On June 10, City Council reviewed the development and lease agreement for The Village in the Civic Center. The 3.7 acre mega-development will contain 324 residences — 164 market rate condominiums (most estimated to be around the $1 million range) and "160 affordable apartments restricted for occupancy by very-low-income and low-income households (28 one-bedroom, 56 two-bedroom, and 66 three-bedroom, including 10 affordable live-work units suitable for artists),” according to a city report.
The amount of city-funded public housing going to Santa Monica residents isalwaysan issue. Noting that not all of the public housing can be allocated toresidents,Councilman, Bobby Shriver questioned Joan Ling, head of Community Corporation of Santa Monica (thecity-affiliated nonprofit that’s building The Village’s public housing phase) aboutaffordable units earmarked for Santa Monicans.
The Village will be financed mostly through private equity that has no preference involving residents or nonresidents. Ling stated, “No federal money is involved that would trigger the federal fair housing requirement” and that CCSM is applying for state housing monies through programs that allow “local preference” which Ling described as current “residents and full time workers in the city." When asked if she had a sense of how many units would go to Santa Monicans, Ling responded, “In our recent experience, substantially over half. Fifty percent... Over fifty percent."
With substantial funding without local/nonlocal restrictions and Ling’s dodgy response, it appears that residents, including our seniors in need of housing will be shortchanged, again. Is “better than fifty percent” the best we can do? When The Village is completed in three plus years,I’ll bet the family Prius that the overwhelming amount of the public housing will end up leased to families from out of town,as usual.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 7, 2008. Read the original PDF.