Maintain an adequate supply of rental housing units in the City and to reduce the impacts of conversions on residents in rental housing who may be displaced by providing procedures for notification of tenants.

To promote the safety of conversion projects by requiring the correction of building code violations and the upgrading of existing rental housing units to current building and zoning code standards at time of conversions.

To provide for the protection of potential purchasers of converted units.

An application for the conversion of existing rental housing to a community housing project shall not be granted unless the conversion is consistent with the spirit and intent of the adopted Housing Element of the Claremont General Plan. The Planning Commission may deny a conversion if the City vacancy rate for rental apartment units is below three percent. The vacancy rate shall be determined at least twice a year by the Department of Community Development.

The Planning Commission may allow conversion where special circumstances exist under which the quality of living may be substantially improved in such areas by those conditions specified under the conditional use permit. In making its decision, the Planning Commission shall consider, but not be limited to, the following criteria: compatibility of the proposed conversion with existing or proposed developments in the general neighborhood, the safety, quality and compatibility of the design of buildings, parking areas, landscaping, and other site features which may include functional aspects of the site development, such as automobile and pedestrian circulation.

The Planning Commission may reduce or increase the amount of parking otherwise required herein upon a finding that such a reduction or increase is necessary, reasonable, and would not defeat the purposes of this requirement. If no enclosed parking is provided, lockable storage spaces shall be required.

Prior to conversion of an apartment or townhouse project to a community housing project, such project shall be in compliance with the latest adopted Uniform Housing Code, and any equipment or facilities determined by the Building Official to be deteriorated must be corrected.

Further, all community housing projects must have wall and floor-ceiling assemblies which conform to the sound insulation performance criteria promulgated in Title 24, State Building Code, Chapter 2-35, or its successor.

All proposals for community housing conversions shall be in compliance with the current development standards of the district in which the project is located.

An applicant requesting approval for the conversion of existing rental housing to a community housing project may submit an application concurrently for a density bonus or additional incentive(s) of equivalent financial value, when the applicant agrees to provide at least 33 percent of the total units of a proposed community housing project to persons and families of low or moderate income as defined in Health and Safety Code 50093, or 15 percent of the total units of the proposed community housing project to lower income households as defined in Health and Safety Code 50079.5. For purposes of this section, "density bonus" means an increase in units of 25 percent over the number of apartments within the existing structure or structures proposed for conversion. For purposes of this section, "other incentives of equivalent financial value" means the reduction or waiver of site development standards or zoning code requirements that would otherwise apply to the conversion of rental housing to a community housing project.

The application for a density bonus or other incentives of equivalent financial value requested pursuant to this section, shall be filed and reviewed pursuant to the application process for a density bonus or additional incentives set forth in Section 16.033.100 of Chapter 16.033.

An applicant shall be ineligible for a density bonus or other incentives under this section if the conversion of rental housing to a community housing project constitutes a qualified housing development project eligible for a density bonus or additional incentive(s) under Chapter 16.033.