Low-cost housing goes up

Gold shovels pierced the soil Saturday as developers broke ground for

a new affordable housing complex slated to open this time next year.

The three-story apartment project, dubbed Beachview Villa, will be

the first single adult affordable housing complex of this scale and

size in Huntington Beach, and the fourth in Orange County.

“There is a desperate need for affordable housing in this area,”

said Diane Stewart, an independent affordable housing consultant

working with the project. “Police officers and skilled professionals

need places that are affordable to live, not just waitresses and

bellboys.”

Under state law, affordable housing is separated into four income

categories; very low, low, median and moderate.

Of the 107 rental units, 47 fall into the very low income bracket,

and the other 49 are designated low income.

Rental limits are calculated by dividing a person’s annual income

by the median income of a county. The median income in Orange County

is $52,900.

A person whose annual income is at 50% or below the median income

qualifies for “very low” income housing and those receiving 50 to 80%

qualify for “low” income.

Tenants must receive an income of no more than $43,500 to qualify

for an apartment in the complex.

The three-story Beachview Villa will be a gated, high-security

complex with a pool, Jacuzzi, recreation room and what Anthony Cheng,

member of Beachview Villa’s board of directors calls “a nice simple,

elegant Spanish style.” All of the units will be fully furnished and

complete with bathroom and kitchenette.

The property itself, just east of Beach Boulevard at 8102 Ellis

Ave., will take up 14,162 square feet of a 76,800 square foot lot.

Cheng predicts that demand for affordable housing will continue to

intensify with the advent of large-scale projects such as the new

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, the proposed Strand

project Downtown and revitalization of the Huntington Center shopping

mall.

“There are probably 1,000 jobs or more coming up down the line,”

Cheng said. The Hyatt alone has 480 employees.

The housing policy in Huntington Beach requires 10% of all new

units to be affordable. This complex will raise the city’s affordable

housing count from 1,598 to 1,705 units.

Stewart said tenants will range anywhere from 18 to 88 in age, but

Cheng expects that ost of the residents will probably be in their 20s

and 30s.

Interested clients will have to undergo a very aggressive

screening process by management to qualify.

Unemployed applicants, or those with a criminal background or

history of alcohol or drug addiction, will be turned down.

“The stigma is always there. These are going to be low income

people, they’re going to ruin the area,” said Cheng, who said that

the screening will ensure high-quality tenants.

Beachview Villa Manager Bruce Solari will start taking

applications and screening clients early this summer. Cheng expects

construction to take no more than 10 to 12 months.

Rohrabacher opposes immigrant IDs

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and 11 other House Republicans want to

eliminate a controversial ID card issued to illegal immigrants by the

Mexican consulate.

Rohrabacher co-sponsored legislation, introduced Jan. 29, that

would require identification cards used to obtain federal or other

public benefits and services to meet certain restrictions.

The Mexican government issues a card known as a “matricula

consular” to Mexican nationals living in this country.

Rohrabacher and the other members of the so-called Immigration

Reform Caucus don’t want local, state or federal agencies to accept

the cards as valid ID for healthcare or other benefits.

Caucus members signed a Jan. 10 letter to Secretary of State Colin

Powell protesting efforts by Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and

Honduras to issue such cards.

“While all governments have a responsibility to look after their

citizens residing abroad, they have no right to actively pursue

policies that seek to undermine local laws, nor should they use their

consular officials as lobbyists for such an agenda,” the members said

in the letter.

In late January, the federal General Services Administration

suspended a pilot program at a federal building in San Francisco that

accepted a matricula consular for entry and access to services.

The cards also allow foreign nationals to open bank accounts and

display when confronted by law enforcement officials.

Other Immigration Reform Caucus members who signed the letter were

Reps. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), Nathan Deal (R-Ga.),

John Doolittle (R-Calif.), Virgil Goode (R-Va.), Sam Johnson

(R-Texas), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), Lamar

Smith (R-Texas), John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.).

Sidewalks repaired along Magnolia

A maintenance project underway on Magnolia Street will make

sidewalks safer for residents.

Renovations will include repair to sidewalks that have been

damaged by 60 carrotwood trees that stretch along Magnolia Street

from Atlanta Avenue to Indianapolis Avenue, whose roots have outgrown

the area and damaged the concrete.

Minor realignments will be made to the sidewalks and tree wells

will be replaced along perimeter walls.

The trees will be removed and replaced with flowering crape

myrtles by volunteers.

Boeing gives $20,000 to library for literacy

Boeing has given the Huntington Beach library $20,000 to revamp

its collection of literacy materials.

Literacy volunteers, headed by literacy specialist Rose Saylin,

applied for the grant last October.

The library will use the money to buy new books on teaching

reading, spelling and grammar, books for adult new readers, reference

books, reading series, cultural information and adult and family

literacy books.

“It’s really important to have good reading material for literacy

students,” said Saylin. “It’s important to put the right book in

their hands.”

Grant funding will also go toward general library improvements

such as cataloging, book shelves and equipment.

Fish and Game seeks senior volunteers

The Department of Fish and Game is expanding its senior volunteer

program to include Orange County.

Until now, the program has only been active in San Diego County.

Seniors interested in volunteering 24 hours a month will be

trained to educate Orange County communities about the environment.

The Orange County branch will focus on coyote education and

control, habitat and pollution awareness and coastal marine

education.

Applicants must be at least 50 years old and have a valid

California driver’s license. Completion of an 80 hour training

academy as well as attendance at a monthly staff meeting is required.

Volunteers must also attend periodic refresher training seminars.

To apply, contact Kent Smirl at (714) 638-8488 or (714) 448-4215,

or e-mail him at [email protected]. Information is also available at

the Bolsa Chica Interpretive Center at 3842 Warner Ave. in Huntington

Beach. (714) 846-1114.

The application deadline is Feb. 10.

Public Works Commission adds two

The Public Works Commission welcomes two new public works

commissioners. Chuck Scheid and Richard Hart will begin their new

terms at the Feb. 19 meeting.

Scheid was appointed by Councilman Dave Sullivan, and Hart was

appointed by Councilwoman Jill Hardy.

The commission is charged with the annual review and comment on

the city’s proposed capital improvement projects.

Council on Aging changes officers

The Huntington Beach Council on Aging has selected new officers

and directors. Taking over as president is Dale Dunn following the

completion of a two-year term by Dick White. Bob Dettloff has been

named first vice president and Pat Davis was selected second vice

president. The purpose of the council on aging is to serve as the

official arm of the city in carrying out objectives on behalf of

senior citizens and senior citizen organizations.

“Primary concern is how to maintain the existing level of services

with pending budget cuts,” Dunn said.