the housing needs of lower income working families.
In the acquisition of this property, the agency and city need to prioritize the creation of housing
units that are 100% affordable to low, very low, and extremely low families.
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As highlighted in the City of Anaheim’s latest Housing Element Annual Progress Report that
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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%).
With the current lack of affordable housing for low-income working families, it is imperative
that the City of Anaheim prioritize affordable housing on 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.
Very truly yours,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
cc: California Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Housing Policy Development
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City of Anaheim, Housing Element Annual Progress Report, June 2022
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