Residents Face Losing Homes Following Demise of Rental Subsidy Program

With the elimination of community redevelopment agencies last year, more than 60 low-income Glendora residents face losing their rental subsidies by the end of June.

The Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program allowed low-income Glendora residents  - half are senior residents living at Heritage Oaks apartments – to live in affordable housing developments at significantly reduced rates.

Glendora City Manager Chris Jeffers said the 66 residents receiving rental subsidies under this program were notified last year of the program’s impending termination.

The program was funded through the city’s now defunct redevelopment agency and the federal grant called HOME.

Grant money is currently funding the subsidy program, but by the end of June, Jeffers said all funds will be exhausted.

Sharon Green, a resident at Heritage Oaks apartments, is filing a claim against the city, hoping to keep her rental subsidy beyond the June 30 deadline. Green fought to retain her rental subsidy at Heritage Oaks after a lengthy court battle, during which she spent living in a campground in San Bernardino County.

In her claim against the City, Green said the City and its oversight board failed to address her eviction with the apartment’s management company, Anchor Pacifica.

Now Green fears the 35 senior residents at Heritage Oaks apartments currently receiving rental subsidies will, according to Green, “live in tents like me.”

Jeffers blamed Gov. Jerry Brown’s elimination of redevelopment agencies for the diminishing opportunities for low-income housing and assistance.

“We realize that this is a big hardship, but this was certainly part of the discussion when they were considering the impact the elimination of redevelopment would have on affordable housing,” said Jeffers. “This is just another example of it having a major impact.”

With grants such as HOME becoming more competitive, Jeffers said funding for rental subsidies will become even more hard to come by, with agencies putting more value on brick and mortar projects rather than monthly subsidies.

“There is definitely a need for all levels of affordable housing, the question is money,” said Jeffers.

Varying from each individual in the program, Jeffers said the city was subsidizing $200 to $1000 per resident a month.

 Eliminating the subsidies will have a severe financial impact on residents, as some were receiving up to 70 percent assistance on their monthly rent.

According to Jeffers, the city has hired an organization, Overland  Pacific & Cutler, to meet with each of the residents to help them find other financial resources or other means of affordable housing before their rental subsidies expire.