EYE ON SJC
Affordable Housing Needs Come into Focus as City Works Through State Requirements BY COLLIN BREAUX
The San Juan Capistrano City Council heard from local affordable housing advocates loudly and clearly during a meeting on Feb. 1. Councilmembers amended an update to the city’s Housing Element—regulations that are required to be updated every eight years by the state—to specify that residents who live and work in San Juan Capistrano will be prioritized for future affordable housing developments. While those preferences were already included in the proposed Housing Element Update, councilmembers decided to emphasize them further when the new regulations go into effect. The overall update was approved by the council during the meeting, after months of rezoning considerations and public hearings. The update will now go to the state for final certification. Members of the Community Leader Coalition, a citizen advocacy group that works with the city and is comprised of members of the Hispanic community, spoke during the meeting—as they have at other council meetings throughout the year—in favor of more affordable housing for San Juan residents. “The CLC is centered in the neighborhood of the Capistrano Villas, a neighborhood that consists of many hard-working, loving, and caring people who not only contribute to the city’s
economy but also to the city spirit,” Miriam Zuñiga said. “(The) neighborhood also faces challenges that impact many low-income families. Some of these challenges include a lack of a stable home, frequent movements, overcrowding, and poor living conditions, along with other health issues.” The availability of affordable housing has been a challenge in Orange County and throughout California, where the cost of living is high—particularly when compared with other areas, and as the country is currently dealing with economic inflation. In San Juan Capistrano, an 1,870-square-foot home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms can command as much as $4,300 a month in rent, according to an online listing. The annual median income in Orange County is $106,700, an informational presentation presented to the council said. Under a Regional Housing Needs Allocation requirement set by the state—also known as RHNA—the City of San Juan Capistrano must demonstrate it can provide 1,266 housing units until 2029. That does not automatically mean such a number of homes or apartments must be built, but rather that the city can merely demonstrate the capacity for such a number by then.
Updated housing regulations in San Juan Capistrano are being sent to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for their review and certification, as required by state law. The city and state are dealing with providing enough affordable housing for residents. Photo: Collin Breaux
Approximately 1.3 million housing units are required throughout the state. Housing Element Updates are set by the state on a recurring basis to accommodate anticipated growth. The required housing in San Juan and California must also be for various income levels, including low-income and very low-income—which is anywhere from 80% to less than 50% of the county’s annual median income. More than 500 low-income and very low-income housing units are required under San Juan’s RHNA mandate.
Assemblymember Davies Introduces Legislation Targeting Education Issues BY COLLIN BREAUX
Opposition to mask and vaccine requirements for students, allegations of critical race theory being taught in K-12 schools, and other controversial educational discussions are continuing in South Orange County—this time from State Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel). Davies held a news conference at her San Juan Capistrano office on Monday, Feb. 7, to express her opposition to school pandemic restrictions and discuss her newly introduced legislation, the California Parents’ Bill of Rights Act. “We are here to fight for the rights of our children,” Davies said. “During these last two years, Sacramento politicians have ignored the needs of our children and used our kids as a political pawn. As a result, our children are suffering. They have been forced to endure many The Capistrano Dispatch February 11-24, 2022
unnecessary challenges.” Davies’ new measure, Assembly Bill 1785, calls for parents to be able to “advise on the moral or religious training of their minor child,” by requiring schools to give parents more opportunities to be involved in their children’s education. According to the bill, school districts would be required to provide parents an opportunity each quarter to learn about their child’s coursework, “including the source of any supplemental educational materials.” AB 1785 also calls for districts to inform parents and guardians in advance of any teachings related to comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education, as well as the procedure that would enable their child to opt out of that education. Language in the legislation also pro-
State Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) has introduced new legislation intended to give parents more rights when it comes to their children’s education. Davies and other local officials spoke against student mask and vaccine requirements, current school curricula, and other education issues during a news conference on Monday, Feb. 7. Photo: Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Laurie Davies
poses a requirement for districts to send out an annual newsletter for parents to learn about the nature and purpose Page 4
Rezoning decisions previously approved by the council included considering allowing high-density housing developments on four parcels of Doheny Park Road, including where Petsmart and Staples currently are located. Previously approved and potential housing developments are also being factored into satisfying San Juan Capistrano’s RHNA requirements, including The Farm residential community currently under construction on Del Obispo Street and potential apartments that could be built on Forster Street.
of clubs and activities offered at their child’s school. Though AB 1785 does not mention masks or vaccines, Davies addressed those topics at Monday’s news conference. Davies said her office has fought “damaging policies” and will continue to oppose all student mask and vaccine mandates. The general consensus among medical experts is that masks and vaccines are effective tools to limit the spread of COVID-19. Masks have been required indoors for students and adults on school campuses throughout the pandemic by the California Department of Public Health. Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a vaccine requirement for students once the Food and Drug Administration fully approves all COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) has introduced legislation, the Keep Schools Open and Safe Act, that would also require students be vaccinated to continue attending classes in person. thecapistranodispatch.com
