San Marino Examining State-Required Affordable Housing Plan

It's not realistic for a low to moderate income family to purchase or rent a home in San Marino, according to a draft housing report the city is working on as part of a state required process.

According to the city's draft Housing Element report, which is posted on the city website, San Marino has been allocated with making it possible for 17 units of housing in the extremely low-income, low-income and moderate income housing categories to be built in the city.

The city's report, reflecting on the reality of the San Marino real estate market, notes it is not really possible for someone in those income categories to find housing in the city:

It would not be possible for extremely low income, very low income, low income, median income, or moderate income family to afford to purchase a house in San Marino. Only above moderate income households would be able to afford to rent or purchase a home of adequate size for the household in San Marino. 

The state requirements do not obligate San Marino to build the units, but rather to make sure local laws make it possible for the lower-income housing to be built, according to Amanda Merlo, an associate planner with the city.

To make that possible, the city has a (short) list of current vacant lots, properties and existing apartment buildings where it would be possible to add to the housing supply.

The report also discusses the possibility of expanding the city's second unit ordinance to allow a greater number of properties to be eligible to have a second unit built on them.  

The details on the precise changes to zoning and to the ordinance are still preliminary but will be discussed over the coming months and years, Merlo said.

As part of the process the city will be holding a public meeting to get comments on its Housing Element at its Planning Commission meeting at 6:30 p.m.on July 31.

The meeting is part of a state required process where each city in California must return a plan on how to provide a designated amount of low-income housing - the required plan accounts for how the city will making planning decsions from 2014 to 2021.

According to the report, 81.3 percent of existing San Marino households fall into the federal government's "above moderate income" level.

The report also notes that the city did not meet the goals established in 2008 to build 26 units of lower or moderate income housing - while 31 units were built in the city since 2008, none of them fit that category, according to the report.  The given reason:

Analysis of housing trends and population growth in the City during this period indicate that there is limited possibility for the construction of enough housing to accommodate needs, particularly within the moderate and lower income groups. First, the RHNA methodology did not differentiate between primarily built out cities like San Marino with substantial investment in existing housing resources, and newer communities that can accommodate substantial additional growth through absorption of vacant land. The City has extremely limited resources in terms of vacant residential land, and no vacant land designated at densities appropriate for construction of housing affordable to lower and moderate income households. Although the Code allows for it, mixed use projects have never been pursued by a developer. In terms of second units, there have only been three applications submitted to the City during this period.Do you think San Marino needs more affordable housing?  Why or why not? Tell us in the comments.