PatStar can finally afford to return to Orange County, while living, no less:
Newport Beach residents oppose housing project for seniors, veterans
Nov. 25, 2015 Updated 6:38 p.m.
NEWPORT BEACH ? A plan for a 12-unit affordable housing project for veterans and seniors in the Newport Shores neighborhood was blasted by residents who complained it was too expensive and expressed concerns about who would live there.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the Newport Shores project, a city partnership with affordable housing developers Community Development Partners and the nonprofit Mercy House. The city will loan $1.975 million to the developer to purchase a 12-unit complex at 6001 Coast Boulevard, renovate it and rent it out to low-income veterans and seniors.
?It is the responsibility for all of us to do our part to assure (veterans?) housing needs are met,? Councilman Keith Curry said.
But of the dozens of people who showed up to the meeting, most opposed the project, which will have seven units for veterans and five for seniors.
Brent Duque, an attorney who lives in Newport Shores, called the plan ?the projects of Newport Shores.? He said he?s lived in the neighborhood for five years with his family, and thinks Newport Shores has hosted enough affordable housing needs for the community.
?Newport Shores has effectively become the dumping ground for Newport Beach,? Duque said.
The roughly $2 million in funding should go to a project that helps more people, ?not just 12,? he said.
As it became clear the council would likely vote in favor of the affordable housing project, residents shouted ?represent us? and ?don?t dump on us? as they left the room.
Mayor Ed Selich said he was shocked by the crowd?s behavior.
?Supporting our veterans is one of the most important things we can do,? he said.
Chris Merkle, who works as an outreach coordinator with the North Orange County Vet Center, said after the meeting that it was painful to hear what people in the neighborhood had to say and to think they could see someone like him as a detriment to the community.
Still, he said he can understand the other side as a homeowner.
?I still think the community as a whole is supportive (of veterans),? Merkle said. ?It?s unfortunate it came down to this.?
Many residents complained that they only found out about the project a week ago.
Councilman Tony Petros, who represents West Newport, said the developer should have notified the residents earlier.
?If there would have been more time spent here (informing residents), this story would have been a lot better,? Petros said, referring to the neighbors? response.
The money for the project will come from a 55-year, interest-free loan, senior planner Jaime Murillo said.
Tenants would be referred from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Mercy House, developers say.
The city funds come from affordable housing fees developers paid in lieu of providing affordable units. The city had collected about $4.2 million, but stopped collecting them after a council vote in 2013.
The council also approved $600,000 for a program that will help about 30 seniors pay for home safety improvements; and $1.6 million to the low-income senior housing complex Seaview Lutheran Plaza to rehab about 100 units to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
Newport Beach residents oppose housing project for seniors, veterans
Nov. 25, 2015 Updated 6:38 p.m.
NEWPORT BEACH ? A plan for a 12-unit affordable housing project for veterans and seniors in the Newport Shores neighborhood was blasted by residents who complained it was too expensive and expressed concerns about who would live there.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the Newport Shores project, a city partnership with affordable housing developers Community Development Partners and the nonprofit Mercy House. The city will loan $1.975 million to the developer to purchase a 12-unit complex at 6001 Coast Boulevard, renovate it and rent it out to low-income veterans and seniors.
?It is the responsibility for all of us to do our part to assure (veterans?) housing needs are met,? Councilman Keith Curry said.
But of the dozens of people who showed up to the meeting, most opposed the project, which will have seven units for veterans and five for seniors.
Brent Duque, an attorney who lives in Newport Shores, called the plan ?the projects of Newport Shores.? He said he?s lived in the neighborhood for five years with his family, and thinks Newport Shores has hosted enough affordable housing needs for the community.
?Newport Shores has effectively become the dumping ground for Newport Beach,? Duque said.
The roughly $2 million in funding should go to a project that helps more people, ?not just 12,? he said.
As it became clear the council would likely vote in favor of the affordable housing project, residents shouted ?represent us? and ?don?t dump on us? as they left the room.
Mayor Ed Selich said he was shocked by the crowd?s behavior.
?Supporting our veterans is one of the most important things we can do,? he said.
Chris Merkle, who works as an outreach coordinator with the North Orange County Vet Center, said after the meeting that it was painful to hear what people in the neighborhood had to say and to think they could see someone like him as a detriment to the community.
Still, he said he can understand the other side as a homeowner.
?I still think the community as a whole is supportive (of veterans),? Merkle said. ?It?s unfortunate it came down to this.?
Many residents complained that they only found out about the project a week ago.
Councilman Tony Petros, who represents West Newport, said the developer should have notified the residents earlier.
?If there would have been more time spent here (informing residents), this story would have been a lot better,? Petros said, referring to the neighbors? response.
The money for the project will come from a 55-year, interest-free loan, senior planner Jaime Murillo said.
Tenants would be referred from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Mercy House, developers say.
The city funds come from affordable housing fees developers paid in lieu of providing affordable units. The city had collected about $4.2 million, but stopped collecting them after a council vote in 2013.
The council also approved $600,000 for a program that will help about 30 seniors pay for home safety improvements; and $1.6 million to the low-income senior housing complex Seaview Lutheran Plaza to rehab about 100 units to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
