Few solutions for affordable housing dilemma

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- There’s little the city can do on its own to significantly

satisfy increasing demand for affordable housing, city officials said in

a report earlier this week.

The report said the city should expand on its preexisting affordable

housing programs -- which include providing grants, loans and incentives

for property owners to build and maintain affordable housing -- instead

of seeking revolutionary new housing policy options.

Flocks of people drawn by the area’s booming economy are moving into

Costa Mesa, causing rents to soar and propelling home prices up by 15% to

20% each year, the report said.

Muriel Ullman, the city’s neighborhood improvement manager who prepared

the report, was unavailable for comment.

The city’s lower-income workers, who are helping to fuel the thriving

economy, are increasingly commuting here from more affordable homes as

far away as Riverside County, the report said.

But because the sphere of rising home and rental prices is expanding

throughout much of Southern California, it would be difficult for Costa

Mesa to make a big difference with local policy changes, City Manager

Allan Roeder said.

“Costa Mesa can’t solve the problem itself,” he said. “But the council

believes if every city made some accommodations to provide for some

affordable housing, we could make a dent in the situation.”

Roeder said there isn’t much vacant land left in the city to build large,

new housing complexes. He said it should instead focus on assisting

programs that encourage nonprofit groups or private property owners --

with grants or loans -- to upgrade, improve and manage existing buildings

that are in bad shape.

He said the city also should look into continuing to subsidize some

Habitat For Humanity single-family home projects.

The city should even consider increasing the $15,000 limit it currently

will loan property owners to refurbish deteriorated rental homes, the

report said.

“It’s frustrating,” Roeder said. “ We want to find a solution. But

unfortunately, these options are very expensive and we have limited

resources.”