Time to Reach in the FFFF Mailbag
This just came in from “van get it da artiste”:
The California Supreme Court finally saw municipal power grabs of private property and tax dollars as illegal and made cities’ redevelopment agencies history.
But for those who wax nostalgic for the good old days of Fullerton’s redevelopment agency, they may warm their hearts and hands at the redevelopment agency’s legacy to us, “Heritage Walk”, an “affordable” housing development located near Richman Park in Fullerton.
In 2010 the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency agreed to pay the private developer, the Olson Company, to build thirty-four houses so persons with moderate to low incomes could afford to buy these houses. This development is called “Heritage Walk”.
Now, The Kennedy Commission, named after Ralph Kennedy, the father of Orange County Human Relations Commission CEO Rusty Kennedy, defines moderate to low-income as less than eighty percent of Orange County’s median income. Orange County’s median income in 2009 was approximately $71,000 a year. Only families earning less than $56,000 a year would qualify to buy Heritage Walk houses.
However, Heritage Walk housing development allows persons with annual incomes greater than a $100,000 to buy their low-income affordable houses.
The Kennedy Commission asserts affordable housing for low to moderate income earners is essential because most of these low-income earners can’t afford to pay the average Orange County $1,594 a month rent for housing.
Heritage Walk says its potential buyers may be expected to pay from $2,762 to $2,984 a month for the privilege of living in “affordable” housing built with our tax dollars.
Who will miss the use of tax dollars to fund private construction of affordable housing? Those who earn between $72,000 to $111,000 a year or those who will no longer be allowed to use public monies for private construction ventures?
But this is conjecture to be pondered by the good people of Fullerton.
RDA has gone away
In other states they stay
To take the futures of our sons
And tax them day by day
The damage done
The people won
No more debt
But more to come
Believe you me
Staff will see
Water turned to gold
A New Age Alchemy
(January 10th @ 4:30PM in the Main Branch Library)
Aha! low income housing. Oops, I mean “affordable” housing. Well Hell, all housing is affordable to somebody – just not the taxpayer!
The whole Valencia/Richman scams perfectly portray the failure of the houseacrats – get rid of the poor for the less poor. And let the less poor become “homeowners’ (for a while) while the slightly less poor can’t qualify! Who says so? Don Bankhead, Dick Jones and Pat McPension, that’s who – government pensioners one and all.
I think the Harpoon sums it up well. I think the redevelopment supporters hope that the truly needy will move to Anaheim or Buena Park and leave Fullerton altogether while a scant few get a room in the SRO downtown. The only people who make out are the developers.
Thank God this redevelopment nonsense is in the crapper. Let’s just hope it’s for good!
My ? Is what happened truly low income earner when he or she and their families were displaced by Heritage Walk and other Fullerton redevelopment projects.
We’re the displaced paid by developers or the redevelopment fund to quietly leave and find another over-crowded, run down apartment complex to call home?
my point is it is obvious the targeted population for Heritage Walk could not qualify for these houses, so why was Fullerton redevelopment funds used under the guise of affordable housing to build housing for those persons who earned the median and above salary?
One arm of the shadow government has been amputated. This disgraceful scam amounts to nothing more than a sucker punch in the face to the taxpayer and those that need help the most. The needs of the community mean nothing to these people. These myopic fools will soon realize that these people mean nothing to the community. What a legacy to leave.
34 families replaced about 150. And the cost was only $23 Million. That’s how Redevelopment creates housing. Shameful. That’s why redevelopment staff deserves more than just cost of living adjustments.
And who are the Fullerton civic leaders and Fullerton municipal employees who signed the contracts on heritage walk? Somewhere the docs are available to public scrutiny. Anyone willing to tell me where I may find them?
Here you go:
Fullerton council OKs condo project
Orange County Register, The (Santa Ana, CA) – Sunday, December 20, 2009
Author: BARBARA GIASONE ; The Orange County Register
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12CBC1E8E9AE5190&p_docnum=6&p_queryname=1
One more for good measure:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12CD144A73F9D110&p_docnum=10&p_queryname=1
From the article:
“The City Council was acting as the Redevelopment Agency, which purchased the 2.66 acres for about $12 million. The 13 fourplexes on the property were eventually demolished, and the city paid the residents to relocate.
The Early California Spanish-style project, Heritage Walk , will be built in the 400 block of West Avenue between Richman and Ford avenues. ”
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12CD144A73F9D110&p_docnum=10&p_queryname=1
On spot,Jane
Thank you, van
You’re welcome!
Did I read that the voiceofoc.org receives some money from the Redevelopment Agency? And are there any of the churches that receive any of that agencies funds?
Sorta like the low cost loans for home improvements…but the salary limit is so low it guarantees no one will borrow the money b/c at that level they couldn’t afford a home.
Well, maybe the money goes to a good cause…salary and pensions?
I honestly don’t understand it. When the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency makes these deals do they not stipulate ranges or limits that would constitute low or moderate income?