Contracts For New Section 8 Housing In Murrieta OK'd By County

MURRIETA, CA — A proposal to bring additional Section 8 housing to Murrieta is moving forward.

On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved financing contracts that help pave the way for a project dubbed the Jefferson Family Apartments, planned for 2.09 acres in the 25200 block of Jefferson Ave., near Murrieta Hot Springs Road. The Housing Authority of the County of Riverside administers affordable housing development, rehabilitation, and voucher programs.

The Jefferson Family Apartments proposal calls for 81 units targeting low- and very-low-income residents. The project applicant is San Diego County-based Mirka Investments, LLC. Federal and state funding would be used to help finance the project, which is expected to be completed in 2028.

Section 8, officially known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, is a federal rent-subsidy initiative that helps low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities afford housing.

While some residents and city officials oppose Section 8 housing in their communities, municipal authority is limited. Under state law, a California city cannot reject a housing development project if it complies with all applicable general plan, zoning, and design standards. The Jefferson Family Apartments project must still meet these city standards.

Additionally, the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) program assigns a specific housing quota to every city and county in California. Total regional housing quotas are split into four income categories: very low income, low income, moderate income, and above moderate income. Under RHNA, a California city cannot legally limit residential development exclusively to moderate- and above-moderate-income housing.

Murrieta City Council Member Lori Stone has regularly spoken out against what she calls state overreach. She and Murrieta City Council Member Ron Holliday are seeking local control over housing and land-use decisions, and are exploring a potential constitutional amendment restoring greater local authority.

RHNA was originally rooted in California's Housing Element Law enacted in 1969, but was formally established in its mandatory, modern framework in 1980.