Despite strong opposition from some residents, county officials on Monday will consider requiring developers to earmark a larger portion of their projects for affordable housing -- or pay a fee for not doing so.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on revisions to its Inclusionary Housing and In-Lieu Fee program, which would require residential developers to set aside as much as 30 percent of new homes for families making $130,000 or less. Developers now reserve 5 to 20 percent of projects for lower-income households.
The proposal would also increase the in-lieu fees for builders who don't include the affordable homes. The fees vary by area, but in Montecito they would jump from $400,000 to $1.9 million for a 10-unit development.
Although housing officials note the proposed changes involve no rezoning, a group of residents in the unincorporated Goleta Valley opposes the measure, saying it could lead to further development. Indeed, the Coalition for Sensible Planning's steadfast opposition -- which they say is based on mistrust for the county -- has complicated the future of what has become a highly contested proposal.
Posted by gandlwoods at November 21, 2004 06:57 AM