New affordable senior housing is coming to San Juan Capistrano after city officials unanimously voted to implement a new plan following community concerns regarding a previous high-density project planned for the lot.
In 2024, the lot was planned to be used for a six story, 107-unit project, specifically for low-income individuals, with 14 parking spaces planned.
Community outcry, specifically regarding limited parking options and the height of the property, compared to local two and three-story single-family homes, led the city to purchase the property for $2.35 million in late 2024.
The current bid, made by C&C Development Co., was approved at Tuesday’s meeting, and will see a three-story property with 30 one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units go up. The city will pay $6 million from their housing fund to support the project.
“I’ve never been applauded for a development project before,” said Councilmember John Taylor at Tuesday’s meeting. “But I think the alternative, as you saw in the photographs, would have been really detrimental to the community surrounding that area, so I’m really supportive of this project.”
There will also be a 46-space parking structure built, with 4 surface-level parking spaces.
Because of on-site parking being offered, residents and visitors will not be allowed to park on nearby residential streets or qualify for a city parking permit.
The project is expected to be completed in two and a half years.
Units will be available to individuals 55 or older, prioritizing current San Juan Capistrano residents and veterans, seeking affordable rooms, with designations for low, very low and extremely low-income families.
Eight units will be reserved as permanent supportive housing, meaning that they will be rented to individuals who are extremely-low income and need additional services, like disabilities or medical issues.
“I have a lot of folks come to me and ask ‘Hey, do you know of any place that’s affordable, something that I don’t have to spend my whole paycheck on?’” said resident Miriam Zuniga at Tuesday’s meeting.
“It’s something that’s very much needed in our city.”
The Statewide Struggle to Meet Housing Mandates
Every eight years, the state provides cities with a number of housing units they must build, based on income and population levels, to ensure there is enough housing for California residents.
The mandated housing is split into income levels, with specific amounts being allocated to very low, low, moderate and above moderate-income.
As of June, the state’s classification of a median income for a family of four in OC is $138,600.
When the city’s housing element was developed, the median income was $91,600.
A family of four is considered very low-income making $93,050, low income making $148,850 and moderate being $166,300.
In 2021, when the sixth housing cycle in California began, San Juan Capistrano was projected to need 1,054 additional units by 2029. Of those, 270 should be for very low-income, 173 for low, 183 for moderate and 428 for above moderate.
[Read: San Juan Capistrano Grapples With Mandated Housing Numbers]
The city has been looking at a variety of avenues to meet the housing requirement, including building 225 affordable units where the Capistrano Business Center is currently located, which would displace several tenants and small businesses.
Michelle King is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood fellow. You can reach her at mcaitlin254@gmail.com.
