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15 <br /> SURVEY SUMMARY ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING REGULATORY BARRIERS <br /> AUGUST 2020 <br /> Background <br /> In July, the Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development <br /> surveyed local real estate developers to identify barriers and possible incentives to <br /> affordable housing development. Survey questions asked about development <br /> standards, fees, developable land in Orange County and the affordable housing density <br /> bonus. Four developers responded — two nonprofit and two for-profit — and identified <br /> several regulatory, financing and other market-driven obstacles to affordable housing <br /> development in addition to policy solutions and possible incentives that may mitigate <br /> these obstacles. <br /> Regulatory Barriers <br /> Survey respondents identified several regulatory barriers in Orange County that inhibit <br /> or complicate affordable housing development. One developer described inconsistency <br /> in fees and review processes across jurisdictions as a challenge. Several others cited <br /> high impact fees, slow building permitting processes, and long development review <br /> timelines as inhibiting factors. One developer also mentioned low-density zoning, <br /> watershed restrictions, and the Rural Buffer as land-use limitations on buildable land. <br /> Another developer had never considered developing outside of the jurisdictions <br /> because they assumed that the broader County is not zoned to allow multifamily <br /> building. Possible incentives suggested include reducing or refunding development <br /> fees, relaxing building permitting processes, creating an expedited review process for <br /> affordable housing projects, and otherwise modifying land-use regulations or creating <br /> exceptions for affordable housing developments. <br />