New Affordable Housing Is a Good Sign : Costa Mesa, Irvine Projects Are Positive Steps, But More of These Dwellings Are Needed

The phrases Orange County and affordable housing are seldom heard in the same sentence, but there are some signs of badly needed change for renters.

In Costa Mesa, what was the Travelodge motel on Newport Boulevard is in the process of becoming the county’s first single-room-occupancy project, thanks to loans from the county and the city as well as federal housing funds. The need for more such housing is evident; even without advertising, there quickly sprang up a waiting list of 200 people hoping to get one of the 96 small apartments available.

The same thing happened in Irvine, where the Irvine Co. and a private, nonprofit builder from San Francisco built a recently opened apartment community. Of 382 units of the San Paulo Apartments, 203 were what is known as rent-reduced, ranging from $565 for a one-bedroom apartment to $706 for a three-bedroom, which officials said is about half the market rate. The Irvine Co. said it received 1,200 applications for the 203 available units.

Costa Mesa also deserves credit for a new program to make sure that lower-rent apartments meet city codes. The City Council adopted what is called the Neighborhood Improvement Strategy after prodding from Latino activists, assisted by St. Joachim Catholic Church. The activists organized residents and arranged meetings with city officials to complain about apartments plagued by cockroaches or violating building or safety codes.

The result was the new way of doing business in which code enforcement officers do not have to wait for tenants to call and complain. Instead, they are supposed to take the initiative and “sweep” through apartments to issue citations. Federal grants of more than $160,000 will pay for additional code enforcement officers. Wisely, the grants can also provide cut-rate loans to landlords who need to make repairs. That would eliminate a common complaint that landlords cannot afford to make repairs.

The need for housing priced low enough for renters and buyers has long been obvious in the county. The Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force reported last year that even middle-class residents such as police officers and teachers have trouble finding housing within their price range. Other cities are considering the single-room-occupancy units, which are basically studio apartments. They should do it wherever possible. Workers should not have to pay half their income merely to keep a roof over their heads.