Friend of CHOA,
CHOA is starting its third year of advocating for more housing options in Arcadia. What a privilege and an opportunity; we can make an impact together.
We took a much-needed break in July. And yet, in July, there were so many changes: the Supreme Court’s Grant Pass decision, our Governor trying to clean up unhoused encampments, and Tashera Taylor, the CEO of Foothill Unity Center, stepping down.
In all these changes, we know we are all in the God’s hands. We look to God for direction, wisdom, and in fact, ultimately to change mindsets, allowing for more housing to be a reality in Arcadia, and regionally.
In our time of resting in July, I personally was reading a bit of St. Augustine’s Confession. He lived between key times of the early church: after Christians were killed in mass for their faith, but when the Roman Empire was still intact. He wrote in his book about God:
“Woe betide the soul which supposes
it will find something better if it forsakes you.”
We cannot lose God…ever. We need to remain loving, humble, thoughtful, relevant to the issues around us, and hopeful. We continue to reflect on Scripture, to discuss together how this applies to us today, to find areas where we think we can make an impact, to create some plans and action, and definitely to keep this all in prayer.
There is so much going on. Reach out if you’d like more information or an update from CHOA, or if you’d like to talk with your church group.
Here is what is in this newsletter:
- Pray for Housing: Join us in praying for housing for these next 10 months. We are grateful for Hope International Church to host us, on Saturday, Sept. 14th, from 6:30pm to 8pm. Read below for details. Join us!
- Thanking Mayor April Verlato for all her efforts on housing and homelessness as Mayor in the last 9 months. CHOA joined many other groups in July acknowledging her efforts. (See the above picture)
- Safe Parking put on hold: Read more on what the Safe Parking Program is, and why it is sadly on hold.
- Lucile parcel is back from the County to the City: Yes!! Looks like our writing campaign had an impact. Read more below on what just happened last week, and what is coming next.
- Saturday, Oct. 19th Sharing Gathering from 9:30am to 11:30am: Save this date on your calendars! We just have a bit of information and fliers on this. You can see many efforts are going on now. Come hear directly from the CHOA team…and maybe see how you and your church group can make an impact. Each person counts; each church counts!
Peace,
–Mike Veerman
CHOA Team Lead
Praying for Housing
Prayer is key to the faith community. CHOA knows this. Prayer is both a time for pause, remaining quiet, and also a time to thank God for what He has done in the last year. Lastly, we uphold the current situation, and ask God to help in what is needed now…and what is coming next.
Please join us on Saturday night, September 14, from 6:30pm to 8pm, to come together to pray. We are so thankful for Hope International Church to fold their monthly prayer time for CHOA and housing, and allow us to pray together. This will be a small gathering, probably around ten folks. We know God listens to prayer. Prayer is impactful. Join us!
Hope International Church
1741 S Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007
Click here for the detail list of our praises and prayer requests.
Recognizing Mayor Verlato’s efforts on housing & homelessness
Three CHOA team members represented the CHOA team to recognize Mayor April Verlato for her efforts on housing and homelessness in her last term as Mayor. See the above picture.
What Mayor April Verlato has done is exceptional, and must be acknowledged. One would not suspect that trying to find solutions to the obvious homelessness crisis, yes, here in Arcadia would be welcomed. We saw 3 years ago that there is such a vocal and strong opposition to the City of Arcadia to do anything to reduce homelessness. In fact, that is one of the reasons CHOA was formed. The city should not be allowed to try to solve this by itself; the faith community must be a key partner and share in the effort to make positive change.
So for Mayor Verlato to continue to find solutions and keep talking about homelessness and housing is a mark of leadership, vision and courage. There is no other way to describe what she has done. Below are the top things she has done as Mayor:
- Organized the Homelessness Symposium in February, where over 30 cities presented, gathered, and learned, on what is working and not working on homelessness. City councilmembers and city staff from the other cities attended. This event was in Arcadia! Review our March newsletter for details and photos.
