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Affordable Housing in Mission Viejo I’ve been involved for the past two years in the affordable housing issues of our city, and I’ve spoken before the council and the Planning and Transportation Commission on this issue, which is so important to our citizens. I was one of the sponsors of the Citizens Initiative, submitted to the council on Dec. 15, 2005. If passed by the electorate in Mission Viejo, it will give the citizens the choice of whether or not to rezone commercial property to residential or mixed use. If I am elected to the council, the initiative will be placed on the council agenda for approval to be placed before the voters as a first priority of business. The citizens of Mission Viejo do not want high-density housing in commercial zones, and they don’t want overlays (residential on top of commercial) in commercial or mixed-use zones. The solution to the affordable housing deficiency in Mission Viejo lies in the after-market or resale market. There is no buildable land in Mission Viejo for stand-alone housing and only several small parcels of undeveloped commercial land left. Commercial zoning is needed for future growth and jobs for our citizens and to support the tax base. Apartment conversions, townhouse updates, CDA dollars spent on assisting needy new buyers who qualify (such as teachers, police and veterans and residents similar to the city’s current plan of assistance for home improvements for widows, etc.) are all viable alternatives to high-density housing. The state only allows approximately 36 percent to 40 percent credit on updates instead of one-for-one as with high-density. It does require refurbishment of more units to make the state quotas, but it is one of the only viable alternatives in a built-out city. Let’s hope in the future that a realistic approach is taken to the affordable housing issue in a built-out market. As such, the principle solution lies in updating our homes, condominiums, and townhomes and making them accessible on a price basis by conversions. There is also a side benefit. When people have a chance to buy and own a house that was previously only rented, they now become owners. The pride of ownership gives our city a very vital and interested citizenry. James Edward Woodin |
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