Council approves alternative compliance for 400 East Anaheim, adding 38 moderate‑income units

The City Council approved an alternative compliance method under Long Beach's inclusionary housing ordinance that will result in 38 moderate‑income (MI) deed‑restricted units in a proposed 161‑unit project at 400 East Anaheim Street instead of the standard requirement of 18 very‑low‑income (VLI) units.

Project planner and staff explained that state law and the city's updated inclusionary ordinance permit alternative compliance methods in some circumstances. The staff presentation said the site sits in a low‑resource area and that allowing moderate‑income units could advance mixed‑income development and the city's Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goals, producing 20 more restricted units overall than the standard VLI requirement.

Sergio Gutierrez and other community development staff walked the council through the analysis: the planning commission approved the project's entitlements and recommended the alternative compliance request. Staff found that MI units in this location would support fair‑housing and dispersal goals; the project would introduce the first new MI units in parts of central Long Beach in recent years.

Several public commenters praised the project but asked for clearer numeric definitions of VLI and MI levels and cautioned that adding MI units should not be used as a substitute for delivering VLI units elsewhere in the city. A Long Beach public‑works employee urged the council to ensure the city's lowest‑paid workers could access the very‑low‑income units and asked, "Where are those other 11 very low income units going to be located in your district?" Staff answered that the alternative compliance path still advances total deed‑restricted housing production and that RHNA and other policy considerations supported the recommendation.

Councilmembers who spoke in support noted the project would bring more deed‑restricted units to a neighborhood that has seen concentrated poverty and few recent moderate‑income options, and that the alternative compliance process was designed to allow flexibility across different neighborhoods.

The council voted to approve the staff recommendation. The motion was carried as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: staff will finalize implementation details for unit affordability levels and record deed‑restriction covenants consistent with the approved alternative compliance method.