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HOUSING NEEDS <br />FAMILIES <br />State law specifies that large families and female- headed households are a special <br />need group. Cities are also allowed to consider other groups as having special <br />needs. Because 82 percent of the City's households are families, the average <br />family size is 4.4 persons, and the large number of single - parent households, <br />many of whom are female - headed, this section takes a broader perspective on <br />special needs. Given the shortage of affordable and adequately sized housing <br />(particularly large rental units) and service needs, many families have special <br />needs. <br />Large Households <br />Large households consist of five or more persons. Approximately 28,034 <br />households in Santa Ana (38 percent) are large, of which 13,660 are owners and <br />14,374 are renters. These households often have difficulty in finding and <br />affording adequately sized housing. As of 2010, 22 percent of rental units contain <br />three or more bedrooms, whereas 38 percent of renter households are large <br />households. The City has 8,433 occupied rental units with three or more <br />bedrooms for its 14,374 large renter families, yielding a shortfall of 5,940 units. <br />Single Parents <br />According to the 2010 Census, 12 percent (8,853) of Santa Ana households are <br />single parents with children, ofwhich 67 percent (5,934) are female headed. The <br />2010 Census reports that the median income of single - parent households ranged <br />from $35,770 (female- headed family) to $43,593 (male- headed family) versus a <br />median of $61,228 for married couples with children. Additionally, 30 percent of <br />all female single - parent households earned incomes below the poverty level <br />compared to a rate of 17 percent for the Citywide population. The availability and <br />accessibility of affordable child care (including before - school, after - school, and <br />day care) is thus essential for single parents. These basic services are an important <br />factor that limits the opportunity to find suitable housing. Without them, single - <br />parent families are at risk of overcrowding, overpayment, and simply being unable <br />to adequately provide for basic family needs. <br />A -26 CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT <br />