Planning for Housing in Westminster

1. What are the Housing
Needs ofOur
Community?
Planning for Housing in Westminster

2. ProjectTeam
andTimeline
City ofWestminster
Community Development Department
(714) 442-0921
Housingelement@westminster-ca.gov
 Alexa Smittle, Community Development Director
 Steve Ratkay, Planning Manager
 Michael Son, Housing Specialist
 Sandie Kim, Project Manager
Consultant Team
De Novo Planning Group
https://denovoplanning.com/
• AmandaTropiano, Principal
• MeganThorne, Senior Planner
Timeline
Phase 1
• Work with
regional
agency (SCAG)
to determine
local housing
responsibilities
• Initiate public
outreach
Phase 2
• Evaluate
existing
conditions
• Review
existing plans
and programs
• Virtual
Workshop
Phase 3
• Prepare Draft
Housing
Element
Update
Phase 4
• Public hearings
of Planning
Commission
and City
Council
Phase 5
• State Review
and
Certification
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT (ONGOING)
Aug.-Sep. 2020 Oct.-Dec. 2020 Jan-June 2021 July-Sep 2021 Oct 2021

3. Housing
Element
Background

5. Opportunities
for Public
Involvement
 The City is creatively implementing a
meaningful outreach program while
adhering to public health and safety
measures
 Housing Element website
(www.Westminster-ca.gov/housing)
 Housing Survey
 Electronic version on the website
 VirtualWorkshop (in English,
Spanish, andVietnamese) on
December 3, 2020

6. Opportunities
for Public
Involvement
 General Advertisements
 Every-Door-Direct-Mailer sent to every
resident and business inWestminster
Community Newsletter article about
the project
 Bus ShelterAds
 Radio Ads
 Social Media Posts
 Community Newsletter Post
 There will be future opportunities to
provide input and review draft
documents

7. Planning for
Housing in
Westminster

8. The Housing
Crisis
It is estimated that California has a shortage of over 3.5 million homes
• Simplifies the process for approvals and allows more houses to add an ADU
Accessory Dwelling Units- SB 13, AB 68
• Faster approvals for housing and zoning changes; statewide ban on downzoning
Faster Approvals- AB 1485, SB 330
• 80% or more density bonus for affordable housing
Upzoning- AB 1763
• Longer notice required for rent increased; 90 days for 10%+
• Statewide limit to annual rent increases; statewide just cause limits to evictions
Tenant Protections- AB 1482m AB 1110
• All cities must plan for growth; must be certified by the CA Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD)
Housing Element

9. Our Role in
Regional
Housing
 The Housing Element is the City’s plan for meeting its “fair share”
of regional housing needs as determined by the State of California
 Determination of “fair share” starts with the State calculating the
future housing need for each region over the planning period
(2021-2029)
 Southern CaliforniaAssociation of Governments (SCAG) develops
methodology for distributing the regional housing needs to all
cities in the region
 SCAG’s methodology, in part is based on socioeconomic
information like population trends, household income, home
prices, and commute patterns
 Westminster’s regional connectivity (ex: highways, Beach
Boulevard, buses) means a larger allocation this planning cycle

10. Local Housing
Facts:
Population
GrowthTrends
 From 2000 through
2018,Westminster
grew at an average
annual growth rate of
7.1% (compared to
Orange County annual
growth rate of 13.2%)
 Westminster’s
population growth has
slowed, as the
population ages and
development
opportunities become
more limited
 In 2018, the average
household in
Westminster size was
3.5, higher than the
regional average of 3.1.

11. Local Housing
Facts: Renters
vs.Owners
 Almost 38% ofWestminster residents are homeowners, vs. 62%
renters
 Most ofWestminster’s residents have lived in the City for 10 years or
longer (87%), although a greater percentage of renters are newer
residents
38%
62%
Percentage of Owner-Occupied to Renter-Occupied
Housing
Owner-Occupied
Housing Units
Renter-Occupied
Housing Units

12. Local Housing
Facts: Housing
Stock
Composition
 Proportionately,Westminster’s housing stock is comprised of fewer
multi-family homes than the rest of the SCAG region, but more
mobile homes

13. Local Housing
Facts:
Foreclosures
 In 2018, there were 9 foreclosures
 Between 2007-2012, there were an average of 159 foreclosures per year

14. Affordability –
Ownership
(Median Home
Sales Price)  Home prices inWestminster have had a strong upward trend since 2012
 In 2020, the median home price inWestminster was approximately $758K.
Westminster home values have gone up 6.7% over the past year
 A household needs to make approximately $145K per year ($70/hour combined) to
afford the median home price (assuming 10% down)
 In 2018, approximately 27% of households inWestminster made over $100K
 In 2011, a household only needed to make approximately $87K per year to afford the
median home price at that time ($466K)
Source: Zillow, November 2020
Median HomeValue: 2011-2020
Orange County: $799K
Westminster: $758K
$388K
$557K
$725K
$893K

