Board approves Lampson workforce housing financing, requires 4 RHNA credits for the county

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27 approved county funding to support Lampson Workforce Housing, a 77‑unit development in Los Alamitos, and directed that four regional housing need allocation (RHNA) credits associated with the county‑funded units transfer to the county.

County staff said the Board’s funding would support nine units: five units covered by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds and four units from a local revenue source that triggers a RHNA‑credit transfer unless a waiver is granted. Los Alamitos requested a waiver for the four credits; the Board considered two options, and supervisors ultimately selected option B to require the city to transfer the four RHNA credits to Orange County.

Supervisor Nguyen (who represents the district containing Los Alamitos) moved to fund the project and to adopt option B to secure the RHNA credits and was seconded (second speaker not specified in the oral record). Nguyen argued the county must begin requiring that cities transfer RHNA credits when county funds are used so the county can meet its housing obligations.

Todd Cottle of CNC Development, the project developer, told the Board the city’s waiver request was in part a timing and site‑availability issue given Los Alamitos has had few affordable projects in decades and limited developable land. Staff and the developer said most of the project’s RHNA credit will go to the city for units funded by other sources; the four credits at issue were tied specifically to county funding.

Fifteen members of the public spoke on the item, many reading names of people who died while unhoused and urging the county to do more to build permanent and supportive housing; speakers included advocates from Housing Is A Human Right OC and other groups. Public commenters repeatedly urged a countywide housing bond and criticized the absence of immediate shelter options during severe weather.

The Board voted to approve the project and selected option B to require the transfer of the four RHNA credits to the county for county‑funded units; the motion carried with no roll call tally provided in the oral record. Staff said follow‑up policy changes to the NOFA (notice of funding availability) will be brought to the Board to standardize RHNA‑credit requirements for future county funding decisions.

The approval authorizes loan financing commitments, subordination terms and the use of project‑based vouchers as described in the staff recommendation. The county noted the investment is intended to add permanent workforce housing while ensuring credit accounting that supports county RHNA obligations.