To add to the confusion, a mistake in Port Hueneme’s numbers triggered a request by VCOG to each county city to appeal the SCAG recommendation in turn to trigger the VCOG option that was ultimately overturned last month.SCAG had sought to bring all cities into the lower-income housing fold by mandating that each city have approximately 39 percent of its stock targeted as very-low and low-income housing in an effort to eliminate “pockets of poverty”. In Santa Paula, 53 percent of all households are in the low- and very-low category, according to Planning Department statistics.As an example of the SCAG plan, Thousand Oaks would only supply housing for a total lower-income population of 24.6 percent, far short of the mandated 39 percent. Thousand Oaks is considered one of the wealthiest cities in the county and has reported approximately 23 percent of its housing stock can be considered very-low and low-income.Santa Paula city staff had calculated that only 6.2 percent - 81 units - of new construction should fall under the category of lower-income housing over the next 20 years to bring Santa Paula to 39 percent. SCAG recommends 338 units.
Housing requirement proposal for VC remains controversial
December 13, 2000
Santa Paula News
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) recommendation for future housing held firm at a recent hearing where the proposal for lower-income housing was reaffirmed.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) recommendation for future housing held firm at a recent hearing where the proposal for lower-income housing was reaffirmed.Santa Paula city officials have been working for over a year to lower its requirement for very-low- and low-income housing, joining several cities in an appeal on the numbers. Oxnard had successfully argued to the Ventura Council of Governments in August that it should be allowed to build more high-end housing but SCAG members overruled the appeal. Ironically, the SCAG decision still falls below the number of units than a state proposal.Santa Paula had also sought a reduced requirement of new lower-income housing to allow the city to balance out the community's housing stock by building more moderate and above-moderate income housing.Almost a year ago a split City Council had approved the plan to reduce the number of lower end housing recommended by SCAG.