15. Affordability –
Rental
(Rental Rates)  In 2020, average rent for a two bedroom apartment inWestminster is
$2,216
 Rental rates have been increasing for all unit sizes and current rents
are now almost equal to their 10-year peak
 Over a third (38%) ofWestminster households spend more than 50%
of their income on housing
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
30% or less 30-50% 50% or more
Number
of
Households
Percent of Income Spent on Rent
Spending on Rent

16. Our Role in
Regional
Housing
 Westminster receives a Regional Housing Needs Allocation
(RHNA) from SCAG and must show that there is enough land
zoned for housing to accommodate its RHNA
 The RHNA is also broken down into annual income affordability
levels which tell the City how many units need to be designated
for each income level (based on a family of 4):
 Very Low Income (0-50% AMI): $0-$64,050 ($30/hr)
 Low Income (51-80% AMI): $64,051 - $102,450 ($31-49/hr)
 Moderate Income (81-120% AMI): $102,451 - $123,600 ($50-59/hr)
 Above Moderate Income (above 120% AMI): $123,601+ ($60/hr +)
*The 2020 “average median income” (AMI) for Orange County is $103,000

17. Our Role in
Regional
Housing
 Westminster’s state-mandated RHNA for the 2021-2029 Planning
Period is 9,737 units
 30% of the City’s RHNA is dedicated toVery Low or Low-Income
Households
Income Level 2021-2029
Westminster RHNA
Very Low-Income Households 1,876
Low-Income Households 1,470
Moderate-Income Households 1,781
Above Moderate-Income Households 4,610
Total 9,737

18. WhatTypes
of Housing
areAvailable
to MeetOur
Needs?

19. Who Builds
Housing?
 The City ofWestminster does not build housing
 The private market builds housing
 Public funds may be used as an incentive to adopt affordable
housing “restrictions” on private development. However, public
funds are extremely limited.
 Westminster “sets the stage” for housing developers to build
projects in line with the City’s General Plan (including its Housing
Element), zoning ordinance, and other planning documents like
Specific Plans

20. HousingTypes –
Scale & Density  Homes come in a variety of different scales and densities
 Different people and lifestyles are attracted to different types of
housing choices
 Communities can offer a variety of housing types to meet the various
needs of their residents
 In order forWestminster to attract employers, the City needs housing
options that attract a variety of people and income levels

21. HousingTypes
Single-family Multi-family
Mixed Use
Accessory Dwelling Unit Duplex

22. Can you tell which is an
affordable housing project
and which is market-rate
housing?
HousingTypes
Projects that are
“affordable” can still be
well-designed and fit in
with the surrounding
community

23. How is the
City
Currently
Addressing
Our Housing
Needs?

24. History of
HousingUnits
Permitted
 Between 2006-2016, very few new homes were being added. Since
2016,Westminster has seen a gradual increase in construction in line
with regional trends
 Multi-family homes are becoming a bigger share of new housing units
permitted (versus single-family homes)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Units
Permitted
in
Jurisdiction
Year
Housing Units Permitted
Multi-Family Units
Single-Family Units

25. OurCurrent
Housing
Element
 The Current Housing Element was adopted in December 2013
 The City’s 2014-2021 RHNA was 2 units
 To meet its housing needs, the City considered:
 Vacant residential sites
 Underutilized parcels
 Based on these opportunities, the City identified more sites (a
“surplus”) than needed to accommodate its 2014-2021 RHNA
 The Housing Element is part of the General Plan, and will follow the
same vision and goals outlined byWestminster residents
 This updated Housing Element will look at those sites, and other
sites, in order to accommodate the City’s new RHNA of 9,737 units

26. General Plan &
Specific Plans
 The six key areas highlighted in the General Plan include:
 The Civic Center
 Downtown: Westminster Boulevard
 Beach Boulevard
 Little Saigon
 Westminster Mall
 Northwest District: I-405/SR-22
 TheWestminster Mall Specific Plan is exploring the opportunity of
creating a mixed-use activity district, that could accommodate as
much as 1/3 ofWestminster’s RHNA allotment.
 TheWestminster Mall Specific Plan is currently being prepared, and
opportunities to learn more and give feedback will be shared through
the City’s website.

27. What’s Next?

28. NextSteps
Please visit www.Westminster-ca.gov/housing to complete
the ONLINE SURVEY and share your feedback on housing in
the City ofWestminster. Check the website for more
information and project updates.
If you have any questions, please submit them using the
“Chat” feature of this Zoom meeting, or email them to:
housingelement@westminster-ca.gov
Thank you!