2014-006 - Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element and Public Safety Element Updates

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HOUSING NEEDS The 2010 Census, 2011 American Housing Survey, and City surveys provide an indication of housing repair and rehabilitation needs in Santa Ana. Because of the different methodologies used, differences in data cannot be reconciled. The point here is to provide the best available information, understanding limitations in data sources, so as to inform the development of housing policy. The latest information references three substandard housing conditions: Deficient Utilities. The 2011 ACS reported that 765 units lack complete kitchen facilities, ofwhich 589 are renter occupied and 176 are owner occupied. The 2011 ACS also reported that 395 units lack complete plumbing facilities. Approximately 65 percent of these units are renter occupied.. Structural Inadequacies. Structural inadequacies include leaks, holes in the floor or walls, loose or missing steps, sloping exterior walls, sagging roofs, crumbling foundations, and other conditions. According to the 2011 American Housing Survey for the Anaheim/Santa Ana Metropolitan Area, approximately 5,600 homes have holes in their roofs, 7,500 are missing outside wall material, 12,700 have broken windows, and 36,700 have crumbling foundations or foundations with large cracks or holes. Lead -Based Paint. Lead paint hazards are typically found in buildings constructed prior to 1978. HUD estimates that 74 percent of dwellings built prior to 1980 have some level oflead -based paint. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body, leading to learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and medical conditions. According to the Consolidated Plan, approximately 10,640 housing units may have lead -based paint hazards. According to the County of Orange Health Care Agency, the number of children diagnosed with elevated blood levels of lead has averaged approximately 100 annually. The 2010 -2015 Consolidated Plan cites local surveys and estimates that define substandard housing in the context of housing units with serious building code violations that require multiple inspections and aggressive corrective action. The definition does not include housing units with minor code violations that are easily correctable or do not require repeated enforcement (e.g., removal of debris, proper installation of water heaters, broken windows). The 2010 -2015 Consolidated Plan cites that there are approximately 15,400 housing units in Santa Ana that are substantially substandard according to input by the City's Community Preservation Division. Code enforcement staff estimates that approximately 8,000 multiple - family units are substandard and an additional 7,442 single - family units are considered substandard. A -36 CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT