Low-Income Renters Feel Pinch in O.C. : Market Squeeze

Low-income renters face a very tight housing market in California in general and Orange County in particular. The picture for poor renters from data collected in 44 metropolitan areas from 1988 to 1992, the most recent figures available:

Renters Per Low-Cost Unit

County / Number

Orange: 5.3

San Diego: 4.0

San Jose: 4.0

Riverside/San Bernardino: 3.5

Los Angeles: 3.0

San Francisco/Oakland: 3.0

All areas: 1.9

Live in Publicly Subsidized Housing

County / %

Orange: 14

Los Angeles: 19

Riverside/San Bernardino: 20

San Diego: 24

San Francisco/Oakland: 26

San Jose: 29

All areas: 37

Live in Overcrowded Housing*

County / %

Orange: 31

Los Angeles: 29

San Diego: 24

Riverside/San Bernardino: 20

San Francisco/Oakland: 14

San Jose: 13

All areas: 9

Spend 50% or more of Income on Housing

County / %

San Francisco/Oakland: 80

San Jose: 77

Los Angeles: 77

Orange: 76

Riverside/San Bernardino: 71

San Diego: 63

All areas: 57

* Overcrowded defined as more than one person per room

Note: Low-income renters are those with annual incomes less than $12,000 in 1993 dollars

Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which analyzed data from the American Housing Survey; Researched by REBECCA TROUNSON / Los Angeles Times

Idle Cash

In fiscal year 1993-94, the most recent year for which information is available, California’s counties had $297.2 million in unspent money for low- and moderate-income housing. About 70% of it was in Orange County and four neighboring counties. Here’s how Orange County compares to other counties with the largest sums of unspent money, amounts in millions:

Los Angeles: $89.2

San Bernardino: $38.9

Riverside: $35.4

Orange: $26.1

San Diego: $20.3

Redevelopment agencies in 12 of Orange County’s 31 cities had balances, most notably the one in the city of Orange. Amounts in thousands:

Orange: $11,959.7

Anaheim: $3,486.9

Santa Ana: $2,452.1

San Juan Capistrano: $1,538.4

Buena Park: $1,556.3

Brea: $309.3

Costa Mesa: $1,225.6

Huntington Beach: $420.2

La Palma: $1,553.9

Mission Viejo: $255.0

Placentia: $410.9

San Clemente: $897.7

Source: California Department of Housing & Community Development; Researched by REBECCA TROUNSON / Los Angeles Times