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Lynwood Unified board debates draft resolution on developer impact fees and affordable housing
Summary
At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Lynwood Unified School District board discussed a draft resolution to use developer impact fees and other options to encourage affordable housing, with members splitting between broad incentives and targeted supports such as teacher housing.
The Lynwood Unified School District board discussed a draft resolution on developer impact fees and affordable housing during its Jan. 9 meeting, asking staff for more analysis and community input before taking action.
Superintendent Dr. Crossway introduced the item as a draft and asked the board to identify what additional information should be included for future consideration. He framed the proposal as an effort to support affordable housing amid regional shortages.
Board member Dr. Castro said she supported encouraging affordable housing but urged changes to the draft. "So I'd like to, make a suggestion or recommendation that we add teacher housing for consideration," she said, and cautioned against a 50% fee reduction in the draft without evidence that neighboring districts use the same approach. Dr. Castro suggested the district consult the LA County Development Housing Authority and nonprofit partners to identify best practices.
Board member Lopez described the local housing market as severely constrained and urged the board to focus on solutions that would bring housing projects to Lynwood. She said teachers and classified employees face difficulty finding affordable housing locally and recommended revising the draft to include concrete incentives and conditions that would attract builders.
Board member Morales urged the board to keep the resolution narrowly focused on low-income housing rather than adding multiple policy parameters. "Let's not convolute the issue," he said. "Let's focus on low income housing."
Members discussed several options for staff follow-up, including peer-district comparisons, outreach to county housing authorities, and exploring co-development models in which the district partners directly on housing projects. The superintendent said staff would continue research and bring additional information to the board.
The board did not vote on the draft at the Jan. 9 meeting and left the item open for further development and additional data from staff and outside partners. The next procedural step is for staff to return with comparative research, cost estimates for potential fee waivers or incentives, and suggested language that addresses teacher housing and partnership options.
