Housing plan heads back to

victims were honored; their stories told if they were known.

Alex Lee-Jobe, a founding member of the Davis Phoenix Coalition and retired Davis teacher, began by stating the victims’ names. “Say their names,” she called out. Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68; Hongying Jian, 62; Yu Lun Kao, 72; Lilian Li, 63; My Nhan, 65; Ming Wei Ma, 72; Diana Man Ling Tom, 70; Muoi Dai Ung, 67; See VIGIL, Back page

Vitalant sounds alarm on blood shortage

By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

The country finds itself in the thralls of an emergency blood shortage, and the nonprofit, Vitalant is doing everything in its power to reverse this devastating trend. While the situation remains dire, hope still exists and pumps through the veins of everyday people — like the ones reading (and writing) this article.

In a recent press release from Vitalant, the blood supply for about 900 hospitals nationwide has recently dipped to its lowest level in a year. Due much in part to the fallout effects of the pandemic, changes in the way people work and live have contributed to this drop in blood supply. For example, working from home has dropped business-hosted blood drives by 50% in 2022 from 2019 — a decline in 90,000 donations. As the number of Vitalant donors overall has dropped 20% in the last three years, the need for all blood types — especially type O — remains paramount.

“The reason we’ve had so many blood shortages is not only because fewer people are donating, but right now we have more blood being used by patients than what’s being collected. And blood is perishable,” said Vitalant communications manager

Vickie Wolfe. “Blood that’s donated today is likely going to be used by patients right away. O-negative is universal, so if there’s a terrible car accident and they’re giving blood to people before their type is verified, they’re going to be giving O-negative. Every two seconds in the United States someone needs blood and one out of every seven patients who are hospitalized has a blood transfusion. It’s one of the most common medical procedures that takes place in hospitals and people aren’t aware of that.”

Wolfe went on to emphasize how the perishability of See BLOOD, Page A4

City Council Commissioners call on UC Davis to densify

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Nearly a year-and-ahalf after the Davis City Council adopted its plan for accommodating more than 2,000 new housing units — and nearly a year after the state rejected the plan for lack of compliance with state law — the City Council will be asked to adopt a revised version of the 2021-2029 Housing Element.

The Davis Planning Commission earlier this month voted unanimously to recommend council approval and the council will consider the new version on Tuesday.

Under state law, local jurisdictions must provide a certain amount of housing serving all segments of their populations and the Housing Element lays out the plan for doing so.

The city of Davis, which is required to provide 2,075 additional dwelling units through 2029 under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, must demonstrate to the state via the Housing Element that sufficient land is zoned to provide that housing and, where there is not enough land, to identify an inventory of potential sites suitable and available for re-zoning.

Of the 2,075 units the city must provide, 580 must be very-low-income units; 350 low-income units; 340 moderateincome units; and 805 above-moderate income units.

“We did adopt a version of the Housing Element in 2021 and submitted that to (the state Department of Housing and Community Development,” Sherri Metzker, the city’s community development director, told planning commissioners at their Jan. 11 meeting.

But the state declined to certify the plan and provided the city with a letter outlining the changes needed.

City staff and consultants then spent “the better part of 2022” working with state officials, Metzker said, and returned to the Planning Commission with Version 2. Should the council approve the revised Housing Element, it will then be sent back to state housing officials for certification.

A number of housing developments already approved by the city or in the planning process are expected to provide many of the required housing units, however, those