EDITORIAL

In the coming weeks, Newport Beach officials will begin the long,

detailed and at times tedious process of bringing more affordable housing

to the city.

It is far from the most glamorous part of their jobs. It involves

calculating percentages of “housing units,” putting into place specific

programs to encourage developers to build low-income housing and even

determining what “low-income” means.

But it will be among their most important jobs, and potentially among

their most outstanding legacies because of a simple fact of life:

Everybody grows old.

City officials have acknowledged that Newport Beach’s increasing

senior population -- already a fourth of residents -- is demanding more

affordable housing be built.

At first, that may seem unlikely, given the affluence the city is

known for. But that affluence comes at a steep price, one many seniors

can’t afford.

The Daily Pilot told the story of one case in which a senior saw her

rent rise 40% when a new landlord took over her apartment building.

She was far from a newcomer to the city, having lived in that

two-bedroom apartment for almost 30 years. Over that span, her rent had

climbed from $275 to $1,160.

Property owners, of course, have every right to get fair market value

out of their land or buildings. But it is still appalling that any rent

would go up that much. Such a jump makes the free market seem anything

but free.

It also drives home the point that affordable housing is desperately

needed here for seniors, whose annual incomes will not be able to cover

dramatic 40% spikes in their cost of living.

As they work to bring more affordable housing to the city, council

members and city staff should be diligent and keep in mind that they,

too, probably will want to retire here.