INGLEWOOD – The members of the city council entered into three new development agreements to build eighteen (18) new affordable homes.
The council voted 4-0 to enter into Exclusive Negotiation Agreements with Habitat for Humanity during the March 4 city council meeting without any discussion.
Councilwoman Gloria Gray was absent from the meeting.
The agreements call for affordable homes to be built across three vacant parcels in the City.
One parcel is located at 8244 Crenshaw Drive and 8205 Crenshaw Boulevard, 958 Orchard Drive and 708 W Beach Avenue.
According to publicly available City documents, the Inglewood Housing Authority (IHA) solicited development proposals in late 2023 with Habitat for Humanity being selected in April 2024.
According to the staff report, “the purpose of the agreements is to negotiate and prepare a mutually accepted Disposition Development Agreement (DDA) to be presented to the City Council and IHA for approval consideration and provide a framework for the development of eighteen (18) new affordable homes”.
Eight homes are projected to be built atop of 8244 Crenshaw Drive and 8205 Crenshaw Blvd. which was a former gas station.
Eight homes are projected to be built atop of 958 Orchard Drive and two homes atop 708 W. Beach Ave. which was the site of a former home owned by the IHA which the former occupant alleged was contaminated.
Because that occupant was displaced by the IHA, they were placed in the number one position on the City’s First Time Homebuyer Program in 2019.
These new agreements represent a second iteration of DDA’s that were last approved in August 2023.
According to the Draft 2023-2024 Action Plan, which the city held a Public Hearing to discuss on Aug. 8, 2023, the City prepared Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for three affordable housing projects for the same parcels. City staff proposed using $4 million of HOME funds, from Community Block Grant Development (CDBG) funds towards the projects.
In Feb. 2018, the City had to pass a resolution requesting an extension from the state, for an additional five years for developing the affordable housing projects because they were never built.
The resolution that was submitted to the state, detailed that the development of some of the parcels was not complete and the City was therefore requesting a five-year extension from the Department of Finance to finish the work.
The staff report noted, “…pursuant to HSC Section 33334.16 activities to develop properties acquired by the Agency for affordable housing must be initiated within five (5) years from the date of acquisition; otherwise, the property must be sold and the proceeds returned to the Successor Agency’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund.”
“The Housing Authority fully expects to develop the properties within the five (5) year extension and add to the City’s exemplary record of addressing affordable housing…”
“The authority desires to retain the properties for a period of up to an additional five years to begin the physical development of low and moderate-income housing.”
The extension was initially granted and expired in February of 2023 and extended again until 2028.
Under the new agreements, financing from the City and IHA is not expected to exceed $550,000 for 8244 Crenshaw Drive and 8205 Crenshaw Blvd., $470,000 for 958 Orchard Ave., and $117,000 for 708 W. Beach Ave.
In 2022, Asm. Tina McKinnor, who represents Inglewood, made her first act in office to pass legislation related to affordable housing.
Assembly Bill 1743 was part of a 38-bill housing package signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom designed to increase housing production, expand housing financing and help millions of Californians access safe, affordable housing.
The bill asks local governments a very simple, but important question – after all the work of this legislature, the governor and our local governments over the past several years to address the housing crisis, how much housing was actually produced?
“We can solve California’s housing crisis through partnerships between government, developers, non-profit and faith-based organizations,” said Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. “By harnessing the innovative will of Californians, necessary public and private investments and a legislature and governor truly committed to solving the housing crisis, I am confident that we can help all Californians find a safe and affordable place to call home. AB 1743 will give the public and policy makers an important metric necessary to guide our efforts to expand housing opportunities to all Californians in the future.”