Affordable Housing – Facts & Fiction

Guest Commentary
by Poway Mayor Steve Vaus

At our last City Council meeting the topic of affordable housing came up. The conversation was specifically related to the possibility of a veterans project being considered at the Big Stone Lodge site on Old Pomerado Road near the VFW Hall.

And, as is often the case when affordable housing is discussed, concerns were expressed that such a project might lead to higher crime rates, lower property values, and miscellaneous other negative impacts. So I did some homework. I reviewed a 2010 study done by a University of San Diego research team regarding the existing affordable housing projects in Poway. I wanted to separate fact from fiction. Their report is eye-opening.

As a preface it’s important that you know this: the state mandates that every city in California must provide affordable housing options. In Poway we work hard not just to meet that obligation but to do it in a first class manner. If you have any doubt, visit our award winning affordable housing projects such as Brighton Place (pictured above) or Solara for proof.  Having said that, let’s get to the facts.

Are crime rates higher near Poway’s affordable housing projects? No. Neighborhoods close to affordable housing do not have increased crime rates. Those neighborhoods’ crime rates parallel city trends. Poway is the safest city in the county and our neighborhoods with affordable housing not only reflect that pattern but contribute to it.

Are nearby property values negatively affected? Poway property values are not negatively impacted by affordable housing. In many respects such projects add value to surrounding neighborhoods. Interestingly, during the last economic downturn many of the neighborhoods within a half mile radius of Poway’s affordable housing communities retained their housing values better than the City as a whole.

What about the impact on schools? School quality remains high. The kids who live in Poway’s existing affordable housing communities generally attend Valley Elementary School or Midland Elementary School. At the time of the study those schools were experiencing test score improvements at a higher rate than occurred district-wide.

But what about water use? Water consumption in our affordable housing projects is low because those communities have been designed to include numerous water saving features. As a result, their water use is significantly lower than average – truly a model for conservation.

The study goes into much greater detail than this space allows but regarding the hot-button issues outlined above their findings are compelling. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not suggesting we should green-light every proposed affordable housing project. Each one should be carefully considered based on its own merits. For while we have an obligation to the state to fulfill their mandates we also have an obligation to Poway residents to build the right projects in the right places at the right times.

A veteran’s housing project at the Big Stone Lodge site may be such a project. Though we are only at the beginning of the necessary processes (including but  not limited to environmental impact report; community meetings; requests for proposals) this could be an opportunity to preserve some of the location’s unique history while making history… building Poway’s first affordable housing for veterans who have served their country honorably. It’s a goal worth pursuing and I’m committed to working with the council and the community to see it through.

If you’d like to read the 2010 USD study for yourself you can find it at this link.

Steve Vaus
Mayor, City of Poway