HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/21/2018 Item 17, Wyatt
Christian, Kevin
From:Anne Wyatt <annehomeshareslo@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Zoning Code update tomorrow: eliminate Table 2A reduction in affordable housing
Dear Mayor Harmon, Council Members and Staff:
Thank you for your work on zoning code changes, on agenda for approval tomorrow. Knowing you all support
affordable housing for members of this community I'd request one essential change in regard to inclusionary
housing table 2A reductions. Otherwise, I wholeheartedly encourage you to approve changes as proposed by
staff, in particular housing items:
allowance for permitting tiny houses on wheels (THOWs)
RV parks allowed in C-T zone
setback planes for development
increased densities and allowances in downtown district including required housing
It would be difficult to miss the criticism you now receive for city density additions. With wildfires raging in
much of the state and air quality, GHG reduction and multi-modal goals difficult to manage with decentralized
development, it is important to remind people that density in established communities is sound wild land fire
resistant and smart development. That said, no resident of this town is immune to the frustrations involved
with density impacts on a daily basis, and you may be better able to promise to us community members that
the density increases will bring substantive community benefit.
As you know, affordable housing is critically deficient and market based new housing--even teeny-tiny houses
and small downtown studio apartments--are not affordable and will not be affordable without your
intervention. Check out small one-bedroom at De Tolosa Ranch going for over $2065-2265/month
here: https://www.detolosaranch.com/ .
This expensive rental market reality means the City desperately needs dedicated income restricted affordable
units, those affordable to the increasing number of senior women, for example, trying to make it on average
Social Security income of $1100 per month, that we get desperate pleas for help from daily. If you are going to
increase densities and continue to allow development, the community would benefit from the actual
requirement that each project will include affordable housing or adequate payment of in lieu fees. In theory,
your inclusionary housing policy requires this. In fact, it requires a minimum amount, at best, and at worst,
very little, due to Table 2A reductions.
Table 2A problem: Currently, under Table 2A, Inclusionary Housing Adjustment Factors, on page 385 (Section
8-7) of your staff report, and referenced on the last page of your housing element, also below, your
inclusionary requirements are significantly decreased on smaller newly constructed units.
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Table 2A was written and included in a time-gone-by when average City homes were over 2,000 square feet,
and small units may have actually been affordable, so it made some sense. Now, most homes in the City and
County will likely be 1500 square feet and under due to changed buyer demand; older single person
households and Millennials seek smaller housing. I don't believe that the occasional larger City home is even
required to pay inclusionary fees, if not in a multi-unit development, so the added adjustment on the large
house size probably brings little to no bonus, while the reductions of the requirement on the lower end mean
developers of smaller housing--that they are likely going to build anyway to meet current demand--provide
fewer inclusionary affordable units and less in lieu fee payments.
Please require affordable housing for City residents, per intent of your inclusionary ordinance, by eliminating
Table 2A as part of your zoning code updates tomorrow. Provision of actual minimum amounts of affordable
housing is something the community has made clear they expect and many desperately need. As written and
included, Table 2A precludes your ability to provide for it and minimizes community enhancing benefits of
density.
With thanks for the work you do and your thoughtful consideration of this issue, -anne
anne wyatt
Executive Director
HomeShareSLO
www.HomeShareSLO.org
(805) 215-5474 office
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