Clovis could lose affordable housing funds

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Clovis could lose millions in state housing funds if it fails to meet the standards for the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).

That housing plan is updated every eight years.

The city's on track with its current cycle, but it's the previous cycle where they fell short.

Now they're hoping to meet requirements before losing eligibility for California affordable housing funds.

Community and Economic Development Director Andy Haussler says, "the state has mandated that each city plans to accommodate a level of housing units to meet population growth and Clovis needs to increase densities in some areas in order to accommodate that growth."

The issue stems from a 2006, City Council approved, decision to accept responsibility to provide more than 15,000 units of housing of the county's overall responsibility of 52,000+.

"We're dealing with that bubble of housing that was built pre-recession that put us in this position," says Haussler.

He adds finding affordable housing in Clovis isn't the problem... it's density, "the challenge is you can have very dense multi-family condos in a part of the state, that meet this obligation, that are being sold for $1 million or $2 million a piece; but we can have single-family homes that are very dense that are considered affordable that don't count."

In order to meet the state mandate, Haussler says the city is considering rezoning land parcels, "we have options before us on how we're going to complete the re-zone. We don't have to build the units we just have to provide the opportunity for them to be built."