SANTA ANA, Calif—New housing equity rules passed this month by the City of Santa Ana may halt future housing developments in the city, according to a regional housing industry group.
Santa Ana City Council narrowly passed revisions to its Housing Opportunity Ordinance by a 4–3 vote on April 19. The rules require builders to use local labor and union workers and include affordable housing in future developments.
The changes will require housing developers to pay up to $15 a square foot for new developments that don’t include affordable housing or use local or union workers.
“It’s just bad policy that will discourage development in the city when it’s most needed,” Adam Wood, vice president of the California Building Industry Association’s Orange County Chapter told The Epoch Times. “It sounds good on paper, I’ll give them that. But if you make it so expensive, there’s a breaking point where it doesn’t financially work.”
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