Preserving Affordable Housing Cases at UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections

UC Irvine case files

On September 16th, Legacy Preservation Foundation delivered approximately 50 boxes of Center for Law in the Public Interest (CLIPI) litigation archives to UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections, preserving the records of three significant Orange County matters – Orange County Fair Housing Council v. City of Irvine (“Irvine Housing”), O’Toole v. Irvine Ranch Water District, and Moseley v. County of Orange.

These cases document an important period in Orange County’s growth and the role public interest law played in shaping its communities.

Affordable housing was central to two of these matters. In the Irvine Housing case, CLIPI challenged exclusionary housing practices and the lack of a jobs-housing balance in the rapidly developing City of Irvine, ultimately reaching a settlement that provided for 725 new affordable housing units. The case underscored the significance of a broader principle – growing cities should provide their fair share of the region’s affordable housing.

Moseley involved Orange County’s efforts to eliminate protections designed to keep publicly subsidized housing affordable to low- and moderate-income residents. Together, these cases reflect a continuing question in rapidly developing communities – who has the opportunity to live here?

O’Toole addressed another aspect of Orange County’s development. The case challenged a voting system for the Irvine Ranch Water District that allocated voting power according to assessed property value with the Irvine Company as by far the dominant voter. Its resolution shifted the district to a “one-man one-vote” system, giving residents a voice in the public agency responsible for providing water and infrastructure essential to Irvine’s rapid growth.

Archiving these records ensures that these cases and their histories will be available to researchers and future generations. We are especially grateful to Audra Eagle Yun and Jasmine Larkin for helping give these records a permanent home at UC Irvine.