Diamond Bar : Affordable-Housing Plan

The City Council last week withheld approval of a General Plan requirement that all developers of new housing either provide a percentage of low-income residences or pay an affordable-housing fee.

The council members, in reviewing the housing element of the draft General Plan, said Tuesday that they would allow the requirements to go into effect in a year if a study demonstrates the feasibility of providing affordable housing under a program funded through residential developer fees.

The proposal was aimed at meeting the city’s share of affordable housing as set out in the state’s housing needs assessment.

City officials calculate that to meet state guidelines for 1994, 781 new housing units should be built, of which 299 would be affordable to people of low and very low incomes.

However, they expect to be able to provide only 77 low- and very low-income units by 1994.

The next public hearing on the General Plan, covering the transportation element, is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the South Coast Air Quality Management District Building, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar.