2024-03-11 - Pat Davis
Heather Flores
From:Pat D <pat7oaks@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday,
To:Planning Commission
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Where is the affordable housing
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Dear Planning Commissioners,
I am writing as a very concerned Anaheim resident. It appears the city is not taking the Housing Element
Update seriously as that plan has yet to be approved by Housing and Community Development CA (HCD). In
fact, I see no reply to the June 28, 2023 Comment Letter.
Your website says “On June 28, 2023, HCD issued a comment letter based on the City's April 2023 Draft
Housing Element (available below). City staff and consultant are revising the Draft Housing Element to address
HCD’s comments. The April 2023 draft is available below.” This was 8 months ago!!! Whatever are you
doing? I feel this group, city staff, NIMBY’s, Corporate interests and Council members along with others are
working against any significant commitments to our RHNA numbers for income categories at low and very low
levels. Why are citizens having to do the primary oversight work to push to keep this work on track? Your staff
reports and documentation are unreasonable in length and clarity for the average person.
Early on the city gathered, as mandated, a Housing Element Update Committee (HEUC). There were several
meetings. Your website references: “Once the final draft of the 2021-2029 Housing Element is completed, it
will be reviewed by the HEUC, followed by the Planning Commission’s review and recommendation to the
City Council. Once adopted, staff will submit the Final Document to HCD for its review and certification.”
There has been no meeting of that group since 2021. It appears the HEUC is no longer viable as your website
describes all in the past tense? “Meetings – The City established a Housing Element Update Committee, which
was comprised of a variety of stakeholder groups and Anaheim residents. The purpose of HEUC was to:” We
obviously need a group to examine your work and current pace more closely!
So what are you doing to show any support to creating opportunities for affordable housing builds? Incentives?
Increase expectations of any proposals coming to this body? Quality of life including traffic, noise and health
considerations? Significant number of units reflected in proposed projects? Surplus land options? Guidelines?
Best practices?
Nothing I have seen shows any commitment to meeting the numbers below. Our community members
desperately need you to step up and support the work that makes these numbers a reality!!!
Income Category
(AMI = Area median Income*)
Number of Units
Percent of Total
Very Low (<50% of AMI)
# of units 3,767 21.6%
Low (50% to 80% of AMI)
#of units 2,397 13.7%
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If at all in your mindset, please recommit yourselves to affordable housing to these much-needed categories! If
not in your heart or understanding, I respectfully ask you to resign from this Commission.
The Disney Forward campaign seems to be your big interest! And confirmation still playing to special interests
at the expense of our quality of life in Anaheim. I can only hope HCD will reign on your practices ASAP.
Sincerely,
Pat Davis Anaheim, CA 92801
Pat Davis (she/they)
Sent from my phone. Please excuse brevity and typos.
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