2010-024 - The Final Environmental Impact Report No. 2006-02

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Chapter 4 Statement ofOverrlding Conslderatlons 30 dwelling units per acre in order to meet the densit}• criteria that HCD has established as being supporti~=e of affordable housing production. The City's Housing Element identified the Renaissance Specific Plan area, which shares the same geographic boundar}= as the Transit Zotng Code area, as one that has the potential to provide a new source of residential in-fill development and, as such, was used to partially satisfy the City's RHNA xequuement. During the planning period covered by the Housing Element (2006-2014) it is estimated that the City could anticipate up to 238 units of new residential development. Throughout the life of the Transit Zoning Code (a planning horizon of 20 to 30 years) it is estimated that there could be as many as 4,075 new residential units, a portion of which could be expected to meet affordability requirements. The Proposed Project implements the Housing Element and provides the zoning necessary to stimulate nevc=affordable housing production. j. The Developer Project component of the Proposed Project and the IVfcrcy House project «dll provide up to 220 ne«= residential units. As cmrentl}= designed these projects «•ill pros=ide 121 rental units affordable to those meeting the Orange County= criteria for Low, ~rciq-Low and Extremely Love= Income, three market rate rental units, six For-sale units affordable to those meeting the Orange County= criteria far 1Vloderate Income, and 2G market-rate for-sale units. 't'his creates a combined total of 156 new residential units. OF these, 127 will be deed-xesu-icted affordable housing and will be counted towards the City's RIINA requirement. These 127 affordable units represent 53% of all new units estimated to be constructed within the 2006-2014 planning horizon of the Housing Element for the Transit Zoning Code area and represent 10% of the City's total RHNA requirement for Very Low and Low Income housing (1,268 units -City of Santa Ana Hoaasing Element 2006-2014 Table 4). This is a significant contribution to meeting both the State mandated requirements for affordable housing production, as well as tneetitig a real need for the residents of Santa Ana. In addition, the Mercy I-louse project (22 of the 127 previously described units) meets the City's criteria For Special Needs housing, also identified as a need in the I-lousing Element. Failure to appro~•e the Developer Project and the D4ercy House project will elurunate an important new source oFaffordable housing and special needs housing. k. The Deg=elopes Project furthers the Cit}•'s policy of "maximiz[ing] affordable housing on Agen~}=- owned properties that is of high quality, sustainable, and avallable to various income lei=e)s." (See Santa Ana Housing Element [2006-2014], Policy HE-2.8.) It meets the City's policy to "encourage the construction of rental housing For Santa Ana's residents and vc•orkEorce, including a commitment to very* lout=, lou> and moderate income residents and moderate income Santa tlna workers" (Policy HE-23) and its policy to "facilitate and encourage a diversity and range in types, prices, and sizes of housing, including single-family homes, apartments, town homes, mixed/muLti- use housing, transit-oriented deg=elopments, and lip=e/work housing" (Policy HE-2.4). (See Santa Ana Housing Element [2006-2014].) The Transit Zoning Code component of the Proposed Project accomplishes this b}= creating zoning and affordable housing incentives that supports the development of ne«• affordable housing by allowing for densities which provide the economies of scale necessary to allow For below-market construction. The "Transit Zoning Code also provides For a wide varlet}' of housing types which includes everything from single-Family detached houses to ligh-rise mixed-use development. By allowing For a mixture of uses both horizontall}- on single properties, and verticall}= within single buildings, the Transit Zoning Code provides opportunities for a dim=crsc tnix of housing in furtherance of the Cit}•'s Housing Element. The Dc~-eloper Project componeut of the Proposed Project accomplishes this by providing 124 new rental unts and 32 new for-sale units. Of these units, 127 will be deed restricted to ensure their long-term affordability. This ne~t• housing is comprised of a v=aricty= of product~~~~~}jbc~a~bn~~i~~Ld Page 93 of 130 Transit Zoning Code (SD 84) EIR Flndings of FacyStatement of Overriding Conslderatlons 4_7