Affordable Housing – A Groundswell Whose Time Has Come
By Sheila
Bernard
In a cozy back room of the
Vera Davis Center, 30 Venetians confronted the problems of affordable
housing.
A panel included Steve Clare,
executive director of the non-profit Venice Community Housing Corporation;
Sheila Bernard, president of Lincoln Place Tenants Association; Jim Smith of
Grassroots Progressive Candidates; Lydia Poncé, Venice community activist
and appellant on the AKB/San Juan project; and Kendra Moore, president of the
Oakwood Tenant Action Committee.
Venetians heard the all-too-familiar statistics of high rents, not enough space,
run away commercial development, not enough parking, and “what is
affordable housing anyway?”
But the attendees were encouraged to think outside the
box.
How do we see that
affordable housing gets built that serves low-income residents in Venice, rather
than bringing in tenants from outside Venice and displacing tenants who have
roots in Venice?
How do we
protect low-income homeowners from losing their homes due to illness? How do we
increase the amount of housing without impacting parking?
Comments from the audience and
the panel suggested that we do this
creatively.
Think of
“elegant density or diverse density.” This doesn’t have to
mean boxy or bland as the art bunkers that are thrown up on Electric Avenue.
Think of play areas in the developments. Learn the jargon of the bureaucracy,
and challenge the planning committee when it gives away variances to developers
”like candy on Halloween,” as Lydia Poncé said. Honor the old
graceful hotel buildings and bungalows in Venice.
There need to be more events
which highlight the issue of affordable housing in Venice and the urgency of
preserving low income housing which is in danger of being lost and not replaced.
795 units are in danger at Lincoln Place, 246 units at Holiday Venice could be
lost as well. Sixty units of HUD-subsidized housing at 5 Rose Ave. are already
gone. Fifty-seven units at 1 Venice Blvd. may go soon.
Eight thousand units a year are needed
just to keep up with the growing L.A. city population.
Creating affordable housing in
Venice will take education, organizing and engaging in demonstrations and
political lobbying. It will take a groundswell that cannot be ignored at City
Hall.
The 30 Venetians will meet
again. Maybe next time there will be 60 Venetians. And maybe you will be one of
them!
Posted: Sat
- March 1, 2003 at 05:53 PM