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Redlands staff outlines tools to spur affordable housing; community pushes for faster action
Summary
City staff presented a package of incentives and regulatory changes to help produce affordable housing — preapproved ADU designs, density bonuses, parking reductions, and use of excess institutional land — and residents urged the council to accelerate and prioritize funding, community engagement and fee allocations.
City staff gave a detailed briefing on Redlands' affordable housing priorities, tools and projects, and residents urged the council to move quickly to turn plans into built units.
Director Desatnick (speaker 17) framed affordable housing by income categories (very low, low, moderate) and said the median home price in Redlands last year was about $619,000. He described a large affordability gap for a three-bedroom moderate-income sale — roughly a $350,000 to $400,000 difference between market price and the affordable target — and explained that many rental programs keep affordability in place through long-term restrictions (often 55 years for rental projects).
Staff highlighted existing programs and incentives: state density-bonus rules, preapproved ADU designs to cut permit time and cost, SB 4 options to allow certain religious institutions and schools to offer excess land for affordable housing, reduced parking near transit, and a possible shift from per-unit fees to floor-area based fees to lower costs for smaller units. Staff also noted an inclusionary-fee pipeline: Tennessee Village and Lagonia Village were cited as projects that will pay a combined $3,300,000 into the city's inclusionary fund, and a Phase 2 of the Venue at Orange project could add about 50 very-low-income units pending council consideration.
During public comment, housing advocates and residents urged broader reforms. A Redlands YIMBY representative stressed the need to increase supply and remove constraints; Bruce Laycook (speaker 29) thanked staff and requested public engagement on how the $3.3 million in in-lieu fees will be allocated; and Bobby Garrity (speaker 6) urged policy reforms including ADU predesigns, parking reductions and floor-area fee changes to improve feasibility.
What happens next: staff said it will continue work on pipeline projects and program implementation; councilmembers asked staff to pursue outreach to potential institutional landowners regarding SB 4 opportunities and to return with more details on spending priorities for inclusionary funds.
