20 (12)You don't often get email from elizabeth@peopleforhousing.org. Learn why this is important
Date:12/16/2025 7:32:17 AM
From:"Elizabeth Hansburg P4H" elizabeth@peopleforhousing.org
To:"Heather R. Allen" HAllen@anaheim.net, "Public Comment" publiccomme nt@anahe im.ne t, "Ashle igh Aitken"
AAitken@anaheim.net
Cc:"Theresa Bass" TBass@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] PUBLIC COMMENT -- SUPPORT for 447 Apts at Anahe im Festival Ce nter
Attachment:Anaheim Hills Festival Support Letter 447 Apts Dec 16 2025.pdf;
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachme nts unle ss you recognize the
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Dear Mayor Aitken and Members of the City Council,
Please find attached our letter of support for the Anaheim Festival Project being considered at tonight's city council meeting. This project aligns
with the City’s adopted plans, promotes fairness across neighborhoods, expands access to opportunity, and reinvests in a community asset that is
ready for renewal. For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to support and approve the Anaheim Hills Festival apartment project.
Best regards,
--
Elizabeth Hansburg
Co-Founder & Director
Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County.
peopleforhousing.org
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken
Members of the Anaheim City Council
City of Anaheim
200 S. Anaheim Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92805
December 16, 2025
Re: SUPPORT for 447 Apartments at Anaheim Festival Center
Dear Mayor Aitken and Honorable Members of the City Council,
I am writing to express strong support for the proposed Anaheim Hills Festival apartment
project currently before you for consideration. This project represents an important
opportunity for the City of Anaheim to follow through on its adopted housing commitments,
advance equity across neighborhoods, and strengthen the long-term vitality of Anaheim
Hills.
First, this site is explicitly identified in the City’s Housing Element as a location where
new housing can and should occur, a plan that was reviewed and approved by the California
Department of Housing and Community Development. The Housing Element is the City’s
commitment—to residents and to the State—about where Anaheim will make room for new
homes. Approving this project is a clear and necessary step in honoring that
commitment and ensuring that the City’s adopted plans translate into real housing
outcomes .
Second, this project advances long-overdue district equity. Anaheim Hills, District 6, has
not seen meaningful new housing development in more than twenty years. During that same
period, other parts of Anaheim have accommodated a substantial share of new residential
growth. A balanced and fair approach to housing requires that all neighborhoods
participate in welcoming new neighbors and contributing to the City’s housing needs.
This project helps correct a long-standing geographic imbalance and affirms that no single
part of the city should shoulder the responsibility alone .
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Third, the project meaningfully advances resource equity. Anaheim Hills is widely
recognized as a high-opportunity community, with strong schools, access to amenities, and
quality public infrastructure. Today, however, the housing stock in this area is almost entirely
limited to single-family homes—the most expensive form of housing. Introducing rental
homes diversifies the housing options available and allows more households, across
a wider range of incomes, to access the educational, recreational, and community
resources that Anaheim Hills offers. This is exactly the type of inclusive growth that
housing policy is intended to support .
Finally, this development is not only good for the City—it is good for Anaheim Hills itself. The
area is experiencing declining school enrollment as families with children are increasingly
priced out, and the Festival Shopping Center has struggled with vacancies and turnover as
retail patterns change. This project brings new residents, new customers, and new
energy, while funding a major reinvestment in the center, including a one-acre public
park, improved pedestrian connections, gathering spaces, and modernized retail and
restaurant areas. These improvements will enhance community life, strengthen local
businesses, and help ensure Anaheim Hills remains vibrant for generations to come.
For all of these reasons, I respectfully urge you to support and approve the Anaheim Hills
Festival apartment project. It aligns with the City’s adopted plans, promotes fairness
across neighborhoods, expands access to opportunity, and reinvests in a community asset
that is ready for renewal.
Thank you for your leadership and consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Hansburg
Cofounder & Director
Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County.
peopleforhousing.org 2