HUNTINGTON BEACH : Water Conservation on Council Agenda

The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. today to discuss water conservation and a proposed way of providing more low-cost housing in the city.

The city, which gets 70% of its water from underground wells, has so far had no water rationing despite the drought. Tonight, however, the council will consider a proposed ordinance that would require conservation steps according to the degree of water shortage. There would still be no immediate rationing of water in the city if the ordinance is passed, because the city’s water supply is still abundant.

The council also will discuss, but not vote on, a proposal for opening up the city to “single-room occupancies,” or SROs. SROs are hotel-like buildings that have single rooms, usually with toilet facilities and kitchen appliances, for rent to low-income persons.

The city staff has recommended that the City Council consider use of SROs as a way to provide more housing for low-income workers in the city. A state law requires cities using redevelopment money to build a proportion of their new housing for low-income families. The city staff has noted that Huntington Beach is falling behind the legal requirement for such low-cost housing in its redevelopment areas.