Council: Santa Paula Housing
December 30, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The Santa Paula Housing Authority (SPHA) will be concentrating on finding and creating property for all the City Council learned at the December 21 meeting when the executive director of the agency presented its 5-Year Plan.
Ramsey Jay told the council that housing, along with food, clothing and education, is a “core essential human need” and for more than 40 years the SPHA has been providing same fulfilling the need to provide “decent, safe and affordable housing.”
It presently is providing housing for 577 households through the HUD Section 8 rental assistance program and maintains an inventory of 98 units owned and managed by SPHA for seniors and special needs occupants.
Jay said the SPHA operates under “Three underlining principals…are we reaching and assisting the right people,” existing residents of Santa Paula of low household income, is the correct, secure and safe housing being utilized and at the right cost, no more than 30 percent of the household income.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has accepted the SPHA’s 5-Year Plan that Jay said includes creating 25 more housing units, “One of our top goals,” to house “our top priority,” seniors, veterans and the homeless.
The authority has several projects in the works and “We have our eyes on properties even as we speak,” Jay said the agency plans on developing into even more housing.
The housing waiting list has grown to 1,100 applicants who may not be provided with housing for up to seven years.
The authority is “looking heavily into Prop. 41 funds,” that could help create more housing for veterans but Jay said the SPHA wants to be “cognizant and aware of what is needed in the community,” through the use of Census data among resources.
“Whatever we address,” he added, “will be addressing Santa Paulans…”
Councilman Jim Tovias noted the infill projects that SPHA has completed and said “I read in the paper all the time about farmworker housing,” and he asked if they could apply for SPHA housing.
“We look at income as dollars,” said Jay, not at how the revenue is generated.
SPHA projects he added when prompted by Tovias have been recognized nationally.
Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite asked about the SPHA waiting list and Jay said 47 percent are seniors.
The councilwoman also asked about the more than $6 million in lieu fees that Limoneira promised the city which in turn will go to the SPHA as it comes in. An in lieu fee takes the place of a developer having to construct a mandated number of affordable housing units in a development.
Crosswhite asked if the authority has determined how the Limoneira in lieu fee would be spent.
“That money is already at work before we get it,” utilized as bridge funding on three SPHA projects said Jay.
Crosswhite noted the money might not be available until 2020 but Jay said the authority deals with lenders including those from the public sector that will work with them.
