Hello friends of CHOA,
This has been the most busy, intense time of CHOA so far. Along the way, more and more folks are joining in, learning about new housing efforts in Arcadia. We are grateful for everyone’s efforts: learning, speaking, and making an impact for creative housing.
Below is what is in this newsletter:
- Updates on meeting with 2 Councilmembers.
- Summary of the Sharing Session. You can watch the videos in the link below.
As Advent is starting, we reflect and read how Jesus came to this world, in a manner with no proper roof for his very first hours (and no proper bed as well.) God is very connected with those that are vulnerable.
Luke 2:7 (NSRV) “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Have a Spirit-filled Christmas. We will reach out in 2024!
Peace,
–Mike Veerman
CHOA Team Lead
CHOA meets with 2 more City Councilmembers
The Housing Element is an 8 year plan to build 3,412 more residential units in Arcadia. 1,600 is to be affordable housing. The City of Arcadia has a good plan to distribute these units around the city (see the city’s Sept. 2021 video and link on the right), by rezoning areas to allow for mixed used construction, where the bottom floor is used for commercial purposes and the top 2-6 floors for new dwelling units. The result is higher density, and better land use.
Also, the Housing Element would also require a city-wide percentage (and that percentage is still being studied…hopefully between 12% to 20%) of affordable housing units in each new development, which is called the inclusionary ordinance. The rezoning and inclusionary ordinance will soon be brought up to the City Council to be voted for in the upcoming months. It is critical we let the City Council know our perspectives of wanting these measures to be passed.
As you have read in past newsletters, CHOA is planning to meet with all 5 of our City Councilmembers, and we are grateful to have met with 2 of them in the last few weeks.
As you have read in past newsletters, CHOA is planning to meet with all 5 of our City Councilmembers, and we are grateful to have met with 2 of them in the last few weeks.
In October, we met with Councilmember Sharon Kwan, pictured above, in District 2. The picture shows many neighbors of the house of the host. We had 2 pastors, 5 of the CHOA team, and many parents with adult children all sharing their stories (and struggles) to find housing. Our meeting was led by our young team member, who is a junior at Arcadia High School. Councilmember Kwan attended the Pasadena Affordable Housing Bus Tour in July (see the video on the right), and is open to new housing in Arcadia. She recognizes so many need homes that are affordable, and Arcadia can help to supply that need.
5 minute summary of the Pasadena Affordable Housing Bus Tour in July (hosted by Making Housing and Community Happen)
In mid-November, we met with Councilmember Eileen Wang. Of course, on that Wednesday, the rain was just coming down hard. Nevertheless, our group…many from District 3…still came, and shared their housing stories of themselves and their adult children, struggling and making large sacrifices to be housed in Arcadia. (Regretfully, we did not take a picture of this gathering.) We had one family send us a video. We had another family have their letter read by a family member. With Councilmember Wang being independent and open minded, and wanting the best for her constituents (where density is the highest in Arcadia), she is probably leaning to vote for the rezoning and affordable housing measures coming before City Council, under the Housing Element. (And she also attended the Pasadena Affordable Housing Bus Tour in July.)
Friends, what this means is, we probably have 3 votes for rezoning and the inclusionary ordinance. This is huge! This means possibly 1,000+ affordable housing units are coming to Arcadia, lasting for nearly 2 generations, if not longer! Think of how many working families that will allow to have secure, affordable housing, and possibly living close to their work.
CHOA will continue to meet with our City Councilmembers from District 4 and 5, in February. We hope and pray for 4 votes, not just 3. We want Arcadia to move together. A 4-1 vote will better unify our city by moving together towards this large change. As part of the faith community, we want peace (instead of division and finger-pointing) and unity as these large decisions are made. If you like to join us to meet in these February gatherings, please contact us in the link below, or just respond to this email.
http://choaarcadia.org/contact-us/
And please know, if you have not sent an email to your Councilmember, please do so. We list all the City Councilmembers’ emails below. City Council just needs to hear from many of us. Sometimes, City Council looks at the number of people supporting the measures, and those against.
We will also alert you when these measures really do come before City Council, so we can all remind them we want them to support rezoning and the inclusionary ordinance. Maybe you want to join us to speak in front of City Council, making a public comment.
Summary of our “Sharing Session” on Nov. 4th
CHOA is so grateful to the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration for hosting our Sharing Session on Saturday, Nov. 4th. We had 26 folks joining to learn, and begin to get engaged. Lots going on, and it is a challenge to put this all in 2 hours. If you missed it, you can watch the videos of the presenters in the below link, as well as how to get the slides and the handout. Contact us for the password.
https://choaarcadia.org/nov2023event/
We had the following 7 Arcadia churches represented (in alpha order). Love to see so many folks from different denominations from Arcadia joining in.
- Arcadia Congregational United Church of Christ
- Arcadia Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration
- Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist
- Foothill Neighborhood Church (Presbyterian – PCA)
- Hills Church (Foursquare)
- Holy Angels Catholic Church
- Hope International Church (Reformed)
CHOA is also so grateful for Mayor April Verlato to be with us (see the picture below) and share about new housing projects across San Gabriel Valley, in regards to building affordable housing via the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust. Cities in our area all contribute funds (as well as the state), and then the Trust injects those funds to key affordable housing projects to make them feasible and completed. Affordable housing projects – large and small – are coming to each city. We are watchful of one such project coming to Arcadia; more on that later as we will learn more.
CHOA also gave a flash update on our plans to focus on a Safe Parking Program in Arcadia in next few years, where those living in their cars – “parkers” – can both keep their jobs and continue to go to school, in a safe parking arrangement, while also committing to be in the process of getting housed. Would your church be willing to offer your church parking lot for this effort? Or would your church like to help financially in this project? Want to hear more…listen to the CHOA flash presentation, and/or reach out to us by replying to this email.
Last but not least, Hills Church gave a flash update on their free food program. They are in their second year of offering food distribution on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, from 9am to 12pm. If you like to help them, see the handout in the link above, or just reply to this email to help make an introduction. Please let anyone that needs food assistance – and that means housing assistance when you do not need to pay for food – please send them to Hills church on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.
The above password all works for all the other Sharing Sessions we have had. You can find them in our Events web page, see the link below.
http://choaarcadia.org/efforts/
CHOA will have our next Sharing Session in late April 2024. If your church would like to host in April or next November, please reach out to us. We want to go to different churches each time.