HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/2020 Item 16, Mulholland
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Christine Mulholland <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Housing Element Update
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
The state requires Housing Elements to plan for housing of various levels, plan being the operative word. The City does
not build housing. In five years, the City issued over its target amount of building permits, but twice as many of the
above moderate target were built, while only 9% of the target for moderate income, 20% of the target for low income,
and 58% of the target for very low income were built.
Developers like to sweeten the pot of their proposals by saying they will include low income housing in the mix. San Luis
Ranch proposed 580 units, with 30-some in the affordable range. Not much. Now they say they want to change the
approvals to include even more units in total so they can provide more affordable units. If we really want what we say
we want, affordable housing, we must learn to “just say no” unless the offer is 25%, 50%, or 70%, in the affordable
range. If the developer says it won’t pencil out, just say NO. As it is, most affordable housing is built by HASLO, Peoples
Self Help and other non-profits.
We can’t build our way out of unaffordable prices in this very desirable location. Way too many housing units are not
affordable to those who provide essential and low paying services. We really don’t need more units in the upper income
levels.
But most folks I speak with talk about water. Where’s the water? I have lived through three droughts here and each
time we were out of water, hitting rock bottom. We were saved each time by rain, just in the nick of time. We can’t
count on that. I still believe in resource based planning. We don’t have the resources for continued growth. People
would be shocked if everything that has already been approved was suddenly built out. That would be a good project
for a student, creating that model of the the city. It would help inform the Council and the public during the update.
Years ago when Peg Pinard was Mayor and the Housing Element update was in full swing, the state told the city if they
didn’t do what they were told, they would loose a $500,000 grant for the Women’s Shelter. The mayor and council told
the state NO, lost the grant, did what they thought was responsible, and found the money elsewhere.
Let’s stand up for local control. Let’s live within our means. Over population is the culprit, which we can’t fix
locally. But we can support creating housing only for those who really provide services we need, such as farming and
hospitality service workers, and who generally have lower levels of income.
Respectfully,
Christine Mulholland
805-544-6618
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