Downey : City Relaxes Density Rules to Get Low-Income Housing

Developers in Downey may build bigger complexes if they agree to set aside some of the units for low-income or senior citizen housing, the City Council has decided.

New housing projects in multifamily zones may grow 25% if the developer reserves 20% of the housing project for low-income housing, 10% for very low-income housing, or 50% for senior housing units.

For example, developers are allowed to build 24 units per acre in Downey’s multifamily housing zones. If a developer meets the new low-income and senior housing requirements, an additional six units could be built on that acre.

To qualify for very low-income housing, some families must earn less than $17,500 per year. A family of three making about $28,000 a year would qualify for low-income housing.

The developer has to guarantee that the low-income or senior housing would be reserved for those groups for 30 years, said Art Rangel, director of community development. “Basically, the developer will have to subsidize it,” he said.