State, Local Officials at Impasse Over Need for New Housing

A dispute over how much new housing Southern California needs over the next five years has come to a standoff between state and local officials, possibly jeopardizing housing funding for several cities and counties.

The state recently rejected an appeal by a regional planning panel to reduce a state mandate that Southland cities and the six counties in the region plan for 503,000 new units by 2005.

The Southern California Assn. of Governments had asked that the number be dropped to nearly 438,000 units, saying the state’s projections for regional housing needs are inflated, particularly in the Inland Empire.

But state officials won’t back down. They insist the larger number is necessary to accommodate 2 million new residents expected in the area over the next five years.

How the dispute will be resolved is uncertain.

“At this point in time, I can’t tell you what the solution will be,” said SCAG Executive Director Mark Pisano.

Pisano said state officials are scheduled to meet with SCAG members Jan. 26 to discuss the conflict and try to reach a settlement.

SCAG is the planning and research agency for the region that includes Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Every five years the state Department of Housing and Community Development allocates housing quotas under a program called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment. The program was temporarily put on hold during the recession of the early 1990s.

It is up to SCAG officials to assign responsibility for the housing units among its 183 cities and six counties.

The cities and counties do not build the housing units, but are required to accommodate the construction through zoning changes and other policy decisions.

Cities and counties that do not accept the housing quotas would become ineligible for state housing funds. Development plans for those communities would be vulnerable to civil lawsuits by developers and others.

State officials argue that SCAG has not provided enough evidence to support the reduction it seeks.

In a Dec. 13 letter to SCAG, Cathy Creswell, acting deputy director of the state Department of Housing and Community Development, said that if the state allows every jurisdiction to reduce its quota “the natural result . . . would be a constant and continuing erosion of acknowledged regional housing needs.”

San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles said the state housing projections are flawed because they don’t take into account military base closings and high foreclosure and vacancy rates.

She complained that the state is unfairly forcing Inland Empire communities to accept much of the region’s affordable housing.

“The state is telling us to build more low-income housing, and we are saying ‘Whoa, what are we going to do with these existing vacant homes?’ ” she said.

The impasse is mainly over housing quotas for seven cities and two counties, SCAG officials say. Those jurisdictions, by quota allocation, are:

* San Bernardino County (state allocated 43,668 units; SCAG calls for 16,211)

* Riverside County (state allocated 12,232 units; SCAG calls for 6,051)

* Moreno Valley (state allocated 9,997 units; SCAG calls for 3,557)

* City of Riverside (state allocated 8,748 units; SCAG calls for 7,722)

* Chino Hills (state allocated 5,660 units; SCAG calls for 3,806)

* Victorville (state allocated 5,323 units; SCAG calls for 2,500)

* City of San Bernardino (state allocated 3,782 units; SCAG calls for 0)

* Simi Valley (state allocated 2,900 units; SCAG calls for 2,767)

* Glendora (state allocated 296 units; SCAG calls for 265).