General Plan - Moreno Valley

CHAPTER 8 – HOUSINGMORENO VALLEY GENERAL PLANAPPENDIXReview and RevisionCity of Moreno Valley Housing ElementSUMMARYIn 1991, the Department of Housing andCommunity Development (HCD) determinedthat the City of Moreno Valley’s approvedhousing element complied with statehousing element law. In 1992, as requiredby state law, (Government Code 65583 (a)(8) and (c) (6)), the City submitted anamendment to the housing element,concerning the potential conversion ofexisting, assisted housing developments tonon-low-income housing use during thefollowing ten years. The amendment wasalso found to comply with state law.Pursuant to the requirements of state law,every city and county is required to submit ahousing element update. Although thehousing element update was originally dueto HCD in 1994, due to the suspension ofthe law requiring that mandates be funded,certain components of the housing elementprocess were suspended including themandate requiring that councils ofgovernments prepare assessments ofregional housing needs. Consequently, theState Legislature did not allocate funds forthe preparation of the Regional HousingNeeds Assessment and cities and countieswere left without a critical component for thepreparation of a housing element update.In 1993, Governor Wilson signed legislationextending the planning period for housingelements by two years, postponing the duedate for the revision to 1996. Ultimately, therevision due date was postponed anotherfour years to the year 2000. The planningperiod of the housing element review willcover seven years, from 1991 to January of1998.Effectiveness of the Housing ElementThe stated goal of the City of MorenoValley’s housing element is: “To expand thelong-term housing opportunities for allresidents of the City by developing newhousing in accordance with density, buildingand environmental standards that isaffordable to various income levels.” Thegoal is a snapshot in time reflecting theCity’s enviable position as one of theprimary beneficiaries of SouthernCalifornia’s residential building boom. Atthe time the housing element was preparedit seemed possible that the city couldexpand housing opportunities through newhousing.However, the effects of the recession madenew construction financially infeasible.Real estate values fell, vacancy ratessoared, and foreclosures increased. ManyMoreno Valley workers who commuted toLos Angeles and Orange Counties lost theirjobs, as those areas suffered from a loss indefense-related jobs and ancillary supportbusinesses. Consequently, families whohad stretched their financial resources tobuy a home in Moreno Valley were leftwithout an income and subsequently losttheir homes.The recession affected Moreno Valley in anunanticipated manner in 1993, when theBase Reuse & Closure Commission,announced the downsizing of March AirForce Base. March had historically had asignificant economic impact on the MorenoValley economy as well as the largerSouthern California economy. Theestimated loss of economic activity, as aresult of the downsizing, was $403 million.The number of active military personnelstationed at the base and living in MorenoValley and surrounding communities wasdrastically reduced.Page 8-82 July 11, 2006