Diocese of Orange OK’d to Build Apartments in La Habra

The Diocese of Orange has been given a green light to build an apartment complex at a Roman Catholic church in Orange County, despite community opposition.

The Garden-Grove-based Diocese was approved by the La Habra City Council to construct the 21-unit building next to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church at 900 West La Habra Boulevard, the Daily Pilot reported. It will replace a 1.6-acre field.

Plans call for a complex of mostly market-rate apartments, with two units set aside as affordable for moderate-income tenants. A project cost and timeline for construction were not disclosed.

“This apartment project will provide funding to support the church and its good works for the next 100 years,” Fr. William Goldin, parochial administrator at Our Lady of Guadalupe, told the council.

The project received strong pushback from neighbors, who voiced concerns about privacy, traffic and parking. The project also received criticism from affordable housing advocates, who took issue with its mostly market-rate homes.

Cesar Covarrubias, executive director of the Kennedy Commission, a nonprofit advocate based in Irvine, said he noticed the Diocese didn’t seek a density bonus to build more units in exchange for more affordable housing. It also didn’t employ Senate Bill 4, a state law that streamlines developments on churches and other faith-based properties.

“It appears as if they’re trying to do just market-driven development to maximize their return,” Covarrubias said.

That’s the point, Douglas Woodward, a consultant for the Diocese, told the council.

“It’s just like any other apartment complex, it just happens to be owned by the Diocese,” he said. “This is an apartment complex where we are going to find people that want to call La Habra home, who want a beautiful new neighborhood and are willing to rent there.”

The Diocese of Orange is moving into housing after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced in August it aimed to turn its unused properties into affordable housing for workers, seniors and at-risk young adults. It’s also following some churches in OC now turning properties into homes.

The Diocese, which oversees 56 parish churches, 41 schools and three hospitals, also plans to build homes in Santa Ana, Irvine and Fullerton. It will consider employing SB 4 to streamline approvals, according to a spokesperson.

“The Diocese of Orange is committed to serving both its local faithful and the wider community in ways that align with its values and long-term vision,” Jarryd Gonzales, the Diocese spokesperson, told the Daily Pilot. “As part of this commitment, we are actively assessing underutilized property assets to better serve our communities and generate funds to support our ministries.”

— Dana Bartholomew