- Under her leadership, City Council voted unanimously in a 5-0 vote in early February to Rezone commercial areas around Arcadia, to also be residential. See our February newsletter for details. This rezoning allows more dense housing units to come to Arcadia, in mixed use development. This rezoning vote also allowed our Housing Element to be certified by the State.
- In her State of the City in June, housing was the very first topic. She explained the Rezoning, the 3,000+ housing units coming to Arcadia, and how some of those will be affordable housing. She also mentioned that we need to keep on working on homelessness, and not ignore this. Review the below video if you like to hear her presentation.
We all have been so blessed to have such a Mayor. CHOA had to thank and recognize Mayor Verlato’s steller example of working for housing.
Thank you April !!
Safe Parking Program on hold
Sadly, the Safe Parking Program is on hold. CHOA had to unfortunately cancel the meeting with City Council this month, to request a Temporary Use Permit. Gratefully, Santa Anita Church was ready to host the Safe Parking Program on their parking lot.
What changed? The CEO – Tashera Taylor – of Foothill Unity Center stepped down. Tashera has invested in Arcadia for years, personally coming to Arcadia events and meetings. She understands Arcadia. She knows our leaders and the community in Arcadia. When she left, that was a massive impact to the partnership that is needed to make the Safe Parking Program work. Foothill Unity Center would manage the program, vet who is allowed in the program, provide the case management, and be the conduit for the promised housing the parkers would expect at the end of their time in the program. That’s no small role. That is one huge partner.
With Tashera gone, the new leadership had to decide if they could not continue. Looking at their budget/fundraising and guaranteeing housing, they determined they could not continue at this time.
This was a surprise to CHOA. We will see if Foothill Unity Center will try to acquire the funding and assure the housing, or if their priorities have changed. CHOA will continue to meet with them, to see where we go from here.
Lucile parcel moving back to the City of Arcadia
Thank you for sending letters to Supervisor Barger. Looks like our writing campaign had an impact. Now the County intends to grant back the parcel to the City of Arcadia. The Arcadia City Council’s vote on August 20th starts the process to return the parcel back to the City of Arcadia.
Both sides want the parcel to be back in the city’s control; there is a process involved. Arcadia City Council’s vote on August 20th just stated its interest to receive the parcel back. Now that this resolution has been made, the County Supervisors will add to their agenda transferring the parcel back to the City of Arcadia. Additionally, there may be other minor steps related to title, transfer fees, etc.
As a reminder, the address of the parcel is 15-19 Lucile Street, Arcadia, near the Santa Anita Avenue and Duarte Road intersection, see red arrow/square in the map below.
That is a huge accomplishment for CHOA! It was looking very dim back in April and May of 2024. So we took on the writing campaign, to see what impact we could have. You joined us. Now we confirm again what advocacy can do!
Thank you for voicing your desire to see affordable housing in Arcadia! Together, our voices made an impact.
What’s next when the City of Arcadia re-acquires this parcel? First off, it is deemed for affordable housing. CHOA believes the city will keep it that way. The next step is to select an affordable housing developer. When this parcel was in the County hands, the only developer that provided a proposal was the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
When this parcel is in the city hands, they need to determine if it is legal to just select a developer, or open the process for many developers to submit proposals. Either way, CHOA is excited!
If it turns out to be Habitat for Humanity, imagine the possibilities. These affordable housing units will be for first-time homeowners. Many of the other affordable housing units will be rented in Arcadia. Secondly, the Arcadia community will help build these units, and Habitat keeps the building cost low by having volunteers come and help. Yes, it is a slow process, but the Arcadia community will better understand affordable housing while we help build it. That will be a powerful impact for the Arcadia community to be more supportive of affordable housing here and region-wide.
Remember, affordable housing is housing for folks that are working hard and have incomes; this is housing that they can afford.
Oct. 19th Sharing Gathering
Last but not least, we want you to save the date of Saturday morning, October 19th, from 9:30am to 11:30am. CHOA holds large in-person gatherings every 6 months, to get together, share, get organized and energized and inspired. Join us!
We try to go to a different church each time. We are so grateful for Arcadia Community Church to host this CHOA event for their first time.
See the flier below. More details to come.
