Huntington Beach Seeks Innovative Housing Option for Working Poor : Ordinance: One-room living quarters would be encouraged under a measure awaiting council approval. Advocates for the homeless praise the approach.

Spurred by the need to show progress in affordable housing, this city is considering an ordinance specifically authorizing one-room residences--an innovative method of housing the working poor.

The proposed ordinance, already unanimously approved by the Planning Commission, would amend zoning laws to allow “single-room occupancies,” or SROs.

SROs are somewhat like hotels. They are built in commercial areas and have single rooms that can be rented cheaply to individuals or families who cannot afford any other housing. Most SRO buildings are privately operated for profit. Professional management is hired to keep the buildings clean and secure.

The SRO concept was pioneered in San Diego about 10 years ago, but the concept has not yet been adopted in Orange County. However, a commercial builder is seeking to convert an abandoned office building in downtown Santa Ana into housing for the working poor. That builder has said that the project could be opened as early as November if given final city approval in the next several weeks.

In Huntington Beach, the emphasis so far is on passing an enabling law that would encourage potential builders of SROs. The City Council on Monday afternoon heard initial details of a proposed new single-room occupancy ordinance. The council will hold a second study session on the proposal on March 18.

The ordinance is scheduled for a council vote in early April. Mayor Peter M. Green, who supports SROs, believes that the ordinance will pass, even though some council members have questioned the proposal.

Huntington Beach’s actions so far have drawn praise from advocates of the homeless.

“I think Huntington Beach is showing some real leadership in coming up with a comprehensive ordinance on SROs,” said Santa Ana Mayor Daniel H. Young, who co-chaired a city-county study committee on SROs last year. That committee unanimously recommended SROs as one major way for cities to provide low-income housing.

Several other Orange County cities, including Newport Beach, are now looking into ways to encourage SROs in their communities. A Newport Beach planning official said the city does not need a specific ordinance to permit construction of SRO buildings.

But in Huntington Beach, officials on Monday said the city’s zoning laws do not currently allow for the construction of SROs. The city has no plans yet to build or subsidize a structure for the working poor. City planners emphasized that the proposed ordinance would simply encourage commercial builders to construct such a project as a profit-making enterprise.

State laws requiring affordable housing are putting pressure on Huntington Beach, city staff said. One state law says that cities doing redevelopment work must make 15% of new housing affordable for low- and moderate-income families.

Huntington Beach’s downtown area is going through extensive redevelopment. Because of that redevelopment, the city already “owes” 50 units of affordable housing, according to a city staff report. The city will be liable for even more units of low-income housing as more new buildings are constructed, the report notes.

“This is one way we have of providing affordable housing,” said Mike Adams, the city’s director of community development, as he explained SROs to the City Council on Monday.

Two council members, Don MacAllister and Jack Kelly, told Adams they had questions about SROs and needed more information.

“How do you keep these from turning into slums?” asked MacAllister. Scott Hess, a senior city planner, responded: “They have 24-hour security. All visitors must sign in. People need a pass to get inside.”

Hess added that commercially operated SROs, such as those in San Diego, are kept clean and attractive by the management.

Hess said Huntington Beach would be seeking commercial SROs that could provide housing for low-income workers. “Rents would be about $300 to $500 a month,” Hess said. “The minimum size of a room would be 170 square feet, the maximum would be 400 square feet, and the average would be 275 square feet.

Hess said the Huntington Beach concept also mandates a bathroom and kitchenette in each single-room unit.

Jean Forbath, executive director of Share Our Selves, a private Costa Mesa-based charity, said she would like to see some SROs built that allow for monthly rents lower than $300. “Rents of $300 and above are for the working poor,” she said. “Homeless people on general welfare couldn’t afford that. But I still think what Huntington Beach is doing is of value. There are working poor who need that type of housing.”

Forbath said that many of the poor who seek aid at the charity are from Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach Councilwoman Grace Winchell said Tuesday that she favors the idea of providing more living quarters for the working poor. But she said she worries about potential problems of having many poor housed in one building. “I’d prefer to provide more subsidies for other types of housing,” Winchell said.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg said Monday, in response to council questions, that he also has reservations about SROs. “We have some real concerns about policing that many people in a small area,” Lowenberg said.

Santa Ana Mayor Young said Tuesday that he thinks San Diego’s record with SROs shows them to be safe and low in crime. “If it’s done right, there’s no crime problems at all,” Young said. “In fact, security is one of the main selling points for SROs.”

HOUSING FOR ORANGE COUNTY’S HOMELESS

Single-room occupancy (SRO) housing for the homeless is fast becoming an issue for the county’s city councils. With official estimates that 99% of available properties in Orange County rent for more than $500 a month, the reduced rents offered by SROs seem to represent an alternative for many.

Here is what some of the cities are doing to provide affordable housing for the homeless:

* While almost none of the cities in the county offer any SROs, the Brea Motel (built in 1917) offers 27 rooms that are badly in need of renovation. The City Council will decide in May whether or not Brea needs more SRO housing.

* Newport Beach is known for setting trends, but its work in providing SROs for the homeless is breaking new ground. Currently, an SRO project is under consideration that will not only provide housing for individuals but will also ensure that their social-services needs are met. Proposed rent for a Newport Beach SRO: $250 to $400 a month.

* Huntington Beach made the move to become the first city in Orange County to adopt an SRO ordinance. The ordinance would provide a mechanism to allow SROs to be built in commercial zones. A public hearing on the issue is tentatively set for April 1.

Sources: Individual cities, Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force.

Researched by April Jackson / Los Angeles Times