It took a couple of years and some back and forth with Sacramento, but Temecula has crafted an affordable housing plan that apparently meets the muster of the state's Department of Housing and Community Development.

The city's plan, a state-mandated document called a housing element, was approved by the City Council this week and it will be sent to Sacramento for certification.

City officials expect swift approval because state officials in June signed off on a draft version of the plan, which was approved Tuesday by the council. Previous versions of the plan were kicked back by the state due to concerns about the amount of space the city had set aside and viability of that land for affordable housing.

Some highlights of the city's new plan:

-- A developer building an affordable housing project won't need to apply for a conditional use permit.

The issuance of such a permit gives a city more control over a project, but it complicates things for developers, who have to jump through more hoops to get something built.

Patrick Richardson, director of planning and redevelopment, said the state is not allowing cities to require conditional use permits because some cities raised the bar so high that it became difficult for developers to bankroll affordable housing projects.

The permits, he said, constituted an "unnecessary burden."

-- A developer looking to start a project in the areas the city has targeted for affordable housing developments ---- the Jefferson Avenue corridor, Old Town Temecula and the Ynez Road corridor between Rancho California and Winchester roads ---- will be able to build up to 35 units per acre if half of those units are set aside as affordable housing.

If the developer doesn't provide an affordable housing component, the units per acre will be capped at 20.

The 15-unit-per-acre boost is meant to entice developers to undertake affordable housing projects, which are generally less profitable than their market rate brethren.

Examples of existing developments in the city that hit the 35-unit-per-acre mark include the Dalton Building on Fifth Street in Old Town and the under-construction project on Third Street across from the Baily's Old Town Temecula restaurant.

Discussing some of the specific changes requested by the state, Cathy Creswell, deputy director of the department, said it makes sense to remove the requirement for a conditional use permit.

"They've said, 'We've looked in our city and identified where we think multifamily housing is an appropriate use.' It's counter-intuitive to say even though we've done all these analyses you have to get a conditional use permit," she said.

Cities are required to submit housing elements to the state every six years to make sure that all cities are providing their share of affordable housing opportunities. The law was put on the state's books in the late 1960s, when housing became a wedge issue for civil rights activists.

Temecula's share, as determined by regional decision makers, is about 1,300 units of affordable housing, but the council's action this week doesn't mean that a host of low-income apartment buildings will suddenly be shoehorned into the city.

"Bottom line," Richardson said, "the state understands market forces."

The city's duty, he said, is to create the mandated regulatory framework. If developers don't follow through and build enough units to satisfy the target, the city won't be penalized.

"We have to make our best effort," he said.

Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624.