Imperial Beach Helps Fund Low-Income Housing Renovation
The city of Imperial Beach will provide $1 million in redevelopment agency loans to help renovate 15 low-income apartments.
The apartments are owned by South Bay Community Services. The company plans to upgrade both the interior and exterior of the apartments. Work will include new kitchens and bathrooms, new windows, doors, and flooring. The apartments will also receive fresh paint, and new lighting and landscaping will be installed. Work is scheduled to begin later this month.
HCD Seeks Applications for Farmworker Housing Funds
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has begun accepting applications for the last $8.2 million available from the Joe Serna Jr. program for migrant housing, funded by Proposition 46.
Public organizations, employers, cities and counties can apply for grants of up to $3 million to build new homes for seasonal employees, and up to $1 million for the restoration of existing homes.
Blighted Oakland Hotel Transformed Into Senior Housing
The Dimond district in Oakland will soon be home to the Lincoln Courts Senior Apartments, an 82-unit housing complex for extremely- and very-low income seniors, built on the site of the former Hillcrest Motel.
Built by San Francisco-based Domus Development, applications to rent the units will be available between November 28 and December 12. To obtain an application, call the developer at (415) 558-9500. Applicants have until January 9 to return applications. The community is scheduled to open in 2006.
Church Eyes Motel for Evacuee Housing
The Obispo Gray Ministries, Inc., located in Turlock has plans to renovate the 26-room Motel 7 on Golden State Boulevard into a home for 78 Gulf-area evacuees.
Although the project is only in the planning stages, if approved, the church also plans to fix the motel office and convert it into a learning lab with 30 computers. Obispo Gray hopes to have the rooms ready by early 2006.
New Affordable Family Housing Opens in El Dorado Hills
In October, White Rock Village opened in El Dorado Hills, providing 168 apartments for low-income families.
Developed by Mercy Housing, the community is an inclusionary housing development, and is located within walking distance of shopping, recreation, and other amenities in El Dorado Hills. The development is slated to serve as workforce housing for the increasing number of new jobs being created in the city.
Mercy Housing Transforms Parking Lot into Homes
A hospital parking lot now stands as a seven-story apartment building with 61 affordable apartments near downtown Los Angeles. Named Grand & Venice, the apartments are available to those families earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income.
The development features office space and a child care center operated by the California Hospital and Medical Center. The hospital’s parking spaces were preserved, and are now located below the apartments.
‘Granny Unit’ Pilot Program Approved in San Jose
In November, the San Jose City Council approved a year-long pilot program to authorize homeowners to build additional small living spaces on their property, commonly referred to as "granny units."
The purpose is to provide affordable housing for senior residents and/or their caregivers. The program’s approval ends a 21-year-old ban on these units.
Community Housing Trust of Monterey County
The recently formed Community Housing Trust of Monterey County, Inc. (a 501(c)3) and the related Monterey County Workforce Housing, Inc. (a 501(c)4) trusts have now received tax exemption status approval from both the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board.
The trusts are implementing a formal fundraising strategy to fund the trusts, calling upon both the private and public sectors, including all employment sectors throughout the county. Employer surveys show that housing costs are employers’ biggest challenge in terms of hiring and retaining employees. For more information, contact CHT at (831) 754-5053.
