Hello friends of CHOA,
We need to keep thinking about housing…even in the summer. It seems appropriate to focus on Affordable Housing at this time. Got 3 ways to do that.
- What exactly is Affordable Housing? Could you explain it to your friend? What does it look like? Who can get Affordable Housing, if it were built in Arcadia? We aim to explain this below.
- There is an Affordable Housing Bus Tour in Pasadena, in the morning of Saturday, July 15th. Come learn from our good friends at Making Housing and Community Happen. We provide more details below.
- Join Presbyterians to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, July 29th, to help clean-up a property where affordable housing will be built in Baldwin Park.
Also, if you like more discussion and explanation, reach out to the CHOA team. Your committee or church can always do one of the following:
- Schedule a time to meet with the CHOA team, to understand more what is going on in Arcadia, to ask your quetions, in regards to homeless and building affordable housing, and what your church/group can do.
- Invite Mayor Pro Tem April Verlato to come visit your church, to explain her perspectives of what is happening on homelessness and affordable housing, in Arcadia and the San Gabriel Valley.
What is Affordable Housing?
Affordable Housing is defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as Housing in which a household spends no more than 30% of its gross monthly income for: (a) rent and utilities; or (b) mortgage-loan principal and interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and homeowner association dues (if any).
Annually, HCD publishes income limits by area that are used to determine eligibility for affordable housing units. The Los Angeles County income limits for 2023 are as follows:
The City of Arcadia already has the following three affordable housing developments:
Example #1: Naomi Gardens Apartments
Naomi Gardens is a HUD low income Apartment for Seniors. HUD residents usually pay 30% of their gross income for rent. (See top picture)
Address: 655 Naomi Ave.
Website: https://mansermar.com/our-communities/naomi-gardens/
Total Apartment units: 101
Total Apartment Low Income Apartments: 101
1 Bedroom apartments 100
2 Bedroom apartments 1
Years In Service Since: 2014
Senior Apartments: YES
Income Restrictions-Housing Tax Credit Program
Example #2: Campus Commons Apartments
This property is an income based housing development served by the Los Angeles County Housing Authority based on Section 8 housing vouchers, again for Seniors. (See picture above, next to Arcadia High School.)
Address: 16 Campus Drive
Website: https://livecampuscommons.com
Total Apartment Units: 42
Total Apartment Low Income Apartments: 42
1 Bedroom apartments 33
2 Bedroom apartments 10
Years In Service Since: 2012
Senior Apartments: YES
Income Restrictions-Housing Tax Credit Program
Example #3: Heritage Park Senior Apartments 55+
This property is an income based housing development served by the Los Angeles County Housing Authority based on Section 8 housing vouchers. (See picture above)
Address: 150 Las Tunas Drive
Website:https://heritagearcadia.usamfm.com/?utm_source=GMB&utm_medium=organic
Total Apartment Units: 54
Total Apartment Low Income Apartments: 54
1 Bedroom apartments 45
2 Bedroom apartments 9
Years In Service Since: 2004
Family Apartments: YES
Senior Apartments: YES
Community Amenities
55 or Older Age Restriction
Income Restrictions-Housing Tax Credit Program
What CHOA wants to highlight:
- We have had Affordable Housing in Arcadia for years.
- There has been no disturbance with those residents.
- Affordable Housing requires income. There is nothing just given here.
- These residents benefit from Affordable Housing. We should build more…in Arcadia! Do you agree?
There are more Affordable Housing units coming to Arcadia…like 1,600 more in the next 8 years. These new developments will integrate Affordable Housing units with Market-Rate units in the same development. In our previous newsletter, we covered what the percentage of Affordable Housing units should be in new developments in Arcadia (which is the percentage in our Inclusionary Ordinance). To see again those developments coming up (in the pipeline), review the May newsletter, or just visit our Blog, see the link below:
Affordable Housing Bus Tour
Now that you have learned about Affordable Housing with the explanation above, how about seeing it first hand, in Pasadena?
We have this exact opportunity, from our good friends, Making Housing and Community Happen in Pasadena. The tour is on Saturday, July 15th, from 8:30am, to 12:30pm. Their air-conditioned bus can hold up to 57 passengers! Let’s get on board! Cost is $25. Meet at 960 E. Walnut, Pasadena. The groups leaves from the Salvation Army Hope Center (and they have plenty of free parking). The tour review ten sites in Pasadena where you will learn how affordable housing is transforming lives as well as enhancing neighborhoods. This is a great opportunity.
To get more details, and to register, use the link below.
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTgyNDE1
Affordable Housing volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity
If you want to get involved in actually building affordable housing, volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, who has such a great track record in building affordable housing.
Presbyterians around San Gabriel Valley are working together to build affordable housing units in Baldwin Park (on a previous church campus there.) On Saturday, July 29th, from 9am to 3pm, they need volunteers to help clean-up the site (see the flier below):: clean up trash to dumpsters, salvage items to be taken to Habitat ReStores and construction sites and more.. This is the link to sign up: https://sgvhabitat.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/Presbyterysgv
Sign up instructions for new volunteers with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity is found at this link.
If you like to learn more about San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, their website is this: https://sgvhabitat.org
